KUALA LUMPUR – The roaring support from a packed Porte de La Chapelle Arena spurred national men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik to a thrilling victory in their opening Group A match of the Paris Olympics.
The Malaysian duo defeated Great Britain’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy in a hard-fought contest today.
Aaron and Wooi Yik, who clinched bronze at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago and are ranked fourth in the world, overcame the world number 18 English pair with a scoreline of 19-21, 21-16, 21-11.
The match lasted 72 minutes and showcased the resilience and determination of the Malaysian pair.
“It was a good start for us as we prepared for upcoming matches. The feel was different than the Tokyo Olympics, a lot more audience here compared to last time,” said Aaron.
The previous edition of the Olympics took place under Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
Reflecting on their performance in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Wooi Yik acknowledged the impact of the audience.
“I admit that we really struggled in the first game and tried to fight back.
“In the second game, we were just trying to save each other, just don’t easily give points to our opponents.
“Some points worked for us which gave us confidence.”
The victory was especially sweet for Aaron and Wooi Yik, who have won four of their five previous matches against Lane and Vendy.
The Malaysian shuttlers will next face Canada’s Adam Dong and Nyl Yakura who lost 5-21, 12-21 to top seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China.
A win will secure Aaron and Wooi Yik’s progression to the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, in the women’s doubles event, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah faced a challenging start in their opening Group A match as they suffered at the hands of world number one pair, China’s Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan, 17-21, 20-22 in a 55-minute match.
Pearly and Thinaah must now win their remaining matches against Japan’s world number six pair, Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara, tomorrow, and Indonesia’s world number nine pair, Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, to secure a place in the last eight. – July 27, 2024