Selangor successfully defended their Sukma women’s team badminton title after producing a dominant 3-0 victory over Penang at the Setia City Convention Centre.
The victory saw Selangor claim their second consecutive gold medal in the event, further establishing their strength in women’s team badminton at the Malaysia Games.
Eng Ler Qi gave Selangor the perfect start in the opening singles, defeating Penang’s Oo Shan Zi 21-14, 21-10 in just 33 minutes.
Clarissa San Wong Zi Yi then came through a much tougher battle against Lee Joinne-Nicole Tan to put Selangor one win away from the gold medal.
San needed 70 minutes to overcome her opponent 27-25, 14-21, 21-16 in a closely fought three-game contest. After losing the second game, she held her nerve in the decider to give Selangor a 2-0 lead.
The responsibility of sealing the title then fell to 18-year-old national junior Carine Tee.
Despite admitting to feeling nervous, Tee remained composed against Chong Shi Ming and delivered the decisive point with a 21-14, 21-16 victory.
“I was a little nervous, but I tried to control my emotions and stay focused until the end,” Tee said.
Her victory completed Selangor’s clean sweep and secured another Sukma gold for the state.
The result also highlights the depth of Selangor’s women’s badminton programme, with experienced players combining with emerging talents such as Tee to deliver on the biggest stage.
Meanwhile, Perak secured the bronze medal after beating Sabah 3-1 in the third-place playoff.
