Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani remain the country's sole contenders for gold in the badminton event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after the earlier elimination of Aaron Chia and Tee Kai Wun.

On Sunday at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, Goh and Nur recorded a straight-sets victory over former world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan, winning 21-19, 21-16 in the second round. This win puts the Malaysian duo one step away from securing a medal as they prepare to face China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the quarterfinals. The upcoming match will be challenging, as Goh and Nur have lost three of their four previous encounters against the reigning world champions from China.

This success comes as a rebound for Goh and Nur, who missed medal opportunities in the last edition of the Asian Games. Their strong performance against the seasoned Japanese pair is expected to boost their confidence ahead of the critical quarterfinal clash.

Meanwhile, Aaron Chia and Tee Kai Wun saw their campaign end after a 19-21, 16-21 loss to defending champions Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea on the same day. The Malaysians mounted a competitive effort but were ultimately unable to overcome the experienced Korean pair. Aaron Chia’s hopes for securing another Asian Games medal were dashed, following his bronze medal achievement with Soh Wooi Yik in Hangzhou in 2022.

In the men’s singles event, Justin Hoh's journey concluded in the third round after a 14-21, 14-21 defeat to former world champion Loh Kean Yew. Earlier in the day, Hoh had secured a convincing win against Bangladesh’s Gourab Singha, taking the match 21-8, 21-7.

Leong Jun Hao advanced to the third round by defeating Mongolia’s Batdavaa Munkhbat 21-11, 21-14. He is scheduled to face Alwi Farhan in his next match.

Addressing concerns about the demanding schedule, which saw some players competing twice in one day, national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen stated that the team had anticipated such challenges. “All multi-sport events are different and it is the same for all players, which means you have to adapt to these changes,” Jonassen said. “We knew about it before the tournament and prepared for it as well.”

Malaysia’s badminton contingent now looks to Goh and Nur as they continue their pursuit of a historic gold medal in the men’s doubles at this year’s Asian Games.