MALAYSIA INT’L 2010 – Doubles Triple for Malaysia

Malaysia, led by double gold winner Lim Khim Wah (pictured) won all three doubles events at their home International Challenge while events with Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto and Japan’s Ayane Kurihara each won their second singles title of the year.

By Steve Mariyoh, Badzine Correspondent live in Kota Kinabalu. Photos: Badmintonphoto (archives)

While Team Malaysia was shut out of the semi-finals at the Asian Games, their B team was at home, winning three out of the five titles in the Proton Malaysia International Badminton Challenge, which ended at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex multipurpose hall in Likas yesterday.

The all-Malaysian final affair in mixed doubles saw a thrilling first game between Lim Khim Wah / Chong Sook Chin and Mohd Razif Abdul Latif / Amelia Alicia Anscelly that ended 30-28 in favour of Lim Khim Wah / Chong Sook Chin. In the second game, they won 21-13 to ensure that each member of the pair would top the podium for a second year running, after each had won only a level doubles title last year.

Second seed Ayane Kurihara (pictured) her second title of the year but only after having to work harder than she had at the Russia Open as this women’s singles final also ended in a rubber game.  Kurihara won the first game before Masayo Nojirino – whom she had also beaten in the quarter-finals en route to her title in Vladivostok – took the match to a third game by winning the second 21-18.  Ayane finally clinched her crown by winning the deciding game 21-10.

Later, Tommy Sugiarto (pictured below) of Indonesia fought his way to win the men’s singles title against Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif.  What makes it even sweeter for the Indonesian is the fact that this was his second title back-to-back as prior to this he also won the Laos International Challenge.  Tommy and Arif have both been waiting a long time to shine on the senior stage after they had notable runner-up finishes at the 2006 World Juniors and 2007 Asian Juniors respectively.

In the men’s doubles, an unseeded Malaysian pair of Lim Khim Wah / Goh Wei Shem – winners in 2009 and 2008 respectively, though with different partners – stunned fourth-seeded Indonesians Andrei Adistia / Rahmat Adianto to win the title.  They won in straight games 21-15, 21-16 to give Lim his second of the day.

Chin Eei Hui, who had decided against the supreme test of the Asian Games this fall, teamed up with Lai Peng Jing to win Malaysia’s second crown, defeating third-seeded Indonesian pair of Gebby Ristiyani / Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah 21-15, 21-10.

For complete results, CLICK HERE