KUALA LUMPUR — Thirty-six years after helping Malaysia win Asian Games gold as a player, Ahmad Jais Baharun has completed a remarkable full circle by guiding the national sepak takraw team to the same title from the sidelines.
The national head coach was part of the Malaysian side that won the men’s team regu gold at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, and today watched his charges end another 36-year wait for the title by beating arch-rivals Thailand 2-0 in the final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The triumph added another significant chapter to Ahmad Jais’ career, having also helped Malaysia win the team regu gold at the 1991 Sea Games in Manila as a player before guiding the country to the same title at last year’s Sea Games in Thailand.
Speaking to Scoop after the final, Ahmad Jais said the personal milestone was meaningful, but his priority had always been seeing Malaysia succeed rather than adding to his own achievements.
“For me, that is not really my focus, having won the Asian Games as a player and now as a coach.
“What is most important is that I wanted to see the national team succeed in the final because it would give the team an additional boost in confidence,” he said.
Ahmad Jais said the victory should also provide a catalyst for the continued development of sepak takraw in Malaysia, particularly by attracting greater support for the sport and creating more opportunities for young players.
He stressed that Malaysia’s talent development programme must keep pace with the changing international landscape if the country is to remain competitive.
Pointing to Indonesia as an example, Ahmad Jais said the country had shown greater willingness to expose young players to international competition.
“If we look at Indonesia’s performance, most of their players are young and they have the potential, and they are brave enough to give these young players opportunities.
“So, we also need to keep pace with current developments so that we do not fall behind in giving our young players opportunities to compete at international level,” he said.
However, Ahmad Jais cautioned his players against losing focus after their team regu triumph, with the individual regu competition set to begin on Sunday.
He said the players were in good condition but must remain focused as they target another medal in Aichi-Nagoya.
“Every team wants to succeed in the regu event, and so does our team.
“We need to focus on each match, one at a time, so that we can first secure victories in the group stage,” he said. — September 25, 2026