HK girls retain junior crown

Hong Kong successfully defended their girls' team title at the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment Asian Junior Championships yesterday despite the absence of number one player Annie Au Wing-chi.

Led by Joey Chan Ho-ling, runner-up in the individual event, the SAR defeated arch-rivals Malaysia 2-0 in the final at Hong Kong Squash Centre.

Chan beat Malaysian number one Low Wee Wern 7-9, 9-4, 9-2, 9-2 in the opening match and Leung Shin-nga completed the job with a 9-3, 9-0, 7-9, 9-6 win over Low Wee Nee, younger sister of Wee Wern.

Hong Kong coach Tony Choi Yuk-kwan praised the performance of Chan, who also led the SAR team in the semi-final when they beat Japan 2-1 after Au, the newly crowned individual champion, sustained a back injury and pulled out of the event.

'She [Chan] rose to the occasion when given the responsibility in the last two matches,' said Choi. 'She played very well throughout the tournament and it was a happy ending for her as this was her last major junior competition.'

Chan, who will turn 19 in May, said she was happy to bow out of junior play on a high note. 'The team title has left me with a great memory of my junior career,' she said.

In the boys' final, Pakistan beat Malaysia 2-1, while Hong Kong finished fourth after going down to India 2-1 in the third-place play-off.

Leo Au Chun-ming got the SAR off to a good start when he beat Sandeep Jangra 9-3, 9-0, 5-9, 6-9, 9-0, but that was the best the local boys could offer. Fung Ji-yang and Chan Kai-chi then lost their matches to hand India the victory.