Tang Jie-Ee Wei deliver Merdeka joy with historic world crown [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia erupted in joy on Merdeka Day as Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei carved their names into history by clinching the nation’s first-ever mixed doubles world title in Paris on Sunday.

The world No. 4 were firing on all cylinders as they swept aside China‘s Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin 21-15, 21-14 in a dominant straight-games victory at the Adidas Arena, sealing only Malaysia’s second World Championships crown overall after Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik’s breakthrough triumph in 2022.

It was a victory laced with emotion, arriving not only on the sport’s grandest stage but also as a befitting gift to the nation on its 68th National Day.

An ecstatic Tang Jie said: “I can’t even put into words what I feel right now.

“I’m just very glad and happy that people can now call us world champions. That title is so meaningful — it’s something every player dreams of.”

Ee Wei said: “Because this is the World Championships, if you win it, you’re a world champion.

“When we played the last 16, we felt a lot of pressure, but after that we managed to overcome it. Today, we just focused on our game plan.

“It means a lot to us, especially because it’s Malaysia’s National Day too. We had a full house of Malaysian fans cheering us on, and we could really feel the energy on court. That gave us the power to keep going and fight for every point.”

For Tang Jie-Ee Wei, the moment marked the pinnacle of an extraordinary journey. Just five months ago, their partnership was on the brink after a split following the All England flop.

Reunited, they rose from uncertainty to become Malaysia’s newest world champions.

Their triumph also rewrites Malaysia’s narrative in mixed doubles — a discipline where success has long been elusive. While Koo Kien Keat-Wong Pei Tty took bronze in 2006 as a makeshift pairing, and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying delivered silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics, no Malaysian pair had ever stood atop the podium.

The “Gangster Duo,” famed for their flamboyant hairstyles and fiery spirit, have now smashed that barrier.

Their road to glory included silencing the home crowd by toppling French favourites Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue in the semi-finals, and they carried that fearless form into the final against the Chinese second seeds.

For Tang Jie, 27, it was a story of redemption after years of struggle to break into the elite.

For Ee Wei, 24, it was vindication after a stop-start senior career beset by health issues and even a temporary exit from the national setup.

Together, they found the perfect blend of resilience and belief.

And there could be more to come — Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah will be in action shortly in the women’s doubles final, bidding to turn their own historic run into gold.

But for now, Tang Jie-Ee Wei have already delivered Merdeka joy — a moment that will forever be remembered as the day Malaysia scaled the summit of world mixed doubles.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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