SEA Games 2025: Singapore clinch first medals with bronzes in badminton team events

BANGKOK – Shoulders slumped and at a loss for words, Singapore’s world No. 21 Jason Teh cut a deflated figure after suffering the lowest single-game loss of his badminton career – a 21-2, 21-13 defeat by Indonesia’s 48th-ranked Zaki Ubaidillah in the SEA Games men’s team semi-finals on Dec 8.

Still visibly agitated despite composing himself at the Thammasat University mixed zone, he told The Straits Times: “I’m speechless. I just found it super, super tough to get even one point from him.

“I prepared myself for a tough game, but I don’t know what happened in the first game.

“I tried to forget about this in the second game, but I just couldn’t push through his spirit and momentum.

“It felt like he was unbreakable and I will need to go back and reflect on this with my coach and come back stronger in the men’s singles event.”

As Team Singapore collected their first medals of these Games with two joint-bronzes after the women’s and men’s badminton teams lost their semi-finals against defending champions, Teh’s unexpected defeat is a reminder to the Singapore Badminton Association that much work is needed to close the gap on its neighbours and make a breakthrough.

While she was all praise for the women’s team’s energy and fighting spirit, national singles head coach Kim Ji-hyun said she was not satisfied with the men’s results as they had aimed to beat Indonesia and reach the final.

She said: “What we expected did not happen. We are strong in the men’s singles, but Jason’s opponent played very well today.

“We didn’t underestimate him, but Jason wanted to win too badly and was too tense and nervous. He tried, but today was just not his day.”

In a compact gymnasium packed with about 1,500 local fans armed with airhorns, clappers, flags, giant face cut-outs of Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and vociferous vocals, Singapore’s men’s team took the lead against the Indonesians with world No. 10 Loh Kean Yew’s 21-15, 14-21, 21-8 win over 17th-ranked Alwi Farhan.

The world No. 51 men’s doubles pair Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo raised hopes of an upset by taking a game off eighth-ranked Sabar Gutama and Reza Isfahani, who eventually won 21-18, 18-21, 21-10.

It then went pear-shaped for the underdogs when Zaki beat Teh, before world No. 19 Leo Carnando and Bagas Maulana sealed their place in the Dec 10 final against Malaysia – for a rematch of the 2023 decider – with a 21-12, 21-19 win over 78th-ranked men’s doubles pair Donovan Wee and Howin Wong.

Singapore doubles head coach Paulus Firman felt that his charges acquitted themselves well, but still need to step up to disrupt the established order. The Republic have not made the men’s and women’s team finals since 2007.

He said: “We have enough men’s doubles players with room to improve, but the level of the women’s doubles players is normal. Players from other countries train twice or thrice a day, but some of our players are students who train once a day.

“We need many years to build the supply of women’s doubles players from the grassroots. I wouldn’t worry so much for the boys... their progress is on track.

“They can fight against the top players, but they cannot win. They need to improve on this and also do a lot of homework individually. If not, they cannot break through at a higher level.”

Likewise, the women’s team still have a lot of ground to make up, after losing 3-0 to hosts Thailand.

While it was a mismatch from the start, 146th-ranked Insyirah Khan put up a good fight against world No. 6 Pornpawee Chochuwong in the first singles.

Part of the team who won three women’s team titles from 2017 to 2022, Pornpawee had to be persuaded by Deputy Prime Minister and Sports Authority of Thailand chairman Thamanat Prompow to play after initially withdrawing from the Games due to management issues and the suspension of her allowance.

Insyirah, the 24-year-old daughter of former national player Hamid Khan, got as close as 11-12 in the first game and even led 15-14 in the second game, but the Thai’s quality and composure showed as she won 21-14, 21-15.

It was a more straightforward affair from then on as Benyapa Aimsaard and Supissara Paewsampran eased to a 21-6, 21-10 win over Jin Yujia and Li Zhengyan.

World No. 8 Ratchanok Intanon, Thailand’s first badminton world champion who is competing in her last SEA Games, then beat the 150th-ranked Megan Lee 21-8, 21-10 to seal their passage to the Dec 10 final.

They will meet Indonesia, who edged out Malaysia 3-2, in a rematch of the 2023 final.

Kim acknowledged the gulf in standards, saying: “The level of world-class players from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia is totally different. Even though there is a huge gap, they gave everything and dived everywhere. I really liked their fighting spirit.

“We need more time and experience, we can’t be champions in a day. We need to move up the competition levels from the international series to the Super 100, 300, 500, 750 and 1000 events.

“We need to be patient as they work hard to try to be top-level players. There are a few girls coming through, and although we cannot guarantee how they will turn out, we need to guide them step by step.”

Kim also addressed world No. 18 Yeo Jia Min’s absence from the team event.

While the South Korean did not comment on her physical condition, she said: “I know the Thai players because I have coached them before.

“Realistically, it is hard for us to beat them in the team event, so we want to save Jia Min for the individual event and give a chance to bring up the younger players.

“Yes, you will see her in the women’s singles.”

The singles competitions start on Dec 11.