Denmark Open 2026: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik reunite against Hoki-Kobayashi as Odense event opens 13 October
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik play together again at the Super 750 Denmark Open, which runs from 13 to 18 October, and open against 2021 world champions Hoki-Kobayashi.
Former world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik will play together again at the Denmark Open, a Super 750 tournament running from Tuesday 13 October to Sunday 18 October in Odense. Their opening match is against Japan's Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, who were world champions in 2021. The reunion comes after the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) split the pair for the Asian Games. It opens a European swing in which Malaysian fans will be watching several reshaped partnerships.
Why Aaron and Wooi Yik are back together
Aaron and Wooi Yik won Malaysia's first world men's doubles title in 2022. During the Asian Games build-up, BAM paired them with different partners. Aaron played the Aichi-Nagoya Games with Tee Kai Wun, and Wooi Yik spent time partnering other players, including Aaron Tai.
In September, Aaron confirmed that BAM's plan was always to restore the original pairings after the Asian Games. He said playing with Wooi Yik again was no problem because of how long they had been together.
Odense is their first tournament back. They don't get an easy start: Hoki and Kobayashi are among the most experienced pairs on tour.
The European swing
The Denmark Open is the first of three European events on Malaysia's plan for the coming weeks. The French Open and Hylo Open follow. The Denmark Open carries total prize money of US$950,000.
The men's doubles department arrives with good news. On Sunday, the new pair of Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King won the Super 500 Arctic Open in Finland in their first event together, beating Taiwan's Lai Po Yu-Tsai Fu Cheng 21-19, 21-19 in the final. That result gives head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi more options as he continues to shuffle combinations.
Women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah are also heading to Odense. They arrive after winning bronze at the Asian Games, where they reached the semi-finals before losing to a Chinese pair.
An all-Malaysian clash in round one
Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin will open against independent Malaysian pair Tan Wee Kiong and Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub. That guarantees at least one Malaysian men's doubles pair in the second round.
Malaysia time and how to follow
Odense is on Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), six hours behind Malaysia. Morning sessions in Denmark therefore start in the Malaysian afternoon, and evening sessions run late into the Malaysian night. Exact match times depend on the daily order of play. Live scores and results are on the BWF website and app.
The first round is spread over Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 October. The finals are on Sunday 18 October.
Key takeaways
- The Super 750 Denmark Open runs from 13 to 18 October in Odense, with US$950,000 in prize money.
- Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are back together after the Asian Games and open against 2021 world champions Hoki-Kobayashi.
- Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin face fellow Malaysians Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Azriyn Ayub in round one.
- Denmark is six hours behind Malaysia, so most matches fall in the Malaysian afternoon and evening.
FAQ
When does the Denmark Open 2026 start and finish? It starts on Tuesday 13 October and ends with the finals on Sunday 18 October.
Why were Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik split? BAM paired them with different partners for the Asian Games and said they would reunite once the Games were over.
What is the time difference between Odense and Malaysia? Denmark is six hours behind Malaysia during the tournament.
Sources: BWF, BadmintonPlanet, New Straits Times, Liga Olahraga, Bernama