Hangzhou: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, set to compete at the year-ending Badminton World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, faced a challenging draw in the men’s doubles event.
Speaking to Chinese media in Mandarin, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik referred to their group as the “Group of Death”:
Chia/Soh found themselves in the “group of death” alongside two Chinese pairs – Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang and Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi, as well as Japan’s 2021 BWF World Tour Finals champions Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi.
Ranked as World No. 3, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik entered the finals for the fourth time, having failed to advance out of the group in the previous three attempts. This year, they must deliver their best performance to progress from the group stage.
Chia expressed optimism, saying, “Our past performance in the finals was not good, but all pairs have equal chances to win.”
In the men’s doubles Group B, Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, South Korea’s world champions Kang Min-hyuk/Seo Seung-jae, Denmark’s world runners-up Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, and Indonesia’s former All England champions Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Bagas Maulana make up the competitive lineup.
Besides Chia/Soh, the only Malaysian mixed doubles pair, Chen Tangjie/Toh Ee Wei, also qualified for the finals. Chen/Toh, shortlisted for the first time, were drawn into Group A, competing against China’s Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping, Japan’s Yuta Watanabe/Higashino Arisa, and Thailand’s former world champions Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai.
In men’s singles, defending champion Viktor Axelsen leads Group A, while Group B sees Thailand’s world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn facing challenges from Jonatan Christie, Li Shifeng, and Anders Antonsen.
The women’s singles feature South Korea’s An Se Young as the favorite in Group A, challenged by Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, teammate Kim Ga-eun, and Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.
2023 World Badminton World Tour Finals Groups draw:
●Men’s singles
Group A: Viktor Axelsen, Kodai Naraoka, Shi Yuqi, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting
Group B: Jonatan Christie, Li Shifeng, Anders Antonsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn
●Women’s singles
Group A: An Se-young, Tai Tzu Ying, Kim Ga-eun, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung
Group B: Chen Yufei, Carolina Marín, Han Yue, Zhang Beiwen
●Men’s doubles
Group A: Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi, Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi
Group B: Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, Kang Min-hyuk/Seo Seung-jae, Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Bagas Maulana
●Women’s Doubles
Group A: Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan, Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara, Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning
Group B: Baek Ha-na/Lee So-hee, Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida, Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai, Kim So-yeong/Kong Hee-yong
●Mixed doubles
Group A: Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping, Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino, Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei
Group B: Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, Seo Seung-jae/Chae Yoo-jung, Kim Won-ho/Jeong Na-eun, Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet
Meanwhile, China and South Korea split 5 awards in the BWF Awards 2023 ceremony:
BWF Awards 2023 Winners List:
- Male Player of the Year: Seo Seung Jae (South Korea)
- Female Player of the Year: An Se Young (South Korea)
- Pair of the Year: Chen Qing Chen & Jia Yi Fan (China
- Most Improved Player of the Year: Jiang Zhen Bang & Wei Ya Xin (China)
- Most Promising Player of the Year: Liu Sheng Shu & Tan Ning (China)
- Best Dressed Male Award: Chen Tang Jie (Malaysia)
- Best Dressed Female Award: Jongkolphan Kititharakul (Thailand)
