KUALA LUMPUR — Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik ended Malaysia’s 17-year title drought at the Singapore Open today with a hard-fought victory over South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae in the men’s doubles final at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The 65-minute battle saw the world No. 3 Malaysians rally from a game down to defeat the world No. 10 pair 15-21, 21-18, 21-19.
It was the third meeting between the two pairs, with both having previously won one match each.
Today’s triumph continues Aaron and Wooi Yik’s red-hot form this season, adding to their titles at the Badminton Asia Championships and Thailand Open, along with a runners-up finish at the Malaysia Masters.
Speaking to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) after the match, Aaron said that despite both players feeling physically fatigued, their belief in themselves saw them through.
“We were physically tired after playing in back-to-back tournaments, but we were mentally prepared to face our opponents. It was a tough match, but we persevered,” said Aaron.
“This win is not only for us, but also for all our fans.”
Wooi Yik added that mutual trust was crucial in securing the win.
“Our trust in each other and our match preparation made the difference. It was close in the decider, but Aaron calmed me down. We wanted the victory, but fortunately, we didn’t rush it.
“We stayed focused, and I’m glad we did it.”
As champions of the BWF World Tour Super 750 event, Aaron and Wooi Yik took home US$74,000 (RM315,296), while the runners-up received US$35,000 (RM149,126).
The two-time Olympic bronze medallists, who were recently named Malaysian Sportsmen of the Year, have now won a total of five career titles.
Their run to the final in Singapore included wins over several top-ranked pairs, including Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard, Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi, fellow Malaysians Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, and India’s Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. — June 1, 2025