KUALA LUMPUR – Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah made history today by becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to reach the Olympics semi-finals.
The Malaysians world number 12 booked their place in the Paris Olympics last four after downing world number ten and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong of South Korea 21-12, 21-13.
Speaking to the Malaysian press at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Thinaah said making history was never their main goal.
Instead, she and Pearly want to cherish every moment at the Olympics and play with no regrets.
“Becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to reach the Olympic semi-finals is just another feat. It will be spoken about, but that’s not what we play for.
“We are proud of each other. We focused on the process, not the outcome. That helped, along with the support from Pearly and our coaches.
“There are still a few more matches to go, depending on our results. We want to maintain our focus, rest well, and recover,” said Thinaah.
Pearly also shared insights about their journey in Paris and how she and Thinaah support each other, especially in managing their nerves.
“We couldn’t sleep well last night because we knew how crucial and important this match was going to be. Our opponents would have had the same mindset.
“We just kept calm and told ourselves to enjoy the rallies,” added Pearly.
Pearly and Thinaah, both first-timers at the Olympics, will face China’s world number one Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan next for a place in the final.
The China duo, who narrowly defeated Pearly and Thinaah in the group stages last week, booked their place in the semi-finals after dispatching Bulgarian sisters Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva 21-15, 21-8 in the quarter-finals.
“From the round-robin stage until now, we have been playing with nothing to lose. We give our best on the court.
“What’s important to us is that we want to enjoy ourselves and leave with no regrets,” Pearly said. – August 1, 2024