WOMEN’S doubles Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah could be the surprise package for the national team in next week’s Asia Team Championships in Manila.
National coach Rosman Razak believes the Asian meet will be the perfect platform for young pairs like Pearly-Thinaah to stamp their mark.
Following Vivian Hoo’s injury, Rosman is likely to field Pearly-Thinaah as the second pair.
The other women’s doubles in the squad are national No 1 Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean and Vivian’s partner, Yap Cheng Wen.
“We felt it was better for Vivian to stay back and focus on recovery. It’s not a serious leg injury.
“She will use the recovery period to prepare for upcoming tournaments.
“We will stick with five doubles players, which means Pearly-Thinaah will definitely get a chance to prove themselves,” said Rosman.
Last year, Pearly-Thinaah made their mark by winning the Malaysia International Series, India International Challenge and Bangladesh International Challenge.
The two, who were only paired in June, have also broken into the top-50 bracket on the world ranking.
The Asian Team event serves as a qualifier for the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup in Aarhus, Denmark in May.
Only the top four teams will earn qualification on merit.
The women’s team are in Group W with top seeds Japan and Hong Kong.