In rhythm: Toh Ee Wei (left) finally hits it off with mixed doubles partner Chen Tang Jie in December last year.
KUALA LUMPUR: It may be Toh Ee Wei’s first World Championships but she is not in Copenhagen to make up the numbers.
Ee Wei and partner Chen Tang Jie will open their campaign later than the others in the Malaysian camp as they have received a first-round bye and will most probably play Hong Kong’s Reginald Lee Chun Hei-Ng Tsz Yau in the second round tomorrow.
Instead of getting all nervous, the 22-year-old Ee Wei said it was worth the wait.
“We are starting only on the third day of competition but it’s all right. We will keep on training here and we will have proper rest too,” said Ee Wei.
Ee Wei’s patience is understandable, as a year ago, she was nowhere close to even making a cut for a major tournament.
In fact, when she made a return to Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2021 after a nose surgery due to a chronic sinus problem, she did not even have a partner in the women’s doubles.
But all that changed last year when she moved to the mixed doubles department.
She was partnered briefly with Chan Peng Soon and Hoo Pang Ron before she finally hits it off with Tang Jie in December last year.
Now, they are unstoppable. In fact, Ee Wei and Tang Jie, ranked 14th in the world, are in the running for a place in the Paris Olympic Games.
Ee Wei is looking forward to her debut action in the worlds.
“My preparation and everything is good here,” said Ee Wei, who is determined to put up a good show at the world meet.
“I’ve done nothing new and just kept it simple to enjoy a good show here with Tang Jie.”
Ee Wei-Tang Jie need to pull up their socks if they harbour hope to make it memorable in Copenhagen.
If they clear their second round, they will likely face world No. 8 Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue of France in the third round and if they survive, they could meet Japan’s world No. 2 and last year’s silver medallists Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei’s form heading into the world meet is not the best.
The pair suffered early round defeats in the back-to-back Korean, Japan and Australian Opens recently.
The other mixed doubles pair hoping to clear the early rounds are Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing face Hussein Zayan Shaheed-Fathimah Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq of Maldives today while Soon Huat-Shevon meet Iliyan Stoynov-Hristomira Popovska of Bulgaria tomorrow.
