KUALA LUMPUR – Following a hard-fought battle at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Malaysia settled for a silver medal in the men’s team regu finals, conceding a 2-0 victory to the formidable top-ranked team from Thailand.
Speaking to Scoop, head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun admitted that his team faced a challenging task facing the resistance put forth by Thailand’s skilled players.
“We had a strong start but couldn’t cope with the pressure by our opponents in the middle of the game after Noraizat’s injury.
“Our opponents were really good with their ball control and attacks as they were really consistent with it,” he said.
Despite the silver medal finish, Jais said he was still satisfied with his team’s performance in the final because of their unwavering commitment.
“Of course, we wanted to win the gold but luck was not on our side today.
“We will continue working hard and hope to do better in our next competition,” Jais added.
The first regu, consisting of Farhan Adam, Muhammad Noraizat Mohd Nordin, and Muhammad Haziq Hairul Nizam, started the match positively at the Jinhua Sports Centre Gymnasium, taking an early lead in the first game of the first set, 10-4.
However, the tables quickly turned in the 12th minute of the game when Noraizat had to leave the court for a few minutes due to a suspected ankle injury.
Noraizat continued to play for the remainder of the game, but Thailand’s Sakha Siriwat, Thongsai Thawisak, and Yudapee Pattarapong took advantage, scoring consecutive points to win the first game 21-15.
They continued their dominance, winning the second game 21-14, giving the Thais a 1-0 lead in the first set.
The second set, with the trio of Mohamad Azlan Alias, Amirul Zazwan Amir, and Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi, were no match against the Thai team.
They lost in two games in the second set, 21-13 and 21-18, allowing Thailand to secure their seventh consecutive gold medal in the men’s team regu event at the Asian Games.
In the 2018 edition of the Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, Malaysia won silver in the same event, after a 2-0 defeat to Thailand.
Malaysia is currently ranked sixth in the world and is expected to participate in the World Sepak Takraw championship in Goa, India next year. – September 28, 2023