KUALA LUMPUR: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik may not have won the country's first Olympic gold medal, but all Malaysians should be proud of the world No. 3 pair's fighting qualities and goal-driven attributes, which earned them a bronze at the Paris Olympics.
Malaysia have produced many outstanding men's doubles pairings over the last few decades, but Aaron-Wooi Yik are arguably the greatest of them all.
While they may not always excel in Open tournaments, they have proven their mettle in multi-sport Games and major championships.
Achieving an Olympic podium finish is no easy feat; many athletes dream of becoming Olympic medallists, and Aaron-Wooi Yik have done so twice, securing bronze medals at the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 and now the Paris Games.
In the context of Malaysian sports, Aaron-Wooi Yik have joined the ranks of former world No. 1 shuttler Lee Chong Wei (silver medals at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016), cyclist Azizulhasni Awang (bronze at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020) and diver Pandelela Rinong (bronze at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016) as the country's only multiple Olympic medallists.
Many would argue that former national pairs, including the Sidek brothers, Razif-Jalani, Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock, Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong, and Tan Boon Heong-Koo Kien Keat, achieved significant success in major championships.
However, none of them managed to win the country's first world title in badminton, a feat accomplished by Aaron-Wooi Yik at the 2022 World Championships in Tokyo, apart from bagging two Olympic medals.
The pair have also won medals at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Sea Games, Asian Team Championships, Sudirman Cup and the Thomas Cup.
Despite their successes, Aaron-Wooi Yik remain humble and driven, aiming to achieve more in the doubles game.
If they choose to remain as a pair, they should certainly strive to perform even better at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Aaron-Wooi Yik were outstanding in Paris, but were unlucky to lose to China's eventual silver medallists Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang in a close three-game thriller in the semi-finals.
Their victories over India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty in the quarter-finals and Denmark's world No. 2 Anders Skaarup Rasmussen-Kim Astrup, in the bronze medal playoff demonstrated their "monster mentality", fighting through difficult situations.
While many fans thought they would lose to Anders-Astrup, who only needed a point in the second game to seal the bronze, the Malaysian pair displayed nerves of steel, saving four match points before winning the deciding game.
After the win, Aaron said: "We are proud as Malaysians to win a medal for the country.
"In these three years, we have grown and learned a lot. We have been through becoming world champions in 2022.
"There are two perspectives: three years ago and now, we got the same bronze medal. On the downside, some might say 'This pair haven't improved, they are getting the same medal.'
"But on the upside, we can still consistently win a bronze medal. It depends on perception."
National doubles coach Tan Bin Shen described Aaron-Wooi Yik's form in Paris as outstanding.
"When Aaron-Wooi Yik started preparing for the Olympics, the focus was to win gold. They put in a lot of efforts and pushed hard in training.
"Of course, people might say they have won a bronze again. However, they showed maturity in all aspects, including decision-making and mental strength.
"Generally, they showed a level of maturity never seen before from them as a pair. It is a good sign, and they should carry on this momentum."
On whether Aaron-Wooi Yik are looking at LA 2028, Bin Shen said they must start as early as next year to prepare for the Games.
"They were outstanding in Paris, and I see them getting even better," he added.