KUALA LUMPUR — Success is never a straight path, and the journey becomes even more challenging when you have to start from scratch after tasting the sweetness of victory.
This is the current challenge for national women’s doubles shuttler Teoh Mei Xing, who faces the task of starting anew as her partner, Anna Cheong, prepares to leave the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) at the end of this month.
Speaking to Scoop, Mei Xing admitted that time is not on her side, noting that time is a luxury she cannot afford.
At 27, forming a strong partnership with a new teammate is critical but challenging, especially given the limited time available.
Following Anna’s injury during the Malaysia Open earlier this year, Mei Xing paired with Go Pei Kee.
The duo has competed in three tournaments: the Korea Open, the Chinese Taipei Open, and the Hong Kong Open. However, their performances have been disappointing, with frequent early exits.
“I’ve had long discussions with Anna about this since her injury flared up again during the Malaysia Open in early January.
“Her presence as my partner balanced out our game, and we played smoothly together, so it’s truly unfortunate that things had to turn out this way.
“Now, I have to start from the bottom, and I have to admit it’s going to take time, as Pei Kee and I have very different playing styles. On top of that, her game is still not fully developed, but we have to work hard regardless.
“I’m also aware that I’m not young anymore, and I don’t know how much time I have left in the national squad or whether this partnership will be successful. All these factors are on my mind,” said Mei Xing.
Mei Xing also revealed that both she and Anna had considered leaving BAM in 2021 shortly after being paired together.
This was because Mei Xing had previously partnered with Yap Ling, while Anna had teamed up with Yap Cheng Wen, and neither pair had achieved significant success.
However, both Anna and Mei Xing decided to give their partnership a chance, and luck was on their side when they clinched the title at the Czech Open.
They even secured the biggest win of their careers at the Syed Modi International in India in January 2022, before things took a turn for the worse when Anna suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her right knee in September. — September 17, 2024