KUALA LUMPUR — Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik delivered a flawless campaign at the Badminton Asia Championships as they stormed to the men’s doubles crown in Ningbo, China today, ending an 18-year title drought for Malaysia in the event.
The world No. 6 pair outclassed China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-19, 21-17 in a high-tempo 47-minute final to secure their first BAC title, becoming the first Malaysian men’s doubles champions since Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah in 2007.
It marked redemption for Aaron and Wooi Yik, who were runners-up at the 2022 edition and had also settled for bronze at the same venue in 2024.
Their path to the title was nothing short of dominant. The Malaysians won all their matches in straight games, including standout victories over Indonesia’s top seeds Fajar Alfian and Rian Ardianto in the quarter-finals, and China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the semis.
The victory not only stretched their head-to-head advantage over Chen and Liu to 3-1 but also earned them a tidy US$37,000 (RM163,700) in prize money.
It was their fourth career title together, adding to the 2022 World Championships, 2023 Denmark Open, and 2023 Korean Masters. — April 13, 2025