When giving instructions to Indonesian shuttlers Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi during a break on Thursday, Indonesian coach Eng Hian was overheard live on television referring to Malaysian badminton players Pearly and Thinaah as “putih” (white) and “hitam” (black). Some thought it was racist.
The remark went viral on social media and forced the Indonesian coach to apologise profusely in a video later on. Watch this video from a Malaysian portal:
Pearly and Thinaah advanced to the French Open semifinals yesterday, defeating world number three pair Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida of Japan 15-21, 21-14, 21-14 at Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris.
