Two of a kind: Chen Tang Jie (right) and Toh Ee Wei celebrate after winning their mixed doubles semi-finals match at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou. — AP
PETALING JAYA: Respect for one another is the key to success and this is best exemplified by national mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei on and off the badminton court.
In just two years, Tang Jie-Ee Wei had built a strong partnership, thanks to their good understanding of one another under the guidance of an experienced coach Nova Widianto of Indonesia.
They have the spunk. They are passionate. And they are humble.
Just three months earlier, Ee Wei was involved in a freak incident at the gymnasium and had hurt her hand but Tang Jie stood by her. And when Tang Jie was down with knee injury in the middle of this year, Ee Wei’s support for him did not waver.
And with many more years ahead of them and without injuries, expect the 26-year-old Tang Jie and Ee Wei, 24, to be one of the untouchables in the game.
On Sunday, they showed just glimpses of what they are capable of by giving Olympic Games champions Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong of China and the home fans a big scare before losing in the final of the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China.
The runners-up finish and prize money worth US$100,000 (RM443,000) marked an end to a good year for Tang Jie-Ee Wei.
Before the season finale, they had defied the odds to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games in just one year since they were paired up. They bagged the Korean Open and reached the finals of the Thailand Masters and Swiss Open.
Despite the rapid rise, Ee Wei remained grounded.
“2024 is an amazing and challenging journey for Tang Jie and I, we fought on court to qualify for our first Olympic Games ... it’s one of the best moments, every athletes dream,” said Ee Wei in her Instagram posting.
“Thank you to my partner. He has been marvellous. He is a fighter, always fighting all out on the court.
“We will keeping working hard but we must always stay humble,” added Ee Wei, who thanked her coach Nova and all the support team from Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and National Sports Council (NSC).
Tang Jie was equally delighted with their journey together.
“This year’s achievements have been meaningful, yet I know there’s always room to improve,” he said.
“I believe that with Ee Wei and my effort and united strength, we can make a push for the upcoming big four next year (Malaysian Open, All-England, World Championships, World Tour Finals.”
With a lot of positivity in the air, expect Tang Jie-Ee Wei to make a good start to the year when they compete in the Malaysian Open from Jan 7-12 at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
