KUALA LUMPUR – The national men’s sepak takraw team expect to defend their gold medal against a formidable Thailand team in the final of the Asian Games men’s regu at the Jinhua Sports Centre Gymnasium tomorrow.
Speaking to Scoop, head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun is aware of the uphill task that awaits them in the final and believes that his players will prevail if they improve upon their flaws.
“I’m a very realistic coach; we have a lot to improve in our gameplay if we hope to defend our gold medal in the tournament.
“If we want to give them a good challenge, we should focus more on our defending and ball servicing, which I believe are weak points in our game.
“If we fail to defend well, the chances are very high for the Thai team to punish us with consistent attacks, and we might trail them in points.
“We already have experience playing against them in last week’s team event final.
“Yes, we do have our flaws, but I’m 100% confident that my players will rise up on the court and clinch the gold medal again,” said Jais.
Malaysia qualified for the regu final for the second Asiad in a row after defeating the world number eight-ranked Philippines 2-0 today.
The regu, consisting of Muhammad Afifuddin Razali, Amirul Zazwan, Muhammad Zarif Marican and Mohamad Syahir Rosdi, won the game for Malaysia with a score of 21-15, 21-11 in straight sets in a match that lasted for 58 minutes.
The final berth means Malaysia are at least guaranteed a silver medal in the event, hence contributing to the nation’s 29th medal at the ongoing Games.
Thailand qualified for the final after defeating India 2-0 today.
In the 2018 edition in Indonesia’s Jakarta and Palembang, Malaysia won the gold in the men’s regu with a 2-1 victory against Indonesia.
Malaysia stand 13th in the Asian Games medal standings with a total of 29 medals – five gold, seven silver and 17 bronze. – October 6, 2023