Singapore’s youth paddlers enjoyed a successful Thursday on home ground as they clinched both the U19 boys’ and girls’ team titles at the South East Asian (SEA) Youth Table Tennis Championships 2026 at the ActiveSG Pasir Ris Sports Hall.

In the boy’s event, the trio of Nicholas Tan, Ellsworth Le and Loy Xing Yao rose to the occasion, holding their nerve in a high-intensity final to overcome neighbours Malaysia 3-1 and successfully defend their title. Backed by a passionate home crowd comprising Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) Junior Development players, Singapore Sports School students, as well as family and friends, the team showcased composure and resilience when it mattered most.

There was further cause for celebration in the U19 Girls’ Team event. Loy Ming Ying, Chloe Lai and Eudora Lee produced a dominant display to reclaim the title with a convincing 3-0 victory over defending champions Thailand. In a result that exceeded expectations, the Singapore trio-controlled proceedings from start to finish to wrest back the crown they last won in 2024.

“I am really proud of the team for pulling off such an achievement. We went out without any expectations and just wanted to do our best. We went in with the mentality of being the underdogs and I think that was what worked for us”, said Lai, who got Singapore off to a flying start with a win over Kulapassr Vijitvirayagul, the number one Thai player.

The U15 teams also impressed, despite finishing runners-up in both the Boys’ and Girls’ Team events against traditional rivals Malaysia.

The boys’ team of Zane Ong, Isaiah Loh and Damien Li fought valiantly but fell 3-1 in the final. Meanwhile, the girls’ final proved to be a nail-biter, going the distance before Singapore narrowly lost 3-2 in a deciding match.

Despite the heartbreak, debutants Chevelle See, Arissa Cheng and Sonia Zainudeen can take pride in an outstanding campaign.

“I feel awesome but at the same time slightly disappointed,” said See. “I was nervous in the final and didn’t perform at my best, but overall, our performance throughout the team event was very strong. We beat some tough teams, and reaching the final was a surprise. I’m really proud of the team.”

While a clean sweep would have been the ideal outcome on home soil, Singapore team manager Valerie Kwan was satisfied with securing two of the four titles.

“Everyone is proud of what our young players have achieved today,” she said. “We hope this is just the beginning, with more successes to come.”

The competition moves on to Day 4 with the continuation of the individual events.

For full and detailed results: https://results.ittf.com/ittf-web-results/html/TTE3475/results.html#/results