KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s women’s badminton team had to settle for a bronze medal after going down 2-3 to Indonesia in the semi-finals of the 2025 SEA Games at the Thammasat Rangsit Gymnasium, Thailand, today.
The national side began on the back foot as the first singles player, K. Letshanaa, suffered a 9-21, 10-21 defeat to Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.
However, Malaysia fought back through the top doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, who delivered a stellar performance to level the tie at 1-1, overcoming Rachel Allessya Rose and Febi Setianingrum 21-14, 17-21, 21-16.
The victory also extended their winning streak against the Indonesian duo, having previously beaten them at the Denmark Open in October.
The drama continued as young Malaysian player Wong Ling Ching caused an upset by defeating world number 10 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 22-20, 15-21, 21-16 in a thrilling one-hour-six-minute encounter, giving Malaysia a 2-1 lead.
Indonesia struck back in the fourth match, with doubles pair Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari defeating Go Pei Kee and Toh Ee Wei 21-10, 21-9 in just 40 minutes to level the score at 2-2.
The deciding match fell to singles player Siti Zulaikha Azmi. Despite remaining composed under pressure, Siti Zulaikha went down 18-21, 16-21 to Mutiara Ayu Puspitasari in a 55-minute contest, ending Malaysia’s hopes of reaching the final.
As a result, Malaysia shares the bronze medal with Singapore, while Indonesia and Thailand will face off tomorrow for the gold in the women’s team event.
The last time Malaysia secured a medal in the women’s team event was at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, where the national team also claimed bronze. – December 8, 2025