KUCHING: Sarawak’s Under-18 (U18) badminton squad stole the spotlight after advancing to the quarter-finals of the 2025 PETRONAS National Interstate Mixed Team Championship in Penang, marking the rise of a new generation of shuttlers in the state.
Although their campaign ended today following a defeat to host and top seed, Penang, the achievement was still hailed as remarkable given Sarawak’s low seeding at the start of the tournament.
For Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) honorary secretary and team manager, Datuk Dr Wan Khalik Wan Muhammad, what the young shuttlers displayed went far beyond the scoreboard.
“This achievement proves that Sarawak now has a line-up of young talents capable of competing with other states in the country,” he said in a statement recently.
He stressed that the performance in Penang reflected not only the players’ determination, but also the dedication of coaches and the support team working tirelessly behind the scenes.
Wan Khalik added that the breakthrough was the result of continuous grassroots development programmes carried out in collaboration with SBA, the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) and the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS).
“These well-planned programmes are now beginning to bear fruit, and our young players are growing in confidence to compete at the national level,” he explained.
At the same time, he noted that the experience of competing against the country’s best juniors was a valuable lesson that would only fuel Sarawak’s players to train harder.
“This kind of experience is priceless because it inspires players to keep working hard and pursue even greater success in the future,” he added.
The championship began on Wednesday (August 20) and is set to conclude this Sunday (August 25).
