Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah clinch women’s doubles badminton gold at the SEA Games, ending a 10-year wait for the title
NATIONAL women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah ended Malaysia’s decade-long gold drought in the event with a marathon victory at the SEA Games Thailand 2025.
The top seeds triumphed 21-16, 19-21, 21-17 against Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari in an 85-minute final at Gymnasium 4, Thammasat University Rangsit Campus in Pathum Thani.
Pearly-Thinaah made a strong start to take the opening set after steadying themselves following a mid-game lapse.
They raced to a 7-0 lead in the second set but a series of errors allowed the fourth-seeded Indonesian duo to claw back and force a decider.
The final set was a nerve-racking affair with both pairs locked at 10-10 before the Indonesians edged ahead 16-13.
That proved the turning point as the Malaysian pair rallied superbly to regain the lead at 18-17 before sealing the match.
Pearly’s powerful smash forced an error from Febriana to clinch the gold medal on their SEA Games debut.
The victory ended Malaysia’s 10-year wait for the women’s doubles title last won by Amelia Alicia Anscelly and Soong Fie Cho in Singapore in 2015.
It also marked their fourth consecutive victory against the Indonesian opponents.
The win contributed the national badminton camp’s first gold medal at the biennial Games. – Bernama
