PETALING JAYA: National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky is hoping Malaysia can once again produce a world champion, just like they did three years ago.
The players are now gearing up for the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris.
Top national pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik ended a four-decade long wait for a world title by defeating Indonesia’s Hendra Setiawan-Mohamad Ahsan in the 2022 final in Tokyo.
With the duo still among the world’s best, Rexy believes Aaron-Wooi Yik remain strong contenders for the prestigious title in Paris.
So far, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have had an impressive 2025 season with three titles under their belt, the Asian Championships, Thailand Open and Singapore Open along with a runners-up finish at the Malaysian Masters.
With that momentum, Rexy wants to see not just Aaron and Wooi Yik but the rest of the squad show the same hunger as they prepare for the world meet.
Before that, they will compete at the Japan Open from July 15-20, followed by the China Open a week later in Changzhou.
“Becoming a champion is easy, but staying consistent is not. If players feel they’ve done enough just because their ranking is high or they’ve already won titles, that’s not the mindset I want. I want our players to have hunger,” said Rexy when met at Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM), Bukit Kiara yesterday.
“The players and coaching team can only do their best, and it’s important that we don’t lose the momentum we’ve built over the past six months.
“In training, the momentum and hunger from the players remain the same. They are still not satisfied and are pushing hard in preparation for the Japan Open, China Open, and World Championships.
In fact, Rexy also feels that winning a world title is no longer just a dream for other Malaysian players, as it is now something within reach.
“We already have world champions, and we hope to win another title, whether it’s again through Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, or maybe even in the mixed doubles. You never know.”
“We hope to keep winning titles to motivate our younger players and show them that becoming a world champion is not just a dream because we’ve already achieved it,” he added.
