KUALA LUMPUR – The national sepak takraw head coach, Ahmad Jais Baharun, hopes that his team remains consistent ahead of their semi-final match in the men’s regu category at the Asian Games.
Malaysia advanced to the last four after defeating Vietnam 2-1 and Singapore 2-0 in the preliminary Group A matches at the Jinhua Sports Centre Gymnasium today.
“We have been approaching this regu event step by step, and we aim to improve our gameplay with each match.
“We need to be more consistent with our tekong attacks, servings, and ball control during the matches,” Ahmad said when contacted.
Ahmad also said that he expects his players to be well-prepared to overcome the obstacles ahead.
“The level of competitiveness in this tournament is great, and as a team, we are aware of the challenges ahead.
“I also believe that my players can handle the pressure and succeed with the right mentality in this tournament,” Ahmad added.
In their first match yesterday morning, the regu consisting of Muhammad Afifuddin Mohd Razali, Amirul Zazwan Amir, and Muhammad Zarif Marican were surprised by the Vietnamese trio, Dau Van Hoang, Vuong Minh Chau, and Nguyen Hoang Lan, losing 17-21 in the first set.
However, they managed to recover and claim victory in the next two sets, winning 21-9, 21-11.
The winning momentum continued in the second match in the afternoon, when the trio of Mohamad Azlan Alias, Amirul Zazwan, and Muhammad Zarif easily defeated the Singapore team 21-10, 21-6 in just 34 minutes.
Malaysia’s opponents in the semi-finals will be determined after the Group B competition, featuring Thailand, Myanmar, India, and the Philippines, concludes tomorrow.
Qualifying for the semi-finals marks a significant step for Malaysia in making up for the disappointment of missing out on gold in the men’s team event after losing to Thailand last Friday. — October 6, 2023