Over the weekend, badminton history was made as national men's doubles Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik etched their names into sporting folklore by becoming the first ever Malaysian world champions after their exploits at the 2022 BWF Championships in Tokyo. The much-maligned duo silenced their critics - shaking off the so-called 'semi-final' curse - by taking down the experienced Indonesians & 3-time world champions Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan in straight-sets 21-19, 21-14.

With the duo now at the pinnacle of men's doubles badminton, we recount their historic feat and project what this would mean for the future of local badminton.

Photo: EPA