Ee Wei denies making faces at partner Tang Jie [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: Mixed doubles world champion Toh Ee Wei has broken her silence on the online abuse directed at her and her family, saying criticism of her performance is one thing — but dragging her parents into it crosses a line.

The 25-year-old was responding to accusations on social media following her and Chen Tang Jie's dismal start to the season, which saw them exit in the quarter-finals of last week's Malaysia Open before suffering a disastrous first-round defeat at the India Open — their worst outing in eight months.

Some fans claimed her facial expressions on court reflected a communication breakdown with Tang Jie.

Ee Wei dismissed those claims, insisting there were no issues between the pair and that her demeanour on court was being misread.

"It's not true that I was making faces at my partner or that it affected him," Ee Wei said at the Academy Badminton Malaysia on Friday.

"The most important thing is that when I step on court, I want to play seriously and fight my opponent.

"Tang Jie is fine with me. We don't have any communication problems."

Ee Wei said her focused, intense expressions are part of her competitive mindset — not a sign of frustration directed at her partner.

"When I look serious, it's for my opponent to see," she explained. "Opponents won't feel sorry for you. If they did, you might as well not play badminton. Your heart has to be strong."

However, what hurt her most were comments that went beyond badminton.

While Ee Wei said she could accept criticism aimed at her performance, she revealed receiving messages questioning her upbringing and attacking her parents.

"If people criticise me, I can still accept it," she said. "But when they say things like, 'Why do your parents have this kind of daughter?' — that's not right.

"If it was your daughter and people said that about her, it wouldn't feel good either."

Ee Wei admitted that while she has learned to cope with such remarks, the impact on her parents has been far more painful.

"I'm okay, but my parents are sad," she said. "Parents work very hard to raise their children. It's not easy."

Despite the online backlash, Ee Wei said it has not affected her commitment or professionalism on court.

She stressed that her focus remains on improvement and progress, not public perception.

"You can't always be in top form," she said. "What matters is the process — the progress, the sweat and tears. Even if you don't get what you want, the next day you still wake up and train, still fighting for what you want."

Ee Wei confirmed she will compete at next week's Indonesia Masters, determined to continue giving her best for the country.

"Win or lose, I will always do my best for my country and for my parents," she said.