KUALA LUMPUR — The decision to separate Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei was made to help both players reflect on their challenges and improve their game, said National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky.
Rexy, alongside mixed doubles head coach Nova Widianto, has decided to pair Tang Jie with Chan Wen Tse, while Ee Wei will partner Loo Bing Kun in five tournaments starting in May. The objective is to reassess the future of the world number four duo.
The two will compete with their new partners at the Taiwan Open (May 6-11), Thailand Open (May 13-18), Malaysia Masters (May 20-25), Singapore Open (May 27-June 1), and Indonesia Open (June 3-8).
However, Rexy stated that the first three tournaments—Taiwan Open, Thailand Open, and Malaysia Masters—will serve as key benchmarks to evaluate the success of the experiment.
“We noticed that Ee Wei is usually very determined not to lose, while Tang Jie tends to be quieter, and this dynamic has affected their partnership, leading to inconsistent performances,” he told reporters after a training session today.
He did not rule out the possibility of Tang Jie and Ee Wei reuniting if they realise they are better off playing together.
Rexy also pointed to Tang Jie’s recent remark, as reported in the media, about still having strong feelings for Ee Wei. He viewed this as a positive sign that could pave the way for a future reunion.
Citing a precedent, he highlighted men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who had previously split but later reunited to become the world’s second-ranked pair after struggling with other partners.
However, should the new pairings perform well in the five tournaments, Tang Jie-Wen Tse and Ee Wei-Bing Kun could be retained as permanent partnerships.
Rexy added that the move would also benefit Wen Tse and Bing Kun by giving them valuable experience alongside world-class partners.
Additionally, he confirmed that he and men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi had approved Tang Jie’s request to compete in the men’s doubles event while separated from Ee Wei.
The 27-year-old will team up with Wong Vin Sean for the Taiwan Open and Thailand Open.
Earlier today, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed that Tang Jie and Ee Wei had been separated for upcoming tournaments following a recommendation by the coaching panel—including Rexy and Nova—during a recent performance committee meeting.
The decision aligns with Scoop’s earlier report, which speculated that the duo could be headed for a split due to performance concerns and strategic adjustments by the coaching team.
Tensions between the pair reportedly began at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing 19-21, 14-21 to South Korea’s Kim Won Ho-Jeong Na Eun.
Recently, Ee Wei deleted all photos of Tang Jie from her Instagram account following their first-round exit at the All England 2025.
On BAM’s recent coaching restructure, Rexy, who previously served as coaching director at the Academy Badminton Association, expressed full support for the changes, emphasising that his passion remains in doubles coaching.
The restructure, announced on Tuesday, saw Denmark’s Kenneth Jonassen, formerly the national singles head coach, appointed as the new singles coaching director. — March 28, 2025