Malaysia’s Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and two men’s doubles pairs began their individual badminton campaigns at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with convincing victories on Friday.
World No. 5 Pearly-Thinaah made light work of Indonesia’s Rachel Allessya Rose-Febi Setianingrum, winning 21-13, 21-11 at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium to reach the second round.
They will next face Thailand’s Hathaithip Mijad-Napapakorn Tungkasatan, who booked their place in the next round with a 21-19, 21-8 victory over North Korea’s Kim Jin Hyang-Yu Mi Song.
Malaysia’s other women’s doubles pairing, Noraqilah Maisarah-Low Zi Yu, were unable to join them in the second round after suffering a 10-21, 13-21 defeat to Taiwan’s Hsu Yin Hui-Lin Jhih Yun.
Aaron Chia-Tee Kai Wun and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani, however, ensured Malaysia remained represented in the men’s doubles competition.
Aaron-Kai Wun dominated Tajikistan’s Odilzhon Abdurakhimov-Dzhumaboi Saidov 21-6, 21-6, while Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin overcame Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi Lin 21-17, 21-14.
Aaron-Kai Wun face a much tougher challenge in the second round against world No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Sung Jae, who advanced directly with a first-round bye.
World No. 6 Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin will also have a difficult test against Japan’s world No. 9 Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi. The Japanese pair defeated Bangladesh’s Moajjam Hossain Ohidul-Jumar Al Amin 21-9, 21-11 in their opening match.
Malaysia’s mixed doubles campaign, meanwhile, ended in the opening round after both pairs suffered narrow defeats.
World No. 10 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai were beaten 20-22, 22-24 by India’s Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, while Chen Tang Jie-Chen Su Yin lost 16-21, 22-20, 19-21 to South Korea’s Kim Jae Hyeon-Jang Ha Jeong.
