KUALA LUMPUR – National sepak takraw head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun is looking to revamp his quadrant team following a disappointing campaign at the recently concluded Sepak Takraw World Cup in Bihar, India.
Malaysia, which had initially set a target of winning the quadrant event, failed to progress past the group stage, finishing third behind Vietnam and Myanmar.
Speaking to Scoop, Ahmad Jais, who led the national regu team to victory in last year’s World Cup, said his coaching team would be working diligently to scout and bring in young players ahead of their upcoming tournaments.
For the record, the national quadrant team relied on several senior players in the recent World Cup, including former national captain Afifuddin Mohd Razali, who was recalled to the squad due to a shortage of players.
“As a coach, I take full responsibility for our disappointing run in the quadrant event at the World Cup, and it is now my job to fix the problems based on my analysis of the tournament.
“The squad has not been well-balanced, as we have been overly reliant on senior players. We will bring in several young players to ensure we have a competitive team ahead of the Asia Cup and the Bangkok SEA Games.
“We must address this issue immediately, as we do not want to be left behind by other countries that are catching up in the quadrant event.
“I strongly believe that our performances will improve in the coming weeks through the new training sessions we are about to begin, and I am confident we will have a strong run in our upcoming tournaments,” said Ahmad when contacted.
At the same time, Ahmad also said he is in the process of arranging a series of friendly matches with professional sepak takraw clubs to provide his players with more game time.
“I am already in discussions with some clubs in Thailand, and my players will be traveling there next week for a series of friendlies.
“Apart from Thailand, I am also in talks with several other countries in Asia, such as South Korea and Indonesia, for additional friendly matches,” Ahmad added.
Malaysia’s World Cup campaign ended with a bronze medal in the doubles event after a semi-final defeat to arch-rivals Thailand.
This year, Malaysia did not compete in the regu event, as participation was limited to teams invited by the host nation.
India made history by clinching their first-ever World Cup title after defeating Japan 2-1 in the final. – April 2, 2025