KUALA LUMPUR – The national sepak takraw squad are undaunted as they await the draw for the Istaf Sepak Takraw World Cup, set to take place tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur.
National sepak takraw head coach, Ahmad Jais Baharun, expressed confidence in his players’ readiness, both physically and mentally, to take on any formidable opponents, including arch-rivals Thailand, in the coming World Cup.
Furthermore, some of them have already competed in the Princess Cup in Bangkok, Thailand earlier this month to familiarise themselves with the 15-point system that will be used in the Istaf World Cup.
A total of 12 countries will compete in the Premier Division, which are Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, China and the Philippines.
Division 1 involves nine countries: Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, France, Iran, Taiwan, Nepal, Pakistan, Germany and Bangladesh.
“For tomorrow’s draw, we have to accept whatever the outcome is, whoever our opponents will be in the group stage. Every player we list will need to be prepared to take on the challenge for the country in the World Cup by giving their best performance.
“Six players were sent to Bangkok to participate in the Princess Cup, so the players have an initial understanding and adapted to this new scoring system as match times will be shorter, and the game will become faster.
“There is a great responsibility on the players in the ‘tekong’ position, as they will be the anchor of the team in seeking points through serves, and the tekong also needs to have a good defence when the opponents are attacking,” said Jais.
As excitement mounts, Jais has held off on confirming the World Cup squad, opting to assess player chemistry in a three-day test series against PSTI Riau and DKI Jakarta from Indonesia, and Pathumthani University from Thailand, commencing this Friday.
“We still have a few weeks before the World Cup begins on May 18 (at the Titiwangsa Stadium), so I am still assessing the compatibility between the players so that they are suitable for the tactics we want to employ in the championship.
“This is their last opportunity for them to adapt before the actual championship begins, and I hope all the players can adapt quickly so that we can perform well in front of our home fans,” he added. – April 24, 2024