PETALING JAYA: One great pair can inspire a generation, and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah are proving just that for Malaysian women's doubles.
Once heavily reliant on one or two pairs to deliver results, the national women's doubles department are now showing encouraging signs of greater depth, with several promising youngsters waiting in the wings.
Besides Pearly-Thinaah, Malaysia have national No. 2 pair Carmen Ting-Ong Xing Yee, reigning world junior champions Low Zi Yu-Genevie Lim, as well as Sofea Dania Zaidi and Nuraqilah Maisarah Ramdan, among others, hoping to make their mark.
Head coach Rosman Razak hopes Pearly-Thinaah will continue to lead the way and inspire the next generation to dream big.
"The women's doubles department is fortunate to have Pearly and Thinaah as role models," said Rosman.
"Their achievements inspire our younger players and give them the belief that they, too, can reach the same level as Pearly and Thinaah, or even surpass them one day."
Pearly-Thinaah have continued to raise the bar, becoming the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to reach back-to-back Super 750 World Tour finals.
They captured the Denmark Open title last week before finishing as runners-up at the French Open on Sunday.
Rosman hopes their success will spark healthy competition within the squad and has assured the younger players that the door remains open for anyone willing to prove themselves.
"When players have the right attitude, ambition and desire to improve, my role is to guide them and provide the training environment and platform they need to compete with one another.
"Opportunities will be given based on performance, both in training and in tournaments.
"I strongly believe that with the right mindset, commitment and hard work, it is entirely possible for other players to challenge the established names in women's doubles.
"The door is open to everyone. What matters most is their willingness to work hard, prove themselves and seize the opportunities given to them."
Rosman, however, stressed that building a stronger women's doubles department requires a collective effort from all stakeholders.
"It is a collective effort involving everyone in the badminton system, starting from the state associations, which play a vital role in developing young talents before they progress to the ABM (Academy Badminton Malaysia)," said Rosman.
"Every coach, from the state level right through to the senior team, contributes to this journey.
"BAM play a crucial role by consistently providing opportunities for our junior players to compete in tournaments, gain valuable experience and develop their confidence at a higher level."
Despite the recent successes and encouraging signs of progress, Rosman believes there is still plenty of work ahead before Malaysia can boast a truly formidable squad.
"We still have a long way to go, but we believe we are moving in the right direction and are progressing through a positive and structured development process.
"Most importantly, we must continue to believe in the potential and capabilities of our women players."
