Make us proud: Malaysia will be counting on Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah to reach the semis in the Sudirman Cup. — AFP
PETALING JAYA: Speculation over whether women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah will part ways with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has been put on hold as all attention will be now on the Sudirman Cup.
The hopes are high on Pearly-Thinaah to deliver strong performance to keep Malaysia’s hope alive at least to reaching the semis again in the mixed team event starting in Xiamen, China, on Sunday.
Despite being at the centre of recent controversy, Pearly appeared cheerful and excited as she prepared to lead the Malaysian team as the co-captain with the men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao.
The 24 year-old Pearly hopes to see the team display the same level of camaraderie that helped them clinch the bronze medal at the previous edition in Suzhou two years ago.
In that campaign, Malaysia made a strong start by defeating India and Taiwan to top Group C, then pulled off an upset against European giants Denmark in the quarter-finals before falling to South Korea in the semi-finals.
Pearly-Thinaah also contributed points for the national squad at that time, surpassing their performance during their debut in 2021 in Vantaa, Finland, where they were unable to secure a win in their matches.
“I’m really excited because two years ago, everyone gave their full commitment as a team. For this edition, I can already see the same kind of spirit and unity during centralised training. The atmosphere feels just as positive and uplifting,” said Pearly.
“This team consist of both senior and junior players. As captain, I am still learning a lot from the seniors. For the younger players, I will guide and share my experience so they do not feel too nervous.
“I was once a junior too, so I understand what it feels like. If I can help them, I will give my best to support them,” she added.
Previously, there were rumours that Pearly-Thinaah were in talks with sponsors outside of BAM and might leave the association to become independent after the Sudirman Cup.
So far, both have not commented on the matter, but neither has signed an extension contract with BAM as their current contract ended in January.
