Aaron Chia

Melaka-born shuttler Aaron Chia has carved his name into Malaysian sporting history as one half of the country’s most successful men’s doubles team. Alongside his partner Soh Wooi Yik, Chia achieved a career-defining victory at the 2022 BWF World Championships in Tokyo, where they defeated Indonesia’s legendary duo Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan to become Malaysia’s first-ever world champions in badminton. Known for his lightning-fast reflexes and sharp tactical instincts, Chia has been a mainstay of the national team since 2015, following his international debut at the Indonesia International Series in 2014.

Together, Chia and Soh have amassed an impressive collection of accolades: gold at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, bronze at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paris 2024 Olympics, and silver at the 2022 Asian Championships. In 2025, the pair continued their remarkable form, winning the Asian Championships, Thailand Open, and Singapore Open, and maintaining their world No 2 ranking since July 2025. Their consistency and resilience have cemented their reputation as one of the world’s elite badminton pairs and a source of enduring national pride.

Beyond the court, Chia is admired for his humility and dedication, values reflected in his long-standing partnership with Soh and his close ties to family. His rise from a seven-year-old introduced to badminton by his father to a world-class athlete mirrors Malaysia’s growing presence on the global badminton stage.