Ningbo, April 13 – Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik ended Malaysia’s 18-year drought in men’s doubles at the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) with a commanding straight-games victory over China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi, winning 21-19, 21-17 in the final.
This triumph marks Malaysia’s first men’s doubles title at the Asian Championships since 2007, when Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah last lifted the trophy
Watch the full match here:
Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs. Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi – 2025 BAC Final
Unbeaten Champions: No Games Dropped All Tournament
The world No. 6 Malaysian pair looked unstoppable in Ningbo, sweeping through the draw without dropping a single game. After toppling China’s top seeds Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang in the semifinals, they maintained their momentum in the final with another straight-games win.
This win also allowed Chia/Soh to avenge their loss to Chen/Liu at the 2024 Denmark Open, improving their head-to-head to 3-1.
In the opening game, the Malaysians stormed to a 3-0 lead, and despite a brief fightback from the Chinese, they held firm to close it 21-19. The second game saw Chen/Liu take an 11-8 lead at the mid-game interval, but Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik replied with a brilliant 5-0 run and sealed the match 21-17.
Lu Guang Zu Retires, Kunlavut Makes History for Thailand
In the men’s singles final, China’s Lu Guang Zu was forced to retire due to an acute lower back injury while trailing 12-21, 6-11 against Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn. This result makes Kunlavut the first-ever Thai men’s singles player to win the Asian Championships.
Lu revealed post-match that he had been feeling back discomfort before the final and couldn’t generate enough power during rallies. “I tried to play through it, but I just couldn’t continue,” he told local media.
Chen Yu Fei Finally Clinches Her First Asian Title
China’s Chen Yu Fei captured her long-awaited first women’s singles Asian Championship title after coming from behind to defeat teammate Han Yue 11-21, 21-14, 21-9 in a thrilling all-China final.
It took Chen 65 minutes to complete the comeback, after earlier breezing past Korea’s Sim Yu Jin in the semifinals. With world No. 1 An Se Young sidelined due to injury, Chen was seen as a top contender—and she delivered under pressure to finally secure the elusive title.
Women’s Doubles: China’s Liu/Tan Stun Shida/Matsuyama
In the women’s doubles final, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China exacted sweet revenge on Japan’s Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama, winning 21-15, 21-19. Despite the loss, the Japanese pair, who recently won the All England title, still recorded their best-ever result at the Asian Championships.
Mixed Doubles: Tang/Tse Crowned Champions for Hong Kong
In the mixed doubles final, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, seeded fifth, triumphed over Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito in three hard-fought games, 21-15, 17-21, 21-13. Their win marks Hong Kong’s first mixed doubles title at the Asian Championships since 2014.
Champions of Asia
With this victory, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik join an elite list of Malaysian pairs to have captured the prestigious Asian title. Posing proudly on the podium, the duo proved they are peaking at just the right time ahead of the 2025 BWF World Championships.
