Malaysia's world No. 2 men's doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik face a challenging path as they begin their title defense at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China. The tournament, which serves as a final qualifier for the Asian teams for the 2026 Asian Games, runs from March 28 to April 2.
The defending champions, who won the title in 2025, are in the same half of the draw as top seeds and world No. 1 pair from China, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang. A potential semi-final clash awaits if both pairs advance. Their campaign begins against Singapore's Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo in the first round.
A victory in Ningbo would see Aaron and Soh equal the record of Malaysian legends Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, who are the only pair from the country to have won the Asian Championships title twice, achieving the feat in 1998 and 2002. The Malaysian duo are also seeking to build momentum ahead of the upcoming Asian Games.
The tournament features a strong field of contenders, including other Chinese pairs He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu, and Indonesian veterans Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, making the title defense a significant challenge for the Malaysian stars.
