National Sepak Takraw Squad Has High Hopes for Victorious SEA Games Performance

By: Michelle Liew

The national sepak takraw squad has high hopes of defeating big teams such as Thailand and the team is geared up for a stellar performance at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia which will be held from May 5 to 17.

The last time Malaysia managed to tame the White Elephant squad was in 2005 in the Philippines with a line-up featuring Azman Nasrudin, Normanizam Ahmad, Putra Abdul Ghani, Saifudin Hussin and Zulkarnain Mohd. Arif

“Being able to beat Thailand is like Lailatul Qadar (Night of Power) for the national sepak takraw, but I am eager to see how the team performs under coach Ahmad Jais Baharun," stated Datuk Sumali Reduan, President of the Persatuan Sepak Takraw Malaysia (PSM), when announcing the Malaysian squad for the SEA Games yesterday.

In this edition of the SEA Games, PSM listed five stoners, four backs and only three left flanks for the men's squad, with the return of the main backs, Syahir Rosdi and Zulkifli Abdul Razak to the team after being sidelined for so long from the national camp.

As for the women's squad, nine players were selected with most of them being new faces.

Datuk Sumali also mentioned that there will be incentives upon the team willing a gold medal.

Meanwhile, for the chinlone event, PSM called back the faces that lined up the gold medal squad of the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games 2017 to take on the national challenge in Phnom Penh.