No peeking ahead - Sangari admits competition heating up after hot start

By the Editorial Team · Friday, September 25, 2026

Defending champion S. Sivasangari advanced to the table tennis quarter-finals at the Asian Games with a dominant win, while fellow Malaysians Aira Azman and Ng Eain Yow also progressed to the last eight. With Olympic qualification at stake, the Malaysian players now face tougher, higher-ranked opponents as the competition intensifies.

Defending Asian Games champion S. Sivasangari advanced to the quarter-finals with a commanding victory at the table tennis competition in Nagoya, Japan, while acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead. The world No. 5 player secured her spot in the last eight by defeating Sri Lanka’s Chanithma Sinaly in straight sets, 11-3, 11-5, 11-3, in just 17 minutes at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena on Thursday.

Despite the strong start, Sivasangari, 27, tempered expectations, emphasizing the increasing difficulty of the tournament as it progresses. She is scheduled to face Hong Kong’s world No. 39 Ho Tze Lok in the quarter-finals. “It is not going to be easy to get into the semis,” Sivasangari said. “From now on, the players are ranked above 40, so it will be hard.” With an Olympic Games berth on the line for the gold medallist, she added that she was focusing on managing pressure and staying in the moment rather than looking too far ahead. “Everyone is ready physically, but it will also come down to who can stand strong when it matters most,” she said.

Fellow Malaysian competitor Aira Azman also reached the quarter-finals after a decisive win over Iran’s Najmeh Boushehrizadeh, taking the match 11-2, 11-2, 12-10. The world No. 24 player is set to challenge Hong Kong’s world No. 21 Chan Sin Yuk, with a victory potentially pitting her against Sivasangari in the semi-finals.

In the men’s singles event, defending champion Ng Eain Yow maintained his campaign with a straight-sets win over South Korea’s Ryu Jeong-min, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5. Ng will face Hong Kong’s Lau Tsz Kwan for a spot in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Malaysian debutant Sanjay Jeeva’s run concluded just short of the quarter-finals after a five-game loss to India’s Veer Chotrani. The closely contested match lasted 77 minutes, with Sanjay falling 9-11, 11-8, 6-11, 17-15, 6-11 against the world No. 38 player.

In mixed doubles action, Malaysia’s top seeds Syafiq Kamal and Aira Azman, along with second seeds C. Ameeshenraj and Rachel Arnold, advanced to the quarter-final stage, keeping their medal hopes alive as the competition intensifies.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.