KUALA LUMPUR – The national women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah must embody a “never say die” attitude as they prepare to compete on the world’s biggest stage, despite being placed in the “group of death” at the Paris Olympics.
Based on today’s draw, debutants Pearly and Thinaah have been drawn alongside world number one pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan from China, Japan’s sixth-ranked duo Wakana Nagahara-Mayu Matsumoto, and Indonesia’s Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Apriyani Rahayu, now paired with Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.
At first glance, the odds seem slim for Pearly and Thinaah, as only the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage.
However, Akademi Badminton Malaysia’s (ABM) coaching director, Rexy Mainaky, wants the Malaysian duo to face their opponents without fear, regardless of their status and reputation.
“For the women’s doubles draw, it’s indeed tough. But here’s how we see it… this is the Olympics, so I hope Pearly and Thinaah play with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude. They need to realise that to win, they can’t rely on an easy group draw.
“They need to prepare well. If they can advance from the group stage, it will boost their confidence,” said Rexy.
In the past, Pearly and Thinaah have encountered the formidable Chinese pair six times, ending in defeat on all occasions except for a significant triumph at the All England tournament in March.
Against Nagahara and Matsumoto, they have a record of three wins out of five encounters.
Their encounters with Apriyani and Siti Fadia have resulted in an evenly balanced record, with each pair securing three victories from their six previous meetings.
In their last matchup at the Indonesian Open in June, victory favoured Pearly and Thinaah. – July 12, 2024
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