National junior trio included in Sarawak Sukma squad

KUCHING (Feb 2): The Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) has revealed that two more Sarawakian players are now part of the national junior set-up, bringing the total to three and ensuring their automatic inclusion in the state’s squad for the 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma).

“We have three players in the national (junior) team now. One is Isyraf Hafizin, who represents Malaysia in the junior category and is 17 years old, we also have Jared Foo, who was recently called up to represent the country at junior level and also Alwyn Chua.

“So these three players will automatically be in our Sukma list because they are training every day with the national team,” SBA secretary Datuk Dr Wan Khalik Wan Muhammad told The Borneo Post after a selection tournament to identify potential players for Sarawak’s Sukma campaign at the SBA Hall here on Sunday.

He stated that it is a common practice for state associations to automatically include players who are already in the national setup in their Sukma squads, provided they meet the age requirements.

Jared’s selection into the national junior squad under the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for the 2026 intake was reported in December last year.

Isyraf, who specialises in men’s doubles and mixed doubles, is currently representing Malaysia in the junior circuit and has competed in major international junior tournaments, including the World Junior Championships.

Men’s singles player Alwyn has also made his mark on the junior circuit, finishing as runner-up at the Pathum Thani Junior International Series in 2025.

With all three players undergoing intensive training at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Wan Khalik said they are expected to play key roles in Sarawak’s campaign at Sukma 2026.

The biennial games, which will be held in Selangor from Aug 15 to 24, 2026, is open to under-21 athletes.

Wan Khalik reiterated that last weekend’s selection tournament was part of SBA’s ongoing efforts to assemble a strong and competitive squad.

“We are looking for the best players who can represent Sarawak and give their best at Sukma. With these three already in the national team, it is a big boost for us,” he said.