Underdogs Shine as Asian Table Tennis Championships Qualifiers Heat Up in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Oct 2025 — The opening day of the Asian Table Tennis Championships Qualifiers (Division 1) witnessed several spirited performances, with underdogs taking the spotlight before Asia’s powerhouses prepare to make their mark in the coming rounds.

In the men’s Group 2 clash, Maldives showed resilience by managing to take a game off Mongolia, but ultimately went down 1-3.

The women’s competition offered one of the day’s most gripping encounters between Macau (China) and Uzbekistan. The tie swung dramatically before Macau edged out Uzbekistan 3-2 in a thrilling finish.
Uzbekistan’s Shoira Kodirova gave her side an early lead, but determined wins from Huang Cheong Leng and Seak Hui Li pulled Macau back into contention. Kodirova returned for the decisive match but was unable to stop Macau, who clinched the victory with a composed straight-games performance, sealing a memorable win.

As the women’s teams prepared for their second-round ties later in the evening, and the men readied themselves for tomorrow’s battles, anticipation rose for the decisive group clashes that will determine who qualifies for the elite Champions Division.
With only group leaders progressing to the knockout rounds, the upcoming matches promise high-intensity drama and fierce competition under the Bhubaneswar lights.

The first day may have belonged to the challengers, but the stage is now set for Asia’s top contenders to assert dominance in the next phase.

Men’s Qualifiers (Division 1)

Group A: Kyrgyzstan bt Sri Lanka 3-1; Kazakhstan bt Kyrgyzstan 3-0
Group B: Mongolia bt Maldives 3-1; Iran bt Maldives 3-0
Group C: Uzbekistan bt Oman 3-0; Singapore bt Oman 3-0
Group D: DPR Korea bt Macau (China) 3-0; Malaysia bt Macau (China) 3-0
Group E: Thailand bt Bangladesh 3-0; Qatar bt Nepal 3-1; Thailand bt Nepal 3-0; Qatar bt Bangladesh 3-0

Women’s Qualifiers (Division 1)

Group A: Sri Lanka bt Mongolia 3-0; Thailand bt Sri Lanka 3-0
Group B: Kazakhstan bt Maldives 3-0; Singapore bt Maldives 3-0
Group C: Chinese Taipei bt Bangladesh 3-0; Macau (China) bt Uzbekistan 3-2; Chinese Taipei bt Macau (China) 3-0; Uzbekistan bt Bangladesh 3-0
Group D: Malaysia bt Nepal 3-0; Iran bt Kyrgyzstan 3-0; Iran bt Nepal 3-0; Malaysia bt Kyrgyzstan 3-0