KUALA LUMPUR – The national rugby team remains resolutely optimistic despite the eleventh-hour decision by the organisers of the Southeast Asian (SEA) 7s Championship to alter the competition format just before its commencement tomorrow.
Set to unfold over two days at Singapore’s Jurong West Stadium on May 2 to 3, the SEA 7s Championship will feature eight countries, including Chinese Taipei, with the women’s category seeing participation from six nations.
This championship is critical for the national rugby squad because they must win in order to be included in the National Sports Council’s Podium Programme for the SEA Games Thailand 2025.
Speaking to Scoop, Malaysia’s 7s women’s team manager Abdul Rashid Adlie disclosed that the original format permitted two teams from each group to progress to the semi-finals, followed by the final showdown.
However, the format has since been revised, with only the group champions advancing to the final.
The alteration presents a formidable challenge for the national squad, drawn in Group A alongside defending champions Thailand and Laos.
“For me, it’s a burdensome format for our players because, in the original plan, we targeted being among the top two teams in the group with hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds.
“But now, everything has changed, and whether we like it or not, we need to win both group stage matches tomorrow to advance to the final.
“Facing Laos, I think there won’t be any problems, but against Thailand, it will be a tough match. Nonetheless, I am hopeful that we will ultimately emerge victorious.
“The good news is that Thailand isn’t fielding any naturalised or imported players. I have seen their player list, and they are all local players.
“At the moment, I see all our players are ready, even though we only had two weeks of training, and this situation doesn’t seem to affect their mindset, so we hope to win this time,” said Rashid.
Similarly affected by the format change is the men’s squad, slated to face off against Singapore B, Indonesia, and Thailand in Group B. – May 1, 2024