SINGAPORE: Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong have congratulated national badminton player Jason Teh for his victory at the Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters 2025.
Teh clinched his first international title and bagged prize money of US$240,000 (S$325,000) as he defeated China’s Wang Zhengxing in the final of the Super 300 event men’s singles on Sunday, Feb 2, at the Nimibutr Stadium in Patumwan, Bangkok.
“A superb win by Jason Teh in the Thailand Master’s badminton men’s singles final – clinched in a closed-fought match (21-18, 15-21, 21-19) against China’s Wang Zhengxing,” shared President Tharman on his social media.
President Tharman commented that Teh’s win would be a good psychological booster after the national shuttler had suffered disappointment in seven previous finals in international competition.
“He is now focused on his debut at the All England Championships next month and is aiming for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028,” added President Tharman.
With the victory, Teh climbed up the ranks and reached a career-high of world No. 30. He is currently Singapore’s second-highest ranked men’s singles badminton player, behind world No. 11 and former world champion Loh Kean Yew.
PM Wong also shared a Facebook post to convey his warmest congratulations to the Singapore national badminton player.
“Jason’s journey has been one of hard work, perseverance and resilience. He has battled setbacks, put in the hard work, and continually pushed himself to improve,” said Prime Minister Wong on his Facebook page.
“This year, he chose to forgo Chinese New Year celebrations to stay focused on his game. His dedication and sacrifices have paid off, earning him his first international badminton title.”
Despite a promising 2024 campaign, Teh fell agonizingly short of claiming his first men’s singles title, finishing runner-up in five finals.
Teh’s closest brush with victory came at the Polish Open in March, where he pushed Viktor Kauffmann to a thrilling three-game showdown (16-21, 22-20, 23-25), only to succumb to a heartbreaking defeat. Further disappointment followed at the Luxembourg Open in May, as Teh was outmanoeuvred by Alex Lanier (17-21, 15-21).
Teh’s title drought persisted into the latter half of the year, as he suffered a pair of frustrating final defeats.
At the Macau Open, he was edged out by Angus Ng of Hong Kong in a closely contested match (19-21, 17-21). At the Malaysia Super 100, Teh’s valiant comeback effort ultimately fell short against Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen (12-21, 23-21, 15-21).
Teh’s year ended on a disheartening note, as he was outplayed by India’s world No. 10, Lakshya Sen, at the Syed Modi International Badminton Championship in December, succumbing to a 6-21, 7-21 defeat.
Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Community, Culture, and Youth, also joined in the chorus of congratulations, saying, “It wasn’t easy to miss the Chinese New Year festivities, but Jason gave his all in Bangkok, defeating strong opponents from Korea, Indonesia, Israel, and India along the way.”
“This victory comes on the heels of his stellar run at the Indonesia Masters Super 500, where he reached his career-best quarterfinal before bowing out to reigning world champion and Olympic silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn,” added Minister Tong.
At the Indonesia Masters in January, Teh secured a memorable win as he stunned world No. 9 Kodai Naraoka with a hard-fought 21-19, 21-16 victory in the Round of 16.
However, his winning momentum was short-lived, as he succumbed to a 16-21, 14-21 defeat at the hands of Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the quarter-finals. The world No. 5 Thai player went on to claim the men’s title as he defeated Jonatan Christie in the final.