Earlier this year, Malaysian badminton player Goh Liu Ying fell victim to a telecom scam, losing around 620,000 RMB. Recently, she posted on social media, hinting that her doubles partner, Chan Peng Soon, had done something “bad” and suggesting they might no longer be able to team up.
Currently, Goh and Chan have unfollowed each other on Instagram. The two have withdrawn from early November’s Japan Masters in Kumamoto and the Korean Masters but are still set to play in the upcoming China Masters in Shenzhen.
Due to speculation surrounding her post, Goh deleted the initial message and later clarified that the withdrawal was due to Chan Peng Soon’s injury, wishing him a speedy recovery. However, she did not clarify what the “bad deed” entailed or respond to further questions.
In 2021, after the Malaysian Badminton Association removed Goh from the national team due to age, Chan chose to leave as well, supporting his longtime partner. This act of loyalty became well-known, despite the mixed outcome of their teamwork since their championship win at the 2022 Korea Open.
They initially planned to compete together through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. However, recent social media activity suggests a significant rift, casting doubt on their future collaboration.
Chan Beng Soon (April 27, 1988), formerly known as Tan Beng Chian, is a Malaysian male badminton player who specializes in the mixed doubles event. His partnership with Goh Liu Ying was ranked as high as third in the world, and he was a silver medalist in mixed doubles at the 2016 Summer Olympics badminton tournament.
Born in Yayitan, George Town, Penang State, Tan Beng Soon won his first international title in November 2007 when he and Tay Hambin competed in the Malaysian Badminton International Challenge, defeating teammates Khoo Chung Kiat/Rajiv Abdul Radev 2-1 (21-14, 11-21, 21-11) in the men’s doubles final.
In July 2009, Chen Bingshun competed in the Thailand Badminton Golden Grand Prix with Lin Qinhua and Wu Liuying respectively, and won the Men’s Doubles final by defeating the tournament’s top seed and teammates Chung Tengfu/Lee Wanhua 2-1 (20-22, 21-14, 21-11)
In April 2010, Tan and Goh Liu Ying won the Mixed Doubles title at the Badminton Asia Championships 2010 in New Delhi, India, Malaysia’s first ever mixed doubles gold medal at the Asian Championships.
In September 2012, Tan and Goh Liu Ying won the Japan Badminton Superseries Mixed Doubles, defeating the 5th-seeded Indonesian pair of Muhammad Reza/Liliana Nasir 2-0 (21-12, 21-19) in the final to win the Superseries title for the first time in their careers.
In August 2016, he participated in the mixed doubles badminton tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He played with Wu Liuying and finished second from Group C in the group stage with 2 wins and 1 loss (to the current Olympic champion duo) to reach the knockout stage, defeating Robert Mateusiak and Nadezda Sylba of Poland 2-0 (21-17, 21-10) in the quarterfinals, Xu Chen and Ma Jin of China 2-0 (21-12, 21-19) in the semifinals, and 0-2 (14 -21, 12-21) loss to Tontowi Ahmad, Liliana Nasir , winning the silver medal, Malaysia’s best result in the Olympic mixed doubles event.
In January 2018, Tan Beng Soon once again played in the Thailand Badminton Masters with his old partner’s Goh Liu Ying, and struck the first blow in the mixed doubles final by defeating the tournament’s No. 7 seed and hosts, Dechapong Pao Uranuko/Putita Supachai Kung, 2-1 (21-15, 14-21, 21-16).
