In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 24 February 1997
- Birthplace
- Batu Berendam, Melaka
- Country
- Malaysia
- Nationality
- Malaysian
- Known for
- Winning Malaysia’s first BWF world title with Soh Wooi Yik and two Olympic bronze medals
- Event
- Men’s doubles
- Partner
- Soh Wooi Yik
- World title
- BWF World Championships · 2022
- Olympic medals
- Bronze · Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024
Why this life matters
Chia’s partnership with Soh Wooi Yik converted Malaysia’s deep badminton tradition into a long-awaited world title and the country’s first repeat Olympic medallists in doubles.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Melaka
Born in Batu Berendam and first handled a badminton racquet at age six.
Partnered Soh Wooi Yik
The national programme formed the men’s doubles partnership that would define both careers.
Reached the All England final
Announced the pair as international contenders in one of badminton’s oldest tournaments.
Won Olympic bronze
Chia and Soh recovered from a semifinal loss to take the Tokyo 2020 men’s doubles bronze.
Became world champion
Won the men’s doubles title in Tokyo, giving Malaysia its first BWF World Championships gold.
Won a second Olympic bronze
A comeback victory in Paris made the pair Malaysia’s first doubles team to win two Olympic medals.
Won three major titles
Captured the Asian Championships, Thailand Open and Singapore Open during a sustained run of finals.
Took world silver
Reached a second World Championships final and completed a career set of gold, silver and bronze at the event.
Building a doubles partnership
Aaron Chia was born in Batu Berendam, Melaka, in 1997 and began playing badminton at six. He developed through Malaysia’s national system as a men’s doubles specialist, where speed of rotation, trust and tactical coordination matter as much as individual shot-making.
Chia was paired with Soh Wooi Yik in 2017. Their contrasting strengths became the partnership’s foundation: Chia’s explosive rear-court attack could create openings while Soh’s speed and interception compressed the front court.
Tokyo bronze and a first world title
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021, Chia and Soh won bronze in their first Games together. The medal confirmed their ability to recover within a tournament after losing a semifinal and to perform under the pressure of a one-match podium playoff.
One year later in the same city, they won the 2022 BWF World Championships men’s doubles final. No Malaysian player had previously won a senior badminton world title, making the victory a landmark far beyond the doubles discipline.
A second Olympic podium
Paris 2024 tested the pair’s resilience again. In the bronze-medal match against Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, they saved match points in the second game and completed a three-game comeback.
The result made Chia and Soh the first Malaysian doubles pair to win two Olympic medals. It also placed them among the small group of Malaysian athletes with podium finishes at more than one Games.
A complete world medal set
In 2025 the pair added the Asian Championships, Thailand Open and Singapore Open titles. Those results broadened a record that had once been defined mainly by success at major championships rather than a high volume of tour trophies.
They returned to the World Championships final in New Delhi in August 2026, losing to Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang. Silver joined their 2022 gold and 2023 bronze, completing a world-championship medal set and confirming their place at the top level across multiple seasons.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Aaron Chia
- Who is Aaron Chia?
- Aaron Chia is a badminton player and world champion. Chia’s partnership with Soh Wooi Yik converted Malaysia’s deep badminton tradition into a long-awaited world title and the country’s first repeat Olympic medallists in doubles.
- What is Aaron Chia best known for?
- Aaron Chia is best known for winning Malaysia’s first BWF world title with Soh Wooi Yik and two Olympic bronze medals.
- When and where was Aaron Chia born?
- Aaron Chia was born on 24 February 1997 in Batu Berendam, Melaka.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 31 August 2026.
- Badminton Association of MalaysiaAaron Chia — national player profile
- Olympic Council of MalaysiaAaron’s recipe for success
- Badminton Association of MalaysiaParis 2024: Aaron–Wooi Yik win bronze
- Badminton Association of Malaysia2026 World Championships: Chia–Soh complete the medal set
- Wikimedia CommonsAaron Chia PMO2025 — image and licence record
