PETALING JAYA: Youthful exuberance will be national men’s 3x3 basketball coach Ee Kee Lip’s secret weapon as his team look to avenge the horror show at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Then, Malaysia were eliminated at the group stage following losses to India, China, and Macau.
However, the squad selected to represent Malaysia in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games consists entirely of debutants, a factor Kee Lip believes will work in their favour at Kinjo Futo Station Square Venue in Nagoya.
The first two group matches - against Hong Kong and China - will be played tomorrow with the final match against Iran set for Wednesday.
"They are all excited since it’s their first time at the Asian Games. They want to fight for the country and prove themselves," said Kee Lip.
"Our main target is to reach the semi-final to secure a medal. As long as we qualify out of the group stage, I will count that as a success."
Due to the Asiad 3x3 basketball age cap of 23, Kee Lip was unable to retain his entire squad from the Commonwealth Games, where the team reached the quarter-finals.
"Only the captain, Chong Zhen Yang, returns from the Commonwealth team. The rest are fresh youngsters from the Under-23 setup."
Despite their limited senior international experience, the roster features the top four ranked local players in Zhen Chang, Lim Ting Xuan, Te Yi Hang and Pan Zheng Hao, respectively.
The team face a challenging draw in Pool B, where they are grouped alongside favourites China, as well as Hong Kong and Iran.
"It’s always hard against China, but it’s not impossible. We need to be at our best against all three teams," added Kee Lip.
