KUALA LUMPUR: Rexy Mainaky's gamble in fielding the untested Kon Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong turned out to be a masterstroke at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

Fast forward to 2026, and national doubles head coach Herry IP has opted for a similar approach by fielding scratch pair Aaron Chia-Tee Kai Wun in a bid to end Malaysia's 20-year badminton gold drought at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya from Sept 19 to Oct 4.

While Kien Keat-Boon Heong took the men's doubles scene by storm after their triumph in Doha and went on to become world No. 1, Aaron-Kai Wun head into the Asiad without an established track record as a pair.

Herry had to make the bold decision to leave out the evergreen Soh Wooi Yik, with whom Aaron won the 2022 World Championships in Tokyo and also claimed bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, while Kai Wun's injury-stricken partner Man Wei Chong was also not considered.

The Indonesian coaching guru confirmed the move was a collective decision after seeking feedback from all parties, including the players themselves, before naming Aaron-Kai Wun alongside the in-form world No. 6 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in the Asian Games squad.

"The decision to leave out Wooi Yik was not mine alone. It was made after discussions with the management and the coaches.