KOREA: Hong Kong in the event’s 37-year history, for the first time claimed both the men’s and women’s titles during the 2018 championships inCheongju, Korea.
The hosts Korea also made history in the women’s championship by reaching the final for the first time after upsetting Japan, the 2nd seeds in the semi-finals.
However, Hong Kong were too strong for the fifth seeds, winning 2/0. Hong Kong number one Annie Au beat Korean Ahn Eun Tschan 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 before Joey Chan came back from a game down to beat Lee Ji Hyun 8-11, 11-0, 11-2, 11-7.
Iran also made history by winning its first-ever bronze medal in the Asian Team Championships after the 5th seeds beat Japan in the quarter-finals.
The victory marked Hong Kong’s fifth women’s title in their seventh final appearance in the last eight events. The bronze medals went to Japanand Malaysia.
The men’s final was a repeat of the last 2016 Asian Team Championships in Chinese Taipei, but this time Hong Kong revenged the last defeat over title-holders Pakistan by beating them 2-0.
In the opening match, Max Lee put Hong Kong ahead by defeating Farhan Zaman 11-9, 11-9, 11-7. Although, Leo Au lost the second game toTayyab Aslam, the Hong Kong No.2 fought back and claimed victory 11-6, 8-11, 11-0, 11-7, thereby, clinching the first ever historic men’s gold medal for the team.
The 19th staging of the biennial event attracted 15 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams from China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Championships Results:
Men’s semi-finals:
[1] HONG KONG CHINA bt [5] IRAN 2/0
[2] PAKISTAN bt [4] MALAYSIA 2/0
Final:
[1] HONG KONG CHINA bt [2] PAKISTAN 2/0
Max Lee bt Farhan Zaman 11-9, 11-9, 11-7
Leo Au bt Tayyab Aslam 11-6, 8-11, 11-0, 11-7
Remaining positions:
- 3rd MALAYSIA & IRAN
- 5th REPUBLIC OF KOREA
- 6th SINGAPORE
- 7th QATAR
- 8th JAPAN
- 9th PHILIPPINES
- 10th IRAQ
- 11th JORDAN
- 12th CHINA
- 13th SRI LANKA
- 14th THAILAND
- 15th CHINESE TAIPEI
Women’s semi-finals:
[1] HONG KONG CHINA bt [3] MALAYSIA 2/0
[5] REPUBLIC OF KOREA bt [2] JAPAN 2/1
Final:
[1] HONG KONG CHINA bt [5] REPUBLIC OF KOREA 2/0
Annie Au bt Ahn Eun Tschan 11-4, 11-5, 11-5
Joey Chan bt Ji-Hyun Lee 8-11, 11-0, 11-2, 11-7
Remaining positions:
- 3rd: JAPAN & MALAYSIA
- 5th CHINA
- 6th IRAN
- 7th SRI LANKA
- 8th PAKISTAN
- 9th SINGAPORE
- 10th CHINESE TAIPEI
- 11th THAILAND
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