Malaysia’s rising doubles players Low Zi Yu and Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan have been given a late call‑up to compete in the Asia Team Championships, which begin today in Qingdao, China. The 15‑year‑old Zi Yu and 18‑year‑old Noraqilah were named to the squad after Tan Zhing Yi withdrew with a right leg muscle tear sustained at the Indonesian Masters in Jakarta last month.
The young pair impressed last year by winning silver at the World Junior Championships, and they will now make their senior team competition debuts. Their inclusion is part of a strategy by Malaysia’s doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky to give promising juniors exposure at higher levels. “We wanted to give an opportunity for our young players to play in a senior team event,” he said.
Zi Yu had previously made an impact with partner Dania Sofea Zaidi. The duo claimed silver at the 2024 World Junior Championships and won their first senior title at the Slovak Open before Dania suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Since then, Zi Yu has partnered with Noraqilah, and the pair showed their potential by winning the Estonian International last month, earning them this opportunity with the national team.
Malaysia’s Asia Team Championships squad also includes doubles pairs Ong Xin Yee‑Carmen Ting and Chong Jie Yu‑Vanessa Ng. In singles, national No.1 K. Letshanaa will lead the team with support from Wong Ling Ching, Siti Zulaikha Azmi and Oo Shan Zi.
Malaysia has been drawn in Group W with host nation China and has already secured a spot in the quarter‑finals, giving the young players a chance to gain valuable experience on a big stage.
