We Fail To Break Thailand's Momentum In Regu Defeat - Ahmad Jais

By Muhammad Afiff Md Adnan

NAGOYA, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The national sepak takraw squad's failure to halt the momentum of a consistently strong Thai team who excelled in both attack and defence was a key factor in Malaysia missing out on the gold medal in the regu event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, said head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun.

He noted that Thailand displayed a more polished and consistent game throughout the match, making it difficult for the national players to find their rhythm and shift the momentum in their favour.

“In terms of the performance they displayed and executed consistent attacks and maintained a solid defence.

“Consequently, we were unable to counter or break their momentum. That was the dividing factor between our players and the Thai team in this morning's match,” he said after the final here today.

Malaysia lost 0-2 to Thailand, in 9-15 and 8-15, ultimately having to settle for the silver medal.

However, Ahmad Jais described the achievement as positive, noting that the defeat provided a clear picture of the weaknesses the team needs to address.

“Most importantly, we now know where our shortcomings lie so that we can improve over time for future tournaments, God willing,” he said.

This result meant Malaysia failed to complete a double-gold mission, having previously clinched the team regu title four days earlier.

The last time Malaysia won two sepak takraw gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Games was in 1990 in Beijing.

-- BERNAMA