KUALA LUMPUR – As former world champions and two-time Olympic bronze medallists, Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik are magnets for endorsements and sponsorship deals.
However, rather than considering turning professional, the world number three men’s doubles duo are committed to remaining with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in their pursuit of Malaysia’s first gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
“I believe we must credit BAM because who we are and what we have achieved so far is due to the support of the national body.
“I am certain we will achieve something significant if we continue to stay with BAM,” Aaron said recently during a post-Olympics press conference at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM).
Aaron and Wooi Yik, who were permanently paired up in 2017, have already won medals in nearly all the major tournaments, including the World Championships, Thomas Cup, Sudirman Cup, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Sea Games.
Last year, they finally dispelled doubts about their ability to win a World Tour title by clinching the Super 750 Denmark Open crown.
At the recently concluded Paris Olympics, Aaron and Wooi Yik narrowly missed out on reaching the final, but still managed to retain their bronze medal from three years ago, making them arguably the most successful Malaysian men’s doubles pair. – August 14, 2024