KUALA LUMPUR: You could hardly have scripted it better. On a day when Malaysians waved the Jalur Gemilang and belted out Negaraku, two unlikely heroes with flashy hair and the swagger of street fighters gatecrashed history.
Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, dubbed the “Gangster Duo” for their funky hairstyles and fiery court antics, didn’t just win a badminton title.
They smashed a 48-year-old barrier and delivered Malaysia’s first-ever World Championships mixed doubles crown — on Merdeka Day.
Yes, you read that right. Merdeka Day. Cue goosebumps, tears, and deafening chants of Malaysia Boleh.
The world No. 4, who were on the brink of splitting for good just months ago, thrashed China‘s Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin 21-15, 21-14 in Paris.
Tang Jie ripped off his shirt, Ee Wei wept on court, and their coaches Nova Widianto and Rexy Mainaky looked like men who had just seen ghosts turn into gold.
Malaysia erupted. Phones buzzed, Facebook feeds flooded, and one fan summed it up: “Happy tears are still running down my face.
“Selamat Hari Merdeka. What an honour you’ve given Malaysia.”
But behind the tears and swagger was a quiet Indonesian mastermind — Nova Widianto.
The Gangster Duo’s journey almost unravelled in March when personal differences saw them split.
But Nova, a two-time world champion himself, refused to let their story end there.
He convinced them to reunite, rebuilt the trust, and guided them back to glory.
“We sometimes don’t trust ourselves, but coach Nova never lost his trust in us,” said Ee Wei.
Tang Jie was even more emotional: “When we were struggling, he always believed in us. He told us we had everything to challenge the world. We really appreciate what he has done.”
In Paris, when the job was done, both draped their gold medals around Nova’s neck — a powerful gesture of gratitude to the man who saw champions where others saw chaos.
Nova, ever humble, brushed it off: “I just hope they remain steady and consistent with their performance.”
But wait, it wasn’t just them.
Hours later, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah stormed into the women’s doubles final.
For 83 minutes, they played like tigresses, clawing back from the brink, flicking serves, and making the world No. 1 Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning sweat bullets.
Yet, the fairytale double gold wasn’t to be.
After a brutal 21-14, 20-22, 21-17 defeat, Pearly-Thinaah collapsed on court, silver medals hanging around their necks like bittersweet trophies.
The pain was raw. “Honestly, we’re happy to make the final but disappointed not to win,” admitted Thinaah.
But she couldn’t resist a smile: “This motivates us for bigger things. The Olympics. The next Worlds. We’ll be back.”
So Malaysia ended Merdeka Day with a haul never seen before at the Worlds: one gold, one silver.
It wasn’t quite the dream double, but it was historic nonetheless. And it set the stage for something even bigger.
The bigger plan: Tangkis 2030. For years, the pressure has weighed heavily on Malaysian badminton like a stubborn shuttle stuck in the rafters. The elusive Olympic gold.
The whispers about whether we can ever truly dominate again.
Now, thanks to the Gangster Duo’s rebellion, Pearly-Thinaah’s steel, and Nova’s guiding hand, BAM suddenly has fresh wind in its sails.
Their Tangkis 2030 roadmap looks less like wishful thinking and more like a blueprint for greatness.
Here’s what it promises.
Win the Thomas Cup next year. Wrestle back team glory last captured in 1992.
Strike Olympic gold in Los Angeles 2028. The elusive one that tormented Datuk Rashid Sidek and Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei.
Produce world No. 1 players in three of the five categories. Men’s singles, women’s doubles, and now mixed doubles — suddenly, it doesn’t sound crazy.
Build a conveyor belt of champions. No more one-hit wonders.
Create a healthier Malaysia. Badminton isn’t just medals. It’s parks full of kids smashing shuttles.
Gangsters, tigresses, and believers. What makes Paris so special isn’t just the medals. It’s the stories stitched into them.
Tang Jie, once written off as too hot-headed. Ee Wei, nearly lost to injuries and doubt.
Pearly battling setbacks. Thinaah, the powerhouse who never stops smiling even when her lungs are burning.
And Nova, the man who stood in the shadows, whispering belief when the lights went out.
Together, they remind us that champions aren’t born; they’re built on trust, doubt, failure — and the courage to keep coming back.
Paris will be remembered as Malaysia’s finest-ever World Championships. Not just because of the medals, but because of the belief it sparked.
If the Gangster Duo can go from near-split to world champions in five months, if Pearly-Thinaah can turn heartbreak into history, if Nova can turn trust into triumph — then who’s to say Malaysia can’t chase the Thomas Cup next year?
Or that long-awaited Olympic gold in 2028?
Badminton is back, baby. And Malaysia, on Merdeka Day, just proved it still has the fire to set the world alight.
Now pass the shuttle — we’ve got more history to write.
* Ajitpal Singh is the Sports Editor of NST
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
