A Comprehensive Review of Badminton at the 2025 SEA Games
Date: December 15, 2025 Venue: Gymnasium 4, Thammasat University Rangsit Campus, Pathum Thani, Thailand Event Dates: December 7 – 14, 2025
The shuttles have settled at the Thammasat University Gymnasium, marking the end of an electrifying week of badminton at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Thailand. With the host nation and regional powerhouses Indonesia and Malaysia fielding strong squads, the tournament served as both a celebration of ASEAN badminton excellence and a fierce battleground for regional supremacy.
Held just days before the prestigious BWF World Tour Finals, the event saw a fascinating mix of top-tier veterans protecting their legacy and rising stars announcing their arrival on the big stage.
The Medal Tally: A Tale of Two Kingdoms
The narrative of the 2025 SEA Games badminton competition was dominated by two nations: Thailand and Indonesia.
The hosts, buoyed by a raucous home crowd, asserted their dominance in the women’s and mixed doubles sectors. Meanwhile, Indonesia reaffirmed its status as the king of the men’s disciplines, sweeping the Men’s Team and Men’s Singles titles, and pulling off a stunning upset in the Men’s Doubles. Malaysia, despite fielding a star-studded lineup including former World Champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, fell short of their four-gold target, sparking intense post-tournament scrutiny.
Team Events: Fortresses Held
The team events (Dec 7–10) set the tone for the individual competitions, with both top seeds defending their respective territories.
Men’s Team: Indonesia’s Youthful Mastery
Indonesia’s decision to blend youth with experience paid off spectacularly. In the final, the Red and White squad decimated a full-strength Malaysian team 3-0.
- The Turning Point: The victory was anchored by Alwi Farhan, who stunned Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao in the opening singles.
- The Upset: The pivotal moment came in the first doubles, where the independent pairing of Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Reza Pahlevi Isfahani outgunned world-class duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
- The Clincher: Young prodigy Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah sealed the gold with a demolition of Justin Hoh, showcasing the terrifying depth of Indonesia’s men’s singles pipeline.
Women’s Team: Thailand’s Home Turf Glory
The Thai women’s team, led by former World Champion Ratchanok Intanon, proved untouchable. Facing Indonesia in the final, Thailand leveraged their superior singles depth and the makeshift yet formidable doubles pair of Benyapa Aimsaard and Supissara Paewsampran to secure the gold. It was a sentimental victory for Ratchanok, who captained the team to glory in front of her adoring home fans.
Individual Events: Heroes and Heartbreaks
The individual events (Dec 11–14) provided the tournament’s most dramatic moments.
Men’s Singles: The Alwi Farhan Era Begins
The Men’s Singles category was an all-Indonesian affair, signaling a changing of the guard. Alwi Farhan captured the gold medal, defeating his younger compatriot Zaki Ubaidillah in the final.
- Review: Farhan played with a maturity beyond his years throughout the week. His ability to control the net and unleash deceptive attacks left opponents, including Malaysia’s Justin Hoh in the semis, scrambling. Zaki’s silver medal run, however, was equally impressive, proving that Indonesia has found a worthy successor to the Christie/Ginting generation.
Women’s Singles: Queen May’s Coronation
In what might be one of her final SEA Games appearances, Ratchanok Intanon (May) delivered the gold medal Thailand craved.
- The Final: She defeated teammate Supanida Katethong in a high-quality final. Ratchanok’s movement was fluid, and her signature drop shots were painting lines all week.
- Bronze: Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani and Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching took bronze, but the gap in class between the Thai finalists and the rest of the field was evident.
Men’s Doubles: The Shock of the Tournament
The Men’s Doubles final provided the biggest shock of the Games. Malaysia’s top seeds, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, were heavy favorites for gold. However, they were upstaged by Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh. Reza Pahlevi Isfahani.
- Analysis: “SabarReza” played a fast, flat, and aggressive game that neutralized the Malaysian pair’s defensive prowess. This victory is massive for the Indonesian professional pair, validating their resurgence in 2025. For Malaysia, settling for silver with a top-5 world pair is a bitter pill to swallow.
Women’s Doubles: Malaysia’s Saving Grace
Malaysia avoided a gold-medal drought thanks to Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan. The world-class duo was simply a level above the competition.
- The Final: They defeated the Indonesian pairing of Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspita Sari in three thrilling games. Pearly’s explosive court coverage and Thinaah’s net control were too much for the scratch Indonesian pair to handle.
Mixed Doubles: Thai Sweep
Thailand confirmed their dominance in the mixed discipline with an all-Thai final. Ruttanapak Oupthong and Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat took gold, defeating veterans Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran. The precision and speed of the Thai pairs were unmatched, leaving Malaysian and Indonesian pairs to settle for bronze.
Nation-by-Nation Report Card
🇹🇭 Thailand (Host)
- Grade: A
- Verdict: The hosts delivered exactly what was expected. Dominating the women’s and mixed sectors brought joy to the Thammasat Gymnasium. Ratchanok Intanon remains the spiritual leader of Thai badminton, but the emergence of Oupthong/Sudjaipraparat suggests a bright future in doubles.
🇮🇩 Indonesia
- Grade: A-
- Verdict: PBSI will be thrilled. Despite resting some top names for the BWF World Tour Finals, the “second layer” proved they are world-class. Sweeping the Men’s Team and Men’s Singles, plus the surprise Men’s Doubles gold, constitutes a massive success. The emergence of Zaki Ubaidillah is the story of the tournament for Indonesian fans.
🇲🇾 Malaysia
- Grade: C+
- Verdict: A tournament to forget for BAM. The target was four gold medals; they returned with only one (Women’s Doubles). The failure of the Men’s Team and Aaron/Soh to convert dominance into gold has already sparked controversy, with Coaching Director Rexy Mainaky stating he is ready to take responsibility for the missed targets. The pressure on the squad will be immense heading into 2026.
Conclusion and What’s Next
The 2025 SEA Games badminton competition was a testament to the depth of talent in Southeast Asia. While the “Big Three” (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia) took the lion’s share of medals, the gap between the established stars and the hungry challengers has never been smaller.
For the players, there is no time to rest. The elite shuttlers now immediately turn their attention to the BWF World Tour Finals, beginning December 17th. For the winners like Alwi Farhan and Sabar/Reza, Bangkok was a launching pad. For the losers, it is back to the drawing board as the 2026 season—and the road to the next Asian Games—looms on the horizon.
Full results 👇
