KUALA LUMPUR – National women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, will leave all decisions to the coaching team of the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) on whether or not they will be listed for the Uber Cup campaign set to take place in Chengdu, China on April 27.
ABM’s coaching director, Rexy Mainaky, had previously hinted that Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair might not be selected for the team.
This decision would allow them to have sufficient time to prepare for the Paris Olympics in July.
For Pearly, she is not disheartened by ABM’s potential decision to exclude them, instead, she will accept any decision with an open heart.
“I understand this is a decision made by the coaches. Personally, whether we are chosen or not, there are still advantages for us.
“If we are selected, it provides us with the valuable experience of competing in a tournament. If not, we have the extended time to focus on training at ABM.
“We believe that any decision made will ultimately benefit us,” said Pearly.
At present, Pearly-Thinaah are intensively training with their sparring partners from Indonesia, Ade Yusof-Gerardo Rizqullah, as part of their preparation for the Olympics, which is just under four months away.
“Sometimes they push us to our limits. But at other times, they also follow our pace. For me, they are good sparring partners.
“Because for me, if every training session they push us to the point where we can’t catch our breath and can’t move at all, I don’t think that would help us train effectively. They can match our abilities and know what needs to be done, so I think this is very beneficial,” she added.
Commenting on the draw for the upcoming Asian Badminton Championship in Ningbo, China on April 9, Pearly-Thinaah have been drawn to face Japan’s eighth-seeded pair, Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara.
Despite Pearly-Thinaah being ranked 13th in the world, their past record leans in favour of the Malaysian pair, with Pearly-Thinaah winning three out of four previous encounters.
Their most recent match was at the World Badminton Championships in Copenhagen, last year, where Pearly-Thinaah emerged victorious.
“I have indeed seen the draw. Nevertheless, I will sit down with the coach to analyse our match and determine suitable strategies for the upcoming game.
“At the same time, Thinaah and I need to focus on ourselves, our movements, and our communication on the court. We will give our best effort,” said Pearly. – March 29, 2024