KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s sepak takraw head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun is “disappointed” with the team for falling short of their targets at the Istaf World Cup in Bihar, India, which concluded last Tuesday.
A post-mortem conducted by the coaching team yesterday highlighted several areas for improvement, particularly in preparation for the upcoming Asian Cup, scheduled for May 9-18 at Stadium Titiwangsa.
“I am certainly disappointed that our doubles and quadrant teams did not achieve their target of reaching the final. Based on our post-mortem, there are still weaknesses in key areas such as service and attack, which require special attention,” Ahmad Jais told Bernama.
“We take this as an important lesson to improve over time while also enhancing our players’ quality before the Asian Cup.”
Malaysia’s Istaf World Cup 2025 campaign ended with a bronze medal in the doubles event after a semi-final defeat to arch-rivals Thailand.
Meanwhile, in the quadrant event, Malaysia failed to progress past the group stage, finishing third behind Vietnam and Myanmar.
This year, Malaysia did not compete in the regu event, as participation was limited to teams invited by the host nation.
Ahmad Jais also acknowledged India’s rapid progress in sepak takraw, following their historic victory in the men’s regu event.
He warned that traditional powerhouses, including Malaysia, must not underestimate India’s growing presence in the sport.
“India is taking sepak takraw more seriously, and their victory in the men’s regu event is proof of that. Countries like Malaysia cannot afford to be complacent—we must intensify our efforts to improve our game,” he said.
India made history by clinching their first-ever World Cup title after defeating Japan 2-1 in the final on Tuesday. — March 28, 2025