New Delhi, India: Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik were given a serious test in their opening match at the 2026 BWF World Championships, but the former world champions recovered from a game down to reach the third round in New Delhi.
The Malaysian pair needed 58 minutes to overcome Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 15-21, 21-11, 21-18 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
It was an important victory for Aaron and Soh, who have reunited for the World Championships after spending recent months competing with different partners as part of Malaysia’s men’s doubles reshuffle.
Elsewhere, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun advanced in straight games to set up an all-Malaysian meeting with Aaron and Soh, while Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also survived a three-game battle to continue their campaign.
Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik Forced to Fight Back
Peeratchai and Pakkapon, ranked No. 38 in the world, showed little fear against the 2022 world champions and produced the better badminton in the opening game.
The Thai pair played with greater urgency, controlled the pace of the rallies and prevented Aaron and Soh from settling into their preferred attacking rhythm.
Peeratchai and Pakkapon maintained their advantage to take the first game 21-15, putting the Malaysians under immediate pressure.
Aaron and Soh responded strongly after the interval.
The Malaysians increased the tempo, became more aggressive in attack and tightened their overall game. The difference was clear as they pulled away decisively in the second game and won 21-11 to force a decider.
Aaron-Soh Hold Their Nerve in Deciding Game
The third game proved far more competitive.
Neither pair was able to establish complete control as the score remained close through much of the decider, with both sides knowing that a place in the third round was at stake.
Aaron and Soh eventually drew on their years of experience together when the pressure increased late in the match.
The Malaysians stayed composed during the closing rallies and secured the points they needed to complete a 21-18 victory.
- Winners: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia
- Defeated: Peeratchai Sukphun/Pakkapon Teeraratsakul of Thailand
- Score: 15-21, 21-11, 21-18
- Match duration: 58 minutes
- Round: Men’s doubles second round
Reunited Aaron-Soh Continue World Championships Campaign
The victory carries added significance because Aaron and Soh are competing together again after being temporarily separated by national men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi.
The coaching team has spent recent months experimenting with several new combinations as Malaysia evaluates its long-term men’s doubles options.
Aaron competed alongside Aaron Tai during the experiment, while Soh was also given the opportunity to play with different teammates.
The World Championships have brought the 2022 world champions back together, and although their opening match showed that there may still be some adjustments to make, their ability to recover from a difficult start underlined the value of their long-established understanding.
Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun Set Up All-Malaysian Clash
Aaron and Soh will now face fellow Malaysians Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun in the third round.
Man and Tee booked their place with an impressive straight-game victory over China’s Huang Di and Liu Yang, winning 21-14, 21-15.
The Malaysian pair controlled the match well and avoided the kind of extended battle experienced by Aaron and Soh.
- Winners: Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun of Malaysia
- Defeated: Huang Di/Liu Yang of China
- Score: 21-14, 21-15
The result guarantees Malaysia a men’s doubles representative in the following round.
It also creates an intriguing matchup because all four players have been involved in Malaysia’s recent doubles experiments.
Aaron and Soh enter with significantly more experience as an established partnership, including their historic world title in 2022, while Man and Tee arrive with confidence after a convincing straight-game win.
Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Survive Three-Game Battle
Malaysia’s professional pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also progressed, although their route to the next round was far from straightforward.
The sixth seeds faced Scotland’s Christopher Grimley and Matthew Grimley and made a dominant start by taking the opening game 21-11.
The Grimley brothers responded strongly in the second game, turning the momentum around and winning 21-15 to force a deciding game.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin regained control in the third.
The Malaysians stayed composed through the decisive stages and eventually closed out the contest 21-16 to keep their World Championships campaign alive.
- Winners: Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin Rumsani of Malaysia
- Defeated: Christopher Grimley/Matthew Grimley of Scotland
- Score: 21-11, 15-21, 21-16
Sze Fei-Izzuddin to Face Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi-Lin
A difficult challenge now awaits Sze Fei and Izzuddin.
The Malaysians will face Chinese Taipei’s 14th seeds Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin in the next round.
Chiu and Wang advanced with a comfortable 21-14, 21-14 victory over Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi.
- Winners: Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei
- Defeated: Kakeru Kumagai/Hiroki Nishi of Japan
- Score: 21-14, 21-14
The matchup provides another major test for Malaysia in a highly competitive men’s doubles draw.
Malaysia Maintains Strong Men’s Doubles Presence
Malaysia entered the tournament with considerable depth in men’s doubles, and the latest results have kept several of the country’s leading partnerships in contention.
Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun will eliminate each other in the next round, but the all-Malaysian contest guarantees one pair a place deeper in the tournament.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin, meanwhile, will attempt to extend their own run against Chiu and Wang.
The performances come during a period of considerable change in Malaysian badminton, with the national setup experimenting with different partnerships in search of combinations capable of challenging consistently at the highest level.
Wong Ling Ching Advances in Women’s Singles
Malaysia also celebrated a comfortable victory in women’s singles through Wong Ling Ching.
Ling Ching defeated Peru’s Namie Miyahira 21-10, 21-12 to move into the second round.
The Malaysian controlled both games and never allowed her opponent to develop enough momentum to seriously threaten the result.
- Winner: Wong Ling Ching of Malaysia
- Defeated: Namie Miyahira of Peru
- Score: 21-10, 21-12
Akane Yamaguchi Awaits Wong Ling Ching
Ling Ching’s next assignment will be considerably tougher.
She will face Japan’s world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi for a place in the last 16.
The match gives Ling Ching an opportunity to test herself against one of the leading women’s singles players in international badminton and one of the strongest contenders in the draw.
Justin Hoh’s World Championships Debut Ends Against Lin Chun-Yi
There was disappointment for Malaysia in men’s singles as Justin Hoh was eliminated in the first round of his World Championships debut.
Justin faced Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi and remained competitive through the opening game before going down 21-18.
Lin took much firmer control in the second and completed the match with a 21-8 victory.
- Winner: Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei
- Defeated: Justin Hoh of Malaysia
- Score: 21-18, 21-8
Despite the early exit, competing at the World Championships provided Justin with valuable experience on badminton’s biggest individual stage.
Wong Tien Chi-Lim Chiew Sien Eliminated in Mixed Doubles
Malaysia also lost one of its professional mixed doubles combinations when Wong Tien Chi and Lim Chiew Sien were beaten by Indonesia’s Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja.
The Malaysians stayed within reach during the opening game but were unable to stop the Indonesian pair from taking it 21-16.
Rehan and Gloria then dominated the second game 21-3 to complete the straight-game victory.
- Winners: Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja of Indonesia
- Defeated: Wong Tien Chi/Lim Chiew Sien of Malaysia
- Score: 21-16, 21-3
All-Malaysian Battle Highlights Next Round
The biggest badminton news for Malaysia now centers on the upcoming showdown between Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.
For Aaron and Soh, their second-round escape against Peeratchai and Pakkapon served as an immediate reminder that reputation alone means little at a World Championships.
They had to adjust, recover from losing the opening game and remain calm when the deciding game became tight.
Man and Tee, by contrast, reached the same stage through a much more controlled straight-game performance.
The contrast in their routes to the third round should make their meeting even more interesting.
Malaysia’s Men’s Doubles Challenge Continues in New Delhi
With Aaron and Soh reunited, Man and Tee building momentum, and Sze Fei-Izzuddin also advancing, Malaysia remains strongly represented in the men’s doubles competition.
One Malaysian pair is already guaranteed to move beyond the Aaron-Soh versus Man-Tee encounter, while Sze Fei and Izzuddin have the opportunity to add another Malaysian partnership to the later rounds if they can overcome Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin.
For Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, however, the immediate focus will be recovery after a demanding 58-minute opener.
The former world champions survived their first major test in New Delhi. Their next one will come against teammates who know their game extremely well, setting up a fascinating all-Malaysian battle at the 2026 BWF World Championships.
