It was a case of “so near, and yet so far” again for our shuttlers, as Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik came so close to ending our barren spell at the recent Malaysia Open. They fought valiantly, but didn’t manage to stop the reigning world champions from South Korea, Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae. Aaron and Wooi Yik aside, our other shuttlers once again flattered to deceive, with Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah another surprise underperformers. We review the Malaysia Open 2026, and since it’s the beginning of the year, we take this chance to also reflect on how our shuttlers did throughout 2025.

Image Credit: noprati somchit / Shutterstock.com