Orawan Advances in Singapore Table Tennis Smash 2026 After Defeating Chilean Opponent

The international table tennis tournament WTT Singapore Smash 2026 is taking place in Singapore from February 19 to March 1, 2024, with 240 athletes from 54 countries competing for a total prize pool of $1,550,000. The Thai Table Tennis Association sent two national team athletes, Orawan Paranang and Suthasini Sawetabutr, to compete in the event. On the evening of February 19, Orawan Paranang, ranked 85th globally, competed in the first round of qualifiers in a knockout format against Seng Chi Ying from Chile, ranked 146th globally. Orawan dominated the match with superior speed and aggression, winning decisively 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-3) and advancing to the second round of qualifiers. Meanwhile, Suthasini Sawetabutr, ranked 113th globally and recent SEA Games women's singles champion, played her first-round match against Leana Hochart from France, ranked 180th globally. The match was closely contested, going back and forth until the final game, where Hochart's sharper play secured a 3-2 victory (11-5, 8-11, 12-10, 10-12, 11-7), eliminating Suthasini from the singles competition. However, Suthasini will still compete in the women's doubles event with her younger teammate Orawan.