A priceless silver after 58 years for our paddlers

BANGKOK: It was not gold, but it was price­less. After all, it was Malay­sia’s first appear­ance in the table ten­nis mixed doubles final in 58 years.

Wong Qi Shen-tee Ai Xin bagged sil­ver after going down 6-11, 7-11, 2-11 to Singa­pore’s Zeng Jian-koen Pang at the West­g­ate Hall in Cent­ral West­g­ate, Nonthaburi.

They emu­lated the feat of Lim Hee Peng and Chong Siok Fong, who also claimed sil­ver in 1967 in Thai­l­and, when it was still called the SEAP Games.

The sil­ver medal was also a con­fid­ence boost for Qi Shen-ai Xin.

“Both of us com­peted in the singles event in the last SEA Games (in Cam­bodia in 2023 and lost in the quarter-finals at the 2021 (Hanoi) edi­tion,” said Ai Xin.

“No mat­ter the col­our of the medal, we gave our best, and I am very grate­ful to every­one who sup­por­ted and helped us.” Teeaixin

“This time, he chose to com­pete in mixed doubles with me, and I want to thank him for part­ner­ing with me in such an import­ant tour­na­ment.

“Our tar­get was win­ning gold but we accept the out­come.

“No mat­ter the col­our of the medal, we gave our best, and I am very grate­ful to every­one who sup­por­ted and helped us.”

Mean­while, another mixed doubles pair Choong Javen-karen Lyne settled for bronze after fall­ing 9-11, 5-11, 4-11 to Zeng Jian-koen in the last four.

Ai Xin also partnered Karen to clinch bronze in the women’s doubles after suf­fer­ing a nar­row 11-5, 10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 13-11 defeat to hosts Orawan Paranang­suthas­ini Sawet­tabut in the semi-finals.

Both the men’s and women’s teams had already won bronze medals earlier in the tour­na­ment.