KUALA LUMPUR – Indonesian coach Eng Hian has issued an apology to Malaysian top badminton women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, saying that he had no intention of offending the duo with his recent remarks.
“With all humility, I apologise to Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah.
“I have no intention to offend or do anything to upset the Malaysian players.
“Once again, I apologise for my words from the bottom of my heart.”
Permintaan maaf Coach Eng Hian terkait penggunaan sebutan 'hitam' dan 'putih' saat Ana/Tiwi melawan Pearly/Thinaah di R16 #FrenchOpen2022 kemarin. pic.twitter.com/cepEkwbkci
— Rubber Game Indonesia (@rubbergameid) October 28, 2022
The video apology was posted on Twitter account Rubber Game Indonesia last night.
This came after the 45-year-old coach was overheard referring to Pearly-Thinaah as “putih” (white) and “hitam” (black) when he was giving instructions to his shuttlers Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi during a match break.
The remark, which went viral on social media, was captured on television during French Open’s round of 16 on Thursday.
Eng Hian is known for winning major tournaments in the men’s doubles category, mostly when he was partnered with Flandy Limpele between 1999 and 2006.
The pair won the bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Meanwhile, Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah advanced to the semi-finals of the French Open last night, beating world number three pair Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida of Japan 15-21, 21-14, 21-14 at Stade Pierre de Coubertin, Paris.
The Malaysians will face South Koreans Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee today. – The Vibes, October 29, 2022
