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National Junior Badminton Titles Decided

Sunday 24 July 2011, 3:34PM

By Dave Worsley

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PALMERSTON NORTH

It took well over 1,000 matches, using 36 courts but the New Zealand under 15 and under 17 badminton individual champions have been completed at Arena Manawatu in Palmerston North

The titles were spread between four associations: North Harbour, Auckland, Wellington North and Taranaki, plus one (under 17 girls singles) being won by an overseas player; Leonila Josephine from Indonesia.

The victory for Taranaki came from a home-stay student Pun Thepkunhanimit who hails from Thailand and looked untroubled on his way to the boys under 15 singles title. Jaclyn Chen the girls under 15 singles winner will also be lost to New Zealand as it is understood she intends to return to her original home of Taiwan later this year.

However the under 17 boys singles winner, Dylan Soedjasa is a highly regarded player from North Harbour who took three games to overcome Aaron Chu from Australia in the singles final and also appeared in the mixed final as well.

The Wellington North combination of Jacob Morgon and Elliot Pike beat the Auckland team of Daniel Lee and Tony Liu to capture the boys under 17 doubles title. The mixed title went to Kerwyn Lee(Nth Harbour) and Lilian Shih(Auckland). Shih also won the girls doubles teaming with fellow Aucklander Angie Leung to defeat the Waikato’s Georgie Jefferson and Indonesian Leonila Josephine.

Earlier in the under15 and under 17 teams badminton titles Auckland made a clean sweep of wins. The triumphs sit nicely with their under 19 teams titles won in Dunedin last month.

North Harbour finished second in both age groups with Wellington North third in the under15’s and Auckland(3) third in the under17’s. Counties Manukau won U15 division II with Auckland(3)I winning division II in the under 17’s.

Under15 finals:

Girls singles: Jaclyn Chen(Nth Harbour) bt Rowena Devathasan(Auckland) 19-21 21-9 21-19,

Boys singles: Pun Thepkunhanimit(Taranaki) bt Alan Wong(Nth Harbour) 21-6 21-14,

Girls doubles: Diana Araneta(Auckland)/Pingkan Polak(Wellington Nth) bt Rowena Devathasan/Sabrina Fu(Auckland) 15-21 21-16 21-19,

Boys doubles: Niccolo Tagle/Alan Wong(Nth Harbour) bt Sam Lu/Daxxon Vong(Wellington Nth) 23-21 21-18,

Mixed doubles: Alan Wong/Deborah Yin(Nth Harbour) bt Niccolo Tagle/Jacyln Chen(Nth Harbour) 22-20 21-19.

Under 17 finals:

Girls singles: Leonila Josephine(Indonesia) bt Angie Leung(Auckland) 21-15 21-13,

Boys singles: Dylan Soedjasa(Nth Harbour) bt Aaron Chu(Australia) 15-21 21-13 21-18,

Girls doubles: Angie Leung/Lilian Shih(Auckland) bt Georgie Jefferson(Waikato)/Leonila Josephine(Indonesia) 21-13 21-14,

Boys doubles: Jacob Morgon/Elliot Pike(Wellington Nth) bt Daniel Lee/Tony Liu(Auckland) 21-13 21-15,

Mixed doubles: Kerwyn Lee(Nth Harbour)/Lilian Shih(Auckland) bt Dylan Soedjasa(Nth Harbour)/Angie Leung(Auckland) 21-18 21-14.