ASIAN YOUTH GAMES – Lin & Qin win, Thais denied

World #18 Busanan Ongbamrungphan was left holding silver in the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing this week as China took both singles titles and Japan the mixed doubles gold.

Story and photos (archives): Don Hearn

As Thailand gets set to host the World Junior Championships in a few months, the Thai juniors have racked up plenty of results in 2013, though they’ve had their share of disappointments in junior events.  This week in Nanjing was no exception.

Busanan Ongbamrungphan (pictured) came to Nanjing as the Asian Junior runner-up and having won last year’s Malaysia Grand Prix Gold title.  However, she was unable to hold on against China’s Qin Jinjing, herself winner of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January.

Lin takes gold as Christie, Yamaguchi lose early

Barely a week after his illustrious compatriot Lin Dan had his moment in Guangzhou, Lin Guipu became the first bearer of that family name from mainland China to find success in international badminton.  Lin benefitted from the early removal of the biggest name in the boys’ singles draw.  Indonesia International Challenge winner Jonatan Christie, who turns 16 next month, was beaten in the quarter-finals by Lin’s compatriot Shi Yuqi, the eventual bronze medallist.

Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi (pictured), last year’s World Junior Championship runner-up, was also removed from the singles event early by the eventual bronze medallist but she was at least able to use her versatility to claim gold in the mixed doubles instead.

Although this was Akane’s first big title in mixed doubles, it was in that discipline that she distinguished herself last year, even before reaching the girls’ singles final in Chiba last November.  Akane and Akira Koga had snatched the mixed doubles point to kick off Japan’s 3-0 mixed team final victory at last year’s Asian Juniors and were just one point away from taking the team final at the World Juniors.

In Nanjing, Akane teamed up with Akira’s little brother Minoru Koga and took on Hanoi International winner Puttita Supajirakul and her partner Puavaranukroh Dechapol, beating them in three games to leave the Thais holding but a second silver.

Final results
Boys’ singles gold medal match: Lin Guipu (CHN) beat Lee Cheuk Yiu (HKG) 24-22, 21-14
Bronze medal match: Shi Yuqi (CHN) beat Lai Yu-Hua (TPE) 21-15, 21-15
Girls’ singles gold medal match: Qin Jinjing (CHN) beat Busanan Ongbamrangpan (THA) [1]  19-21, 21-17, 21-16
Bronze medal match: Kisona Selvaduray (MAS) beat Ho Yen Mei (MAS) [4]  21-15, 23-21
Mixed doubles gold medal match: Minoru Koga / Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) beat Puttita Supajirakul / Puavaranukroh Dechapol (THA) [1] 21-19, 9-21, 21-17
Bronze medal match: Shi Yuqi / Chen Yufei (CHN) beat Lai Yu-Hua / Lee Chia Hsin (TPE) 21-16, 21-13