Photo: AFP
PETALING JAYA: Aaron Chia rued a missed opportunity to help create history for Malaysia.
The national men’s doubles shuttler, along with Soh Wooi Yik, had a chance to give his team a point and keep the Sudirman Cup semi-final tie against South Korea alive but could not take it.
Malaysia had never reached the final of the mixed team competition since its inception in 1989.
The team were trailing 1-2 and needed Aaron-Wooi Yik to beat scratch pair Kim Won-ho-Na Sung-seung to have a shot at making the final but the former could not raise their game and went down 12-21, 11-21 in Suzhou yesterday.
Earlier, mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, who had won all their matches prior to the last-four tie, had lost 21-11, 13-21, 7-21 to world No. 5 Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yu-jung.
Lee Zii Jia levelled it for Malaysia after easily overcoming Jeon Hyeok-jin 21-11, 21-9 in the men’s singles but K. Letshanaa, who was selected ahead of the country’s top women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei, fell 10-21, 13-21 to world No. 2 An Se-young to hand the advantage back to the South Koreans.
“We had achieved our target of reaching the semi-finals but we are disappointed as we felt there was a chance for us to make the final,” said Aaron.
“We tried to win but our opponents were really confident and played with less pressure as they are a scratch pairing.
“It’s not easy but Wooi Yik and I still need to learn to cope with the pressure on us.
“Overall, our team gave everything but it was just not meant to be this time.”
Despite the defeat, the team managed to win the bronze for only the third time after also achieving the same in 2009 and 2021.
Doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky was pleased with the team’s efforts.
“Both Tang Jie-Ee Wei and Aaron-Wooi Yik performed well until the last four,” said Rexy.“The latter were not at their best today (yesterday) but overall, we lost to a really good team.
“The Koreans had beaten Japan 5-0 in the group stage.”
Meanwhile, captain and mixed doubles player Tan Kian Meng praised the team spirit among the players and believed that the team can do even better in the future.
“Our team spirit was really good this time,” said Kian Meng.
“All the players, coaches and support staff worked well together.
“We win as a team and lose as a team. I believe that if we can maintain this team spirit in future tournaments, we will create history one day.”
In the final, South Korea will take on either defending champions China or Japan.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
South Korea bt Malaysian 3-1 (Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yu-jung bt Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei 11-21, 21-13, 21-7; Jeon Hyeok-jin lost to Lee Zii Jia 11-21, 9-21; An Se-young bt K. Letshanaa 21-10, 21-13; Kim Won-ho-Na Sung-seung bt Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik 21-12, 21-11)
