National men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik plan to scale back their tournament commitments and place greater emphasis on physical conditioning as part of a revamped approach for the coming season.
The move follows advice from national coach Herry IP, who believes fitness issues and a packed competition calendar may have contributed to the world No. 2 pair’s early exit at the World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou last week.
Aaron-Wooi Yik competed in 22 tournaments this year, including the SEA Games in Thailand, where they captured three titles but also endured six first-round losses.
Aaron, 28, acknowledged Herry’s concerns, noting that both he and Wooi Yik, 27, are now among the more senior members of the national squad.
“From the coach’s perspective, he feels we need to focus more on physical conditioning. Maybe age plays a part — not that we’re old, but we are among the seniors,” Aaron said at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) on Friday.
“We’re committed to improving our fitness and strictly following the strength and conditioning programme. With the support we have, I don’t see this as a major issue.
“I think keeping our schedule to around 18 to 20 tournaments would help improve our performance. Playing below 20 tournaments would be ideal.”
Under Badminton World Federation (BWF) regulations, top-10 pairs are required to compete in 12 mandatory World Tour events — four Super 1000, six Super 750 and two Super 500 tournaments.
In addition, Aaron-Wooi Yik are set to take part in the Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark, the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, the World Championships in New Delhi and the Asian Championships. This brings their confirmed total to 17 events, leaving room for one additional Super 500 tournament to keep their schedule at 18.
However, Herry believes an annual workload of 14 to 16 tournaments is optimal for a doubles pair seeking consistency at the highest level.
“Fitness is not only an issue for our players — it applies to shuttlers from all countries. Those who are physically better prepared have a higher chance of winning titles,” said Herry.
“Technical and fitness training is part of our daily routine, but physical conditioning is now even more crucial. Tournament planning also needs to be strategic.
“Usually, we limit players to two tournaments in a row, and for long-haul trips like Europe, a maximum of three. For top pairs, 14 to 16 tournaments a year is ideal, though it varies depending on ranking and objectives.”
Herry added that the focus for Aaron-Wooi Yik moving forward will be quality over quantity, a shift aimed at reducing burnout and improving their chances of sustained success in an increasingly competitive men’s doubles landscape.
