PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Aaron Chia continues to show that he is the ironman of Malaysian badminton.
Just weeks after struggling with his nagging shoulder injury, Aaron rose to the occasion to combine brilliantly with Soh Wooi Yik to end an 18-year wait by capturing the men’s doubles title in the Asian Championships
Aaron had been hampered by a right shoulder issue and crashed out with Wooi Yik in the first round in both the Orleans Masters and All-England last month but it didn’t demoralise the players.
The 28-year-old Aaron went through intensive rehabilitation while Wooi Yik stood by him as a solid partner, and together they returned with determination to show that they were still one of the best pairs in the world.
The 2022 world champions answered their critics in style by smashing past world No. 16 homesters and surprise finalists Chen Boyang-Liu Yi 21-19, 21-17 in the final in Ningbo, China, on Sunday.
Aaron-Wooi Yik also impressed when they won the title without dropping a single game and toppled the likes of top home duo Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang and Indonesia’s No. 1 Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto en route the final.
While relieved that his shoulder problem was not a bother, Aaron was more happy with the presence of coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, who replaced Tan Bin Shen in February, and said that the Indonesian played an important role in the pair’s stunning turnaround.
“It’s great to win the title. Coach Herry’s work has seen results, and we still have a lot of room to improve,” said Aaron, who won a bronze medal with Wooi Yik at the Paris Olympic Games last August.
“After the Paris Olympics, we went through a bit of a low point, so this title is very important and hopefully we can continue to play well in the coming games.
“The most important thing is to become more consistent in terms of our game play and continue this momentum.
“Our coach has helped us a lot with our strategy and calmness on court. There are a lot of positives we can take.”
Wooi Yik said: “It is mainly about details, the improvement of small things in the front court and back court.
“At first we weren’t very comfortable, but now we’re getting better. Something different was added to our gameplay, the path has changed, and it’s a breakthrough.
“It’s the third major title we’ve won in our partnership. Under the new coaches, we have a new style and hopefully we can continue this form and win more titles.”
Wooi Yik also needed some time to recover from a toe injury after the Paris Olympic Games and did well to regain his form.
Their latest win proved once again that Aaron-Wooi Yik should never be written off especially in the biggest events.
Aaron-Wooi Yik have added the Asian title to their list of honours in major competitions which include the 2022 world title, bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Paris Games and 2022 Asian Games.
In the World Tour, the duo won the Super 750 Denmark Open in 2023 and Super 300 Korean Masters last November.
Aaron-Wooi Yik are next looking to maintain their form in the Sudirman Cup from April 27-May 4 in Xiamen, China.
Aaron though knows that he and Wooi Yik cannot do it alone when he emphasised the importance of teamwork in the mixed team meet.
“I feel we can bring this calmness on court to the Sudirman Cup. But of course it’s a different tournament as it’s a team event. For me, the most important thing is the teamwork,” added Aaron.
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