Asian Cup Sepak Takraw: Country's 34-year wait for team regu title continues after 0-2 loss to Thailand
The result witnessed on home soil meant the national squad had to concede the title again, thus only managing to secure two trophies in the quadrant and regu events respectively in this inaugural edition of the championship.
The last time Malaysia emerged as champions in the team event was at the 1991 Manila SEA Games, and since then, the national squad has faced a long wait to break the dominance of the White Elephants in the sport of sepak takraw.
In the match played in front of over 1,000 supporters who filled every corner of the championship venue, the squad coached by Ahmad Jais Baharun fielded the first regu of Amirul Zazwan Amir (feeder), Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi (tekong), and Mohamad Azlan Alias (killer), who lost 11-15, then were forced to sweat to come back and tie the score at 15-12 but ultimately succumbed to a 15-17 defeat to Thailand.
While high hopes were placed on the nation's second regu of Farhan Adam, Muhammad Haziq Hairul Nizam, and Muhammad Noraizat Mohd Nordin to stage a comeback against the Thai regu of Sittipong Kamchan, Tanaphon Sapyen, and Sirisak Anuloon, they managed to record a 15-13 victory in the first set but lost 13-15 in the second and 4-15 in the deciding game.
The defeat also saw Malaysia fail to take revenge against the rival in the same event at the 2024 World Sepak Takraw Championship.
Team captain Farhan Adam, when met after the match, stated that the result was somewhat disappointing but Malaysia fought as hard as possible and will rise to take revenge at the King's Cup in Thailand next July.
'Actually, all the players had instilled in themselves a desire to end the long drought, but it was unsuccessful,' he said.
India and South Korea shared third placing.
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