BANGKOK: The national men’s sepak takraw team ended their 34-year wait for gold in the team regu event by defeating long-time rivals Thailand 2-1 in the final on Sunday (Dec 14).
The trio of Haziq Hairul Nizam, Noraizat Mohd Nordin, and Amirul Zazwan Amir were fielded first but fell to the Thai team 9-15, 15-11, 13-15 at the Nakhon Pathom Gymnasium Stadium.
The next regu Syahir Mohd Rosdi, Azlan Alias, and Farhan Adam fought back brilliantly to level the tie with a fantastic 17-14, 15-13 win over the homesters' second team.
Playing against fancied Thais infront of their home fans in a decider is not easy but Zulkifli Abd Razak, Afifudin Mohd Razali, Aidil Aiman Azwawi, did not buckle under pressure as they showed unwavering focus to beat their opponents 15-13, 15-13 to romp home for the title.
Malaysia last won the gold at the 1991 Manila SEA Games.
