Malaysia’s shuttlers endured a demanding Qualifying Day at the Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters 2026 (HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300) on Tuesday, with several encouraging breakthroughs offset by tough exits as competition intensified at the Nimibutr Arena.
Malaysia enjoyed a positive start in the men’s singles qualifying draw as Eogene Ewe and Kok Jing Hong both delivered composed performances in Round 1.
Eogene brushed aside India’s Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar 21-18, 21-15, showing maturity and control from the back court. Kok Jing Hong followed suit with a confident straight-games win over Indonesia’s Yohanes Saut Marcellyno, prevailing 21-18, 21-14.
However, the momentum was halted in Round 2, where Eogene fell to China’s Zhu Xuan Chen (16-21, 14-21), while Kok Jing Hong was outgunned by Taiwan’s Wang Yu-Kai in a tightly contested encounter, losing 20-22, 11-21.
National women’s singles hopeful Siti Zulaikha Azmi faced a stern test against South Korea’s Lee So Yul, bowing out 16-21, 11-21. Despite flashes of promise, the Malaysian was unable to cope with her opponent’s consistency and pace at this level.
Malaysia picked up a notable win in men’s doubles as Faiq Masawi / Lok Hong Quan bounced back strongly after dropping the opening game to defeat Singapore’s Donovan Wee / Howin Wong 17-21, 21-14, 21-18 — a result that underlined their resilience under pressure.
Another hard-fought contest saw Lau Yi Sheng / Lim Tze Jian edge Indonesia’s Alif Rayhan / Devin A. Wahyudi in three games, 22-20, 13-21, 23-21, sealing victory in a nerve-wracking decider.
In women’s doubles, Chong Jie Yu / Vanessa Ng were edged out by Thailand’s K. Chaichana / Pannawee Polyiam, losing 20-22, 19-21 after pushing their opponents to the limit.
Credit Photo : BERNAMA
