KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has congratulated Pearly Tan and M Thinaah for becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles badminton pair to reach the semi-finals of the Olympics.

In a Facebook post, Anwar also extended his best wishes to the world’s 12th-ranked pair for their upcoming matches at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"Alhamdulillah, congratulations to these two outstanding athletes for making history as Malaysia’s first women’s doubles team to advance to the Olympic semi-finals.

"Remain calm and focused, and may you achieve great success!” he said.

In the quarter-finals at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Pearly and Thinaah defeated South Korean pair Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong, who are ranked 10th in the world, in straight sets.

Pearly and Thinaah will face the world number one pair from China, Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan, in the semi-finals.

Malaysian women’s pairs have only reached the quarter-finals once at the Olympics, in Rio 2016, where Vivian Hoo and Woon Khe Wei lost to eventual champions Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi. — Bernama