Malaysian badminton doubles world champion · age 29
The Star reports Aaron Chia and 19-year-old Aaron Tai reached the Taiwan Open final in only their second tournament together, losing 23-21, 21-19 to Indonesia's Leo Carnando and Daniel Marthin. Chia praised his young partner, saying that 'at just 19, Aaron Tai has already shown the composure and quality he brings to the court.'
source: The Star
The Star reports that Aaron Chia received the 2026 Seri Melaka Award in the Sports Category from his home state of Melaka. Chia said he was 'truly honoured' and 'grateful to be recognised by the state I call home,' and credited the Melaka Badminton Association for acknowledging his achievements.
source: The Star
New Straits Times reports that Aaron Chia begins a three-tournament trial with Aaron Tai (starting at the China Open) as part of national coach Herry Iman Pierngadi’s men’s doubles reshuffle, with Chia later slated to team up with Tee Kai Wun for the European swing in October. The Star separately frames the move as BAM’s experience-plus-youth “mix and match” plan toward LA 2028, with Rexy Mainaky saying the shake-up is about building depth rather than abandoning Chia’s former pairing with Soh Wooi Yik.
source: New Straits Times· The Star (Malaysia)
The Star reports Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai’s debut tournament as a pairing ends in a first-round loss at the China Open on July 21, 2026, sending the scratch duo out early. (This is positioned by The Star as an early setback in BAM’s short-term experiment for the ‘two Aarons’.)
source: The Star (Malaysia)
New Straits Times reports that India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty withdraw from the China Open, triggering a draw reshuffle that changes Aaron Chia–Aaron Tai’s first-round assignment to Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gutama–Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani. The report frames the switch as a timely boost for the newly formed senior-junior Malaysian pairing heading into their debut together.
source: New Straits Times