From Separation To World Champions: Malaysia's Tang Jie-Ee Wei Prove Second Chances Work

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In a stunning turn of events that reads like a sports fairy tale, Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei have conquered the badminton world just months after their partnership appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

The mixed doubles pair, who had actually separated and played with different partners for several months, captured their first World Championship title on Malaysia’s National Day, defeating China’s world No. 2 duo, Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin, 21-15, 21-14 in Sunday’s final (31 August) at Paris’s Adidas Arena.

Their partnership hit rock bottom in late March following a disastrous All England campaign.

The split was so complete that Tang Jie began partnering with junior player Chan Wen Tse.

At the same time, Ee Wei teamed up with Loo Bing Kun for international tournaments, including events in Taiwan and the Malaysia Masters.

For some time, Malaysian badminton fans watched in dismay as their former No. 4-ranked pair competed against each other rather than together, raising serious doubts about whether they would ever reunite.

The Reunion That Changed Everything

The split was so concerning that Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh personally urged the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to reconsider the decision, highlighting the need for strong collaboration among athletes.

Her intervention proved prescient – after extensive discussions with coaches and federation officials, the 27-year-old Tang Jie and 24-year-old Ee Wei made the difficult decision to give their partnership another chance in April.

The road back wasn’t without setbacks – their first tournament together was the Singapore Open in late April – a tentative reunion that saw them face elimination in the second round.

In June, they were outclassed by a strong Thai pair in the Indonesia Open semi-finals, with Tang Jie’s unforced errors during critical moments proving costly.

They were then eliminated in the quarterfinals of the China Open 2025 in July, losing to China’s Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui.

Yet these early struggles proved to be stepping stones, as Ee Wei reflected.

From Broken Partnership to World Champions

Building momentum through subsequent tournaments, their 40-minute demolition of the Chinese favourites – overturning a poor 1-3 head-to-head record – proved that their brief separation had actually strengthened their bond.

The magnitude of their achievement resonated at the highest levels, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim personally congratulating the champions.

The timing couldn’t be more poetic: winning Malaysia’s second-ever World Championship title on National Day, just months after their partnership seemed irreparably broken.

They are Malaysia’s first mixed doubles pair to win a gold medal at the World Badminton Championships since its inception in 1977.

Their story proves that sometimes the best relationships need to fall apart completely before they can reach their true potential – a lesson extending far beyond the badminton court.

From separated partners to world champions, Tang Jie and Ee Wei have authored one of Malaysian sports’ greatest comeback stories.

Malaysia’s Double Historic Achievement

The World Championships also witnessed another milestone for Malaysian badminton, as the world No. 2 pair of Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah reached the women’s doubles final.

It marked the first time a Malaysian women’s pair has achieved this feat in the tournament’s history.

They fell short in a thrilling 83-minute final against China’s world number one pair, Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, losing 14-21, 22-20, 17-21 after battling for an hour and 23 minutes.

The defeat marked their third consecutive loss in the final to the Chinese pair.

Nevertheless, Pearly-Thinaah’s silver medal represents a significant breakthrough for Malaysian women’s doubles on the world stage.

Their historic final appearance, combined with Tang Jie-Ee Wei’s golden triumph, made the 2025 World Championships a truly memorable tournament for Malaysian badminton, proving the nation’s rising status as a global badminton powerhouse across multiple disciplines.

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