Sweating it out: Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing training at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing will play in their last Malaysian Open as a pair but it’s unsure whether they will return with different partners in future.
There have been combination of different factors that had slowed down Kian Meng-Pei Jing last year, and one of them is the duo’s misunderstanding on the badminton court.
The 30-year-old Kian Meng has played down any misunderstanding between him and Pei Jing, 32. They were said to be on a strained relationship but all that issues in relation to players’ commitment had been resolved.
“Pei Jing and I did have some misunderstanding but it’s in the past,” said Kian Meng after a training session at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil yesterday,
“We already had a meeting to discuss our issues and everything has been resolved.
“We just had issues where sometimes when my body condition was not good and I skipped training. Pei Jing can get a bit emotional sometimes and she also wants to do well in tournaments.
“This is normal in partnerships. It’s not a big deal. We are all good now,” added Kian Meng.
But the home tournament is set to be their last as their sponsorship with Victor will end in April.
“This will likely be our last Malaysian Open. I have many injury problems and our contract with our equipment sponsor Victor also ends in April,” said Kian Meng.
“For now, we plan to play until the All-England in March. After that, we will see if we can renew our contract with Victor or get new sponsors.
“If we don’t get any sponsors and I cannot manage my injuries, then we have no choice but to retire.
“I believe it is also time to give way to the juniors. We need to develop more youngsters in the mixed doubles. Pei Jing also has her own plans,” added Kian Meng.
The home tourney starts tomorrow at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
In the home Open, Kian Meng-Pei Jing, who are ranked No. 19 in the world, have a tricky opening round match against Japan’s world No. 14 Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito.
