KUALA LUMPUR: A strong showing at the Japan and China Opens next month could lift national men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik to the world No. 1 ranking and boost their seeding prospects at the world championships, said head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi.
He said clinching the world’s top ranking could help the Olympic bronze medallists secure a better seeding at the world championships in Paris this August.
“Aaron and Wooi Yik are already ranked second in the world, which I think is good enough to help with their seeding at the world championships.
“But if they can become world No. 1 before then, why not? Of course, that would be even better,” he told reporters after a national team training session at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) here today.
Aaron-Wooi Yik are ranked second with 89,870 points, just 1,220 points behind their compatriots and professional pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.
However, Herry said the world No. 1 ranking is not the top priority for Aaron-Wooi Yik, as it is more important to be well prepared for all tournaments.
Aaron-Wooi Yik are the first and only Malaysians to have won a world badminton title, achieving the feat in 2022 in Tokyo after defeating Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.
