Top five Malaysian badminton players to follow in 2023

An Olympics medal-winning duo top our list.

Malaysia has been dominant in the doubles categories historically and in recent years. The South East Asian country finished seventh in the recently concluded Badminton Asia Champions, winning two medals. The duo of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi won the silver medal in the men's doubles event, whereas Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai won the bronze medal in the mixed doubles event.

Given the great run of form by the players and the beginning of the Paris Olympics 2024 qualification period, we look at the top five Malaysian badminton players in 2023:

5) Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Jemie Lai

The mixed doubles duo are currently World No. 8 in the BWF rankings. Ever since breaking into the top 10 in 2018, they have managed to stay at the top of their game. And their bronze medal-winning performance in the recently concluded Badminton Asia Championships may even push them to a higher rank.

The duo have reached the finals of at least one BWF Tour event in every season since 2018, except for the COVID-struck ones. In 2023, they finished runners-up in the Swiss Open (a BWF Super 300 event) - a repeat of their 2022 showing. Overall, they have won two World Tour events and finished runners-up in three others.

Notable achievements of the duo include:

Bronze medal in Asian Championships 2023

Silver medal in the 2014 edition and Bronze medal in the 2016 edition of the Thomas Cup for Goh Soon Huat

Silver medal in Commonwealth Games 2018

Bronze medal in Asian Games 2014 for Goh Soon Huat

4) Tan Pearly/Thinaah Muralitharan

Relatively a younger duo, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan play in the women's doubles category and are touted as the future of Malaysian badminton. And they have certainly lived up to the expectations of their fans with impressive 2021 and 2022 seasons. In 2021, they managed to win the BWF Super 300 event Swiss Open, whereas, in 2022, they raised their game further and won the BWF Super 750 event French Open.

However, these are not the only achievements of the duo in the short span of their playing together. They have managed to break into the top 5 of the BWF world rankings in 2023 and have won several BWF Internationals.

Notable achievements of the duo include:

Bronze medal in Sudirman Cup 2021

Two Gold medals in Commonwealth Games 2022

Bronze medals in the 2020 and 2022 edition of the Asian Team Championships

3) Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi

It is difficult for a country to have one team in the top 10 of the men's doubles category, the category thought to be the most competitive one right now in the world of badminton. However, not for Malaysia. Malaysians have two - the duo of Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi and the Tokyo Olympics medalists Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Hock.

Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi finished runners-up to India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the Badminton Asia Champions 2023. They have won one BWF World Tour event and finished runners-up in two others.

Notable achievements of the duo include:

Bronze medal in World Championships 2021

Bronze medal in Thomas Cup 2016

Silver medal in Asian Championships 2023

Silver medal in the 2020 edition and Bronze medal in the 2018 edition of the Asian Team Championships

2) Lee Zii Jia

Lee Zii Jia, along with the likes of India's Lakshya Sen, was said to be the future superstar of the game. And they have certainly lived up to their billings. The Malaysian badminton player has already won the coveted All England Open in 2021, beating the current best men's singles player in the BWF circuit, Viktor Axelsen.

The 25-year-old has also won two other BWF World Tour events and finished runners-up in three. And because of his great showings in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the Malaysian has stayed in the top 10 of the BWF rankings since breaking into it in 2021.

Notable achievements of the 25-year-old include:

Gold medal in Badminton Asia Championships 2022

Bronze medal in Sudirman Cup 2021

Gold medal in the 2022 edition, Silver medal in the 2020 edition and Bronze medal in the 2018 edition of the Asia Team Championships

1) Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Hock

The only Olympics medalist on the list, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Hock, top our list of the top Malaysian badminton players in 2023. And it wouldn't be wrong to say they're the country's best bet to return with a medal from Paris in 2024.

Currently ranked World No. 3 in the BWF men's doubles rankings, the duo will face their toughest challenges from the two higher-ranked Indonesian pairs and the Indian doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty apart from their compatriots Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi.

Notable achievements of the duo include:

Bronze medal in Summer Olympics 2020

Gold medal in World Championships 2022

Bronze medal in Sudirman Cup 2021

Silver medal in Asian Championships 2022

Gold medal in the 2022 edition and silver medal in the 2020 edition of the Asia Team Championships