KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have received an incentive totalling RM500,000 for their success in winning the maiden world title for Malaysia, recently.

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said each shuttler would receive RM250,000 from the award given by the parent body and several other official sponsors.

He said the feat achieved by the world’s number five pair should be appreciated and hoped that more of the country’s younger athletes would follow in their footsteps.

“We are here to celebrate the success of Aaron and Wooi Yik, as what they have achieved is genuinely outstanding and deserves to be rewarded today, I am sure a lot more (incentives) will be coming up.

“I am also pleased to announce that they have renewed their contract until the end of 2024 and they will continue to give their best for the country to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics,” he told reporters at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara here today.

Wooi Yik said the incentive had further motivated him to secure a qualifying slot for the 2024 Olympic Games with the support and encouragement of the BAM, sponsors and all Malaysians.

Aaron, meanwhile, thanked all parties who believed in them, adding that they would continue to produce high-quality performances.

On Aug 28, Aaron-Wooi Yik defeated three-time world champions Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan from Indonesia, 21-19, 21-14, to end Malaysia’s 45-year wait for a maiden world championships title. – BERNAMA