KUALA LUMPUR: Top mixed doubles shuttler Chen Tang Jie has never considered parting ways with his partner, Toh Ee Wei.
Tang Jie admitted that he still values their partnership, having achieved numerous milestones together, including reaching a career-high world No. 3 ranking.
However, he did not expect their situation to escalate to the point where they were dropped from the Asian Championships, set to take place on April 8 in Ningbo, China.
Despite the setback, Tang Jie chose not to dwell on the matter and instead placed his trust in the coaching team.
"I haven’t thought much about it (to split). We believe in our coaches, and whatever decision they make is for the best," he said after a training session at the Academy Badminton Malaysia on Tuesday (March 25).
"It's a pity that we won’t be competing in the Asian Championships, as it’s a prestigious tournament where we would have represented the country and possibly fought for a medal.
"But we understand that our performances at the Orleans Masters and the All England were not up to par, so we accept the decision."
At the moment, Tang Jie is following the instructions of his coach, Nova Widianto, and continuing training as usual despite the tense situation between him and Ee Wei.
Previously, Nova had given both players an ultimatum, either mend their partnership and deliver strong performances at the Sudirman Cup at the end of next month or face the possibility of being split up and paired with younger players.
"Coach Nova and Rexy (Mainaky) advised me to focus on myself first, and I accept their advice as they have far more experience.
"So, I’m staying committed to my training," he added.
