KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has congratulated Low Zi Yu-Genevie Lim on their historic girls' doubles triumph at the World Junior Championships.
In a Facebook post, Anwar hailed their achievement as a proud moment for Malaysian badminton and urged the pair to build on their success.
"A proud achievement! Congratulations to Low Zi Yu and Genevie Lim on becoming girls' doubles champions at the World Junior Badminton Championships. A new chapter in Malaysian badminton history!
"Well done, keep the momentum going and continue to bring glory to Malaysia," he said.
Zi Yu-Genevie became the first Malaysian girls' doubles pair to win the title since the tournament's inception in 1992.
The second seeds defeated Japan's Nijika Kamata-Shizuku Kashio 15-7, 9-15, 15-12 in 41 minutes at the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt on Saturday.
Their achievement also drew praise from readers on NST Online's Facebook page, with one highlighting Zi Yu's breakthrough after two successive silver medals.
"Finally, you achieved your golden goal after three finals. People say 'third time lucky' is true," the reader wrote.
Another described the victory as "a great achievement", while a fellow commenter thanked the pair for making history and making Malaysia proud.
For Zi Yu, the triumph ended a wait for gold after she finished runner-up with Dania Sofea Zaidi in 2024 and Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan last year.
The 16-year-old admitted after Saturday's final that she feared a third silver when the Japanese pair forced a deciding game.
However, Zi Yu-Genevie regained their composure to secure the title.
The pair credited their patience and renewed focus for helping them overcome their nerves and seal the historic victory.
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