Aaron-Wooi Yik bag 2024 National Sportsman Of The Year award

Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bagged the National Sportsman Of The Year title at the 2024 National Sports Awards on Tuesday, partly to their achievement of clinching the Paris Olympics bronze medal in dramatic fashion.

The National Sports Awards, also known as the Anugerah Sukan Negara, honours the achievements of the country’s top athletes annually.

National men’s doubles shuttlers Chia-Soh clinched the National Sportsman Of The Year trophy after a successful 2024 season, capped by their bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

In that match, Chia-Soh saved four match points in the bronze medal play-off against Danish pair Anders Skaarup Rasmussen-Kim Astrup.

Their dramatic comeback came in the second game where they trailed 16-20, before reeling in six consecutive points to win 22-20.

Chia-Soh ended up winning the third game for the 16-21, 22-20, 21-19 triumph.

The pair have now won at the National Sports Awards for the second time, having won it first in 2022.

Besides winning the Olympic bronze, the world number five pair also won the 2024 Korea Masters and finished second at last year’s All-England.

Chia-Soh pipped Lee Zii Jia, who also clinched a Paris Olympics bronze medal, as the country’s top sportsman.

Since the inception of the National Sports Awards in 1966, a total of 15 shuttlers have taken home the National Sportsman Of The Year trophy.

They include Tan Aik Huang, Ng Boon Bee, Punch Gunalan, Misbun Sidek, Foo Kok Keong, Rashid Sidek, Cheah Soon Kit & Yap Kim Hock, Roslin Hashim, Koo Kien Kiat & Tan Boon Heong and Lee Chong Wei.

Sylvia Ng became the only female national shuttler to win the National Sportswoman Of The Year award in 1975.

National lawn bowler Nor Farah Ain Abdullah, who won the 2024 World Bowls Indoor Championships, bagged the National Sportswoman Of The Year award.