KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s 34-year wait for the national sepak takraw squad to emerge as champions in the team regu event continued after a 0-2 defeat to traditional arch-rivals, Thailand, in the final of the 2025 Asian Cup Sepak Takraw Championship at Stadium Titiwangsa here on Sunday.
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.
India and South Korea shared third placing. – BERNAMA
