Malaysia has confirmed at least one slot in the semifinals of the 2026 All England Badminton Championships after the country’s top men’s doubles pairs are set to face each other in the quarterfinals.
The showdown will see Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, the nation’s leading men’s doubles pair and second seeds of the tournament, compete against fellow Malaysians Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun in Friday’s quarterfinal clash at the Utilita Arena Birmingham.
In the second-round match, Aaron-Wooi Yik had to battle hard before overcoming compatriots Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Yap Roy King to book their place in the last eight. Meanwhile, Wei Chong-Kai Wun advanced after defeating the Taiwanese pair Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin in straight sets, 21-14, 21-18.
The country’s top women’s doubles duo, Pearly Tan and M Thinaah, also progressed to the quarterfinals. The second-seeded pair defeated South Korea’s Lee Seo Jin and Lee Yeon Woo 21-14, 21-14 in a 43-minute match. They will face Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari for a place in the semifinals.
On the other hand, the professional men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, along with 2024 World Junior champions Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai, were eliminated in the second round. Sze Fei-Izzuddin fell 21-23, 16-21 to Indonesia’s Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Rahmat Hidayat, while Khai Xing-Aaron Tai lost 19-21, 17-21 to China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi.
Other Malaysian representatives who exited the tournament include men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao and the mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie. Jun Hao was defeated 9-21, 13-21 by Japan’s Koki Watanabe, while Soon Huat-Shevon lost 16-21, 18-21 to China’s second-seeded duo Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin.
