BANGKOK: Women’s doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah might be hot favourites to clinch gold in the SEA Games but they are not underestimating their opponents.
World No. 2 Pearly-Thinaah were given a scare by Rachel Allesya-Febi Setianingrum in the women’s team semi-finals against Indonesia before they prevailed 21-14, 17-21, 21-16.
Malaysia eventually lost the tie 2-3 and had to settle for bronze and the World Championships silver medallists are turning their attentions to the individual event starting tomorrow at Thammasat University in Pathum Thani.
Debutants Pearly-Thinaah are refusing to think that the gold is already in the bag with Rachel-Febi and another Indonesian duo Febriana Dwipuji-Meilysa Puspitasari emerging as threats.
Febriana-Meilysa showed their capabilities when they easily beat scratch pair Toh Ee Wei-Go Pei Kee 21-10, 21-9 in the team event.
Both Indonesian pairs were only combined in September after a partnership reshuffle but impressed by reaching the Australian Open final last month.
Rachel-Febi eventually captured the title after a titanic battle which lasted 109 minutes.
“Pearly and I need to avoid making too many unforced errors. We made simple mistakes against the Indonesian pair (in the team event) and it cost us the second game,” said Thinaah.
“Thankfully, we reminded each other on the simple things we needed to focus on in the third.
“We just want to believe in ourselves and stay confident (in the individual event).
“We don’t want to think about pressure.
Pearly-Thinaah are out to end Malaysia’s 10-year wait for gold in the women’s doubles after Amelia Alicia Anscelly-Soong Fie Choo last clinched the title in the 2015 edition in Singapore.
Malaysia will also be represented by Pei Kee and her usual partner Teoh Mei Xing.
At the last Games in 2023 in Cambodia, Indonesia captured the crown through Febriana and her previous partner Amalia Cahaya while Malaysia’s Cheng Su Hui-Cheng Su Yin and Lee Xin Jie-Low Yeen Yuan settled for bronze.
