'Extraordinary talent' Zi Yu needs careful nurturing, says coach Amelia

SEPANG: Low Zi Yu is an extraordinary talent who needs careful nurturing, says national junior women's doubles coach Amelia Anscelly.

Amelia believes the 16-year-old's understanding of badminton and maturity set her apart from her peers.

Her assessment follows Zi Yu's breakthrough with Genevie Lim at the World Junior Championships in Cairo, where they became the first Malaysian pair to win the girls' doubles title.

"She is an extraordinary player, in my view. We need to look after her," said Amelia at KLIA here today.

"The results speak for themselves. She is different, indeed very different."

Zi Yu finally struck gold after settling for silver with Dania Sofea Zaidi in 2024 and Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan last year.

This time, Zi Yu-Genevie defeated Japan's Nijika Kamata-Shizuku Kashio 15-7, 9-15, 15-12 in Saturday's final.

Asked what made Zi Yu special beyond her badminton skills, Amelia pointed to the teenager's ability to read and understand the game quickly.

"Her understanding of badminton is quicker, and she is more mature than others. Physically, she is also better suited to this level," she said.

However, Zi Yu's programme for next year remains undecided.

Amelia said discussions with national women's doubles head coach Rosman Razak would help determine the next step.

"We will return and discuss it with Rosman. We will sit down and discuss everything," she said.

"For now, this year's junior programme is over. We will review things at the end of the year and plan for next year."

Amelia stressed that turning junior talent into established senior players takes time.

"At junior level, we need two to three years to develop them. The transition to senior level also needs a few years," she said.

"But from what I have seen over the past few years, we are getting better."

She believes the women's doubles department is making progress, but the challenge now is to keep producing players capable of advancing through the ranks.

"I feel the women's doubles department is getting better. There is progress from junior to senior level. Hopefully, we can produce more talented players in the future."