BANGKOK: National taekwondo exponent Muhammad Syafiq Zuber’s decision to move from the men’s Under-80 kilogrammes (kg) category to the Under-87kg division did not pay off after he failed to secure gold at the Thailand 2025 SEA Games here on Thursday (Dec 11).
Muhammad Syafiq lost to host athlete Chaichon Cho 10-5, 3-8, 5-10 in the final held at the Fashion Island shopping mall, settling for the silver medal.
The two-time SEA Games gold medallist in the men’s Under-80kg category (2021 and 2023) said the decision to try a new category this year was made with his coach after feeling he had a strong chance of winning gold this time.
“I gave my best, but it just wasn’t my day. After leading the first round, I made mistakes that allowed my opponent to easily read my movements,” he told reporters after the match.
He said he will work on improving his performance by strengthening his physical conditioning and refining his techniques to return stronger at the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia.
The Thailand 2025 SEA Games runs from Dec 9 to 20 across two regions, Bangkok and Chonburi. – BERNAMA
