On 28th August, Malaysia’s men doubles team Aaron Chia (谢定峰) and Soh Wooi Yik (苏伟译) did the impossible. They managed to nab the World Championship title during the 2022 BWF World Championship in Tokyo, Japan!
The win took Malaysia by storm with Datuk Lee Chong Wei even claiming the duo had “made his unfulfilled dream happen”. After all, it has been 45 years since the championship title was won by Malaysia. As such, the duo were given a rousing welcome home today (1st September).
Aaron and Wooi Yik arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport around 11am this morning. They walked into the main area, only to be greeted by over a hundred people waiting for their arrival. Aside from their fans, sports minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and other celebrities were there.
Wooi Yik commented that this greeting was similar to when they scored bronze in the Tokyo Olympics. “But we didn’t manage to perform after that, and lost a lot of matches. We were disappointed with our results, but most importantly, we did not give up,” the 24-year-old stated. Aaron’s wife and daughters as well as Wooi Yik’s parents were present in the crowd. “We are very happy and (touched),” Aaron said of the welcome. “Thank you to those who have always supported us.”
Sports minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal shared his hopes that the duo would continue to persist and bring glory to Malaysia in the future. He also announced that the duo would be financially rewarded but the Sports Ministry, did not disclose the amount. “We want them to remain grounded and win more titles,” he reportedly said.
For Aaron and Wooi Yik themselves, this win isn’t the be-all-end-all of their career. “Although we’ve won the world championship, we still haven’t broken into the Open championship,” Aaron stated. “Our aim is to gradually reach the world number one spot, a target which we must work hard for.”
However, before they go raring off for their next training session, Aaron will be celebrating another milestone in his life. The 25-year-old has announced that he will be holding a wedding ceremony with his wife Mei Qi on 16th September.
Mei Qi herself has been proud of their achievement, claiming their dedication and persistence moved her. However, she added that there won’t be a celebration for their win this time. As Aaron has a slight break in September thanks to the postponement of the Asian Games, the couple will be preparing for the wedding instead.
Both Aaron and Wooi Yik had actually pulled out of the Japan Open which was held shortly after the 2022 BWF World Championship. This was mainly because Aaron had gotten injured during the tournament and wanted to recover from his injury first. However, we are certain the duo will be raring to go after the break.
We’d like to congratulate the duo yet again on their win! We definitely know it wasn’t an easy one. In the meantime, we hope the dynamic team get a good break, and of course, offer our congratulations to Aaron and Mei Qi on their wedding!
Sources: China Press (1)(2)(3), Stadium Astro
