Malaysia’s top badminton players received a favourable draw for the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, India (Aug 17-23). Several seeded pairs earned first-round byes, giving them extra time to prepare before entering the tournament.
Malaysia’s Seeded Pairs Receive Byes
Women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, last year’s runners-up, enter the tournament as the fifth seeds.
Former world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are the fourth seeds in the men’s doubles. Former world No. 1 pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani are seeded sixth, while Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are the 11th seeds.
In mixed doubles, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie are seeded 10th and also receive a first-round bye.
Tough Opening Matches for Unseeded Malaysians
Malaysia’s unseeded players face more challenging opening-round matches.
Men’s singles player Justin Hoh will make his World Championships debut against reigning All England champion Lin Chun-yi of Taiwan.
“The World Championships are just around the corner, so all I can do is prepare as best as I can.
“I’ve had plenty of discussions with the coaching team on how to improve my game, and I hope I can produce a good result at the World Championships,” said Justin.
Leong Jun Hao will open against Brazil’s world No. 61 Jonathan Matias.
In the women’s singles, Wong Ling Ching will face Peru’s Namie Miyahira in her World Championships debut. K. Letshanaa begins her campaign against Uganda’s Fadilah Shamika Rafi.
BWF Doubles Pairs Ready for the Challenge
Men’s doubles pair Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King reunite for the tournament. They will play Vietnam’s Nguyen Dinh Hoang-Tran Dinh Manh in the first round.
Women’s doubles pair Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee take on Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova-Yevheniia Kantemyr. The Malaysians have won both of their previous meetings, including last year’s Denmark Open.
Mixed doubles pair Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien earned a place in the main draw after moving up from the reserve list. They face Thailand’s Ruttanapak Oupthong-Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat in a tough opening match.
Malaysia Targets Strong World Championships Campaign
Malaysia will look to make the most of the favourable draw. The seeded pairs hope to build strong runs in New Delhi, while the unseeded players aim to cause early upsets at the BWF World Championships 2026.