Aaron Chia eyes all-Malaysian semi-finals at 2025 World Championships
The tournament will be held from Aug 25 to 31 at the Adidas Arena.
Aaron, who partners Soh Wooi Yik, believes the scenario is not impossible given the strong performances by top Malaysian pairs this year.
These include world No. 3 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, and world No. 22 Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King.
Should that dream come true, the 28-year-old said it would be especially meaningful as the semi-finals will take place just a day before Malaysia's 68th National Day.
'I think Wei Chong-Kai Wun and Wan Arif-Roy King also have a chance of making the semi-finals. If we have four Malaysian pairs there, we can celebrate National Day early,' he told reporters after a training session.
Aaron-Wooi Yik, currently ranked world No. 2, are Malaysia's most successful pair this year.
They have won three titles, including the Badminton Asia Championships, Thailand Open, and Singapore Open.
They also finished runners-up at the Malaysia Masters and China Open.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun have captured the Indonesia Masters and Malaysia Masters titles this season.
Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin and Wan Arif-Roy King each secured a title at the India Open and Macau Open respectively.
Aaron is hopeful that the world championships venue will once again bring him good fortune.
He defended his Olympic bronze medal at the same location during the 2024 Olympic Games.
Now, he aims to recreate the magic of their 2022 world title triumph in Tokyo.
'We played at the same arena last year. I hope we can perform well this time — even better,' he said.
In August 2022, Aaron-Wooi Yik made history as Malaysia's first badminton world champions.
They defeated Indonesia's veteran pair Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan 21-19, 21-14.
Aaron added that their current focus is on maintaining consistency ahead of the Paris showdown.
He identified world No. 1 pair Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae as the biggest threat to the competition.
The in-form South Koreans have already claimed five titles this year, including the prestigious All England in March. - Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Indian Open: Muhammad Azeem wins gold, Danish Iftikhar bronze in 100m sprint
KUALA LUMPUR: National sprinter Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi and Danish Iftikhar Muhammad Roslee dominated the podium in the men's 100m sprint at the Indian Open Athletics Championship in Bhubaneswar on Sunday (Aug 10). National record holder Muhammad Azeem won the gold with a time of 10.35s, while Danish won the bronze with a time of 10.50s, while Sri Lankan Chamod Yodhasinghe finished second with a time of 10.43s to take the silver. Both sprinters had qualified for the final after Muhammad Azeem won Heat 2 and Danish finished third in Heat 2, an achievement that mirrored the podium finish. – Bernama
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Para athlete Haziq graduates with 3.99 CGPA, credits sporting spirit
PARA bowler Mohamad Haziq Danish Rozainy, who graduated from Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Polytechnic (PSA) today, said that the determination and fighting spirit he gained from being an athlete spurred him to excel in his studies. The 21-year-old said he never neglected his duties as a student and plans to have a stable career in the technical field even though he is a national para athlete and is preparing for the upcoming 2025 ASEAN Deaf Games. 'Initially, I had trouble with the English and Mathematics subjects, but I applied the same fighting spirit in me as an athlete into the academic field, and I managed to get a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.99 at the end of my studies. 'I'll continue to try and gain as much knowledge to secure better jobs in the future and compete within the society as a normal person,' he said through an interpreter at the 26th PSA convocation here today, where he received his Mechanical Maintenance Skills Certificate. He said his success proved that polytechnics gave persons with disabilities the opportunity to learn comfortably alongside normal students, thanks to the availability of various facilities. These facilities, including interpreters, learning aids and financial assistance, allowed him to study subjects ranging from welding to vehicle maintenance, he added. Mohamad Haziq was among the 937 graduates who received their certificates at the convocation ceremony today and will be competing at the 2025 ASEAN Deaf Games in Jakarta, Indonesia from Aug 20 to 26. - Bernama
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Muhammad Azeem wins gold, Danish takes bronze at Indian Open 100m sprint
NATIONAL sprinters Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi and Danish Iftikhar Muhammad Roslee made Malaysia proud at the Indian Open Athletics Championship in Bhubaneswar. Muhammad Azeem claimed gold with a time of 10.35 seconds in the men's 100m sprint. Danish Iftikhar secured bronze with a time of 10.50 seconds, adding to Malaysia's medal tally. Sri Lanka's Chamod Yodhasinghe finished second with 10.43 seconds, taking home the silver medal. Both Malaysian athletes had earlier qualified for the final after strong performances in the heats. Muhammad Azeem won Heat 2, while Danish finished third in the same heat. Their podium finish today mirrored their earlier success in the qualifying rounds. The achievement highlights Malaysia's growing strength in international sprinting competitions. - Bernama
