PSM Sets No Gold Medal Target For Korat Sea Games

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) which is sending 18 men and five women players to the SEA Games in Korat, Thailand has set no gold medal target.

The national men's squad will enter the team, regu and double events while the women players will take part in the regu event only.

"We have set no gold medal target this time because the present squad are being trained and prepared for the Asian Games in China in 2010," PSM president Datuk Ahmad Ismail told Bernama when contacted Tuesday.

He said PSM had selected 18 players from the 22 undergoing training at the National Sports Council complex in Keramat here in preparation for the Korat Games.

"Most of them are young, and the Sea Games will be the best exposure for them after taking part in a number of international tournaments this year," he added.

Ahmad said all 22 players would, however, undergo the final training in Langkawi from Oct 18 to Nov 23, with the players in each regu to be decided there.

Meanwhile, PSM Training Committee chairman, Tengku Adnan Tengku Burhanudin, said although PSM had set no gold medal target, the national squad would still provide stiff competition to their traditional rival, Thailand.

"We must avoid defeat to rising teams like Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam," he said.

In the 2005 SEA Games in Manila, the Malaysian squad won a gold medal in the regu event, ending Thailand's 12-year dominance in the category.

The men's squad to the Korat SEA Games: Mohd Syazwan Hussain, Mohamad Hamikhairi Roslan, Mohamad Arif Busu, Fadlanshah Ibrahim, Sulaiman Salleh, Mohd Azlan Mubin, Zulhafizuddin Rosslan, Ahmad Farhan Helmi Mohamad, Azri Aziz, Mohd Hafizie Manap, Norshahruddin Mat Ghani, Mohd Taufik M. Saad, Farhan Adan, Affandi Abdul Rahman, Mohd Khairuddin Adnan, Nazirul Ikram Rozali, Ahmad Sufi Mohamed Hashim, Mohd Syafiq Abdul Rahman.

The women players: Lawi a/k Sanggap, Siti Zubaidah Che Abdul Wahab, Nor Fairuz Azinan, Rohaya Yaakob, Roashidah Rashid.

--BERNAMA