KUALA LUMPUR: Puchong United BC continued their fine form after narrowly defeating Ampang Jaya BC 10-8 during their SS Purple League (SSPL) 2016/17 match on Wednesday at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium in Cheras.
Ampang Jaya started well thanks to Cheam June Wei's 3-1 victory over Syed Akhbar in the first men's singles match.
Ampang, however, blew their lead when Puchong United stormed ahead to win the women’s singles and men’s doubles match. Pan Lu defeated Ampang Jaya’s Xu Wei 3-1 in an all-China women’s singles affair, while Puchong United’s Taiwanese pair of Lee Yang-Lee Jhe Huei brushed aside Lukhi Nugroho-Muhammad Syawal in straight games.
Ampang Jaya leveled the score at 7-7 after the mixed doubles match as their Singaporean pair, Tan Wei Han-Terry Hee Yong Kai, saw off Teoh Mei Xing-Lim Khim Wah in straight games.
But it was Puchong United who prevailed with the win at the end, led by Malaysian shuttler Chong Wei Feng, who capitalised on his veteran instincts to fend off the pressure and beat Lee Cheuk Yiu 3-1 in the second men’s singles match.
“We initially aimed to get 11 points in this match, but because of the squad rotation, we fell one short of our target. We need all our players to get used to this competitive environment. That is why we made the changes,” said Puchong United’s team manager, Irina Inozemtseva.
Meanwhile, Petaling BC was made to slog as they struggled past a stubborn Bangsar Hawks BC side 11-8 in an earlier tie.
Petaling BC were hungry for more points after beating neighbours Petaling Jaya BC in their last match, while second-from-bottom Bangsar Hawks BC were aiming to climb up the standings.
SSPL 2016/17 Results
Puchong United BC bt Ampang Jaya BC 10-8
MS2: Syed Akhbar lost to Cheam June Wei 1-3 (4-11, 3-11, 11-8, 4-11)
WS: Pan Lu bt Xu Wei 3-1 (11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9)
MD: Lee Jhe Huei-Lee Yang bt Lukhi Nugroho-Muhammad Syawal 3-0 (11-10, 11-7, 11-7)
XD: Lim Khim Wah-Teoh Mei Xin lost to Tan Wei Han-Terry Hee Yong Kai 0-3 (8-11, 5-11, 6-11)
MS1: Chong Wei Feng bt Lee Cheuk Yiu (11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 8-7)
Bangsar Hawks BC lost to Petaling BC 8-11
MS2: Du Yu Hang lost to Kenichi Tago 0-3 (7-11, 6-11, 4-11)
WS: Lee Ying Ying bt Lim Yin Fun 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-9)
MD: Irfan Fadhilah-Loh Kean Hean lost to Andrei Adistia-Chen Tang Jie 2-3 (7-11, 10-11, 11-9, 11-5, 6-8)
XD: Joyce Choong-Pei Tian Yi bt Agripinna Prima Ramanto-Devi Tika Permatasari 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-10, 5-4)
MS1: Thomi Azizan Mahbub lost to Iskandar Zulkarnian 0-3 (2-11, 7-11, 3-11)
