Malaysia Falls Short Against India In WUG Mixed Team Quarterfinal Thriller

MULHEIM AN DER RUHR (Germany), July 20 (Bernama) -- The national badminton squad came up short in their quest to repeat last edition’s success, falling 2-3 to India in a tense mixed team quarterfinal clash at the 2025 World University Games (WUG) in Rhine-Ruhr late Saturday night (early Sunday, Malaysian time).

Malaysia’s hopes of drawing first blood were dashed when the mixed doubles pair of Wee Yee Hern-Clarissa San went down 9-15, 15-11, 11-15 to Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Vaishnavi Khadkekar.

Men’s singles shuttler Jacky Kok Jing Hong levelled the tie with a gritty comeback win over Saneeth Dayanand, 9-15, 15-13, 15-11.

India regained the lead through women’s singles player Devika Shag, who edged Siti Zulaikha Muhammad Azmi Tan 15-5, 8-15, 15-12 in a hard-fought duel.

Malaysia kept their hopes alive when the men’s doubles duo Bryan Jeremy Goonting-Muhammad Fazri Mohamad Razif cruised past Saneeth-Sathish Kumar 15-8, 15-6 to bring the tie to a thrilling decider.

However, India sealed their place in the semifinals after women’s doubles pair Tasnim Mir and Varshini Viswanath Sri staged a gutsy comeback to defeat Lee Xin Jie and Low Yeen Yuan 9-15, 15-13, 15-13 in the deciding rubber.

The win sends India through to the semifinals, where they will take on Taiwan, while China is set to face South Korea in the other last-four showdown.

Malaysia’s campaign now shifts focus to the individual events, set to begin on July 22.

Malaysia bagged two bronze medals at the previous edition in Chengdu, one in the mixed team event and another in men’s doubles.

-- BERNAMA