KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — Three Malaysian mixed doubles pairs, including reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, kicked off their Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) 2026 on a positive note at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre in Ningbo, China, today.
The fourth-seeded Tang Jie-Ee Wei needed just 36 minutes to get past Japan’s Haruki Kawabe-Kokona Ishikawa 21-10, 21-19.
The world number four Malaysians will next face either Thailand’s Phunawat Horbanluekit-Benyapa Aimsaard or India’s Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto.
Seasoned professionals Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie also cleared their first-round hurdle after disposing of India’s Rohan Kapoor-Gadde Ruthvika Shivani 21-13, 21-19 in 34 minutes.
The husband-and-wife duo will take on the winners of tomorrow’s clash between Jumar Al-Amin-Urmi Akter of Bangladesh and Chen Cheng Kuan-Hsu Yin-Hui of Taiwan.
Independent duo Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sen are the third mixed doubles pair to make the second round after seeing off Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh of India 21-16, 21-15.
The unseeded Malaysians face an acid test in the second round as they will be up against sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui after the Chinese pair defeated Taiwan’s Wu Guan Xun-Lee Chia Hsin 21-17, 21-18 in their opening tie. — Bernama