BY VIKNESWARAN RAMAN
PARIS: Malaysia has a chance to win its first medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics when Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik compete in the men’s doubles bronze medal playoff at 3pm this afternoon (9pm in Malaysia).
In their mission to defend the bronze medal won in Tokyo 2020, they will face the challenge of the world number two pair, Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen from Denmark at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena here.
Based on the record of their meeting, Aaron-Wooi Yik who are the 2022 world champions, have won seven of their 11 encounters between them, but lost to the 2023 World Championship runner-up in the last meeting at the Singapore Open, last May.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Aaron-Wooi Yik beat former world champions Mohamad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan from Indonesia to bring home the bronze medal.
Aaron-Wooi Yik missed the chance to change the colour of the medal to gold or silver, after losing 19-21, 21-15, 17-21 to the world’s top doubles pair Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang of China in a fierce semi-final battle on Friday.
The men’s doubles final will see an epic clash between defending champions Lee Yang-Wang Chin Lin from Taiwan and Asian champions Wei Keng-Chang at 4.10pm (10.10pm in Malaysia).
Meanwhile, professional men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia will also compete in the semi-finals against 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand at 10.50am (4.50pm in Malaysia).
Zii Jia advanced to the semis by beating world number three of Denmark, Anders Antonsen 21-17, 21-15 on Friday, while Kunlavut stunned Chinese world number one Shi Yu Qi with a 21-12, 21-10 straight sets win.
On Saturday, women’s doubles hopefuls Pearly Tan-M .Thinaah’s hopes of contributing the country’s first medal did not materialise after bowing out 11-21, 11-21 to the world number four pair from Japan, Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida in the bronze medal decider. – Bernama
