Malaysia produced a powerful surge on the penultimate day of the 33rd SEA Games Thailand 2025, hauling 10 gold medals to leapfrog Singapore and climb to fourth overall as the curtain prepares to fall on the biennial Games tomorrow.
The gold rush, delivered across polo, diving, tenpin bowling, track cycling, field hockey, squash and shooting, lifted Malaysia’s medal haul to 227 medals, comfortably surpassing the contingent’s pre-Games target of 200.
With one day remaining, hosts Thailand have already secured the overall title, amassing a record 232 gold medals, while Indonesia and Vietnam sit second and third with 91 and 86 gold medals, respectively.
Malaysia’s late surge pushed Singapore down to fifth.
Malaysia’s golden charge began on the squash courts, where Sanjay Jeeva and Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi delivered gold in all-Malaysian individual finals at Vajiravudh College.
Sanjay defeated Duncan Lee 6–11, 11–6, 11–5, 11–4, while Noor Ainaa overcame Yee Xin Ying 11–7, 12–10, 8–11, 11–4, underlining Malaysia’s regional dominance. The squash squad swept all four gold medals and two silvers on offer in Bangkok.
As expected, hockey contributed two gold medals, with both the men’s and women’s field hockey teams asserting their supremacy.
The men’s team retained the title in emphatic fashion, thrashing Thailand 8–0 to claim Malaysia’s 18th SEA Games hockey gold since their debut in 1971.
The women followed suit with a commanding 6–0 victory over Indonesia to complete the double.
Diving finally enjoyed its golden moment, delivering two gold medals.
Nur Eilisha Rania Abrar Raj and Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi captured the women’s synchronised 10m platform gold with 248.40 points, ahead of Singapore and Indonesia.
The success continued in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard as Nurqayyum Nazim Nazmi and Yong Rui Jieclinched gold, adding further momentum to Malaysia’s tally.
The ever-reliable track cycling squad delivered yet again, with Ridwan Sahrom, Fadhil Zonis and Akmal Nasimi Jusena powering to gold in the men’s team sprint.
The trio clocked 1:00.520 over 1,000m to edge Thailand in the final, smashing Malaysia’s previous national record of 1:02.077 set at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
Malaysia’s bowling campaign concluded on a high as the women’s team clinched gold, with Natasha Roslan, Nur Hazirah Ramli, Adania Redzwan and Sin Li Jane defeating Indonesia 817–773 in the final.
It marked Malaysia’s first women’s team bowling gold since the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Games and sealed their status as overall bowling champions with two gold, one silver and four bronze medals.
At the shooting range, Ikil Hessly Hafiz produced a career-defining performance to secure his maiden SEA Games gold in the men’s 50m rifle three-position event. His 447.5 points set a new SEA Games record, ahead of Singapore’s Marat Lleyton P Veloso and Indonesia’s Gustafian Fathur.
Malaysia’s 10th gold of the day came in polo, where the national team defeated Thailand 10–6½ in the 4–6 goals final at VS Sports Club & Siam Polo Park. The victory avenged their preliminary-round loss and ensured Malaysia retained the title won at the 2019 Manila Games.
With the Games heading into their final day tomorrow (Saturday 20 December), two more gold medals remain within reach for Malaysia in the men’s and women’s sepak takraw regu finals, before what promises to be a vibrant closing ceremony at the Rajamangala National Stadium.
