KUALA LUMPUR – Whether it was the rain or the dry run of road closures ahead of the 2025 Asean Summit this week, nothing was going to stop Then Ah Yin from making the journey from Seremban to cheer on her grandson at the Malaysia Masters.
Ah Yin, 76, is the proud grandmother of Malaysia’s top mixed doubles shuttler, Chen Tang Jie.
In a special interview with Scoop, Ah Yin – with the help of her daughter and Tang Jie’s mother, Chen Keat Siew – shared how she has followed her grandson’s progress since his junior playing days with the Negeri Sembilan Badminton Association.
“Tang Jie is my grandson, so I have to support him,” Ah Yin told Scoop with a smile when met at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
“This isn’t the first time my mother has come to watch him. In fact, since Tang Jie joined the Negeri Sembilan BA at the age of 10, my mother has followed him to all the 100PLUS Junior Circuit tournaments,” added Keat Siew.
Ah Yin and Keat Siew are not the only ones backing him. Tang Jie’s elder sister, Chen Yi Wen, completes a trio of strong women across three generations who continue to support his dream of becoming one of the world’s best mixed doubles players.
Unfortunately, Tang Jie and his scratch partner Chan Wen Tse bowed out in the first round of the Malaysia Masters yesterday, losing 22-20, 21-15 to China’s seventh seeds Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi.
Still, Tang Jie had only praise for his young teammate, rating her performance a solid eight out of ten.
He will reunite with his regular partner, world number five Toh Ee Wei, at next week’s Singapore Open following a brief temporary split.
One thing is certain – Tang Jie can always count on the unwavering support of the most important women in his life.
“I wish him all the success and jiayou!” said Ah Yin. – May 22, 2025