National women’s doubles shuttler Thinaah Muralitharan has poured her heart out in an Instagram post dedicated to her partner Pearly Tan Koong Le.
Thinaah’s message, shared on August 4th, a day after their Olympic journey ended just shy of a bronze, speaks volumes of their bond and journey.
“Pearly, without you, I wouldn’t be here on the biggest stage of every athlete’s dream: the Olympic Games,” Thinaah began, accompanied by a heartfelt emoji.
She highlighted the struggles Pearly faced leading up to the Olympics, battling sickness and injuries.
The duo had only 1.5 weeks of training together before heading to France for their camp.
Thinaah recalled the challenging times, feeling helpless and wanting to return home during their camp due to misunderstandings.
However, everything changed once they arrived at the Olympic village.
“We did have awkward moments, but once the competition started, we were ONE. We had each other throughout the games, throughout every single rally. There was not one point that I didn’t feel motivated,” Thinaah shared.
Despite being placed in the formidable “Group of Death,” Thinaah and Pearly defied the odds and reached the semi-finals, playing till the last day of the Games.
The pressure, sleepless nights, and mental challenges were immense, but they persevered.
“Point by point, we made it! We made it this far, chaaa. I know going home without a medal is very disappointing, but we also have to praise ourselves because not everyone will be there during our worst moments, but we will always have each other.
“Only we know what we went through. Only we experienced those feelings. So I wanna take this time to thank you for being there for me all this time, sorry for disappointing you at times,” Thinaah wrote.
Looking ahead, Thinaah expressed uncertainty about the future but emphasized her gratitude for the shared experience with Pearly.
“I don’t know what the future holds and I don’t know what will happen in the coming four years till the next Olympics, but what I know is now I’m grateful and happy that I can share this precious moment with you, chaa,” she added.
She concluded with a reminder of their shared mantra: “Enjoy every single rally in the court, appreciate every second in court. Don’t give up until the ball hits the ground. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much, Pearly.”
Pearly responded with equal admiration and love for her teammate, cementing their incredible partnership.
