Thanadown but not out

Malaysia's N.Thanabalan (right) vies for the ball with a Thailand's goalkeeper Nont Muangngam (left) during the 29th SEA Games Kuala Lumpur 2017 footbal final match in Shah Alam Stadium yesterday. MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star.

PETALING JAYA: The name N. Thanabalan was on everyone’s lips during the 2017 SEA Games. The young striker headed in Malaysia’s winning goal against Indonesia in the semi-finals and was the country’s top scorer with four goals.

His exploits won him comparison with legendary national striker Datuk N. Thanabalan, the only man to have scored four goals in a Malaysia Cup final, when Selangor beat Penang 8-1 in 1968.