Aaron Chia welcomed a much needed break from a gruelling calendar that saw him and men’s doubles partner Soh Wooi Yik compete in 11 events in the span of six months across nine different cities.
The world number four pair started their 2023 season on home turf in Kuala Lumpur, before jetting to New Delhi, Jakarta, Dubai, Mulheim, Birmingham, Basel, Suzhou and Singapore.
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They also competed in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta for the second time for the Malaysia Masters and Indonesia Open.
The duo are back at their Academy Badminton Malaysia base for close to a month’s break, before they leave for the Korea Open (July 18-23).
“The calendar is tight, but we now have a month’s break. Before this it was always back-to-back tournaments for us. I would say this is our only extended break for some time.
“It’s a good thing, because it will allow us to push harder in training. Every shuttler’s body condition is different, which is why our physical recoveries differ from each other during tournaments.
“But we need to recover at least 80-90 percent before competing in a new event,” Chia told Stadium Astro.
The world champion also welcomed the healthy competition in the national men’s doubles department.
At present, Chia-Soh and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (sixth) are ranked in the top 10, while Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun will move closer to the top 20 after winning the Taipei Open last Sunday.
“Our pairs are getting more consistent. Every pair has their own strengths, so it is not a pressure for us. What it means is that the Malaysian men’s doubles department is more solid now.
“This is good, especially in team events. We hope to give the likes of China a tough fight in tournaments, as they have many pairs who are consistent,” he added.
Chia-Soh will be hoping to break their World Tour title duck at the Korea Open, after coming close to do so in India and Indonesia.
There’s also the mission of defending their World Championships crown.
“Of course we want to defend our title, but at the same time we have to be consistent especially during the Olympic cycle,” Chia concluded.
