The going’s good: Pearly Tan (centre) and M. Thinaah are now going through their training sessions with congenial dispositions.
PETALING JAYA: Pearly Tan is back training with a smile on her face again after going through a tough time.
The national women’s doubles shuttler has been struggling with burnout over the past few weeks.
On top of that, Pearly had been struck down by a virus after returning from Basel last week.
Pearly had taken to social media to express her feelings.
“Do you ever get a bit tired of life?,” questioned Pearly in a cryptic instagram post.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) high performance director Dr Tim Jones, commenting on the post, said: “Pearly had suffered a bit of a burnout after returning from Europe.
“It’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of her burnout but it could be a combination of results not going her way and being away from her family and so on.
“She also picked up a virus and had to rest a bit.
“It’s nothing serious and it happens sometimes when you travel back from overseas.
“Looking on the bright side, getting some time off court is actually beneficial for her as this has allowed her brain to get some rest.”
Pearly and her partner M. Thinaah had experienced a downturn in form in their last two tournaments – the All-England and Swiss Open – where they had suffered first-round exits.
Jones, though, was feeling upbeat about the pair after seeing Pearly resume training with a smile on her face.
“Pearly is feeling fresher and more positive now and is back training happily.
“I have spoken to Thinaah too and both of them are determined to turn their form around.”
Pearly-Thinaah, who are currently ranked eighth in the world, have about three weeks to prepare for their next assignment – the Asian Championships from April 25-30 in Dubai.
The duo are also set to go through a hectic period after the Asian meet with the Sudirman Cup (May 14-21) in Suzhou, China, Malaysian Masters (May 23-28) and Thailand Open (May 30-June 4) lined up for them.
The upcoming tournaments bring added significance as the one-year qualifying period for the 2024 Paris Olympics begins in May.
