Thinaah Muralitharan, Malaysia’s celebrated women’s doubles badminton player, has recently received her new Chery Omoda 5. Chery Malaysia shared photos of the 26-year-old athlete from Klang, who, with her partner Pearly Tan, attracts fans during the recent Olympics, posing proudly with the sleek black SUV.
Chery Malaysia expressed their excitement, saying, “Olympic badminton star Thinaah Muralitharan has just taken home her new Omoda 5, and we couldn’t be happier! Her remarkable performance this year, particularly at the Paris Olympics 2024, embodies the same excellence and elegance that the Omoda 5 represents.”
The company also extended their warm welcome to Thinaah, adding, “We’re thrilled to have Thinaah Muralitharan join the Chery family and wish her exciting new adventures both on and off the court. Here’s to achieving new heights!”
Thinaah joins other Malaysian badminton players, including Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik, and Lee Zii Jia, who also received new Chery SUVs after their return from Paris. The men’s doubles team and the singles star each received a Tiggo 7 Pro in recognition of their bronze medals, in line with Chery Malaysia’s promise to reward medalists with free cars.
However, Thinaah’s Omoda 5 was not complimentary, as she and Pearly Tan fell short in the bronze medal match against Japan’s Matsuyama-Shida. During the presentation ceremony last month, Chery announced a 30% discount for Paris 2024 medalists and semi-finalists, including Pearly and Thinaah, weightlifter Aniq Kasdan, and track cyclist Shah Firdaus Sahrom, while other athletes received a 15% discount.
The Chery Omoda 5, equipped with a 1.5-litre turbo-four engine producing 156 PS and 230 Nm, is priced at RM99,800 for the C variant and RM118,800 for the top H variant. The higher-end model includes additional features such as a powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, hands-free powered tailgate, powered sunroof, speed limit assist, traffic sign recognition, and a 360-degree camera.