Herry IP leads Malaysia to Asian gold after 18-year title drought

Herry Iman Pierngadi — former Indonesian doubles coach now handling the Malaysian team — has drawn attention after leading Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik to victory at the 2025 Asian Championships in Ningbo, China last week.

This success has sparked various reactions — including accusations of betrayal from some Indonesian badminton fans following his move to Malaysia earlier this year.

Under Herry IP’s guidance, the Chia/Soh pair performed brilliantly despite Chia‘s recurring right arm injury from last month. The new coaching tactics and style implemented at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) proved effective in covering their weaknesses.

On their path to the title, Chia/Soh defeated:
* Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia)
* Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang (China) in the semifinals
* Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi (China) in the finals

This achievement ends Malaysia’s long 18-year wait since their last title won by Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah in 2007 at the same event.