Malaysia’s table tennis team concluded their campaign at the Asian Games with early exits, as the pair of Wong Qi Shen and Choong Javen were defeated in the third round of the men’s doubles event on Friday. Competing at the Sky Hall Toyota, the Malaysian duo fell 0-3 to Singapore’s Koen Pang and Izaac Quek, ranked 11th in the world, with set scores of 3-11, 9-11, and 7-11.

This defeat marked the fourth consecutive loss for Wong and Choong against the Singaporean pair, who had previously bested them to claim the gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games. The Malaysian pair had entered the Asian Games with confidence following their recent upset victory over world number two players Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah at the Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi.

Wong and Choong had progressed to the third round after surviving a challenging five-set match against Qatar’s Sultan Al-Kuwari-Ahmed Korani, winning 11-4, 14-16, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4. However, the Malaysian team’s bid for a medal ended there.

In the singles competition, the Malaysian players also faced early departures. Choong Javen was eliminated in the second round by Taiwan’s Feng Yi-hsin, the world number 41, while Wong Qi Shen was knocked out in the opening round by India’s ninth-seeded Manush Shah.

National coach Beh Lee Wei acknowledged the effort demonstrated by the players despite the disappointing results. “They gave their best effort and showed good fighting spirit throughout the Games,” Lee Wei said. He also highlighted the need to enhance consistency, particularly in crucial moments during matches, as the team prepares for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games scheduled to be held on home soil next year.

“We gained valuable experience here, and we will use these lessons to prepare better for the next competition,” the coach added. The Malaysian table tennis contingent is now focusing on building on these experiences to improve performance in future tournaments.