Kuala lumpur: Where there is a will, there is a way. This proverb aptly describes the journey that national mixed doubles shuttler Toh Ee Wei had to endure en route to emerging as world champions with her partner Chen Tang Jie. The 23-year-old Ee Wei admitted that the journey had been fraught with obstacles, including health issues, thus forcing her to take a short break.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ee Wei expressed gratitude for the support she received, stating, “My journey has not been easy and I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs… a lot of sickness also. But the NSC (National Sports Council) and NSI (National Sports Institute) helped me a lot. I also received a lot of support from (Youth and Sports Minister) YB Hannah Yeoh and the Road To Gold (RTG) programme. So, that’s what really helped me on the court. Not just me, though, but also for every other player in BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia).” She conveyed these sentiments upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Paris.
On Sunday, Tang Jie-Ee Wei, who had briefly split up in March, were crowned world champions. They defeated China’s Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin 21-15, 21-14 in the mixed doubles final at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France.
Tang Jie highlighted the importance of their improved communication, saying, “For us, every championship is an experience. Win or lose is not the real measure, but what we go through and how we communicate with each other daily – that’s more important.”
Meanwhile, national women’s pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah expressed hope that their silver-medal achievement at the World Championships would inspire more women to chase their dreams. Pearly stated, “I’m very happy and proud that we could elevate women’s doubles in the eyes of the world. We have no regrets, as we really gave it our everything… we worked hard for this medal. We are not contented and we will fight again (to reach greater heights).”
On Sunday, the world number two Malaysians put up a strong fight but ultimately fell to world number one Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China, with scores of 14-21, 22-20, 17-21, in a thrilling 83-minute title showdown.