Kuala Lumpur: National men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik demonstrated their commitment to excellence by foregoing rest to resume training just hours after clinching the Thailand Open 2025 title. Their sights are now set on the upcoming Malaysia Masters 2025.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Aaron shared that they arrived in Kuala Lumpur at midnight and headed straight to the Axiata Arena early this morning at around 7:30 to familiarize themselves with the court. This preparation comes in advance of the six-day Super 500 tournament, commencing tomorrow.
“We didn’t get enough sleep as we just returned home, but we will rest later this evening. Tomorrow, we also have a day’s rest because we only play on Wednesday. So, there is still time to rest,” Aaron mentioned to reporters at the Axiata Arena.
The pair, who were crowned world champions in 2022, made a remarkable comeback to secure their first Super 500 title at the Thailand Open. They triumphed over Denmark’s William Kryger Boe and Christian Faust Kjaer with scores of 20-22, 21-17, 21-12 in the final match on Sunday.
Ranked fifth in the world, Aaron and Wooi Yik will face Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin in the opening round of the Malaysia Masters 2025. Conscious of the local fans’ expectations following their second title win of the season, Aaron expressed their determination to deliver an outstanding performance on home soil.
Aaron, aged 28, attributed their recent success to the guidance of national men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, who has significantly enhanced their gameplay. Under his coaching, the pair have already claimed two titles this season, including the Badminton Asia Championships 2025 held in Ningbo, China, in April.
Wooi Yik emphasized the importance of their early visit to the arena to get accustomed to the court conditions before the tournament. “We just came here to get some court feeling and draught conditions because today will be the last day to do so as the tournament starts tomorrow. It feels great, and hopefully, we can give a great performance on Wednesday,” he noted.
Wooi Yik is also optimistic that the enthusiastic home crowd will motivate them to perform even better at the Malaysia Masters 2025.