Kuala Lumpur — Malaysia’s top-ranked men’s doubles team Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik must bring their A-game as they embark on their quest for a second world title at the 2025 Badminton World Championships, taking place in Paris from August 25–31.
Seeded second in the draw, the 2022 world champions received a first-round bye but face a potential third-round test against either fellow Malaysians Wan Arif Wan Junaidi–Yap Roy King or the Thai duo Kittinupong Kedren–Dechapol Puavaranukroh.
Their quarter-final path could be even more daunting, with possible matchups against Olympic silver medalists Liang Wei Keng–Wang Chang of China or India’s powerhouse pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty.
Should Aaron and Wooi Yik advance to the semi-finals, they might face an all-Malaysian clash against third-seeded pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin, setting up a thrilling national showdown.
Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin, also title contenders, are likely to face world No. 8 Indonesians Sabar Karyaman–Moh Reza Isfahani or China’s world No. 11 duo Liu Yi–Chen Bo Yang in a tough quarter-final battle.
🇲🇾 More Malaysian Men’s Doubles in the Mix
Malaysia’s third men’s doubles team, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun (world No. 7), may encounter top seeds Kim Wo Ho–Seo Seung Jae from South Korea in the quarter-finals, adding more potential to Malaysia’s campaign.
🏸 Women’s Doubles Hope: Pearly–Thinaah Leading the Charge
Malaysia’s leading women’s pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah (second seeds) are poised for a deep run and could reach the semi-finals. After a first-round bye, they’re projected to face Indonesia’s world No. 14 pair Lanny Tria Mayasari–Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti in the quarter-finals. Pearly–Thinaah currently lead 2–1 in their head-to-head.
Teammates Go Pei Kee–Teoh Mei Xing (world No. 18) also received a first-round bye but face a challenging third-round encounter against Japan’s Yuki Fukushima–Mayu Matsumoto, currently ranked world No. 8.
Malaysia has yet to win a medal in women’s doubles at the World Championships — a record Pearly and Thinaah hope to rewrite in Paris.
🔄 Mixed Doubles Battles Could Spark All-Malaysian Showdown
In mixed doubles, sixth seeds Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie may clash with compatriots Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin in Round 3. Both pairs received byes in the opening round and must win their respective Round 2 matches to set up the showdown. Goh/Shevon currently lead the head-to-head 1–0.
Fourth-seeded Chen Tang Jie–Toh Ee Wei, also beneficiaries of a first-round bye, are expected to face a stiff challenge in Round 2 from Indonesia’s world No. 11 pair Jafar Hidayatullah–Felisha Pasaribu.
With the potential for all-Malaysian semi-finals and long-awaited breakthroughs in women’s doubles, the 2025 World Championships could mark a historic chapter in Malaysian badminton news.
