Denmark, Japan sweep two titles each in Malaysian GP Gold

Japans doubles pair Kenta Kazuno and Kazushi Yamaha celebrate after winning the mens event. 

KUCHING: Denmark and Japan swept two titles each when the curtains fell on the 2015 Malaysian Masters Grand Prix Gold badminton championships at the Perpaduan Negeri Stadium in Petra Jaya, here, today but

there were no local winners.

The Danish women's doubles pair Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl, the top seeds, were clearly in a class of their own when they demolished Japan's Naoko Fukuman/Kurumi Yonao 21-14, 21-14.

Christinna once again emerged on the winning podium after partnering Joachim Fischer Nielsen in the mixed doubles final to beat Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto of Indonesia, who were also runners-up of the same competition last year, in Johor Baharu, 21-18, 21-18.

Japan's disappointment in the women's doubles events were somewhat rewarded in the women singles, when Sayaka Takahashi beat compatriot Nozomi Okuhara 21-13, 21-17 in an All-Japan affair.

Japan picked up another victory when the men's doubles pair of Kenta Kazuno/Kazushi Yamada shocked eighth seeds from Taiwan, Chen Hung Ling/Wang Chi-Lin, 21-19, 14-21, 21-17.

The only title that got away from the two countries was the men's singles which saw an All-South Korean affair between veteran Lee Hyun Il, 34, and Jeon Hyeok Jin, 20.

Hyun Il, ranked 38th in the world, lost in the first set 19-21, but came back strongly to win the second set 21-13, and used his vast experience to subdue his younger opponent 21-15.

The champions in the men's and women's singles won US$9,000 (RM32,000), runners-up US$4,560 (RM16,000), men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles received US$9,480 (RM34,000) while the runners-up received US$4,560 (RM16,000).

The championships which offered an overall prize money of US$120,000 (RM428,000), was jointly organised by the Badminton Association of Malaysia and Sarawak Badminton Association, and sanctioned by the World Badminton Federation and the Asian Badminton Confederation.

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem who witnessed the finals later gave away the prizes to the winners in the men's and women's singles categories.

- Source: Bernama