New Delhi, India: Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik are one victory away from becoming world champions for a second time after producing a superb straight-game victory over South Korea’s Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in the semifinals of the 2026 BWF World Championships.
The Malaysian world No. 4 pair defeated the world No. 1 and top-seeded Koreans 21-17, 21-18 in 43 minutes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium to secure their place in Sunday’s men’s doubles final.
Watch Highligths of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik vs. Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in the semifinals of the 2026 BWF World Championships:
Aaron and Soh will face China’s third seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who defeated Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan 21-18, 21-14 in the other semifinal.
The final will bring together Malaysia’s 2022 world champions and the Chinese pair who captured bronze at the 2023 World Championships.
Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik Take Down Defending Champions
Aaron and Soh entered the semifinal knowing they faced one of the toughest challenges in world badminton.
Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae arrived as the top seeds, world No. 1 pair and defending champions, but the Malaysians refused to allow their opponents to dictate the match.
Aaron and Soh played with composure from the opening exchanges, combining disciplined defense with well-timed attacks to establish control of the first game.
The Malaysians maintained their advantage through the crucial closing stages and took the opener 21-17.
Kim and Seo attempted to raise the tempo in the second game, but Aaron and Soh continued to match them in the fast exchanges and remained calm whenever the Koreans threatened to close the gap.
With a place in the World Championships final at stake, the Malaysians delivered when it mattered most and completed the victory 21-18.
- Winners: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia
- Defeated: Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae of South Korea
- Score: 21-17, 21-18
- Match duration: 43 minutes
- Round: Men’s doubles semifinal
Aaron-Soh Back in World Championships Final
The victory gives Aaron and Soh another opportunity to add to an already impressive World Championships record.
They made Malaysian badminton history in 2022 when they captured the men’s doubles world title in Tokyo, becoming Malaysia’s first senior world champions.
A year later, they returned to the podium with a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships in Copenhagen.
They reached the quarterfinals at the previous edition before returning to the medal rounds in New Delhi this year.
By reaching Sunday’s final, Aaron and Soh have already upgraded the bronze medal they secured by reaching the semifinals and will now leave New Delhi with either silver or gold.
Second World Title Now Within Reach
Aaron and Soh began this World Championships under unusual circumstances after spending several months apart during Malaysia’s men’s doubles restructuring.
The national coaching team had experimented with different combinations before reuniting the long-established partnership for the World Championships.
Instead of disrupting their understanding, the time apart appears to have given them a fresh approach.
The Malaysians have looked increasingly assured as the tournament has progressed, and defeating the world No. 1 pair in straight games represents their biggest result of the week so far.
One more victory would make Aaron and Soh two-time world champions.
Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang Await in Final
China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang booked their place in the championship match with a convincing victory over Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.
The third-seeded Chinese pair won 21-18, 21-14.
Lee and Yang stayed competitive through the opening game, but Liang and Wang found the necessary separation late in the game before taking greater control in the second.
- Winners: Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang of China
- Defeated: Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei
- Score: 21-18, 21-14
- Round: Men’s doubles semifinal
2026 World Championships Men’s Doubles Final
- Malaysia: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik
- China: Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang
- Stage: 2026 BWF World Championships Final
- Date: Sunday, August 23
The matchup promises to be one of the highlights of the final day in New Delhi.
Aaron and Soh know what it takes to win a World Championships final after their breakthrough triumph in 2022, while Liang and Wang will be looking to improve on the bronze medal they won in 2023.
Kodai Naraoka Comes From Behind to Reach Men’s Singles Final
Japan’s Kodai Naraoka also earned a place in Sunday’s men’s singles final after producing a strong comeback against Chinese Taipei veteran Chou Tien Chen.
Chou made the better start and won the opening game 21-17, but the 10th-seeded Japanese player responded emphatically.
Naraoka took the second game 21-11 before dominating the deciding game 21-10 to complete the comeback.
- Winner: Kodai Naraoka of Japan
- Defeated: Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei
- Score: 17-21, 21-11, 21-10
- Round: Men’s singles semifinal
Chou’s defeat ended his bid to reach the World Championships final after the 36-year-old had produced another remarkable run to the medal stage.
Alex Lanier Beats Victor Lai to Reach Final
France’s Alex Lanier will face Naraoka for the men’s singles world title after recovering from a game down against Canada’s Victor Lai.
Lai, the seventh seed, took the opening game 21-16 before Lanier responded strongly.
The French ninth seed claimed the second game 21-13 and maintained his momentum in the decider, winning 21-14 to secure his place in the final.
- Winner: Alex Lanier of France
- Defeated: Victor Lai of Canada
- Score: 16-21, 21-13, 21-14
- Round: Men’s singles semifinal
Kodai Naraoka-Alex Lanier Set for Men’s Singles Final
The result creates an intriguing Japan-France showdown for the men’s singles championship.
- Japan: Kodai Naraoka
- France: Alex Lanier
- Date: August 23
- Estimated time: Around 2:40 p.m.
Both players had to recover from losing their opening games in the semifinals, making their paths into the championship match remarkably similar.
Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik One Match From Another Historic Title
For Malaysian badminton, however, the biggest news from semifinal day belonged to Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
The pair arrived at the World Championships following months of experimentation within Malaysia’s men’s doubles setup and with questions surrounding whether their long-standing partnership would continue beyond New Delhi.
They have answered those questions on court by putting together another medal-winning World Championships campaign.
Beating Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in straight games was particularly significant because the Koreans entered the tournament as defending champions and the world’s top-ranked pair.
Aaron and Soh now have another chance to stand on top of the World Championships podium.
Four years after making history in Tokyo, the Malaysians will face Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang with a second world title on the line.
One final match will determine whether Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik can once again call themselves badminton world champions.
