After a four-year absence, Singapore’s national women’s team made a triumphant return to the Asian podium, clinching a bronze medal at the 28th ATTU–ITTF Asian Table Tennis Team Championships in Bhubaneswar, India.

The team — Zeng Jian (28), Ser Lin Qian (19), and Loy Ming Ying (14) — put up a valiant fight in the semifinals against Asian powerhouses Japan, represented by Miwa Harimoto, Honoka Hashimoto, and Satsuki Odo, before bowing out 0–3.

Before their semifinal clash, the Singapore side — which also featured Tan Zhao Yun (20) and Chloe Lai (18) — put together an impressive four-match winning streak. They dominated the group stage with back-to-back 3–0 victories over the Maldives and Kazakhstan, then cruised past Malaysia in a commanding 3–0 “Causeway Derby” win to reach the quarterfinals.

There, they delivered one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, edging out hosts India 3–2 to storm into the semifinals and reclaim a spot on the podium — sharing the bronze medal with the Republic of Korea.

The last time Singapore was on the podium at the Asian Championships was in 2021, when the team of Lin Ye, Wong Xinru, Goi Rui Xuan, Zhou Jingyi and Zhang Wanling shared the bronze with Hong Kong.

The Men’s Team finished ninth overall after edging Kazakhstan 3–2 in the 9th–10th place playoff.

The squad — Izaac Quek (19), Koen Pang (23), Clarence Chew (29), Josh Chua (24), and Ellsworth Le (16) — started strongly, topping their group with dominant 3–0 victories over Oman and Uzbekistan. They then staged a spirited comeback to defeat Thailand 3–1 in the Position 7–11 playoff, before falling 1–3 to the Islamic Republic of Iran in the battle for a quarterfinal berth.

With the top 13 teams from the Asian Table Tennis Team Championships qualifying for next year’s World Team Championships in London, both teams are now well positioned to secure their spots on the world stage.