BANGKOK: Malaysia’s 20-year wait for a gold medal in the SEA Games men’s team continued when the shuttlers went down 0-3 to Indonesia in the final.
The hope was on national No. 1 men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao to start the ball rolling but he failed to draw first blood.
The world No. 28 Jun Hao led 19-14 in the second game against world No. 17 Alwi Farhan but could not close out the game and lost 12-21, 19-21 at Thammasat University, Pathum Thani on Wednesday (Dec 10).
Hopes were then on world No. 2 and former world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to level the tie but the pair were far from their best and suffered a disappointing 12-21, 12-21 defeat at the hands of world No. 8 Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza.
World No. 38 Justin Hoh was under pressure to save the tie and he could not find a way past world No. 48 Moh Zaki Ubaidillah, losing 12-21, 14-21.
The defeat meant that Malaysia’s wait for gold in the men’s team event continues after the team last captured the title in the 2005 edition in the Philippines.
