Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik facts
Malaysia is known for its excellence in badminton, thanks to the likes of Lee Chong Wei and the Sidek family. Since those legends have already retired, we now root for a new generation of star athletes – including men’s doubles duo, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
Having made waves with two bronze medal wins at the Olympic Games, all eyes are on the pair whenever they step on the court at international tournaments. Here are 11 facts about Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik to get to know more about these badminton stars.
Table of Contents
- Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik facts
- 1. Aaron Chia is from Melaka and Soh Wooi Yik is from KL
- 2. They had their start in badminton at a young age
- 3. Soh Wooi Yik comes from a family of legendary badminton players
- 4. Aaron Chia is happily married and has two adorable kids
- 5. They started playing badminton together since 2015
- 6. They are ranked world no. 3 for men’s doubles globally
- 7. They won their first gold medal in badminton at the SEA Games
- 8. They won Malaysia’s first-ever badminton world title
- 9. They beat world no. 1 pair Gideon-Sukamuljo at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
- 10. They are both right-handed and can speak up to 4 languages
- 11. They are two-time Olympic medallists
1. Aaron Chia is from Melaka and Soh Wooi Yik is from KL
Image credit: @yonex_badminton via Instagram
You might not be able to tell from their perfectly synced partnership on the badminton court, but Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik are from different parts of Malaysia.
Aaron Chia Teng Fong was born on 24th February 1997, and is a proud Malaccan raised in Batu Berendam, Melaka. He is the second of three siblings, and his parents are Chia Boon Foo and Chan Mee Kee. Soh Wooi Yik, on the other hand, hails from Kuala Lumpur and was born on 17th February 1998 in the capital city.
2. They had their start in badminton at a young age
On the right, Soh with his older brother.
Image adapted from: Aaron Chia Teng Fong 谢定峰 via Facebook, @sohwooiyik via Instagram
Like many of their peers, Chia and Soh began wielding a badminton racquet at a young age. For Chia, it began at 4 years old, when he would follow his father to the badminton court. Seven years later, he began representing his homestate.
But it wasn’t all a flower path when pursuing the sport for the shuttler, as he didn’t qualify for the prestigious Bukit Jalil Sports School at age 12. But perseverance paid off, as he finally gained a spot in the school at 14.
Likewise, Soh had his start in badminton at the tender age of 6. He would accompany his father, Soh Goon Chup, who was a badminton coach to courts and training centres around KL.
But he recalls playing badminton outside his house at just 4 years old, and having a passion first for football, preferring the sport over badminton when he was a kid.
3. Soh Wooi Yik comes from a family of legendary badminton players
Image credit: @sohwooiyik via Instagram
Soh comes from a family with historic ties to badminton in Malaysia. Besides being a badminton coach, his father Soh Goon Chup also played in the men’s doubles for the national team in the ‘70s – he won a bronze medal at the 1983 SEA Games in Singapore with partner Ong Beng Teong.
His uncle, Soo Beng Kiang, also helped Malaysia clinched a historic 1992 Thomas Cup win in men’s doubles, alongside the legendary Datuk Cheah Soon Kit against Indonesian doubles Ricky Subagja and Rexy Manaiky.
4. Aaron Chia is happily married and has two adorable kids
Image credit: @aaronchiatengfong via Instagram
Off the court, 27-year-old Chia is happily married to Goh Mui Kee (Mei Qi), whom he has two adorable daughters with. The couple registered their marriage in March 2020, but due to the demands of the badminton court, they only officially married on 16th September 2022.
Their long-awaited wedding reception saw star shuttlers like Soh, Lee Chong Wei, and Pearly Tan part of the celebrations.
5. They started playing badminton together since 2015
Image credit: Aaron Chia Teng Fong 谢定峰 via Facebook
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik started representing Malaysia internationally as a pair in 2015, when they were partnered together in November that year for the 2016 World Junior Championships.
Chia became a part of the national badminton team in 2015 after his international debut in 2014 in the Indonesia International Series. Soh’s international debut was earlier than Chia, when he participated in the 2012 Smiling Fish International Series. However, he was only recruited into the national team in 2017.
Prior to that, Soh was a part of the Malaysian BWF World Junior Championships team in 2015 and 2016.
6. They are ranked world no. 3 for men’s doubles globally
Screenshot from BWF
Chia and Soh ranked 9th in the world for badminton men’s doubles with 65,228 cumulative points from a total of 28 matches back in 2021. As of 2nd August 2024, they have worked their way up and are now impressively ranked 3rd in the world with 88,515 points.
7. They won their first gold medal in badminton at the SEA Games
The shining badminton duo won their first-ever gold medal at the 2019 SEA Games held in the Philippines. In the finals, they played against Thailand’s formidable Bodin Isara and Maneepong Jongjit.
In the finals, they played against Thailand’s Bodin Isara and Maneepong Jongjit. They lost the first set of the game by three points, scoring 18–21, but they did not hold back. They continued to deliver their best game yet and conquered the next two sets with scores of 21–15 and 21–16.
Other notable medals from the pair include a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Championships held in Manila, and bronze medals from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, 2022 Asian Games, and the 2023 World Championships.
8. They won Malaysia’s first-ever badminton world title
Image credit: X
Chia and Soh have multiple medals under their belts, but a historic win that’s one for the books was when they were crowned world champions at the Badminton World Championships 2022 on 28th August. They are the first Malaysians to receive the title.
The pair secured the title after beating Indonesia’s Mohd Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan with scores of 21-19 and 21-14.
9. They beat world no. 1 pair Gideon-Sukamuljo at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Image credit: @aaronchiatengfong via Instagram
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics was Chia and Soh’s first Olympic Games. Despite being debut Olympians in the men’s doubles event in badminton, they achieved notable feats and even brought home an Olympic bronze medal for Malaysia.
For the first time in their eight attempts against Indonesia’s Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, Chia and Soh clinched a historic win in the quarterfinals. They proceeded to storm into the semi-finals by defeating the world no.1 men’s doubles players from Indonesia in straight sets in the quarter-finals match with scores of 21-14 and 21-17.
They clinched a bronze medal in the event after defeating Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, in a heartracing 17–21, 21–17, and 21–14 playoff.
10. They are both right-handed and can speak up to 4 languages
Image credit: @aaronchiatengfong via Instagram
The unifying factor for Chia and Soh in badminton has to be the fact that they are both right-handed. Soh’s 185 cm height and Chia athletic physique give the pair the perfect advantage of powerful smashes and great endurance during competitions.
Another similarity between the two is that both of them can speak four languages – English, Malay, Mandarin and Cantonese.
11. They are two-time Olympic medallists
Image credit: @aaronchiatengfong via Instagram
Back-to-back wins at the prestigious Olympic Games is no easy feat. But the brilliant ChiaSoh have proven that Malaysia certainly boleh, by defending their bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics in badminton’s men’s doubles.
The remarkable win saw our country winning its first medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It also makes ChiaSoh two-time Olympic medallists.
Badminton men’s doubles players Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik
It’s great to see that Malaysia is continuing its legacy in badminton with the next generation of players such as Chia and Soh, both of whom have come a long way in the sport with their hard work and dedication.
We look forward to cheering them on at future tournaments.
Read more inspiring stories about Malaysia athletes:
- 11 facts about badminton player, Lee Zii Jia
- 11 facts about badminton duo, Pearly Tan & Thinaah Muralitharan
Cover image adapted from: Aaron Chia Teng Fong 谢定峰 via Facebook, @yonex_badminton via Instagram
This article was updated by Janet on 2nd August 2024.