Badminton: Singapore women's and men's teams win opening matches, guaranteed at least SEA Games bronzes
The men's and women's teams will face Indonesia and Thailand respectively on Monday for a spot in the finals.
Singapore’s Insyirah Khan faces the Philippines’ De Guzman Mikaela Joy at the 33rd SEA Games in Bangkok, Thailand on Dec 7, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
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BANGKOK: The Singapore men's and women's badminton teams guaranteed themselves at least a bronze apiece after beating Laos and the Philippines 3-0 respectively on Sunday (Dec 7).
There is no third-fourth place playoff in the team event, and both teams will at minimum match their showing from the last edition of the Games in Cambodia.
They will go up against the defending champions of both events on Monday. The women's team face heavyweights Thailand for a spot in the finals, while the men's team will meet Indonesia.
At the 2023 Games, the Thais also met Singapore in the semi-finals, emerging 3-1 victors. The Indonesians beat Singapore's men's team by the same score.
Singapore clinched three bronzes at the 2023 Cambodia Games, in the men's and women's team events as well as the men's doubles.
At the Thammasat University Gymnasium 4 in Pathum Thani, world number 146 Nur Insyirah Khan saw off world ranked 175 Mikaela De Guzman 21-15, 21-18 in 46 minutes to get Singapore off to a winning start.
The Philippines however, looked to have found a way back into the tie as world number 150 Megan Lee dropped the first game 19-21 to Ysabel Amora, who does not have a Badminton World Federation (BWF) rank.
But 20-year-old Lee kept her composure and took the next two games 24-22, 21-16 in a marathon match which lasted 81 minutes.
Jaslyn Hooi then completed the sweep as she cruised past Christel Rei Fuentespina 21-10, 21-14.
Speaking to reporters, Singapore national singles coach Kim Ji-hyun praised the fighting spirit of the charges.
"They didn't give up, they fought (for) every single point. That's what I liked," she said. "(It shows) team spirit."
World number 18 Yeo Jia Min was rested and did not feature in the tie, said Kim.
Kim said this was so as to give a chance to the "younger generation" of players like Lee. "We'll see how it goes," she added when asked if Yeo will feature on Monday.
The Thais, who have a number of top players including Pornpawee Chochuwong (world ranked 6) and Ratchanok Intanon (world number 8), are the favourites to take gold.
Kim added that there remains a gap between the top women's teams like Thailand and Malaysia. "We (will) try to catch up to the top players," she added. "We want to step up forward."
She added that the medal will provide a big encouragement to the team.
"We are a small country, but we try to catch up to the big countries. This medal is good for them, encouraging for them ... (so) they (can be) proud of themselves."
Later in the day, the men's team dispatched Laos with relative ease.
In the first singles, former world champion Loh Kean Yew cruised past world number 667 Xayyalath Souksavat 21-8, 21-11.
"I went into the match preparing myself to the fullest and just focused on each point," world number 10 Loh told CNA. "He had a few attacking shots which caught me off guard a few times."
Next up was Jason Teh, who beat Phonesack Sokthavy 21-12, 21-15 in 30 minutes.
In the third singles, Joel Koh wrapped things up with 21-11, 21-7 win over Vixunnalath Phichith.
"Indonesia has always been known as powerhouses," said Loh. "It's not going to be easy, but of course ... we will for sure give our best and fight through all the way."
"Each and every one of us for sure wants to progress further than the last SEA Games," added Teh. "But thinking about this won't help. We will just focus on our parts and play (it) ... point by point. If we focus well on the process, the result will just come by itself."
It has been 14 years since Fu Mingtian won Singapore's last SEA Games singles gold. And it has been an even longer wait for a men's singles gold – Wong Shoon Keat claimed the country's only one back in 1983.
But in a boost for Loh, Thailand's world number 3 Kunlavut Vitidsarn will not be competing in the men's singles event, as he recovers from a wisdom tooth surgery and prepares for the year-end BWF World Tour finals.
The home favourite has an 8-1 winning record against Loh, and a 7-0 winning record against Teh.
This means that Loh is set to be the highest-ranked player in the men's singles event. However, countryman Teh, along with Indonesia’s young star Alwi Farhan and Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao will be the most likely challengers for the gold.
But Loh is taking it one step at a time, and focusing on the team event for now.
Said the Singaporean: "Whether or not he is playing, it's the same thing. I'm just preparing myself."
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