PETALING JAYA: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz praised mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei for rising above the noise to capture the Indonesian Masters in style.
The reigning world champions staged a superb comeback to beat Denmark’s world No. 10 pair Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje 15-21, 21-17, 21-11 in 57 minutes at Istora Senayan in Jakarta on Sunday (Jan 25).
They also became the first Malaysian mixed doubles pair to win a title on Indonesian soil.
Zafrul commended their mental fortitude in overcoming recent setbacks, stressing that their triumph was the best response to critics.
“Congratulations to Tang Jie–Ee Wei on winning their first title this year. The reality in sports is that no one wins all the time. There will always be wins and losses - this is normal for athletes competing at the highest level,” Zafrul said in a social media post.
“This is why supporting our athletes is important.”
Zafrul also urged netizens to stop abusing shuttlers after defeats.
“Don’t threaten or abuse their families. Don’t launch personal attacks,” he said.
“Our athletes are not just representing the country - they are also normal human beings working hard under extraordinary pressure.
“If we want Malaysia to keep producing champions, a supportive culture must be stronger than an abusive culture,” he added.
