BEING crowned world champions has brought double joy for Malaysia’s top mixed doubles pair, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, as they secured an automatic slot at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, at the end of the year.
The tournament, scheduled from December 17 to 21, will feature the world’s top eight players and offers a lucrative prize pool, with the champions taking home USD210,000 (RM888,323), Berita Harian reported.
ALSO READ: “Obstacles made him a champion,” says Tang Jie’s proud mother
The pair can now breathe easier without worrying about chasing qualification points, as BWF rules grant automatic entry to all world champions regardless of their ranking in the ‘Race to Finals’.
Although Tang Jie-Ee Wei are already comfortably placed third in the qualification list with 59,610 points, this guarantee allows them to plan thoroughly for the prestigious season-ending tournament.
Even if they were to fall outside the top eight, their spot would still be assured by replacing the lowest-ranked qualified pair.
This marks the second consecutive time the duo have qualified for the BWF World Tour Finals. Last year, they put up a strong performance by reaching the final, before losing to China’s top pair, Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong, who later announced their retirement after the tournament.