Paddlers Inspire Through Excellence and Record-Breaking Feats

Table Tennis: WTT Youth Contender and Feeder Vientiane 2025 and Europe Smash 2025

Chevelle See stood tall despite her small stature, taking on international competitors with fearless determination at the WTT Youth Contender and Feeder Vientiane 2025, held from 6 to 9 August. After receiving a BYE in the Round of 16 of the U13 Girls’ Singles, the Secondary 1 student-athlete faced her batchmate Arrisa Cheng in the quarter-finals. Chevelle advanced to the semi-finals with a 3-1 victory, but ultimately fell to a stronger competitor from Chinese Taipei, securing a joint-bronze medal.

Schoolmates Chloe Lai and Jayden Tan experienced a similar journey in the U19 Mixed Doubles. The duo cruised through the early rounds, earning a spot in the semi-finals. Facing a formidable Chinese Taipei pair, the Diploma in Business Studies Year 2 student-athletes eventually settled for a joint-bronze medal.

Meanwhile, Diploma in Business Studies Year 2 student-athlete Izaac Quek and alumnus Koen Pang made history at the Europe Smash 2025, held in Sweden from 14 to 24 August 2025. The 14th-ranked Men’s Doubles pair became the first Singaporeans to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Smash, after defeating Portuguese wildcards Marcos Freitas and Tiago Apolonia 3-2, followed by China’s Liang Jingkun and Wen Ruibo 3-2 in the quarter-finals.

Izaac credited his stint at Chinese club Anhui Zhongcheng and participation in the China Table Tennis Super League for raising his level of play. “Playing in the Chinese league definitely helped me get to know Wen Ruibo better as both a teammate and an opponent. We also play doubles together, so I understand some of his tendencies,” he told The Straits Times.

He added, “We played very well and weren’t intimidated by the Chinese opponents, which was crucial for us to stay focused and win. We are thrilled to reach the semi-finals, something we didn’t expect, and to make history for Singapore.”