WORLD JUNIORS 2013 Team Final – Korea takes home the gold

Korea defeated Indonesia 3-2 in the 2013 BWF World Junior Championship mixed team event in Bangkok on Sunday, to win the title and the right to take home the Suhandinata Cup for the first time since 2006.

Story and photos by Gerald Jew, Badzine Correspondent live in Bangkok

Prior to this year, Korea’s juniors had made no fewer than eight visits to the final of the mixed team event, since it was added to the BWF World Junior Championships in 2000.  But the Koreans only had one championship on their resume, having lost to China six times and – in China’s absence in 2011 – to Malaysia once.

With Indonesia taking out their arch-nemesis China on Saturday, the Korean team was hoping for an easier path to the championship.  The Indonesian team had other ideas, and proved to be more than a worthy opponent by winning two of the first three matches and taking the 2-1 lead into the last two matches of the competition.

In a match that Korean coach Kim Joong Soo felt would be one of the keys to victory, Indonesia’s mixed doubles team of Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Masta Mahmudin defeated two-time Asian Junior Champions Choi Sol Kyu and Chae Yoo Jung in the afternoon’s first match, sending a scare into the Korean coach.

His fears were soon dispelled in the second match of the day.  In the boys’ singles Jeon Hyuk Jin beat Jonatan Christie, who had looked unstoppable after his impressive win on Saturday and when he beat the current Asian Junior Champion a day earlier.  On Sunday, Jeon was the more impressive shuttler, displaying an excellent all-around game and overcoming the Indonesian in two games.

“I thought we were in big trouble after we lost the mixed doubles,” Coach Kim said, “After the boys’ singles, I felt much better [about our chances].  Jeon’s win gave us all more confidence.”

Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, who had earlier won in the mixed doubles, returned to the court for the third match of the day, teaming up with 2012 Asian Junior Champion Arya Maulana Aldiartama (pictured above) in the boys’ doubles to clinch his second win of the stage.  Sukamuljo and Maulana defeated Heo Kwang Hee and Choi Sol Kyu, who was also playing his second match on Sunday.

With only one loss away from defeat, Korea’s Kim Hyo Min, fresh off a win over current Asian Junior Champion Aya Ohori, took on Hanoi International winner Hanna Ramadini (pictured) and beat her in a forty-three minute girls’ singles match that would send the competition into a fifth and deciding championship match.

The girls’ doubles saw Korea’s Kim Ji Won and Chae Yoo Jung (pictured) overwhelm Rosyita Eka Putra Sari and Setyana Daniella Florensia Mapasa, 21-18,21-11 in the day’s most lopsided win to send the Korean team to the winner’s podium.

In an earlier Sunday morning contest, China beat Japan, 3-2 in a match to decide the bronze medal winners.  Japan Open champion Akane Yamaguchi got her first outing in singles and beat He Bingjiao but she and fellow 2012 WJC runner-up Takuto Inoue suffered their second loss in mixed doubles.

Gold medal tie result: Korea 3, Indonesia 2

XD: Choi Sol Kyu / Chae Yoo Jung (KOR) lost to Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo / Masita Mahmudin (INA)  19-21, 16-21

MS: Jeon Hyuk Jin (KOR) beat Jonatan Christie  21-16, 21-19

MD: Choi Sol Kyu / Heo Kwang Hee (KOR) lost to Arya Maulana Aldiartama / Kevin Sanjaya (INA)  Sukamuljo 16-21, 20-22

WS: Kim Hyo Min (KOR) beat Hanna Ramadini (INA)  21-15, 21-18

WD: Chae Yoo Jung / Kim Ji Won (KOR) beat Setyana Daniella Florensia Mapasa / Rosyita Eka Putri Sari (INA)  21-18, 21-11

Click here for complete final results