Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing Player Profile 

Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing, the promising mixed doubles team from Malaysia

Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing are a mixed doubles team from Malaysia. They are currently ranked 11th in the world. 

Tan was born on June 1, 1994, in Johor, Malaysia. He stands 6’1 and plays right-handed. He originally was a singles badminton player before switching to doubles later in his career. 

Lai was born on August 8, 1992 in Pahang, Malaysia. She presently resides in Kuala Lumpur. 

Compared to her towering partner, she measures at a modest 5’3. She plays right-handed. Like Tan, she also started as a singles player before becoming a doubles specialist. 

Coincidentally, both shuttlers started competing in doubles in 2014, although they first had different partners. 

Tournaments and achievements with other partners 

Tan’s first podium finish was at the Vietnam International Series in 2015. He placed second behind Rian Swastedian and Masita Mahmudin of Indonesia, with Peck Yen Wei as his partner. 

Aside from Lai, he also has an ongoing partnership with Tan Wee Kiong. Their only top three accomplishment to date was being runners-up at the 2021 Dutch Open. They are 53rd in men’s doubles, their highest ranking so far. 

Lai, on the other hand, had several partners before ending up with Tan. She and Chan Peng Soon reached a world ranking of 48. 

However, it was with Tan Aik Quan she had more success with, as they together won two titles in 2011. They defeated Andhika Anhar and Keshya Nurvita Hanadia of Indonesia for the top prize in both the Smiling Fish International in Thailand and the Malaysia International. 

Prior to this though, she bagged the women’s doubles gold with Chin Eei Hui at the Malaysia International that was held the year before. They beat Gebby Ristiyani Imawan and Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah of Indonesia in the final round. 

Tournaments and achievements with each other 

The two joined forces in 2016. Almost immediately, they were triumphant, bagging the championship in that year’s Vietnam Open and Thailand Open. 

Tan and Lai followed this up with a Malaysia Masters title in 2017. Their most recent BWF World Tour win was at the 2022 Korea Open, winning against the home team of Ko Sung-hyun and Eom Hye-won. 

The couple are also mainstays in regional and team-based competitions. They garnered the gold medal in the badminton mixed team event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

Additionally, they collected a mixed doubles bronze in the same competition, as well as at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. 

Aside from that, Lai was also part of the gold medal-winning mixed team contingent at the 2014 Commonwealth Games that was held in Glasgow, Scotland. 

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