Scratch pair ready to end Malaysia's 20-year itch
KUALA LUMPUR: Aaron Chia has conquered the world before — with Soh Wooi Yik as his partner. Now with a different partner, he hopes to conquer the Asian Games, which start on Saturday.
Aaron Chia, a 29-year-old badminton player from Malaysia, is gearing up to compete in the Asian Games, which kick off on Saturday. This time, he is paired with Tee Kai Wun, marking a change from his previous scratch pairing with Soh Wooi Yik. Despite the new combination, Aaron believes they are well-prepared for the Asiad mission.
He sees playing as a scratch pair as a strength, as it frees them from the pressure of expectations carried by established pairs. Aaron, who won the world title with Wooi Yik in 2002, is optimistic about their chances and sees themselves as underdogs, which could work in their favor. The Malaysian scratch pair will face tough competition from top-ranked players like Kim Won Ho-Seo, Fajar Alfian, and Liang Wei Keng.
However, they remain undaunted and are confident contenders. If Aaron-Kai Wun can end up with a gold medal in Ichinomiya City, it would mark a significant achievement for Malaysia's badminton, ending a 20-year wait for an Asian Games gold medal in the sport.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
