Pearly-Thinaah Take Asian Games Bronze After Three-Game Battle With World No. 1 Pair

Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah have secured bronze for Malaysia at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games after a hard-fought women’s doubles semi-final against world No. 1 pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning.

The Malaysian world No. 5 pair made a brilliant start by taking the opening game 21–16, before the Chinese duo fought back to edge the second 22–20.

Liu-Tan then maintained the pressure in the deciding game, eventually winning 21–12 to complete an 85-minute battle and end Pearly-Thinaah’s hopes of reaching the final.

Despite the defeat, the bronze medal ends Malaysia’s 12-year wait for an Asian Games women’s doubles medal, with Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei the last Malaysian pair to achieve the feat in 2014.

Pearly-Thinaah leave Aichi with another major medal to add to their growing list of achievements on the international stage.

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