Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M.Thinaah finally broke the spell at the SEA Games, clinching a long-awaited gold medal and ending the nation’s 10-year drought in the event with a dramatic victory in Thailand yesterday.
Competing in the final at Gymnasium 4, Thammasat University Rangsit Campus, the world No.2 Malaysians held their nerve in an 86-minute marathon, defeating Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Meilysa Trias Purpitasari, 21-16, 19-21, 21-17. The win marked Malaysia’s first badminton gold medal of the Thailand 2025 SEA Games and a major boost for the national camp.
Pearly-Thinaah made a confident start, racing to an 11-6 lead in the opening set before a dip in momentum allowed the Indonesian to close the gap. However, the Malaysians steadied themselves in time to seal the first game 21-16. The second set appeared to be heading Malaysia’s way after they surged to a 7-0 lead, but a series of unforced errors enabled the fourth-seeded Indonesians to fight back and force a decider with a narrow 21-19 win.
The final set proved to be a tense affair, with both pairs locked at 10-10 before Febriana-Meilysa edged ahead 16-13. That moment, however, sparked a remarkable response from Pearly-Thinaah, who railed superbly to regain the lead at 18-17. The match was eventually sealed at 21-17 when Pearly’s powerful smash forced an error from Febriana, sending the Malaysian pair into celebration.
The gold medal is particularly significant as it is Pearly-Thinaah’s first SEA Games appearance and first gold, and Malaysia’s first women’s doubles title at the Games since Amelia Alicia Anscelly-Soong Fie Cho’s triumph in 2015 in Singapore. The victory extended the Malaysians’ flawless head-to-head record against the Indonesian pair to 4-0.
Their triumph has lifted the mood in the Malaysian badminton camp and is expected to further fuel confidence ahead of upcoming events, including the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou from 17th-21st December. It also sets a positive tone for the rest of the badminton programmes at the Games, with other Malaysian pairs aiming to follow in their footsteps.
The Thailand SEA Games 2025, running from 9th-20th December across Bangkok and Chonburi, has now witnessed a defining moment for Malaysian badminton, one that finally ended a decade-long wait and reaffirmed Pearly-Tan and M. Thinaah’s status as one of the country’s brightest sporting forces.
