KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) has sent six national players to compete in the Princess Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, taking place this week, as part of preparations for the upcoming ISTAF World Cup Championship in May.
Among the players taking part in this tournament are Aidil Aiman Zawawi, Shaharil Aiman, Nor Faizul Abdul Razak, and Noraizat Nordin, who will be competing in the doubles event.
Meanwhile, Zarif Merican and Syahir Rosdi will be competing in the inter-regu event alongside the Royal Thai Navy team.
National head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun told Scoop that this tournament is not only a warm-up for the national squad, but also provides the best exposure for many players to familiarise themselves with the newly reintroduced 15-point scoring system by the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF).
“They (Royal Thai Navy team) requested us (PSM) to send two players to compete with their team for the Princess Cup, so we decided to send Zarif and Syahir there to gain experience.
“The rest of the players are sent to compete in doubles events.
“Additionally, in this tournament, they will be using the new point format. For me, it is also a good exposure because until today, we have not been able to test our players’ strength in the new scoring system,” said Jais.
Previously, ISTAF had set the implementation of the 15-point scoring system for all domestic and international matches to be mandatory, starting February 1, 2024 to replace the 21-point scoring system used previously.
The ISTAF World Cup Championship, scheduled from May 18 to 26 at Titiwangsa Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, will feature 12 countries in the Premier Division, including Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, India, China, and the Philippines.
Nine other countries, such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal, Germany, France, and Taiwan, will compete in Division One. – April 3, 2024