TOH Ee Wei took a nasty fall while reaching to retrieve a shot when trailing 10-12 in the first game of the mixed doubles match against South Korean Kim Won-ho-Jeong Na-eun.
It was painful and she needed treatment - but not half as painful as the 19-21, 14-21defeat she and partner Chen Tang Jie suffered at the Adidas Arena in Port de le Chappelle.
The Malaysian pair was inconsolable after the quarter-final loss to the world No 8 pair. The only consolation is that Ee Wei’s back injury is not serious.
The Malaysian called for treatment after falling in an attempt to retrieve the shot in the first game. She had pain killer sprayed on her back but it did little to buoy her as the pair failed to mount a challenge in the second game.
Despite the injury scare, the baptism of fire at the Olympics did bring some priceless memories as Tang Jie-Ee Wei had already scalped world No. 3 Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping of China before falling to the Koreans.
National mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto, himself a silver medallist in the event with Liliyana Natsir in Beijing 2008 Beijing, know how tough it is rise to the occasion at the Olympics.
While disappointed that Tang Jie, 26, and Ee Wei, 23 missed a golden opportunity to reach the semi-finals on their debut, the Indonesian said the experience gained would go a long way for the duo.
“The Olympics is held once in four years and we have to be prepared in every aspect and the mental preparation is very crucial. Our pair fell short a bit,” said Nova.
“Today, we had the chance but we didn’t grab it. It was a real pity.
“Furthermore, since this is their first Olympics, these things can happen. They just have to look ahead.”
The mental frailties, possibly due to their lack of experience in major events in their less-than-two-year career, was evident as they trailed 1-11 in the second game after losing a close first game 19-21.
Tang Jie gathered his courage to address the media afterwards and admitted that they were short on maturity.
“We were really prepared but on court, we were not matured enough to handle the situation,” said a dejected Tang Jie. Everyone has pressure and we just have to handle it. Unfortunately, today we did not make it.”
The physically and emotionally bruised Ee Wei was lost for words as she struggled to fathom the quarter-final setback.
“I think it was a good experience but we didn’t do really well,” was all she could mutter after a disappointing evening.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei should get another shot at the medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games if they can use the experience to grow into a world-class pair and stay injury free.
