Kuala lumpur: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi extended his congratulations to the national men's and women's doubles pairs, Aaron Chia-Aaron Tai and Pearly Tan-M Thinaah, after they secured runner-up positions at the 2026 Taiwan Open Badminton Championships.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid expressed his admiration for the pairs' performances through a Facebook post, highlighting their strong fighting spirit. Despite not clinching the Super 300 title, he noted that the achievement was a positive indication for the newly formed duo of Chia-Tai and for Pearly-Thinaah, who made a comeback after Pearly Tan's recovery from a back injury.

Both pairs faced tough competition in the finals. Aaron Chia-Aaron Tai, seeded fifth, were narrowly defeated by the eighth-seeded Indonesian pair, Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin, with scores of 21-23, 19-21. On the women's side, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah succumbed to the unseeded Japanese team, Sumire Nakade-Miyu Takahashi, losing 16-21, 18-21 in straight sets.

Ahmad Zahid encouraged the athletes to persist in their efforts and to return stronger, reflecting on the potential growth and future successes for the Malaysian badminton pairs.