PETALING JAYA: World champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei could be part of Malaysia’s top line-up at the SEA Games in Thailand this December if the Badminton Association of Malaysia stay true to their plan of naming their strongest team.
Women’s doubles runners-up Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah are also expected to be part of Malaysia’s contingent to Thailand.
If both pairs are included, they could strengthen Malaysia’s gold medal hopes given their current form and reputation.
The deadline for national sports associations to finalise their SEA Games athletes with the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) was originally Aug 12, but it was later extended to Sept 1 for associations that still needed time to make their decisions.
Among them are BAM, but the association have yet to officially announce the 20-player line-up for the event.
BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh, when contacted, only hinted that this year’s squad would comprise the country’s strongest players.
It is still unclear whether BAM will also call on professional players who hold high world rankings.
“Initially, we planned to send a team combining both senior and up-and-coming players. But with no major tournaments this year and the World Tour Finals not clashing with the SEA Games badminton events, we have revised our approach.
“At the request of certain parties, including the National Sports Council (NSC), we will be fielding our strongest line-up,” said Kenny.
For the record, Pearly and Thinaah have yet to make their SEA Games debut, despite enjoying considerable success on the world stage, and the same applies to Toh Ee Wei.
By contrast, Tang Jie has fond memories of the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he and his then-partner Peck Yen Wei claimed the mixed doubles gold, ending Malaysia’s 23-year wait for a title in the biennial event.
