Pearly Tan-Thinaah, Aaron Chia-Tee Kai Wun and Fei-Din lead Malaysia’s winning start in Nagoya Games

NAGOYA, Sept 26 — Malaysia started off their badminton campaign at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with impressive victories in the individual and doubles categories. In the women's doubles, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, a world No. 5 player, swept aside Indonesia's Rachel Allessya Rose-Febi 21-13, 21-11 and advanced to the next round.

They will face Thailand's Hathaithip Mijad in the second round. Meanwhile, Malaysia's other women's doubles team of Noraqilah Maisarah-Low Zi Yu was eliminated in the first round, losing to Taiwan's Hsu Yin Hui-Lin 10-21, 13-21.

In the men's doubles, Aaron Chia-Tee Kai Wun and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani showcased their skills, defeating Tajikistan's Odilzhon Abdurakhimov and Dzhumaboi Saidov 21-6, 21-6 and Taiwan's Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang and Wang Chi Lin 21-17, 21-14 respectively. However, they will encounter the world No. 1 pair, Kim Won Ho-Seo and Sung Jae, who received a first-round bye, in the second round.

Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin will face Japan's Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in the next round, with the latter pair having already defeated Bangladesh's Al Amin in the opening match.