Malaysian shuttlers Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah win women’s doubles gold at SEA Games 2025 after an intense 86-minute final against Indonesia
THE sound of Negaraku playing at Gymnasium 4 made every sacrifice worthwhile for national shuttler Pearly Tan.
Pearly and partner M. Thinaah secured the women’s doubles gold medal at the SEA Games Thailand 2025 on Saturday.
The top seeds endured an 86-minute thriller to defeat Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari 21-16, 19-21, 21-17.
Pearly admitted the emotional weight of the nerve-racking final truly sank in after winning the last point.
“I felt like almost crying,” the 25-year-old told reporters after the medal ceremony.
She expressed disbelief at finishing the points quickly after trailing 12-16 in the decisive third set.
Pearly also hoped their triumph would inspire junior players to dream of SEA Games gold.
Thinaah said she felt relieved to have contributed gold for Malaysia in their SEA Games debut.
She acknowledged the huge pressure and expectations placed on them as favourites.
National women’s doubles head coach Rosman Razak was delighted to guide Malaysia’s third pair to gold.
“SEA Games is always about country, not like other tournaments,” Rosman said.
He noted the feeling was totally different compared to other tournaments.
The SEA Games Thailand 2025 is being held from December 9 to 20 in Bangkok and Chonburi. – Bernama
