Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik will not be competing in the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand from Dec 9-20.
The decision comes as the SEA Games clashed with the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals, which will be held from Dec 17–21 in Hangzhou, where Aaron-Wooi Yik will be taking part.
Opportunity for younger players
Aaron and Wooi Yik, who are currently ranked No. 2 in the world, said they are willing to give up their chance to represent Malaysia at the SEA Games and will instead focus on the World Tour Finals.
Aaron told The Star that he was confident other men’s doubles were more than capable of winning gold.
I’ll be ready, but I’m handing that mission to players like Arif-Roy King or Haikal-Hon Jian, as I have already played in the SEA Games. This will be a good opportunity and stepping stone for them.”
Aaron had previously won gold alongside Wooi Yik at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.
Aside from Aaron-Wooi Yik, other men’s doubles include world No. 22 Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King and world No. 43 Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri.
Mixed results at 2023’s SEA Games
During 2023’s SEA Games at Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Malaysia sent a cohort of mostly younger players in a bid to achieve its aim of securing one gold medal.
Unfortunately, that never came to being and Malaysia’s women’s team were also routed 0-3 by the Philippines in the quarter-finals.
At the end of the event, Malaysia took home a total of two silvers and four bronzes.
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