02/09/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | SEP 2, 2025

31

Simply perfect Tang Jie-Ee Wei peaked at right time to claim world crown: Kien Keat F ORMER doubles ace Koo Kien Keat has praised Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei for their historic triumph at the world championships, saying they showed “To achieve greater success, they have to remain humble, maintain strong

RESULTS & STANDINGS

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Brigh ton 2 (Milner 67-pen, Gruda 89) Manchester City 1 (Haaland 34), Nottingham Forest 0 West Ham 3 (Bowen 84, Paqueta 88-pen, Wilson 90+1) , Liverpool 1 (Szaboszlai 83) Arsenal 0, Aston Villa 0 Crystal Palace (Mateta 21-pen, Guehi 68, Sarr 78) . P W D L F A Pts Liverpool 3 3 0 0 8 4 9 Chelsea 3 2 1 0 7 1 7 Arsenal 3 2 0 1 6 1 6 Tottenham 3 2 0 1 5 1 6 Everton 3 2 0 1 5 3 6 Sunderland 3 2 0 1 5 3 6 Bournemouth 3 2 0 1 4 4 6 Crystal Palace 3 1 2 0 4 1 5 Man Utd 3 1 1 1 4 4 4 Forest 3 1 1 1 4 5 4 Brighton 3 1 1 1 3 4 4 Leeds 3 1 1 1 1 5 4 Man City 3 1 0 2 5 4 3 Burnley 3 1 0 2 4 6 3 Brentford 3 1 0 2 3 5 3 West Ham 3 1 0 2 4 8 3 Newcastle 3 0 2 1 2 3 2 Fulham 3 0 2 1 2 4 2 Aston Villa 3 0 1 2 0 4 1 Wolves 3 0 0 3 2 8 0 LA LIGA: Real Betis 1 (Bakambu 90+7) Athletic Bilbao 2 (Bartra 60 og, Paredes 85), Celta Vigo 1 (Iglesias 90+4) Villarreal 1 (Pepe 53), Espanyol 1 (Romero 52) Osasuna 0, Rayo Vallecano 1 (Perez 67) Barce lona 1 (Yamal 40-pen). TOP 10 P W D L F A Pts Real Madrid 3 3 0 0 6 1 9 A. Bilbao 3 3 0 0 6 3 9 Villarreal 3 2 1 0 8 1 7 Barcelona 3 2 1 0 7 3 7 Espanyol 3 2 1 0 5 3 7 Getafe 3 2 0 1 4 4 6 Elche 3 1 2 0 4 2 5 Real Betis 4 1 2 1 4 4 5 Valencia 3 1 1 1 4 2 4 Rayo Vallecano 3 1 1 1 4 3 4 SERIE A: Inter Milan 1 (Dumfries 18) Udinese 2 (Davis 29-pen, Atta 40), Genoa 0 Juventus 1 (Vlahovic 73) , Lazio 4 (Guendouzi 3, Zaccagni 10, Castellanos 41, Dia 82) Verona 0, Torino 0 Fiorentina 0. TOP 10 P W D L F A Pts Napoli 2 2 0 0 3 0 6 Cremonese 2 2 0 0 5 3 6 Roma 2 2 0 0 2 0 6 Inter 1 1 0 0 5 0 3 Juventus 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 Milan 2 1 0 1 3 2 3 Como 2 1 0 1 2 1 3 Bologna 2 1 0 1 1 1 3 Atalanta 2 0 2 0 2 2 2 Fiorentina 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 BUNDESLIGA: Wolfsburg 1 Mainz 1, Borussia Dortmund 3 Union Berlin 0, Cologne 4 Freiburg 1. TOP 5 P W D L F A Pts Bayern 2 2 0 0 9 2 6 E.Frankfurt 2 2 0 0 7 2 6 Cologne 2 2 0 0 5 1 6 Dortmund 2 1 1 0 6 3 4 St Pauli 2 1 1 0 5 3 4 LIGUE 1: Angers 1 Rennes 1, Monaco 3 Strasbourg 2, Le Havre 3 Nice 1, Paris FC 3 Metz 2, Lyon 1 Marseille 0. TOP 5 P W D L F A Pts PSG 3 3 0 0 8 3 9 Lyon 3 3 0 0 5 0 9 Lille 3 2 1 0 11 4 7 Monaco 3 2 0 1 6 4 6 Lens 3 2 0 1 5 3 6

overcame it and today we just went with our game plan. “This means a lot to us because it’s also the National Day, and we had a full house of Malaysian fans supporting us. So, we felt the power and we just kept going and fought for every point,” she said in a BWF audio recording. Ee Wei also said that previously, whenever they made mistakes, they would get frustrated – so, they decided to make changes. “So, this time, when we made mistakes, we just re-focused on what we should do and stuck with the game plan. “Our coaches kept asking us to take a deep breath each time so we could have a clear mind to play on the court,” she said. Meanwhile, Tang Jie said words could not describe his feelings, though he was thrilled that others could now refer to them as world champions. “I think our mental and (physical) preparation for the match was very clear and (we were) very determined. “We didn’t think about winning or losing – we just tried to focus on the match and enjoy every moment,” he said. – Bernama

communication, and stay disciplined in their training and motivated in their goals,” she said. Before Tang Jie-Ee Wei’s triumph, Pei Tty and Kien Keat were Malaysia’s most successful mixed doubles pair at the world championships, reaching the semifinals at the 2006 edition in Madrid. Yesterday, Tang Jie-Ee Wei gave Malaysia the perfect 68th National Day gift by overcoming second seeds Jiang Zhen Bang–Wei Ya Xin 21 15, 21-14 in just 40 minutes. The Malaysians, buoyed by shouts of “Merdeka!”, were in an inspired mood, mixing power, precision and patience to send the mighty Chinese pair packing, with Ee Wei masterful at the net and Tang Jie at his leaping best at the back court. Ee Wei admitted after the win that their “thirst” for victory came from the significance of the occasion. “Because this is a World Championships – if you get it, you are a world champion. So, when we were playing in the last 16, we came under a lot of pressure. But then, after that, we

great maturity and peaked at the right time. He described Ee Wei as one of the best women’s players Malaysia has ever produced in mixed doubles, noting her sharp interceptions at the front court, and commended Tang Jie for his tremendous speed and court coverage. “I did personally congratulate them. They were so humble, and I think they deserve this,” he told Bernama yesterday. Another former national shuttler, Wong Pei Tty, said the world No. 4’s victory should be seen as the beginning of an even greater journey for Malaysian badminton. She said the gold medal in Paris carries profound significance as it shows the next generation that with belief and hard work, they too can rise to the peak of world badminton. “Firstly, congratulations to Tang Jie and Ee Wei on becoming world champions. It is a proud achievement for Malaysia. They showed great spirit, determination and a smart tactical plan against China.

Pearly-Thinaah fighting spirit hailed

NATIONAL women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah can walk with their head held high after putting on a fighting display en route to finishing as runners-up in the Badminton World Championships on Sunday night. In the final at the a first-game loss but China’s world No. 1 of Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning proved a tough nut to crack as the Malaysians lost 14-21, 22-20, 17-21 after battling for an hour and 23 minutes. The Malaysians threw everything but the kitchen sink at them, and yet still came up short. Credit to Pearly-Thinaah for their courage, determination and heart. The duo became the first national women’s doubles pair to have reached the final of the World Championships, thus exceeding their previous best of a quarterfinal appearance at the 2023 edition. Thinaah said they were really happy to have made the final at the World Championships. “But definitely a little bit disappointed that we couldn’t walk away with the title. But then, I also have to give credit to Adidas Arena, world No. 2 Pearly-Thinaah even tried switching their game around after

our opponents – they played really well, put us under pressure, and stayed very calm when executing their shots. “I think that’s something we definitely can learn from them. But yeah, overall, I think it’s been a good week here,” she said in a BWF audio clip recording. Thinaah said that they also went into the match with a mindset of not wanting to give away easy points to their opponents and that as long as the shuttle didn’t hit the ground, they would always fight for every point. Former world No. 1 Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei led the chorus of tributes, calling the duo “marvellous” and a source of national pride. “A big salute to Pearly Thinaah for their marvellous run to the World Championship silver medal,“ said the three-time Olympic silver medallist on Facebook . “You have truly captivated the hearts of Malaysians, who just celebrated Merdeka Day, and inspired the badminton world with your fighting spirit. “This journey is proof of your hard work, tenacity, and unbreakable bond as a pair. “Malaysia is proud of you both – this is only the beginning of greater heights ahead.” – Bernama/Agencies

Silver medallists Malaysia’s Pearly Tan (right) and Thinaah Muralitharan celebrate on the podium. –REUTERSPIC

Duo made history, says BAM president BADMINTON Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has hailed the historic success of mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei in emerging as champions in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships in Paris on Sunday.

While national women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah did not match the success of Tang Jie and Ee Wei, the duo also created history in Paris, becaming the first women’s doubles pair to have reached the final of the World Championships. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh hailing the pair as “Malaysia’s golden treasure.” “Pearly-Thinaah made history by becoming the country’s first women’s doubles silver medallists at the World Championships,” she said. “Silver in medal, but you remain our golden treasure.” – Bernama/Agencies

an inspiration to all Malaysians. “Our dream has finally come true. #ChenToh did not just win, they made history with the sweat and tears. They have proven that Malaysia never gives up. “World Champions. Malaysian badminton roars back on the world stage! This victory is the best, most meaningful gift for all Malaysians in conjunction with the National Day. “Thank you, Tang Jie and Ee Wei. Thank you for giving us hope. Thank you for restoring our confidence. You are our inspiration,” he posted on Instagram on Sunday night.

He described their success as proof that Malaysia never gave up in its quest for victory on the international stage. He stressed that the victory was not merely about becoming world champions, but a symbol of resilience, hard work and sacrifice that serves as