Malaysia will enter the Asian Games men’s doubles competition with an unusual pairing, but Aaron Chia believes that being the tournament’s “scratch” pair could work in his favour alongside Tee Kai Wun.
Chia is no stranger to major international success, having won the 2022 World Championship with former partner Soh Wooi Yik. However, the experienced Malaysian is now taking on a new challenge after being paired with Kai Wun for the Asian Games as part of the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) latest reshuffle.
Rather than seeing their lack of experience together as a weakness, Chia believes it could give them an element of surprise. Established pairs are usually familiar with each other’s playing styles, while opponents have far less information to work with when preparing for an unfamiliar combination.
Chia and Kai Wun have only competed together once internationally, at the Thomas Cup in Denmark. They made an encouraging start by defeating Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi, giving the Malaysian duo some confidence ahead of the Asian Games.
There is also a strong historical precedent for Malaysia’s scratch pair strategy. At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong formed a relatively new partnership before going on to win the men’s doubles gold medal.
That success provides Chia and Kai Wun with an example to draw inspiration from, although they will have a difficult task if they are to repeat it.
The men’s doubles field features several of the world’s leading combinations, including South Korea’s world No. 1 Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae, Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Shohibul Fikri, and China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
Despite the quality of the opposition, Chia believes the pair can benefit from having fewer expectations placed on them. Instead of carrying the pressure associated with an established top pairing, they can approach the competition with greater freedom and focus on each match.
For BAM and head coach Herry IP, the pairing is also a significant test of their decision to reshuffle Malaysia’s men’s doubles setup.
Chia and Kai Wun may not have the experience of Malaysia’s more established combinations, but their unfamiliar partnership could make them difficult to read. If they can turn that element of surprise into results, the scratch pair could emerge as one of the more intriguing stories of the Asian Games.
