Independent mixed doubles shuttlers Tan Kian Meng-Li Pei Jing in their training session ahead of the Malaysian Open at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil yesterday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Independent mixed doubles shuttler Lai Pei Jing is a woman on a mission.
The 32-year-old Pei Jing is currently on the lookout for a new partner as her current one, Tan Kian Meng plans to retire after competing in the All-England in March.
Many may assume that given her age, Pei Jing would join Kian Meng in retiring.
However, she is not ready to hang up her racquet just yet.
Her decision to continue her career was not made on a whim but came after deep reflection and discussions with her coach.
“I first knew about Kian Meng’s retirement plans last year,” said Pei Jing, who first partnered Kian Meng in 2016.
“I had mixed feelings, and it took me quite some time to accept the fact and decide what I should do next.
“After discussing and planning with my coach, I decided to continue playing because I still have the fire in me for badminton.
“I am currently in the process of searching for a new partner and sponsorship.
“Everything is still in discussion, so I’m not sure who will be my partner yet.
“He could be a junior player or someone at my level, either Malaysian or a foreigner.
“The only thing that I can confirm is that I want to continue playing in mixed doubles.”
There had been rumours that Kian Meng and Pei Jing have not been on good terms, but the former clarified that their issues have been resolved and his decision to retire stems from his injury problems and sponsorship.
Yesterday, there was no perfect farewell for world No. 19 Kian Meng-Pei Jing in the Malaysian Open as they suffered a 20-22, 10-21 defeat to Japan’s world No. 14 Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito in the opening round at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
“Since this was our final Malaysian Open campaign as a pair, I tried not to stress too much, focused on giving my best, and aimed to enjoy the match,” said Pei Jing,
Kian Meng will forever cherish the memories of competing in the Malaysian Open.
“My favourite memory of competing in the Malaysian Open is the fans,” said the 30-year-old Kian Meng.
“We really enjoyed the energy from the crowd... they were always so supportive.
“Even when we made a lot of mistakes, like in the second game, they kept supporting and cheering us on.”
The duo’s best achievement at their home tourney came in 2019 when they reached semi-finals, where they lost to China’s Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping.
