Asian Para Games 2026: Shuttler Tay Digs Deep For Opening Win While Paddler Li Draws Confidence From Narrow Defeat

Tay defied fatigue to clinch the comeback win. Photo: SNPC/Goh Si Wei

For former para badminton world champion Tay Wei Ming, competing at his fifth Asian Para Games at the age of 38 has shown him that “nothing is impossible”.

And Tay showed that same tenacity on Friday (Oct 16) when he overcame a rocky start to the Aichi-Nagoya Games after conceding the opening set of his opening men’s singles SU5 match in a “tough fight” against Malaysia’s Amyrul Yazid Ahmad Sibi.

The veteran shuttler’s experience shone through as he rallied to complete a comeback 2-1 (12-21, 21-19, 21-12) victory at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.

Tay initially struggled to find his range in the first set, with the slower shuttlecock speed posing a challenge.

But the world No.16 finally settled into the match midway through the second set.

“My rhythm was much better… When I reached 19 points (in the second set), I was so tired, but I endured it and tried to fight for every point… and at the same time I was also strategising my shots… I could feel my lungs burning on the 19th point,” Tay said of the gruelling 49-minute encounter.

Former teammate Sim has been in Tay's coaching set-up for four years. Photo: SpexSG/ Jeremy Lee

Coach Victor Sim, who has been in Tay’s corner since 2023, was also a huge help, constantly reminding him to be brave and trust in his abilities.

And it was that courage that helped Tay to “break through” both his mental and physical limits and mastermind the “crazy” victory.

The result, which has given Tay more motivation to do better in his upcoming matches, also marks an improvement from his previous Asian Games outing in Hangzhou, where he exited the competition with two losses in as many matches.

He will have the opportunity to extend that winning run as he takes on South Korea’s world No. 22 Lee Jeong Soo on Saturday (Oct 17).

Meanwhile at the Sky Hall Toyota, Games debutant Rodrick Li was hardly overawed by the 6,500-seater venue, going toe-to-toe with 2025 Asian champion Park Jin Cheol before falling 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-8) in a closely fought encounter.

In a tricky opening match in the para table tennis men's singles class 2, Li was “proud” of his performance against the world No.4 South Korean.

“I’m definitely quite proud of how I performed, especially considering how our first encounter went. The scoreline was much more one-sided back then, so being able to put up a closer fight this time is an encouraging sign of how far I’ve come.”

“I think I managed to execute my game plan to a reasonable extent. Compared to our previous encounter, I didn’t face as many of the difficult shots that had troubled me before, which was encouraging,” Li said.

The three-time ASEAN Para Games medallist is hoping for a shot at the podium in Nagoya. Photo: SNPC/ Dyan Tjhia

Having grown “familiar with his ability to deliver challenging, wide-angled shots with a lot of spin” from their previous encounter, Li was able to maintain the quality of his returns and prevent his opponent from dictating the rallies.

Heading into his second and final pool match on Saturday (Oct 17) against Thailand’s world No. 165 Natthawut Thinathet, Li will be taking the confidence gained from his opener into that crucial clash.

After losing 3-0 to Nattawut at January’s ASEAN Para Games en route to bronze, the world No. 311 is raring to avenge that defeat.

Li will face world No. 165 Nattawut in his next match. Photo: SNPC/Dyan Tjhia

“My immediate goal is definitely to put up a strong performance against Nattawut and hopefully secure a win to progress to the next round.

“Our previous encounter at the ASEAN Para Games was a challenging one, and there were definitely lessons I took away from that match.

“Nattawut is particularly good at placing the ball in difficult positions, especially in areas that exploit our limited reach on the forehand side.

“That’s something I’ll be paying closer attention to this time, with a focus on anticipating his placements and responding more effectively.”

The 5th Asian Para Games are held in Japan from 18 to 24 October 2026. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.