Negeri sembilan: National top mixed doubles player Toh Ee Wei sought inspiration ahead of the Malaysia Masters 2026 by meeting national muay thai star Muhammad Johan Ghazali at a combat sports event in Negeri Sembilan recently. Ee Wei said the opportunity to meet the Thailand 2025 SEA Games gold medallist in the 57-kilogramme (kg) category, better known as Jojo, was used to exchange views, particularly on dealing with public criticism when not delivering their best performances.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ee Wei expressed admiration for Jojo, describing him as an extraordinary athlete and a fighter, qualities she hopes to emulate on the badminton court. She noted the similarities in their journeys, both facing criticism and public scrutiny. However, she emphasized that maintaining discipline, training hard, and striving to perform their best for their country is what truly matters.

Ee Wei shared these sentiments during the Malaysia Masters 2026 court testing session, with the tournament scheduled to begin tomorrow until May 24 at Unifi Arena. Both Ee Wei and Jojo shared photos of their meeting on their respective Instagram accounts, highlighting the camaraderie between athletes from different sports.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old player stated that she and her partner, Chen Tang Jie, are fully prepared to face any opponents in this year's Malaysia Masters. She expressed confidence in their ability to perform well, regardless of who they are up against, once they step onto the court.

The reigning world champions, who are seeded second in the Super 500 tournament, will commence their campaign against the world number 56 pair Jonathan Lai-Crystal Lai of Canada in the first round. The Malaysia Masters 2026 presents a total prize purse of USD500,000 (RM1.98 million).