Post Chengdu Trip Musings

The Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championship in Chengdu, China is an ideal reward / next destination international tournament for top achievers nationally (from the JET Finals / MSSM) because this is the highest continental level tournament for this junior age category. Therefore, BAM did good by sending selected top U15 & U17 juniors in the country to this event which is commendable and absolutely the right thing to do. All the other 15 Asian countries would have undergone the same process internally and therefore the final participation list would be considered the cream of the Asian Juniors (if not the world), which makes this event so prestigious.

Be that as it may, there were some areas in the approach to this event I feel ought to be thought over for further improvement.

I can see the intentions of ABM is to measure where our selected juniors stand in the midst of the top juniors from other Asian countries and rightfully so, as this is an ideal platform for this purpose. However, I still think we could give our juniors a little more mileage going into this event with better preparation, provide more motivation and develop camaraderie in the group.

As I understand, the mix of our juniors comprises of ABM juniors and non-ABM juniors. It is visibly apparent there is a divide within the team. I would have preferred that the senior players (those whom have been to this event before the previous years) to guide the first time participants and mentor them, sharing experiences on court conditions, managing the cold climate, their playing experiences offering tips and tactical tricks etc.

I am not sure if there were any communications of expectations and targets to be achieved but I think this has not been emphasised enough. Nevertheless, Malaysia fared 1 better this year with 2 semifinalist in BSU17 (Lucas Lee) & BSU15 (Muhd Noor Hanafi) compared to last year with 1 semifinalist in XDU15 (Wong Tze Han / Chloe Leong) and 1 quarterfinalist in BSU15 (Ng Hao Tong).

Strangely, our contingent comprised of 44 strong players both girls and boys but were not represented in mixed doubles. Its really baffling.

Prior to the trip, there were minimal or no centralised training planned. I think I can understand the constraints ABM were facing with shortages of coaches, tight schedules due to the demands of other international events to attend. As the result, they had to make good with whatever resources they have. This year, they had to call in other state BA coaches to assist in this trip. It was just a shame, had we been more cohesive as a team (like preparing for a team event), we could bring the best out of our juniors and perhaps see more podium winners.

Finally, I feel there were lack of vested interest from the top management, understandably since it is only U15 & U17 junior event with little stake in it to be justified for top attention. Nevertheless, at the very least, there should be an individual players review / post mortem on their performances. After-all these were supposed to be the top juniors from our country.

A check in Wikipedia from the history of this event, we can see scant Malaysian juniors Champions but sadly most have transitioned to the senior team poorly :

2011 – Boys U15 doubles : Tan Jia Wei / Ooi Zi Heng

2014 – Boys U15 doubles : Chia Wei Jie / Chang Yee Jun

2017 – Boys U15 doubles : Fazriq Razif / Ong Zhen Yi

2018 – Boys U15 doubles : Fazriq Razif / Justin Hoh

2018 – Boys U17 doubles : Demond Anthony Samin / Junaidi Arif

2019 – Boys U17 singles : Justin Hoh

Already we can see other Asian juniors development has clearly surpass us since this Competition started in 2006. Note that we have non girls Champion todate. I have compiled the statistics below for your views and leave the conclusions to you.

History of Champions count (by country) for all categories from 2006 to 2025 :

Number of Champions by country U15

Korea – 20

Japan – 14

Thailand – 13

Indonesia – 12

China – 7

India – 5

Malaysia – 4

Taiwan – 4

Hong Kong – 3

Singapore – 1



Number of Champions by country U17

Thailand – 17

Korea – 15

China – 14

Indonesia – 12

Taiwan – 9

Japan – 8

India – 3

Malaysia – 2

Hong Kong -2

Singapore - 2

BAC RANKING

Here is BAC GSU17 Ranking as at 26 Oct 2025 :

We are eternally grateful to the generosity of SKBA (and all the co-sponsors) for their Sports Kemp Scholarship which enable Kiera to achieve this results in Badminton Asia Continental level. We hope this will give her the impetus and catapult her further in the international scene next year.

CONTINENTAL JUNIOR BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

Here are additional information about Continental Junior Badminton Championship we ought to acquaint ourselves with.

1) As far as Junior tournaments are concern, BWF only recognise “World Junior Championship” (Individual and team events) for the U19 age group. For me, this is the biggest junior badminton tournament at world stage before the senior or professional level.

2) For younger age-groups such as U17 & U15 these are handled at continental or regional level rather than at global world-championship level. There are five continental junior badminton championships for U17 & U15. They are :

a) Asia - Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC),

b) Europe – Badminton Europe Confederation (BEC),

c) Pan America – Badminton Pan AM Confederation (BPAC),

d) Africa – Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA),

e) Oceania- Badminton Oceania.

3) The Continental Junior Badminton Championships ranking points are not part of the official BWF junior world ranking (U19) system at all. Therefore it does not contribute to BWF World Junior (U19) Ranking points. At this moment, there is no global unified BWF ranking for U17 & U15, only at continental level.

4) Each continent maintains their own internal or development ranking points system for U17, & U15 levels. Each continent defines its own formula ranking points awards. Points cannot be transferred across continents or to BWF rankings. The total ranking is based on player’s best 6 results over 12 months.

5) The ranking points are used by national federation to seed junior players U17 & U15 or select them for continental tournaments and higher tier (U19) tournaments.

6) Players turning 18 – 19yo resets into the BWF Junior Ranking when they participates in BWF U19 tournaments. The ranking for U19 takes priority over the U17 & U15 ranking points.

Among the 5 continental junior championships, Badminton Asia’s system is the most competitive and heavily weighted. Even though the ranking scales are not universal, Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Championships are regarded as the strongest and highest level continental tournament for youth worldwide. Why?

a) Depth and density of talent. Top badminton nations (China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, India) compete here.

b) High level of play. Often equivalent to or higher than the U19 continental level in other regions.

c) National importance. Most Asian countries use results here for their national team selection, development and fundings/sponsorships.

d) Ranking weight (internal). Many national federations treat Asia U17 & U15 rankings higher than any European or Pan Am youth tournaments.

e) As far as the highest Badminton Championship Event by age groupings are as follows :

- BWF World Championship – Senior Level

- BWF World Junior Championship – U19 (Age 18yo and below)

- Badminton Asia Junior U17 & U15 Championships – Age 16yo and below & age 14yo and below.

This is to say if your child is selected to play in the Badminton Asia Junior U17 & U15 Championships, this is equivalent to World Championship level for this junior age group.

Junior Badminton Gland Slam Tournaments

For me in Malaysia, there are four Grand Slam Badminton Junior Tournaments in the year which I belief every budding junior badminton player should attempt to aim for in their calendar. Why these four Tournaments? Primarily, these four tournaments involves nation-wide grass roots participation. Secondly, these four major tournaments are supported, endorsed, funded and/or collaborated with either BAM or KPM with significant reward and recognition.

1. Junior Elite Tournament Finals : U12, U14, U16 – organised by BAM under Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS)

Comprising of 15 State Badminton Associations, selected state players require BAM ID to participate in the preliminary JET 1 & JET2 (over two legs/locations) broken into 3 groups (of 5 states each). Top 6 singles and top 4 doubles in each group qualifies for the Finals. In the Finals, selected ABM players were also invited to participate. The quarter-finalist in singles and semi-finalist in doubles will be invited for Talent Identification Development Programme –TID (pre-cursor to join the Akademi Badminton Malaysia - ABM). Moreover, selected players from here were also invited to represent the country to play in Badminton Asia U17 and U15 Junior Championship in Chengdu, China. (Refer to The Chengdu Connection post)

2. Majlis Sukan Sekolah-Sekolah Malaysia – MSSM : U12, U15, U18 – organised by Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM)

The Malaysian School Sports Council is a body under the Malaysian Ministry of Education, organizes and coordinates annual sports competitions (for 24 types of sports, including badminton) for primary and secondary school students across Malaysia. It aims to develop physical and mental growth through sports as part of the extra-curricular under the school’s curriculum. KPM reported over 19,000 students in all public and private Schools registered under KPM participated in this programme in 2025. Its starts from inter-school competitions via MSS Daerah, inter-district competitions via MSS Negeri and finally inter-state via MSS Malaysia. Selected athletes with potential including the Champions in MSSM in the respective age categories will be invited to the Bukit Jalil Sports School which develops national athletes for high-level competitions (including the Olympics) by offering a balanced education with high-performance sports training with the objective to produce world-class athletes.

3. Allianz Junior Championship Finals : U13, U15 – sponsored by Allianz Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (CSR).

Commencing in 2022 after COVID, it quickly gain popularity due to the elaborate 10 qualifying round competitions held in all major cities in Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak throughout the year, where participants participates for free. It is considered one of the largest junior tournaments in Malaysia, attracting thousands of players nationwide. The finalist in each qualifying round will qualify for the Grand Finals in Kuala Lumpur. Winners at the qualifying rounds receive cash prizes and a special grant to help cover future competition expenses, equipment, and coaching. The grand finals also offer substantial cash prizes for top performers.

4. Astro Kem Badminton : U12 – sponsored by Astro Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (Astro Kasih Foundation).

Launched in 2012, Astro Kem Badminton is a grassroots badminton development programme aims to discover, train and nurture young shuttlers to become the next champions. Children of ages 10 to 12 years old are eligible to participate for free in any one of the 4 badminton camps held in major cities. They are assessed and filtered by appointed professional coaches. The best players will be selected to take part in the Kuala Lumpur Selection Camp and will further filter to the top 10+ boy and 10+ girls. The selected players will then have the opportunity to go for the all-expense paid trip overseas where they will attend a week long special training tour programme with world renowned coaches.

Which Junior has the best record for the above three Grand Slam? This excludes Astro Kem Badminton because it only confined to U12 and do not have ranking by competition matches. Instead the organizers select a group of players for the finals.

Only Low Zi Yu (Johor) achieved the coveted 3 Grand Slam titles not once but twice in 2022 and 2023. Second place falls to Chong Wan Xin (Pahang) in 2003 who became champion for both JET Finals and MSSM, but fell short as runner-up in Allianz. Here are the top 5 with detailed records of their achievements :

1. Low Zi Yu (Johor)

2022 – Champion GSU12 JET Finals, Champion GSU12 MSSM, Champion GSU13 Allianz

2023 – Champion GSU14 JET Finals, Champion GSU15 MSSM, Champion GSU13 Allianz

2024 –Champion GSU15 MSSM, Champion GSU15 Allianz

2025 – Champion GSU16 JET Finals, Champion GSU15 MSSM

2. Chong Wan XIn (Pahang)

2022 – Runners-up GSU12 MSSM

2023 – Champion GSU12 JET Finals, Champion GSU12 MSSM, Runners-up GSU13 Allianz

2024 – Champion GSU14 JET Finals, Runners-up GSU13 Allianz

2025 – Champion GSU14 JET Finals

3. Razeeq Daniel (Selangor)

2022 – Champion BSU15 MSSM, Champion BSU15 Allianz

2023 – Runners-up BSU16 JET Finals, Champion BSU18 MSSM

2024 –Runners-up BSU18 MSSM

4. Dania Sofia (Johor)

2022 – Champion GSU15 MSSM

2023 – Champion GSU16 JET Finals, Champion GSU18 MSSM

5. Khashah (Kelantan)

2022 – Runners-up BSU12 JET Finals, Champion BSU12 MSSM, Runners-up BSU13 Allianz

2023 – Champion BSU14 JET Finals

2024 – Champion BSU14 JET Finals

Tangkis 2030

Tangkis 2030 is a strategic 5-year roadmap launched by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) under its president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, with the aim of returning Malaysia to being a powerhouse in international badminton.

Here are the key components and goals of Tangkis 2030:

🎯 Main Goals

1. Win the Thomas Cup in 2026 — Malaysia has been chasing this since last winning in 1992.

2. Secure our first ever Olympic gold in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

3. Produce world No. 1 players in at least 3 out of 5 event categories (i.e. men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles)

🛠 Strategic Focus Areas

Grassroots & Early Recruitment: Lowering the age of recruitment of junior players. Engaging more with schools, state associations, clubs, and academies to build a strong base of talent.

Athlete Welfare and Support: Improving conditions for players, including better nutrition, increased allowances, and better infrastructure. For example, the food budget per athlete at the academy is being doubled.

Holistic Ecosystem Development: Not just focusing on elite players but the whole badminton ecosystem — coaches, training programmes, sports science, branding, marketing, finance, etc.

Engagement of Experts & Notable Figures: For example, Lee Chong Wei was brought in as an independent council member to help with athlete performance & welfare. Also bringing in experts in legal, sponsors, media branding etc.

🧭 Why It Matters / Context

Malaysia has long had a strong badminton tradition but has been facing stiff competition internationally. The “Tangkis 2030” plan is seen as a holistic response to that, trying to modernize and rebuild not just for immediate results but to ensure sustainability over years.

Recent performances (e.g. breakthrough at the BWF World Championships, women’s & mixed doubles pairs reaching finals) have been used as indicators that the direction is promising.

The Chengdu Connection

Here’s a full explanation of why BAM sends its National Junior players every year to the Badminton Asia U15 & U17 Championships in Chengdu, China. It’s actually a strategic move by the BAM.

1. Official Continental Championship (Badminton Asia Sanctioned)

The BAT Yonex U15 & U17 Asia Junior Championships are the official continental event organized by Badminton Asia, the governing body for Asia. Every member nation — including Malaysia is required and expected to send representatives to this annual championship. It’s equivalent to a “continental championship” for junior players, just like the Asian Games or Thomas Cup for seniors. So BAM sends their players because it’s an official international duty under the Badminton Asia calendar.

2. Exposure and Experience for Young Players

The event gathers the best U15 and U17 players from all Asian countries — China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Hong Kong China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, UAE and Chinese Taipei.

BAM sees it as a key platform for player development, giving juniors:

- International match experience.

- Exposure to different playing styles.

- Mental and physical preparation for future world-level tournaments.

This helps BAM evaluate young talents for future national teams and BWF World Junior Championships.

3. Benchmarking Against Asia’s Strongest Players

Asia dominates world badminton — so the U15 and U17 Asia Championships are the toughest junior events in the world. Competing here allows Malaysian coaches to measure how far behind or ahead their players are compared to:

- China’s national juniors,

- Indonesia’s PBSI youth squad,

- Korea’s and Taiwan's school system, Thailand's and India's club system etc.

It’s an important performance benchmark for Malaysia’s junior centralised development program.

4. Part of BAM’s Talent Development Pathway.

The players BAM sends to Chengdu are usually from:

- Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS),

- State Badminton Association programs (like Penang BA, Johor BA, Selangor BA), or

- The National Junior Elite squad (ABM)

These players are carefully chosen through Afffin 100PLUS National Junior Circuits, National Championships, and internal trials. The Chengdu event is a final test and exposure stage before moving into the World Junior Championship (U19) level.

5. Centralized and Stable Venue

Since Chengdu has hosted the event consistently since around 2022–2023, it provides:

- World class badminton facility,

- Predictable travel arrangements,

- Cost efficient infrastructures,

- Reliable tournament management.

BAM benefits from this consistency and reduced logistical uncertainty, so Malaysia continues to send teams every year.

6. Building International Relations

Sending teams yearly helps BAM maintain good relations with Badminton Asia, China Badminton Association, and other federations.

This cooperation can lead to:

- Joint training camps,

- Exchange programs,

- Invitations to friendly tournaments.

✅ In summary:

BAM sends Malaysian junior players every year to the Asia U15 & U17 Championships in Chengdu because it’s an official continental event, gives vital international exposure, serves as a talent benchmark, and supports long-term player development under a stable and strategic hosting setup.

Strategy vs Low Zi Yu

Kiera's main adversary now remains the formidable Johorean, Low Zi yu whom had a 6-0 head-to-head win record against Kiera todate. Despite her diagnosed with hyperthyriodism in May 2024, she still competed actively (particularly in doubles) representing the Country in International Junior Tournaments. Kiera was able to take one set of her in three of the matches while the rest were straight game loses. The best opportunity to turn the tide around woud have been the recent 2025 U12 & U16 Interstate Teamevent SEL vs JHR Group Stage but it wasnt to be. She will continue to find ways to build her game further and bridge the gap down and hopefully one day soon, she will be able to get her first win. Here are some of the footage, coach has given some good pointers how to play against Zi Yu.

The following are matches vs Low Zi Yu

1) 19th Nov 2023, Allianz Finals Semi-Finals lost 14-21, 15-21

2) 9th June 2025, JET Finals Preliminary Group A lost 21-14, 10-21, 15-21

3) 14th June 2025, JET Finals Final lost 5-21, 19-21

4) 23rd Aug 2025, Petronas Interstate U18 Team Event lost 12-21, 17-21

5) 17th Sept 2025, MSSM Final lost 21-17, 11-21, 12-21

6) 29th Oct 2025, U12&U16 Interstate Teamevent lost 22-20, 18-21, 18-21

First MSSM

In Sept 2025, Kiera made it to MSSM GSU15 finals for the first time in three years. Be that as it may, she would face-off with the talented Low Zi Yu again whom had 4 - 0 head-to-head lead over Kiera todate. Here is a flash back on how she did it...

2025 Tournaments : Play 60, Win 49, Lost 11 (Win ratio 82%)