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Malaysia eyes 2026 Asian Games Sepak Takraw gold after 36-year drought
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Environment & Climate

Malaysia eyes 2026 Asian Games Sepak Takraw gold after 36-year drought

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Malaysia's Sepak Takraw Federation (PSM) targets two gold medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
  • The ambitious goal aims to end a 36-year wait for gold in the team regu event, last won in 1990.
  • PSM acknowledges strong competition from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar but is confident in its players' international experience.

Malaysia's Sepak Takraw Federation (PSM) has set an ambitious goal of winning two gold medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, aiming to break a 36-year drought in the team regu event. President Datuk Wira Sumali Reduan expressed confidence that the target is realistic, citing the exceptional readiness and commitment shown by the players during their training camp at the Malaysia Sepak Takraw Academy.

My hope and that of all sepak takraw fans in the country is to see gold brought home. We haven't won gold for the team regu event in over 30 years since 1990.

— Datuk Wira Sumali ReduanPresident of the Malaysia Sepak Takraw Federation (PSM) on the team's goal for the 2026 Asian Games.

Sumali, who also serves as the Chief de Mission for the Malaysian contingent at the 2026 Asian Games, highlighted the focus on replicating the success of the 1990 Beijing Games, the last time Malaysia secured gold in the team regu discipline at the Asian Games. "My hope and that of all sepak takraw fans in the country is to see gold brought home. We haven't won gold for the team regu event in over 30 years since 1990," he stated.

For the regu event, we proved our capability in the 2018 edition in Jakarta-Palembang. So this time, we want both.

— Datuk Wira Sumali ReduanPSM President discussing the federation's aspirations for both team regu and individual regu events at the upcoming Asian Games.

He further noted Malaysia's past performance in the regu event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, indicating a desire to excel in both disciplines this time. "For the regu event, we proved our capability in the 2018 edition in Jakarta-Palembang. So this time, we want both," Sumali added after observing the national squad's training session.

We cannot underestimate any country. Thailand remains the main challenger, but other nations have also shown much improvement.

— Datuk Wira Sumali ReduanPSM President on the competitive landscape for sepak takraw at the 2026 Asian Games.

Acknowledging the formidable challenge posed by traditional powerhouses like Thailand, Sumali also recognized the significant improvements made by Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. "We cannot underestimate any country. Thailand remains the main challenger, but other nations have also shown much improvement," he said. Despite the strong competition, Sumali believes Malaysian players are accustomed to international pressure and capable of delivering their best performance.

However, our players are used to pressure at the international level and I believe they can deliver their best performance.

— Datuk Wira Sumali ReduanPSM President expressing confidence in the national team's ability to perform despite strong competition.
About this summary

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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