Malaysian mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei have received a timely confidence boost ahead of their campaign to win the Malaysian Masters title for the first time next week.
The pair were named Best Athlete at the 2025 Sports Writers Association of Malaysia (SAM)–100PLUS Awards yesterday, in recognition of their outstanding achievement in winning the World Championships in Paris last year. In the final at the Adidas Arena, they defeated China’s Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 21-15, 21-14, ending Malaysia’s long wait for a mixed doubles world title.
Tang Jie and Ee Wei beat several strong contenders for the award, including world wushu champion Tan Cheong Min and top national bowler Rafiq Ismail.
Ee Wei said the recognition has given them extra motivation to continue pushing for better results and to bring more success to Malaysia. She also expressed appreciation to the media for their continuous support throughout their training and competitions at the Badminton Academy Malaysia (ABM) and at tournaments.
Looking ahead, Ee Wei said their focus is now fully on the Malaysian Masters, where they hope to deliver strong performances on home soil.
Tang Jie also shared that he went through a difficult period after suffering an injury setback, which required a full recovery process. He explained that after returning to training, he experienced a recurrence of the same injury, making the period challenging. However, he credited coach Nova Widianto for insisting he recover fully before returning to competition.
He added that their nearly one-month break from tournaments has helped them rebuild their form, although they missed competing in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup as they focused on training.
Tang Jie said he now feels in better condition and more confident on court.
Despite their strong rise on the world stage, the pair have yet to win the Malaysian Masters. They debuted as a pair in the 2023 edition but exited in the first round after losing to Indonesia’s Rinov Rivaldy and Pitha Haningtyas Mentari.
In 2024, they returned as top seeds but were beaten in the semi-finals by fellow Malaysians Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie, who went on to win the title.
In 2025, the pair did not compete together after being temporarily separated due to partnership issues.
Separately, columnist Rizal Hashim also enjoyed success at the SAM Awards, winning Best Special Report as well as the Sportswriter of the Year (Siebel Award).
