World champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei suffer a shock defeat to Thailand, ending Malaysia’s mixed doubles gold medal hopes at the SEA Games
MALAYSIA’S quest for a mixed doubles gold medal at the SEA Games Thailand 2025 ended in a stunning semi-final defeat.
The top-seeded pair and reigning world champions, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, fell to Thailand’s Ruttanapak Oupthong and Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat.
The Malaysian duo lost 15-21, 16-21 in 44 minutes at Gymnasium 4, Thammasat University Rangsit Campus.
Despite being firm favourites, they could not handle the relentless pressure from the fourth-seeded Thai pair.
This marked their first-ever defeat against the Thai duo after winning all three previous encounters.
Ee Wei admitted they failed to impose their game and struggled with the occasion’s pressure.
“We were fully prepared for this match, but I felt the Thai pair applied more pressure on us, which is why we struggled,” she said.
She added that they are still learning and have not yet reached a level where they can handle pressure very well.
Meanwhile, Tang Jie, who won gold in the 2021 edition, was gutted to miss the final.
He admitted he was still struggling to digest what went wrong in the crucial encounter.
The SEA Games Thailand 2025 is taking place from December 9 to 20 across Bangkok and Chonburi provinces. – Bernama
