New delhi: National men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik's hopes of clinching a second world title were thwarted after they were defeated by China's Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang in the 2026 edition of the championship held in New Delhi.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the match took place at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, where the fourth seeds Aaron-Wooi Yik initially struggled, falling behind 1-5 before leveling the score at 5-5. The two pairs exchanged points up to 13-13, but the third seeds Wei Keng-Wang increased their intensity to secure the first set with a 21-17 score.
In the second set, the Malaysian duo, who reunited after the Indonesia Open last June, once again started slowly, trailing 4-9 and failing to counter their opponents' sharp play, falling further behind at 11-18. Despite narrowing the gap to 16-18, Wei Keng-Wang maintained their composure to win 21-16, wrapping up the match in 35 minutes and claiming their first world title.
This victory marked Wei Keng-Wang as the first Chinese men's doubles pair to win the world title in eight years, following Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen's victory in Nanjing, China. The pair also extended their winning record over Aaron-Wooi Yik, having triumphed in 12 of their 15 encounters.
Aaron-Wooi Yik, who made history at the 2022 edition by becoming the first Malaysian badminton representatives to win a world title, were unable to end their 14-month title drought. Their last tournament win was at the Singapore Open 2025, where they defeated Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea. This year's championship was their third runners-up finish, following second-place finishes at the Malaysia Open and the All England.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) had made strategic changes in the national men's doubles department last June, forming new partnerships for Aaron and Wooi Yik. Recent announcements also left Wooi Yik out of the squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Reflecting on the match, 28-year-old Wooi Yik acknowledged Wei Keng-Wang's superiority in the front court and expressed satisfaction with their journey in the competition. Aaron, 29, concurred with his partner's assessment, citing their opponents' performance and on-court pressure as significant challenges during the match.