KUALA LUMPUR: National doubles ace Aaron Chia has not kept it a secret that he is eyeing a significant portion of the US$2.5 million (RM11.66 million) up for grabs at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou next week.
The season finale of the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) flagship circuit recently received a substantial prize money boost.
The world governing body announced a remarkable 20 per cent increase from the initial offer of US$2 million, making the World Tour Finals the richest-ever badminton event in history.
BWF has confirmed that this enhanced prize fund will be maintained for 2024, with further increases in 2025 and 2026, reaching US$3 million (RM14 million) and US$3.5 million (RM16.33 million), respectively.
Under the revised prize fund, singles champions will take home a staggering US$200,000 (RM933,300), while winners in doubles events will share US$210,000 (RM980,000).
Participants in the Finals are guaranteed a minimum of US$15,000 (RM70,000) and US$17,500 (RM81,700) in the singles and doubles, respectively.
Aaron humorously remarked that it would be great for him to bring home a "big angpow" from Hangzhou ahead of the Chinese New Year in February.
But on a more positive note, he acknowledged that BWF's efforts will contribute to elevating the status of badminton in the world of sports.
"It (the significant prize money) certainly serves as added motivation for us because we get to compete for both honour and financial rewards simultaneously," said Aaron during the press conference at Academy Badminton Malaysia ahead of the players' departure to Hangzhou on Sunday.
"Everyone will be vying for it, for sure, so it will only make the competition even more challenging. I'm going to try to grab a share of the big 'angpow.'
"Generally, it's really good for the sport. I really hope to see more money pumped into badminton. At the China Open (Super 1000) recently, we were also playing for a substantial purse (US$2 million)."
Soh Wooi Yik echoed his partner's sentiment, saying a significant prize fund can help badminton gain global attention.
"I see this as a positive development for badminton. With more money, badminton can make its presence felt worldwide," said Wooi Yik.
"At the moment, sports like tennis and football are way more famous. Although badminton is in the Olympics, it is still relatively small compared to other sports.
"As a shuttler, it will surely motivate me further to step up my effort in promoting badminton and grow its stature."
Rexy Mainaky, the current national coaching director and a former doubles legend for Indonesia, playfully remarked that he would consider coming out of retirement if he were still in peak condition.
His comment reflects the changed landscape of badminton, acknowledging that during his prime, players didn't have the opportunity to compete for substantial prizes like they do today.
Despite the increased prize money in badminton, the sport still has a considerable gap to close compared to its more prestigious counterpart, tennis.
For instance, consider the Wimbledon championship, where the total prize money this year amounted to £44.7 million (RM262.66 million), significantly surpassing the offering at the All England, the grand slam equivalent in badminton, which offers US$1.25 million (RM5.83 million).
Nonetheless, it's worth noting that badminton is outperforming squash in terms of prize money among racquet sports.