KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s hopes of a golden double were dashed as both the men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams fell short in their respective finals at the Southeast Asia Sevens (SEA 7s) in Singapore today.
The national men’s team, led by coach Nik Safuan Ismade Nik Man, entered the tournament as defending champions but were edged out 10-5 by Thailand in a tightly contested final.
Malaysia’s sole try came from Muhammad Safiy Md Said, while the Thais secured victory with two tries.
“We accept the defeat as our team lacked fitness, having only had 19 training sessions during Ramadan, compared to the Thais who have been preparing non-stop since 2023,” said Nik Safuan in a statement issued by Malaysia Rugby (MR).
“Anyway, I consider this a very good start for the team as they gear up for the SEA Games (in Thailand) at the end of this year.”
Meanwhile, the national women’s team narrowly missed a historic triumph, losing 12-5 to hosts Singapore in their final.
The squad had already made history by reaching their first-ever SEA 7s final after a stunning 17-12 semi-final upset over defending champions Thailand.
“Singapore outperformed us today, and we acknowledge they were the better side,” admitted women’s head coach Muhammad Faiz Samsukhidir.
“There’s still plenty to work on.” — April 5, 2025