Table tennis: Singapore successfully defend SEA Games men's team title, women clinch silver

BANGKOK: Feeling under the weather and nursing various injuries, Singapore's men’s table tennis team dug deep to win gold on Sunday (Dec 14), successfully defending their title after a dramatic 3-2 win over Vietnam.

At the Central Westgate mall in Nonthaburi, it was the gutsy underdogs who got off to the best start as world number 814 Nguyen Anh Tu stunned world-ranked 135 Koen Pang 14-16, 11-8, 11-5, 11-7.

But 19-year-old Izaac Quek got his team back on track with an 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 win over Dinh Anh Hoang.

World ranked 225 Josh Chua took a first set lead against the unranked Nguyen Duc Tuan 11-8, but looked to have sustained an ankle injury down 5-9 in the second game.

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After a lengthy stoppage, Chua returned to the table, but dropped the next three sets 6-11, 9-11, 8-11.

With everything on the line, world number 139 Quek stepped up for Singapore, beating Nguyen Anh Tu 11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10.

Then it was down to Pang, who beat Dinh 3-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7, and collapsed to the ground as his teammates mobbed him.

The 23-year-old, who was dealing with a shoulder injury of his own, said the result was especially meaningful given the trials the team had to go through.

"This is probably the most emotional I've been after winning," he added.

"We're just really relieved as a team. I'm happy that we pulled through," said Quek. "This win definitely felt different (from) the last time because the last time was more smooth sailing."

Earlier in the day, the women's table tennis team came agonisingly close to their first SEA Games gold since 2017, but fell to defending champion Thailand 2-3.

In the first singles match, Thailand’s world number 73 Orawan Paranang beat world-ranked 125 Ser Lin Qian 14-12, 11-7, 11-8.

But Singapore found a route back into the tie courtesy of world number 37 Zeng Jian. She managed to see off world-ranked 98 Suthasini Sawettabut 11-9, 6-11, 13-11, 5-11, 11-7.

World number 150 Tan Zhao Yun extended the lead for Singapore as she saw off unranked Tamolwan Khetkhuan 11-1, 6-11, 15-13, 11-9.

But there was another twist in the tale as Orawan then upset Zeng 17-15, 7-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6.

Then it was down to Ser. The 19-year-old put up a strong fight, but went down 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 7-11, 5-11 to Suthasini, as the hall erupted in cheers.

“Regardless of the result, I’m really proud of every one of us,” said the youngster. “Last SEA Games, we only got third. Our aim was to really fight for it because we had nothing to lose.”

“My teammates are all still very young and I thought they did very well,” added Zeng, 28. “There’s some regret on my end that I couldn’t lead them to the gold.”

The Singapore women's team finished with a joint bronze at the last edition of the Games.