KUALA LUMPUR — As Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah prepare to sign new contracts reportedly worth up to RM1 million each annually, sports analyst Dr Pekan Ramli believes the real winner is the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).

The women’s doubles world No. 3 pair are expected to extend their stay with BAM until at least the 2028 Olympics, ending months of speculation about turning independent. Pekan said retaining them secures BAM a valuable commercial asset, boosting sponsorship opportunities while sparing the players the burden of managing logistics themselves.

Badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek agreed the players deserve the deal, calling the figure fair by market standards, though he warned BAM to balance high salaries with support for developing juniors.

Both experts said staying with BAM offers Pearly-Thinaah greater stability and support as they continue their careers.