KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik ended a 15-year title drought at the Thailand Open today, edging out Denmark’s William Kryger Boe and Christian Faust Kjaer in a thrilling final to clinch the Super 500 crown.
The world No. 5 duo held their nerve in a nail-biting contest, winning 20-22, 21-17, 21-12 to secure Malaysia’s first men’s doubles title at the tournament since Chan Peng Soon and Lim Khim Wah triumphed in 2009.
“The first day was not our best performance, but we slowly got better — and now we’ve got the title,” said Aaron after the match, speaking to the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“We always have to remember that today we are champions, but tomorrow we may not be. So we have to start all over again, beginning with next week’s Malaysia Masters,” he added.
“Looks like there were a lot of Malaysian supporters here — thanks for the support.”
Wooi Yik, meanwhile, paid tribute to their young Danish opponents, who put up a strong fight throughout the match.
“I feel them very much because we were once very young players too,” said Wooi Yik.
“They’re very good at both attacking and defending — very versatile. Of course, we also wanted to show our new coach what we’re capable of, and we did it.”
The title was part of a golden double for Malaysia in Bangkok, after Pearly Tan and M Thinaah claimed the women’s doubles crown earlier in the day with a 21-16, 21-15 win over South Korea’s Jeong Na-eun and Lee Yeon-woo.
Both pairs will return home immediately to prepare for the Malaysia Masters, another Super 500 event, which kicks off at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, from May 20 to 25. — May 18, 2025