KUCHING: Sarawakian shuttler, Wong Ling Ching, will be one of the key names to watch when Malaysia begin their campaign at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) in Qingdao, China, on Wednesday (Feb 4).
The national body has named Ling Ching in the women’s singles line-up for the tournament, underlining the growing trust placed in the young Sarawakian as Malaysia fields a largely youthful squad for the biennial meet.
Ling Ching will shoulder the singles challenge alongside K. Letshanaa, Siti Zulaikha Azmi and Oo Shan Zi, as Malaysia look to test their depth against Asia’s best team outfits.
In the men’s team, singles player Justin Hoh and doubles pair Wan Muhammad Arif Shaharuddin Wan Junaidi–Yap Roy King are set to lead the charge.
They will be supported by men’s singles shuttlers Aidil Sholeh Sadikin, Eogene Ewe and Kong Wei Xiang, while Choong Hon Jian–Muhammad Haikal Nazri and Aaron Tai–Kang Khai Xing complete the doubles line-up.
The women’s doubles department will be handled by Ong Xin Yee–Carmen Ting, Chong Jie Yu–Vanessa Ng and Cheng Sui Hui–Tan Zhing Yi.
The championship will serve as a key platform for the younger crop to stake their claim for future major team events, with top pairs such as Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik and Pearly Tan–M. Thinaah being kept for the All England Championships in March and beyond.
Malaysia’s men have been drawn in Group D with Indonesia and Myanmar, with Indonesia expected to provide the sternest early challenge.
In the women’s competition, Malaysia are placed in Group W with hosts China. With only two teams in the group, the national squad is guaranteed a place in the knockout stage and will avoid China in the quarter-finals.
The men’s team will be squaring off against Myanmar while the women’s team will face off China today in their first group bout.
Malaysia were crowned BATC champions in 2022 in Shah Alam and finished runners-up in the 2024 edition, also on home soil.
The women’s team’s best results remain semi-final finishes in 2020 and 2022, with Wong now given the stage to help push the national cause forward.
The Championship will end on Feb 8.
