PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttler Lai Pei Jing is ready for her last dance with Tan Kian Meng at the All-England in Birmingham from March 11-16.
Yesterday, the 32-year-old Pei Jing confirmed that the prestigious meet will be their last tournament together after going through ups and down as a pair over the last nine years since 2016.
They will bow out as the world’s No. 17th pair in the world.
Pei Jing already has plans up her sleeve as she will begin a new partnership with a younger and relatively unknown player, a 22-year-old Jimmy Wong and their first tournament will be the Vietnam International Challenge from March 25-30 in Hanoi.
Pei Jing said their partnership was good while it lasted.
“The Korean Open title (2022) that we won was our best outing together. Several semi-final finishes in the World Tour 1000 was also good results and gave us motivation to play on,” said Pei Jing.
Pei Jing-Kian Meng also did well last year to reach the Australian Open final last year and the 2019 Singapore Open final. They were also members of the team that won the mixed team gold at the Commonwealth Games editions in Scotland (2014) and Birmingham (2022).
“This time has come to end this partnership.
“Our best in the All-England was quarter-finals,” she said.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing will be playing along side third seeds Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, fourth seeds Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin and Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien.
Although Pei Jing has been a mainstay in badminton for a long time, her enthusiasm and passion for the game has not diminished.
Instead of finding a well-known face as partner, she is eager to guide inexperienced youngster Jimmy, who was dropped by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
Jimmy had been playing with Boon Xin Yuan and Lwi Sheng Hao in the men’s doubles over the last one year.
“I’m partnering a super young player. He is a very hardworking player and I feel like helping him and give him and I a chance to make it in badminton,” said Pei Jing.
“I know, he does not have much tournament experience. He was kicked out from BAM when he was 21,” said Pei Jing.
“But he is very disciplined and I can see the fire in him. I’ve decided to give him a chance even though he is not a mixed doubles player.”
Will Pei Jing just focus on mixed doubles or give women’s doubles a try with Chiew Sien?
“Maybe, sometimes I may play with her,” she said.
The duo made heads turn at last year’s Australian Open by emerging as the runners-up.
