The future of Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, has been settled after months of speculation. The world No. 3 duo have officially decided to remain under the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), extending their commitment through to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The announcement was made by BAM President Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz during a special press conference held at the Malaysian Badminton Academy (ABM) in Bukit Kiara today.
While the full terms of the new agreement were not publicly disclosed, it is understood that both players have been offered a lucrative package reflecting their elite status on the world stage.
“I can confidently say the negotiations were constructive and fruitful,” Tengku Zafrul said. “With this new contract in place, Pearly and Thinaah can now fully focus on their upcoming tournaments.
There’s no need to question why it took time – what matters is that they have our full support moving forward.”
Thinaah also expressed relief at reaching a final decision, clarifying that their delay was not intentional.
“It was never our intention to drag this out,” she explained. “But our packed tournament schedule made discussions difficult. We’re relieved to have finally reached an agreement.”
Earlier reports suggested the pair had requested improved terms beyond the initial offer, causing the negotiation process to stretch over several months.
Despite the contract uncertainty, Pearly-Thinaah have maintained strong form, recently winning the Thailand Open, finishing runners-up at the Indonesia Open, reaching the semi-finals at the Malaysia Masters, and making a quarter-final run at the Singapore Open.
The duo will continue their campaign at the Japan Open from 15 to 20 July, followed by the China Open, and the highly anticipated World Championships in Paris from 25 to 31 August.
Credit Photo : BAM
