PETALING JAYA: For young shuttler Chan Wen Tse (pic), it’s a huge honour to play with the experienced Chen Tang Jie in the mixed doubles.
Wen Tse, who turns 20 in June, will combine with Tang Jie after the latter’s partnership with Toh Ee Wei ended.
The teenager is looking forward to playing with the 27-year-old and hopes to learn from him.
“I joined the mixed doubles team this year and have been slowly building momentum to compete at this level,” said Wen Tse.
“It’s an honour to be chosen as Tang Jie’s partner, whose vast experience I truly respect.
“I look forward to learning from him, gaining new perspectives, and continuously improving myself.”
Wen Tse hails from Kelantan and started playing badminton at the tender age of five.
She was part of the team that won bronze in the mixed team event in the 2023 World Junior Championships.
The Kelantanese idolises Chinese great Huang Yaqiong and dreams of succeeding on the biggest stage just like the latter.
Yaqiong is known as one of the best mixed doubles players in the game and has won gold in all the major events like the Olympics, World Championships and Asian Games with Zheng Siwei.
Wen Tse will begin her partnership with Tang Jie in the Taiwan Open (May 6-11) followed by the Thailand Open (May 13-18), Malaysian Masters (May 20-25), Singapore Open (May 27-Jun 1) and Indonesian Open (June 3-8).
Wen Tse showed promise when she reached the semi-finals of the Sri Lanka International Series recently and ongoing Vietnam International Challenge with Wee Yee Hern.
Yee Hern and Wen Tse went down 19-21, 7-21 to fellow Malaysians Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing in Hanoi.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Jacky Kok (Mas) bt Wang Po-wei (Tpe) 21-14, 21-13; Purirat Arree (Tha) bt Huang Ping-hsien (Tpe) 10-21, 21-17, 21-18.
Women’s singles: Manami Suizu (Jpn) bt Lalinrat Chaiwan (Tha) 21-18, 21-11; Pitchamon Opatniputh (Tha) bt Aisyah Fatetani 21-12, 21-16.
Mixed doubles: Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing (Mas) bt Wee Yee Hern-Chan Wen Tse (Mas) 21-19, 21-7.
