Paris 2024 Olympics - Badminton - Mixed Doubles Group play stage - Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Paris, France - July 29, 2024. Tang Jie Chen of Malaysia and Ee Wei Toh of Malaysia react during the Group D match against Yan Zhe Feng of China and Dong Ping Huang of China. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Malaysia’s world number four badminton mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei have reversed their split, reuniting just weeks after citing “irreconcilable differences.”
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed the U-turn: “The decision follows a request from Tang Jie and Ee Wei, and discussions between the coaching team and the players.”
The pair will now refocus on the World Tour, starting with the Singapore Open from May 27–June 1, as they aim to rediscover top form.
Their reconciliation follows criticism from Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who expressed disappointment over their high-profile separation during a Road to Gold (RTG) press conference earlier this week.
She stressed the duo’s importance to Malaysian badminton and urged them to resolve their issues.
“We cannot have RTG athletes suddenly deciding they no longer wish to compete,” Yeoh said. “BAM and the players must be fully committed.”
The government has allocated RM10 million ($2.27 million) to the RTG programme this year.
Chen and Toh, first paired in late 2022, rose quickly to the world’s top 10 and became the first Malaysian mixed doubles team to reach the World Tour Finals title match last December.
($1 = 4.4050 ringgit)
(Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Ken Ferris)
