SEA Games 2025 – Singapore’s young women’s team, with an average age of 20.2, claimed the silver medal after a narrow defeat to hosts Thailand at Central Westgate in Nonthaburi on Sunday, 14 December.

In a match that stretched close to 4 hours, the team of Zeng Jian, Ser Lin Qian and Tan Zhao Yun pushed the defending champions all the way to the wire, at times silencing the home crowd, before eventually losing 3-2 to the much more experienced Thailand trio of Orawan Paranang, Suthasini Sawattebut and Khetkuan Tamolwan.

The silver betters the 2023 result of bronze, but extends Singapore’s search for the gold that was last won in 2017 by the team of Feng Tianwei, Yu Mengyu, Zhou Yihan, Lin Ye and Yee Herng Hwee.

Singapore reached the final by topping their group with successive 3-0 wins over Malaysia and Indonesia to top their group, and then followed up with another 3-0 win over Philippines in the semifinal.

In the final, it was the Thais who struck first blood when Paranang beat Ser in straight sets, 14-12, 11-7, 11-8.

However, 37th-ranked Zeng pulled Singapore back with a hard fought 11-9, 6-11, 13-11, 8-11, 11-7 win over Suthasini, stunning the home crowd.

World No. 150 chopper Tan, then gave Singapore a shock 2-1 lead as she eased past unranked Tamolwan Khetkhuan 11-1, 6-11, 15-13, 11-9 with the expedited rule in play.

With the Thais staring at defeat, Paranang then pulled off a comeback victory over Zeng in the fourth game, winning 17-15, 7-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6.

It was left to 19 year-old Ser to end Singapore’s gold medal drought, but despite playing some superb table tennis and taking Sawattebut to 5 sets, she eventually fell 9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 11-5, as the Thai’s experience told.

The world no. 125 was inconsolable after the match, and spoke to the media after the match, still struggling to hold back tears.

“At that moment, I sort of blamed myself, but I knew my teammates wouldn’t blame me…

“But I really wanted to win this gold, because at the last edition, my seniors weren’t able to do it… I just hope I will do better in future.

“Before the last match I felt a lot of pressure, but I think I did really well. Suthasini is a very, very strong opponent, and to be able to play against her like this is already a very good achievement.”

Singapore national coach Jing Junhong added: “Even though we lost, we can be proud of our performance here today… It was a pity that we lost under such circumstances.

“The Thai side that played here tonight are the same three that faced Feng Tianwei, Isabelle Li and Yu Mengyu when we won in the 2015 edition in Singapore.

“And their experience really showed here… I hope it’ll not be another 10 years before we can beat Thailand again.”