The two young athletes raised the country’s profile at the prestigious sporting extravaganza despite having little experience in the event.
THE presence of friends and family, bouquets of colourful flowers and thunderous applause filled the arrivals hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday as national padel athletes Aidan Yunus and Christian Didier Chin returned home from their highly successful 2026 Asian Games campaign.
The two young athletes raised the country’s profile at the prestigious sporting extravaganza despite having little experience in the event.
However, the duo drew inspiration from their families and Malaysian fans to reach the final, adding another medal to Malaysia’s haul at this year’s Asian Games.
“It was super unexpected. It was our first time competing at the Asian Games and no one expected us to go this far, but we had a lot of support from the Malaysian Padel Association (MPA), our friends and my parents.
“I’m very proud of the team, Malaysia and everyone behind us, especially during the semifinal against Iran, when we gave it an extra fight,” said Chin.
En route to the final, the duo pulled off a major upset by defeating Iranian favourites Farsad Shahi and Amirmohammad Jamshidi in the semifinals.
However, their gold-medal dream on their Asian Games debut was ended by Qatari brothers Mashari and Rashed Naif, who won 6-3, 6-1 in a match lasting almost an hour.
Although they missed out on gold, their Aichi-Nagoya campaign marked a significant milestone for both athletes.
Chin, a former tennis player, said the Games provided invaluable experience against more seasoned opponents.
“Honestly, before the final, I cried because I was so proud to be on that stage. We were 3-1 up and thinking about winning the match because we were very eager and hungry.
“But I think padel is a very big sport in Qatar. With their experience, those brothers took their opportunity and fought their way back.”
Meanwhile, Aidan, a former squash player who switched to padel, said the disappointment would fuel his ambition to go further at future competitions, including the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia.
“As we didn’t get the gold medal this time, the target is obviously gold at next year’s SEA Games. We are hungry for more. We will now get back to training and work hard.
“So that when the SEA Games come next year, we’re prepared and ready to take the gold,” said Aidan, with Chin affirming his partner’s target.
The 22-year-old Aidan also cited their lack of experience compared with their opponents as one of the challenges they faced at the Asian Games.
“I think we need to control our nerves because it is obviously a huge deal, especially when you keep winning and get to the final, where the stakes just get higher.
“So, I guess we just need more experience playing on that type of stage to get used to the feeling of having your whole country behind you,” he added.
