Melaka: National men’s doubles ace shuttler Aaron Chia Teng Fong is now focusing entirely on his preparations for the SEA Games in Thailand next month after being crowned Melaka State Sportsman at the 39th Melaka State Sports Awards Ceremony for the 2023/2024 Year here today. The 28-year-old athlete, who hails from Batu Berendam, said he is currently in the preparation phase for the biennial multi-sport event, fully focusing on training throughout this month without participating in any tournaments, following the packed schedule in Europe last month.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this award has provided Aaron with additional motivation, and he expressed gratitude to the Melaka state government for its continuous support. His main focus now is to concentrate on training to contribute a medal for the national contingent at the SEA Games in Thailand. Aaron shared this with reporters after receiving the award from the Governor of Melaka, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam, which included a trophy, the Challenge Trophy, and RM3,000 cash.

Elaborating further, Aaron mentioned the possibility of pairing up with another player in the men’s doubles event as a trial for a new partnership, though any decision will ultimately be made by the coach. He expressed confidence in his potential partnership with Man Wei Chong or Tee Kai Wun, fellow Melaka-born athletes, for the upcoming competition.

Aaron also noted that after the SEA Games, he and his partner, Soh Wooi Yik, are scheduled to reunite to compete in the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, next December. The national doubles champion won the Melaka State Sportsman title for the second consecutive time after displaying excellent performance on the international stage, including winning a bronze medal in the men’s doubles event at the 2023 World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the 2024 Paris Olympics, in addition to being the runner-up at the 2024 All England Championships in Birmingham.