In a week packed with thrilling rallies, powerful comebacks, and historic milestones, Malaysian athletes from squash stars to seasoned badminton champions, delivered standout performances across Asia. Here’s everything you need to know.
Malaysian Young Queens of the Court: Keerti and Vinirsa Make Malaysia Proud
10-year old Vinirsa Hari Haran showed that age is just a number as she clinched her first international title at the Southern Slam Junior Squash Tournament in Chennai, India. Seeded joint fifth in the girls Under-11 category, the Kuala Lumpur native overcame a tough game to beat Sashana Instritharan in a five set final: 1-11, 11-13,11-7,11-9 and 11-9.
Vinirsa, who won against the Top Indian seed Arunima Chaubey in the quarters, dedicated the win to her parents, who spent RM9,000 to fund her journey.
“I feel like I have achieved something big in my life. Winning in Chennai is a boost to me. I want to become world champion one day,’ she said with pride.
Meanwhile, over in Singapore, another Malaysian prodigy, Keerti Pradhaa Junivar Bala, defeated India’s Alia Kankaria to win the girls Under-11 title at the Henri Charpentier Lion City Junior Open. Keerti, who had previously lost to Alia in April, battled through five sets: 11-9, 6-11,11-9, 5-11,11-8.
This win adds to an already impressive medal for the Selangor youngster, who took home gold at the SEA Junior Championships in Bangkok and a silver (U-12 individual) plus team gold at the national schools meet in Kangar last month.
“Her dedication and hard work have been evident. We’re grateful to SRAFT and her coaches for their support”, said Keerti’s father.
Pearly-Thinaah Fall Short but Fight On in Super 1000 Final
Over in Jakarta, Malaysia’s top women’s badminton pair, Pearly Tan and M.Thinaah, delivered yet another strong performance at the Indonesia Open 2025, reaching their first ever Super 1000 final. Unfortunately, their dream of a major title was halted by world No.1 duo Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China.
Despite a remarkable comeback in the first set, rallying from 8-14 down to win 25-23, the Malaysians couldn’t maintain the momentum, eventually falling 12-21, 19-21, in an exhausting 87 minute battle.
“We were actually in a good position, we should have been able to finish the match with an advantage. But towards the end, maybe we lost a little focus. Actually, from the beginning of the game we already felt tired, but we reminded each other to keep fighting, because this was the last match. We just wanted to give everything we had on the court,” said Pearly.
Ranked fourth in the world, Pearly-Thinaah are no strangers to close finishes, having also been runners-up in January’s Indonesia Masters. Yet their consistency across tournaments cements their status as a world class pair with championship potential
“We’ll use this month to rest and recover. There’s still a lot to learn but this match taught us a lot about ourselves”, said Thinaah.
One Common Thing: Grit
From a pair of rising squash champions in Southeast Asia to a veteran badminton duo taking on the world’s best, the one thing these Malaysian athletes share is ‘grit’, the ability to rise, recover and rise again.
Whether it’s a 10 year old chasing her dream of becoming a world champion or a seasoned pair inching closer to golf, their performances in the week speaks volumes of the strength of Malaysia’s sporting spirit.
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