KUALA LUMPUR – With two senior titles under his belt, 18-year-old national junior player Justin Hoh will be gunning to win the BWF World Junior Championships.
Besides winning the Croatia Open and Bonn International in June, Justin has also won the National Under-21 Championships and is now preparing for the World Junior Championships in Santander, Spain from October 17 to 30.
His achievements this season landed him an opportunity to train with the senior squad for a week, which the youngster says is different compared to the junior team’s in terms of intensity.
“The senior training sessions are much more intense.
“I have been trying to follow and keep up with their speed in training.
“As I am the youngest here, the senior players have guided me and shared some tips with me,” he told reporters when met at the Academy Badminton Malaysia yesterday.
Before heading to Spain in October, Justin will play at the India Junior International Series (August 23-28) and the Malaysia Junior International Series (September 6-11) as preparation for the world championships.
“I will work hard for these two tournaments, and hopefully win some medals, so that I’ll be more prepared for greater success at the World Junior Championships.”
As BAM men’s singles coaching director Wong Choong Hann and men’s singles coach Hendrawan are in search of second and third national singles players, Justin hopes to do his best although he is unsure if he will get the call-up.
“Given just six months, I am not sure if I can be among the top being just 18 years old. But I will keep trying my best to be there,” he said.
At the World Junior Championships, Malaysia is drawn in Group A with powerhouse Indonesia, Latvia, and Sweden in the mixed team category.
“The mixed team draw is tough because we will be going up against Indonesia, but we will try to win it.”
However, in the men’s singles category, Justin said both he and coach Datuk Misbun Sidek are not sure what to expect since the top countries such as Indonesia and China have not announced their representatives.
“Regardless, I’ll still be preparing myself. I do not care who my opponent is, I’ll just focus on myself and train hard to meet my potential opponents,” he added. – The Vibes, August 18, 2022
