PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s No. 1 men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik’s split for upcoming tournaments may have come as a surprise to many, but it is all part of the plan for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has stressed that the governing body do not want to play catch-up when the time comes to qualify for the Olympics next year.
Chong Wei said it was the right call to split world No. 3 Aaron-Wooi Yik for upcoming tournaments, starting with the Japan Open next month, as it would be wise to test scratch pairs early.
“This is something we have discussed with the coaches and we need to be brave in making changes,” said Chong Wei after BAM’s council meeting and annual general meeting yesterday.
“We don’t want to wait until the last minute because next year is an important year for Olympic qualification.
“Countries usually wait until January to test new pairs, but I felt it was better to do it before the Asian Games.”
Aaron and Wooi Yik will have new partners for the Japan Open next month, with Aaron partnering Tee Kai Wun, while Wooi Yik teams up with Man Wei Chong.
Aaron has partnered Kai Wun several times before, most recently at the Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens last month, while Wooi Yik and Wei Chong played together at the Thailand SEA Games last December.
Chong Wei said the scratch pairs will be tested at the Japan Open (July 14-19), Korean Masters (Aug 4-9), Denmark Open (Oct 13-18) and French Open (Oct 20-25).
However, Chong Wei said the pairs will be reunited for the World Championships in New Delhi from Aug 17-23.
“For the World Championships, they have to be the original pairs because of their rankings, and we can’t submit scratch pairs,” he said.
Chong Wei added that if the scratch pairs show positive results, they could be maintained until the Olympics in Los Angeles.
Ultimately, Chong Wei said the call remains with the coaching staff, who know the players better and spend more time with them.
“They know the players’ performance, condition, and partnership better. They know who can win medals, especially the first gold medal for our country,” he said.
BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz also supported the decision to split Aaron-Wooi Yik temporarily to test new combinations.
“I am basically supportive of whatever decision the coaching team makes. And one of them is to try new partnerships.
“We need to think of the long-term plan and focus on winning medals,” he said.
