KUALA LUMPUR — National mixed doubles player Chen Tang Jie reminds everyone that their underdog status at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals does not mean he and his partner Toh Ee Wei are just making up the numbers.
Paired up just last November, the duo has remarkably ascended the ranks in a short span, solidifying their position as one of the world’s top 10 pairs within a year.
Tang Jie said that ever since the start of their partnership, now ranked ninth in the world, the shared dream of competing in the World Tour Finals has been a driving force for both athletes.
“We have two weeks to prepare for the finals and we are training intensively for the final tournament of the year.
“The other seven pairs in the finals are all top players and they have better results than us.
“That is why I feel like we will be underdogs in the finals.
“We have faced them all before, so how we perform on the court is what will determine the outcome of our results,” said Tang Jie.
However, the underdog status does not mean the mixed doubles pair will take things easy in the finals held in Hangzhou from December 13 to 17.
“I don’t feel the underdog status means we don’t have expectations or targets in the tournament.
“We will still give our all and try to win every match, saying we are underdogs is just our mindset going into the tournament,” added the 25-year-old.
According to Tang Jie, he and Ee Wei are hungry for success, adding that for the last year, they have managed to get into the top 10.
“This is only the start for us, we have had good results this year, which led us into the top 10 in the world.
“But we still have a long way to go, ups and downs are normal as we just have to overcome it together.
“Right now we are just focused on the World Tour Finals,” added Tang Jie.
At the World Tour Finals, Tang Jie-Ee Wei will be facing off against the likes of Kim Won-ho-Jeong Na-eun of South Korea, Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin from China, and Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai from Thailand. — November 30, 2023