Kuala Lumpur, 15 November 2018 – The Astro Junior Championships U15 (AJC) (Regional) concluded today at Stadium Juara,Kuala Lumpur with Exist Badminton Club from Indonesia as the well-deserved champions taking home their share of the USD12,000 prize pool. The 10 players (5 males, 5 females) of Exist Badminton Club: Bintang Diaz Putra Sutisna, Hendrawan, Iqbal Diaz Saputra, Muhammad Ridhwanul Arifin, Nauval Syaputra, Fadillah Nur Hidayah, Irgi Apprilla Hizkia Rifa Putri, Shiva Nabilla Putri, Siti Zarah Azzahra and Vyananda Bintang Racketta, beat 13 other teams from across the region to take home a cash prize of USD5,000, a trophy and medals presented by Lee Choong Kay, Chief of Sports, Astro.
During the finals of the AJC (Regional), the winning team defeated contender Anhui Soyu Badminton Club from China, 3-1. Runner-up, Anhui Soyu Badminton Club received USD3,000 in prize money, a trophy and medals.Semi-finalists, D`Jarum Badminton Club and Ragunan Sports School, both from Indonesia, were each awarded USD2,000 in prize money, as well as a trophy and medals. A complete list of teams who qualified to the quarter finals,semi-finals and finals and winners are listed in the appendix.
Lee said, “The AJC (Regional) was a fantastic opportunity for these young, talented shuttlers to put their skills to the test with their equals from across Asia. We are proud of their performance and sportsmanship displayed throughout the 4-days. We hope that they can use this experience at the AJC (Regional) as a stepping stone to represent their countries professionally on the global stage. As the ‘home of sports’ in Malaysia, Astro looks forward to continue raising the overall standard of badminton among Malaysians and to nurture a new generation of badminton champions through more regional and global initiatives.”
Astro Junior Championships U15 is a mixed-team competition which aims to provide an additional platform for young shuttlers to compete in national and regional tournaments. The Championships expose and nurture these young shuttlers through a competitive-play experience. Prior to the AJC (Regional), the AJC (National) was held from 6–9 September 2018 amongst Malaysian teams where national-level champion (Wolf Team) and runner-up (CRC Taipex Penang) qualified to the AJC (Regional).
Astro Junior Championships U15 is endorsed by Badminton Asia (BA) and Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, Ministry of Education Malaysia, Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture Malaysia, F&N Beverages Marketing, Victor Sports and Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara Hotel.
For more information on the Astro Junior Championship, visit: www.astrokasih.org/championships
Appendix:
Teams and Scores at the AJC (Regional) QuarterFinals, Semi-finals and Finals
Stage
Date
Teams
Score
Quarter Finals
14 Nov 2018
CRC Taipex Penang (Malaysia)
vs.
Djarum Badminton Club (Indonesia) – Winner
1 – 3
Wolf Team (Malaysia)
vs.
Exist Badminton Club (Indonesia) – Winner
0 – 3
Ragunan Sport School (Indonesia) – Winner
vs.
Hong Kong Badminton Association (Hong Kong)
3 – 1
Anhui Soyu Badminton Club (China) – Winner
vs.
BAM/Astro Kasih (Malaysia)
3 – 1
Semi-Finals
14 Nov 2018
Djarum Badminton Club (Indonesia)
vs.
Exist Badminton Club (Indonesia) – Winner
0 – 3
Ragunan Sports School (Indonesia)
vs.
Anhui Soyu Badminton Club (China) – Winner
1 – 3
Finals
15 Nov 2018
Anhui Soyu Badminton Club (China) – Runner-Up
vs.
Exist Badminton Club (Indonesia) – Champion
1 – 3
