Malaysia defeat Japan, top Asia Cup Group B quadrant standings
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia concluded their Group B campaign on top of the standings after defeating Japan in the quadrant event of the 2025 Sepak Takraw Asia Cup at Titiwangsa Stadium here today.
In the final group stage match, Malaysia fielded Amirul Zazwan Amir, Norfaizzul Abd Razak, Muhammad Shahalril Aiman Halim, and Muhammad Fetri Mohd Azwadi. The team faced stiff resistance early on before rallying to clinch the first set 17-15.
A final point setup from Amirul Zazwan, followed by a smash from Muhammad Afifuddin, could not be returned effectively by the Japanese players, handing Malaysia a decisive 15-10 victory in the second set.
The national quadrant team, coached by Mohammad Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman, will play in the semi-finals tomorrow, with their opponents to be determined after the Group A match between South Korea and Vietnam concludes tonight.
"Honestly, we were not satisfied with our match against China, but we found our rhythm against the Philippines and carried that momentum into today's game.
"Tomorrow, it doesn't matter who our opponent is — we are ready," said Amirul Zazwan when met by reporters. – BERNAMA
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Rosman stays focused on LA28 amid Pearly-Thinaah uncertainty
National women's badminton doubles head coach Rosman Razak remains focused on preparing top pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (LA28), despite uncertainty surrounding their status with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). With the duo's contract with BAM still unresolved following the expiry of their previous deal at the end of last year, speculation has grown that they may turn professional. Rosman, however, said he will continue to give his full commitment as long as the Indonesia Open 2025 runners-up remain under his guidance. 'Whatever the decision or outcome, I will continue serving because I don't know the future. As long as they are still under my training, I will do my best to guide them towards our goal. 'This is why BAM hired me, I will only concentrate on the objective (LA28) only,' he said when met at the training session, here, today. During the Indonesia Open 2025 final last Sunday, the world number four pair pushed world number one and top-seeded Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning to the limit in a thrilling one-hour and 29-minute final before going down 25-23, 12-21, 19-21 at the iconic Istora Senayan venue. Even though they narrowly missed out on the title in the Super 1000 tournament in Jakarta, Rosman, who was delighted with his charges' performance, hoped Pearly-Thinaah would remain consistent in future tournaments. He also noted the pair's progress since he assumed his current role last November, praising their openness to adapting and improving. 'They are willing to listen and adapt because being top pairs is not as easy as people think. There are many other factors which can cause them to rise and fall but they acted professionally,' he said. When asked whether Pearly-Thinaah are improving in higher-tier tournaments, Rosman said the level of quality and pressure remains the same, whether it's a Super 500 or Super 750 event, as the top pairs competing are largely the same across all levels. 'Seriously, I take it Super 500, 750 and 1000 as the same tournament. Pressure is still the same. I cannot say Super 500 and Super 750 are easier and Super 1000 has more pressure, as there's no such thing,' he said. – Bernama
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Rosman to stay focused on LA28 despite Pearly-Thinaah's uncertain future
National women's badminton doubles head coach Rosman Razak remains focused on preparing top pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (LA28), despite uncertainty surrounding their status with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). With the duo's contract with BAM still unresolved following the expiry of their previous deal at the end of last year, speculation has grown that they may turn professional. Rosman, however, said he will continue to give his full commitment as long as the Indonesia Open 2025 runners-up remain under his guidance. 'Whatever the decision or outcome, I will continue serving because I don't know the future. As long as they are still under my training, I will do my best to guide them towards our goal. 'This is why BAM hired me, I will only concentrate on the objective (LA28) only,' he said when met at the training session, here, today. During the Indonesia Open 2025 final last Sunday, the world number four pair pushed world number one and top-seeded Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning to the limit in a thrilling one-hour and 29-minute final before going down 25-23, 12-21, 19-21 at the iconic Istora Senayan venue. Even though they narrowly missed out on the title in the Super 1000 tournament in Jakarta, Rosman, who was delighted with his charges' performance, hoped Pearly-Thinaah would remain consistent in future tournaments. He also noted the pair's progress since he assumed his current role last November, praising their openness to adapting and improving. 'They are willing to listen and adapt because being top pairs is not as easy as people think. There are many other factors which can cause them to rise and fall but they acted professionally,' he said. When asked whether Pearly-Thinaah are improving in higher-tier tournaments, Rosman said the level of quality and pressure remains the same, whether it's a Super 500 or Super 750 event, as the top pairs competing are largely the same across all levels. 'Seriously, I take it Super 500, 750 and 1000 as the same tournament. Pressure is still the same. I cannot say Super 500 and Super 750 are easier and Super 1000 has more pressure, as there's no such thing,' he said. – Bernama
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Urawa vow to bring the noise at Club World Cup
THEIR raucous fans are the self-styled bad boys of Japanese football and the team's red shirts, white shorts and black socks bear more than a passing resemblance to Manchester United. But while the fallen English giants won't be at the Club World Cup, Urawa Reds will and are set to be roared on in the United States by more than 5,000 followers. Japan's best-supported club face Inter Milan, River Plate and Monterrey in the opening round when the revamped competition starts on June 14. Urawa is a nondescript suburb about an hour north of Tokyo and the team have been known to draw crowds of over 50,000 to their Saitama Stadium home. Crowd trouble is extremely rare in Japan but Urawa were banned from last season's domestic cup after 'ultra' supporters ripped down barriers and threatened opposition fans. In 2014 they were forced to play a game behind closed doors after fans displayed a racist banner. Supporters say they are misunderstood and are looking forward to hoisting their flags and belting out their songs in front of a global audience. 'People who aren't really interested in football think that we're scary people, but I always tell them that's not true,' Urawa fan Kakeru Inoue told AFP before a recent game. 'I often bring workmates to games to show them what it's really like.' United link Urawa began life as Mitsubishi's company team and their official name of Urawa Red Diamonds is a nod to the industrial behemoth's corporate logo. They were originally called Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club, or MUFC, another link to the Premier League side. Despite having been crowned Asian champions three times, Urawa have only won the domestic J. League once, in 2006 under German former player and 1990 World Cup winner Guido Buchwald. Urawa have appeared at the Club World Cup three times, most recently losing 3-0 to Manchester City in the semi-finals in 2023. Veteran goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa says they are proud to be the only Japanese team at the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup. 'The competition will get a lot of attention from around the world and it has a big meaning for us,' he said. 'Who knows whether a Japanese team will play in it again because you need to become Asian champions to earn that right.' 'Ultra culture' Professional football only started in Japan in 1993 but it took root quickly in Urawa. The club signed overseas players including Buchwald and brought through homegrown internationals like Shinji Ono, Makoto Hasebe and current Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. The club's achievements have at times been overshadowed by their fans, who hung a banner reading 'Japanese only' over an entrance to the stands before a 2014 game. The incident earned Urawa the dubious distinction of becoming the first Japanese club to be ordered to play a game behind closed doors. One Urawa fan who has attended games since the J. League began said the club were 'all about ultra culture'. 'That's something you can only get in Urawa,' said the supporter, who gave his name only as Nakaji. 'No other club can match us.' Urawa are coached by Poland's Maciej Skorza, who is back for a second spell after leading the club to the Asian Champions League title in 2023. The Club World Cup is being played in the middle of the J. League season, which runs from February to December. Urawa have made a strong start to their domestic campaign and look poised to challenge for the title, having finished 13th last season. Norwegian defender Marius Hoibraten says the Club World Cup is 'a motivation rather than a distraction'. 'Being able to meet the best teams from other countries is a nice experience for us, everyone is buzzing,' said the 30-year-old, one of the few non-Japanese players in Urawa's squad. 'It's a little bit of unknown water. Everyone is really looking forward to it.'
