PETALING JAYA: Better quality sparring can go a long way.
And men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are already feeling the benefits as they look ahead to the challenge in Birmingham, where they will bid to reclaim the All-England title once again.
The All-England is among the major tournaments targeted by Aaron-Wooi Yik this year, besides the World Championships in New Delhi in August, followed by the Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya in September.
As with previous editions, men’s doubles remains the discipline with the biggest Malaysian representation, with eight pairs competing, including the tournament debut of world junior champions Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing.
Wooi Yik personally sees this as a positive development, further boosted by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) opening their doors to professional players such as Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani to train together at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara.
Within the national squad itself, there are also many young and upcoming pairs, allowing the senior players not only to have quality sparring partners but also to enjoy better overall preparation.
“In men’s doubles, sparring partners are very important. We have many young players with great potential and this helps us maintain our level of play. It is not just about our own efforts,” said Wooi Yik.
“Momentum in training is very important because the level of competition is different now. We are fortunate to be able to train with young pairs and we hope to maintain that build-up for All-England.”
Despite Aaron-Wooi Yik’s consistent success on the world stage, the world No. 2 pair have yet to capture a Super 1000 title, most recently falling short in the final of the Malaysian Open in January.
At the All-England, they have also endured heartbreak on two occasions, finishing as runners-up in 2019 and again in 2024.
“Of course we have goals because the country needs us to deliver something in major tournaments.
“But we do not want to think too much, as we always do. Our focus is to keep playing well and remain consistent.
“We will look at our performances from this month until closer to the Asian Games or the World Championships. We need to analyse ourselves properly so that we can continue to push and stay consistent.
“Our process now is about consistency. We are no longer young, so being consistent on court is very important.
“We are experienced players and we need to maintain that level every time we step out to compete,” added Wooi Yik.
