PARIS, Aug 5— National men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are stunned and delighted by their dramatic comeback from the brink of defeat to secure Malaysia’s first medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics today.
Trailing 16-20 in the second set against Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, the duo managed to claw back four points to push the match into a deciding set, eventually winning the bronze medal match 16-21, 22-20, 21-19 at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
Commenting on their remarkable comeback, Aaron said they did not think they would win when they were just one point away from defeat by the Danish pair, but managed to mount an extraordinary comeback with high fighting spirit.
“The game just now was not about gameplay or anything else but mental strength... We never gave up and believed in each other, that’s all. We were indeed not confident even though we have had comebacks in World Tour tournaments because this is the Olympics.
“However, we still wanted to fight for every point, we didn’t want to give up until the last point. I think it is our greatest comeback in a major tournament. Some may say it’s another bronze medal, no improvements, and some may say consistently winning the bronze...it depends on how you phrase it,” he said.
Aaron said that although they were proud of winning a medal for the country, they did not intend to celebrate too much as their real target was the gold medal.
When asked about their next plans, he said after a few days of rest, they would continue with the remaining World Tour tournaments scheduled for this year.
“After that, I think we have to start preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympics,” he added.
Meanwhile, Wooi Yik said they managed to overcome Astrup-Rasmussen by increasing their variation and defensive resilience.
“From there, they became very nervous, and we could feel it too, so we just kept returning the shuttle and not making simple mistakes. When they felt the pressure, we had a chance to get points.
“To all the supporters who have always been with us since we won bronze in Tokyo, I hope we will do better in LA28. Maybe we didn’t achieve what Malaysia wanted, but how we reacted to the semi-finals defeat and fought for the bronze today is something not everyone can do,” he said.
Aaron-Wooi Yik missed the opportunity to earn a gold or silver after losing 19-21, 21-15, 17-21 to the world’s top pair Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang of China in a hard-fought semi-final on Friday.
At Tokyo 2020, Aaron-Wooi Yik defeated former world champions from Indonesia, Mohamad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan, to bring home the bronze medal.
Meanwhile, national men’s doubles coach Tan Bin Shen said Aaron-Wooi Yik showcased a higher quality of play throughout the Olympic campaign.
“They have learned how to handle their game, the game plan, and how to overcome situations they don’t like. They understand the standard they need to win major tournaments.
“To me, since winning bronze in 2020, their preparation for Paris 2024 has been their best as they aimed for gold. They really put in all the effort, and I saw their sacrifices and hard work both on and off the court,” he said.
Aaron-Wooi Yik started their Paris 2024 campaign with victories over Ben Lane-Sean Vendy from Great Britain and Adam Dong-Nyl Yakura from Canada, before losing to Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang from China in the Group A match.
They then overcame Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty from India in the quarter-finals, but once again succumbed to Wei Keng-Chang in the semi-finals.
In the final, the Chinese pair lost 17-21, 21-17, 19-21 to the defending champions Lee Yang-Wang Chi Lin from Taiwan. — Bernama
