Low Zi Yu Sets Sights on Double Gold at Asian Junior Championships Despite New Partnerships
KUALA LUMPUR: Rising badminton star Low Zi Yu has set an ambitious target of winning two gold medals at the 2026 Asian Junior Championships (AJC) in Japan, despite competing with new partners in both the women’s doubles and mixed doubles events.
The 15-year-old Malaysian believes the challenge of adapting to new combinations will not stop her from aiming for the highest honours at the prestigious junior tournament, which will be held in Yatsushiro from June 26 to July 5.
Speaking before departing for Japan, Zi Yu said she is determined to give her all and hopes to make the most of the opportunity to compete against Asia’s best young talents.
“Of course I want to fight for gold medals. If possible, I want to win two golds.
“In the women’s doubles I will partner Genevie Lim, while in the mixed doubles I will play with Ahmad Redzuan,” she told reporters.
Although she has high expectations, Zi Yu admitted that it is difficult to gauge her true compatibility with Genevie because they have yet to compete together in a major tournament.
She explained that training sessions can only reveal so much, and the real test of their partnership will come when they step onto the court under competitive pressure.
“The Asian Junior Championships is a big tournament and I have just changed partners.
“We will use this tournament to test our partnership and see how well we perform together,” she said.
Zi Yu noted that the atmosphere during actual competition is very different from training, with pressure, expectations and match intensity all playing a role in determining the outcome.
“In training everything feels okay, but the environment in a real tournament is not the same.
“We need to play in actual matches to really understand how good our chemistry is,” she added.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding her new women’s doubles partnership, Zi Yu remains optimistic and believes the pair can surprise their opponents if they manage to settle quickly into their rhythm.
She also expressed confidence in her mixed doubles partnership with Ahmad Redzuan, saying the duo have shown encouraging progress during recent training sessions.
According to Zi Yu, they are beginning to understand each other’s strengths and are gradually building stronger on-court communication.
“I think we are improving and becoming more comfortable with each other.
“I hope we can continue this progress and perform well in Japan,” she said.
Zi Yu, who also partners Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan at the senior level, said her recent experiences competing in several BWF World Tour events have helped accelerate her development.
She explained that facing older and more experienced opponents has taught her valuable lessons about handling pressure, maintaining focus and adapting her tactics during difficult matches.
“The tournaments I played previously gave me a lot of exposure.
“I became more confident and learned how to deal with pressure when facing strong opponents,” she said.
The young shuttler added that competing regularly at a higher level has strengthened her belief that she can challenge the best players in her age group.
With the Asian Junior Championships approaching, Zi Yu is eager to prove herself on one of the biggest stages in junior badminton and hopes to bring glory to Malaysia.
If she succeeds in achieving her ambitious double-gold target, it would further cement her status as one of Malaysia’s brightest badminton prospects and a player to watch in the years ahead.
