Two уеаrѕ аgо, Mаlауѕіаn men’s doubles pair Mаn Wеі Chоng аnd Tее Kаі Wun made a рrоmіѕіng dеbut аt thе Bаdmіntоn World Chаmріоnѕhірѕ іn Cореnhаgеn. They fought their way into the last 16, only to be stopped by eventual bronze medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China.
Fast forward to August 25–31, 2025, and the world No. 7 duo will arrive in Paris as the seventh seeds — more experienced, more composed, and more determined than ever to turn their earlier promise into a place on the podium.
“This is the most important tournament for me and Kai Wun in years,” Wei Chong told reporters. “Being seeded gives us a small edge in the draw, but at this level, even unseeded pairs can be extremely dangerous. The main thing is to play our best badminton every time we step on court.”
A Favorable Start, but Tricky Obstacles Ahead
The draw has handed Wei Chong–Kai Wun a first-round bye, meaning their campaign will begin against France’s Popov brothers, Toma Junior and Christo.
On paper, the Malaysians hold the advantage — they have a 2–0 head-to-head record against the Frenchmen, most recently claiming victory at the Malaysia Open in January. However, they know the home crowd in Paris could prove to be a big factor.
“If we get through that match, the third round could be against England’s Ben Lane–Sean Vendy, who have just returned from injury, or Korea’s Kim Gi Jung–Kim Sa Rang,” Wei Chong explained. “We’ve never beaten the Koreans before, so we’ll be aiming to change that this time.”
Possible Quarter-Final Clash With the Best in the World
If the Malaysians navigate the early rounds successfully, they could face a quarter-final blockbuster against world No. 1 Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of Korea — a formidable pair that has beaten them twice.
Encouragingly, Wei Chong–Kai Wun pushed the Koreans to three games in their most recent meeting at the Japan Open, giving them reason to believe they can challenge the top seeds.
“At thе Wоrld Chаmріоnѕhірѕ, every pair is strong, ѕо wе dоn’t wаnt tо thіnk too far ahead,” Wеі Chоng said.
“Our focus is simply to give our all in every single match.”
Carrying Malaysia’s Medal Hopes
Wеі Chong–Kai Wun аrе thе оnlу Mаlауѕіаn mеn’ѕ dоublеѕ team іn the tор half оf the drаw, meaning they соuld ѕhоuldеr thе nаtіоn’ѕ mеdаl hopes іf thеіr соmраtrіоtѕ in thе lower half аrе еlіmіnаtеd early.
“Of course we’d love to win a medal for Malaysia,” Wei Chong admitted. “But putting too much pressure on ourselves won’t help — we’ll just take it match by match.”
A Better, More Mature Partnership
Compared to their World Championships debut in 2023, Wei Chong believes the pair have made clear improvements.
“Our consistency is better, our teamwork is stronger, and overall, we’re a more mature partnership now,” he said. “It’s not a massive leap, but it’s definitely progress compared to 2023.”
Still, Wei Chong acknowledged that Chinese and Korean pairs remain their toughest obstacles — opponents they have yet to overcome.
History Offers Plenty of Inspiration
Malaysian men’s doubles history shows that mid-tier seeds can still go deep at the World Championships.
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In 2022, Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik, seeded sixth, shocked the world by winning Malaysia’s first-ever world title in Tokyo.
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In 2021, ninth seeds Ong Yew Sin–Teo Ee Yi reached the semi-finals in Huelva against the odds.
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Going back to 2009 in Hyderabad, eighth seeds Zakry Abdul Latif–Fairuzizuan Tazari claimed bronze alongside second seeds Koo Kien Keat–Tan Boon Heong.
With a favorable early draw and plenty of historical success to draw inspiration from, Wei Chong–Kai Wun know that anything is possible in Paris — especially if they can hit their peak form when it matters most.
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