PETALING JAYA: Women’s doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (pic) are almost certain to be excluded from the Uber Cup Finals from April 27-May 5.
National coaching director Rexy Mainaky said Pearly-Thinaah will possibly not be selected for the team meet to give the duo more time to prepare for the Paris Olympics in July.
It is now nearly confirmed that the pair will not play in the tournament.
“I can say now that 90% Pearly-Thinaah will not be included in the team for the Uber Cup,” said Rexy.
“We are yet to finalise the team but we will most definitely not pick them as we want them to focus on the Olympics.”
Pearly-Thinaah are set to make their Olympic debuts where they will be the sole Malaysian women’s doubles pair.
In the Uber Cup, Malaysia are unlikely to go far even with the pair in the team and are in a tough group along with Thailand, Taiwan and Australia.
Only the top two teams in the group will make the cut for the quarter-finals.
Teoh Mei Xing, 27, is the only senior doubles player likely to be selected in the team in the absence of Pearly-Thinaah.
Mei Xing’s partner Anna Cheong is still struggling to remain fully fit after suffering anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her right knee in 2022 and is unlikely to be included in the team.
The other doubles players who could get spots in the team are Go Pei Kee, Low Yeen Yuan and Tan Zhing Yi.
Meanwhile, Pearly-Thinaah are currently stepping up their preparations for the Asian Championships from Ningbo, China from April 9-14.
The pair have a difficult opening match against Japan’s former two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara.
