SEA GAMES: PEARLY-THINAAH ENDURE MARATHON MATCH TO END MALAYSIA’S 10-YEAR DROUGHT

From Amiril Muttaqien Meketar

BANGKOK, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- National top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah dug deep in an 86-minute marathon to finally end Malaysia’s 10-year gold drought in the event at the SEA Games Thailand 2025 after they triumphed against Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Meilysa Trias Puspitasari in Pathum Thani today.

In the final at Gymnasium 4, Thammasat University Rangsit Campus, the top seeds made a strong start, racing to an 11-6 lead before a lapse in momentum saw them trail 15-16 after the interval but Pearly-Thinaah steadied themselves in time to clinch the opening set 21-16.

The 2025 World Championships runners-up looked poised to wrap things up when they surged to a 7-0 lead in the second set, but a series of costly errors allowed the fourth-seeded duo to claw back and force a decider with a 21-19 win.

The final set was a nerve-racking affair, with both pairs locked at 10-10 before the Indonesians edged ahead 16-13 but that proved the turning point as Pearly-Thinaah rallied superbly, regaining the lead at 18-17 before sealing the match 21-17 when Pearly’s powerful smash forced an error from Febriana.

The victory ended Malaysia’s decade-long wait for women’s doubles gold at the SEA Games, last won by Amelia Alicia Anscelly-Soong Fie Cho at the 2015 edition in Singapore.

It was Pearly-Thinaah’s first SEA Games gold on debut.

It also marked their fourth straight victories against the opponent and contributed national badminton camp’s first gold medal of the biennial Games here.

The SEA Games Thailand 2025 is taking place from Dec 9 to 20 across two provinces in Bangkok and Chonburi.

-- BERNAMA