KUALA LUMPUR: As their Paris Olympics qualification bid rapidly diminishes, struggling independent mixed pair, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, face yet another major challenge - securing sponsorship.
Due to their mediocre results last year, Pei Jing revealed that they have lost the majority of their backers, with the exception of Victor, their equipment, and apparel sponsor.
Starting the new year with a 21-11, 21-16 loss to South Korea's Kim Won Ho- Jeong Na Eun in the Malaysia Open first round today, certainly didn't help their cause.
A disheartened Pei Jing expressed her disappointment over how the day had unfolded for the world No. 25, who reached the semi-finals in 2019.
"We had a great five to six weeks of preparation, and, in fact, I was quite excited for the season opener. However, this performance and result were far from what I had envisioned," said Pei Jing.
"We need to thoroughly examine the factors that led to this outcome, and try to bounce back at the India Open next week."
Once ranked as high as world No. 5 in December 2022, Kian Meng-Pei Jing endured a challenging 2023, exiting the first round in 14 tournaments.
When asked about the challenges of securing funding following their poor results, Pei Jing said: "As you can see, our shirts are empty without any logos, we don't have other sponsorships. But it's quite understandable, our results since last year have not been commendable.
"If our performance improves, everything will fall into place. Now, it's up to us to consistently achieve good results to entice sponsors.
"If we keep facing early-round losses, sponsors may hesitate to invest in us. We have to demonstrate that we can consistently perform well and justify their faith in us."
The duo are currently ranked No. 24 in the Race to Paris standings, 16 spots away from the top eight cut. Kian Meng admitted that qualifying for the Olympics is no longer a priority.
Instead, their sole focus now is to reestablish themselves as one of the world's elite pairs.
"We're not thinking about the Paris Olympics at the moment. What's important is for us to focus on achieving good results and returning to the position we once held," said Kian Meng.
