Jepun mengukuhkan lagi status sebagai kuasa besar Asia dalam sukan badminton apabila menumpaskan Korea Selatan dalam final Kejohanan Badminton Berpasukan Campuran Asia dengan keputusan 3-0, hari ini.
Selepas mengejutkan China di peringkat separuh akhir, Jepun makin berkeyakinan untuk menundukkan Korea dalam perlawanan akhir.
Beregu lelaki Jepun, Takeshi Kamura dan Keigo Sonoda memulakan langkah kanan buat skuad Negara Matahari Terbit itu apabila menundukkan beregu Korea, Yoo Yeon Seong-Kim Gi Jung, 21-15, 21-16.
Selepas itu, pemain perseorangan wanita, Akane Yamaguchi mempamer aksi menakjubkan, terutama dalam set kedua untuk mengatasi lawan, Sung Ji Hyun, 22-20, 23-21.
Pemain perseorangan, Kenta Nishimoto, mengesahkan kemenangan buat Jepun dengan menewaskan Jeon Hyeok Jin 21-13, 21-16 untuk dinobatkan sebagai juara edisi sulung dengan kemenangan 3-0.
“Saya menjangkakan perlawanan yang sukar, segalanya serba menjadi buat kami,” ujar ketua jurulatih pasukan Jepun, Park Joo Bong.
“Saya hampir tewas dalam set kedua selepas lawan mendahului dengan 12 mata, namun saya menguatkan diri saya dan berjaya mengatasi lawan dan menyumbang mata kedua buat Jepun,” kata Akane.
Ammar Hakim
Sun Feb 19 2017
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