Malaysia is poised on the brink of making Asian Games history in sepak takraw, as its regu team prepares to face arch-rivals Thailand in the final of the Aichi-Nagoya competition. The match takes place following a hard-fought semi-final victory over the Philippines on September 28 at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Gymnasium.

Led by captain Ahmad Jais Baharun, the Malaysian squad recovered from a slow start to defeat the Philippines in three sets, 10-15, 15-11, 15-7. After dropping the first game, Malaysia adjusted their lineup by introducing Syahir Rosdi and Azlan Alias, which helped the team gain momentum and ultimately secure the win. Jais acknowledged the team’s difficulties early in the match, citing defensive lapses and inability to pressure the opposition as factors in the sluggish start.

“Zulkifli Abdul Razak and Afifuddin Razali played well during the group stages, but against the Philippines we started a little slowly and could not put them under pressure from the outset,” Jais said. “We gave them too much room to attack, and our defense was inconsistent.”

Thailand reached the final with relative ease, dispatching Vietnam 15-7, 15-6 in their semi-final match. The upcoming final marks an opportunity for Thailand to seek redemption after Malaysia ended their more than 30-year dominance in the team regu event with a 2-0 victory earlier in the Games. Malaysia last won the regu gold medal eight years ago in Jakarta-Palembang, breaking a 24-year drought since their 1994 triumph in Hiroshima. Thailand did not participate in the regu event in 2018.

Coach Jais remains cautious about his final lineup for the match against Thailand but emphasized the need for his players to maintain focus and increase pressure on their opponents. “We hope the players given the responsibility in the final can put Thailand under more pressure and give them a tougher challenge,” he said.

In other developments at the Games, Malaysia’s e-sports contingent secured a silver medal in the Honor of Kings event, falling to China 0-4 in the final held at Aichi Sky Expo on September 28. Team captain Lee Han Siang expressed confidence in their ability to win despite the straight-set defeat.

“We believed we could have gotten the win in the four matches but needed a little more to beat them,” Han Siang said. “It’s disappointing, but we need to train harder and get better.”

Malaysia advanced to the final after a 2-0 semi-final win over Hong Kong. This marks their second silver medal in e-sports following the e-Football event earlier in the week, where Farish Luzman and Hariz Hazmi Hakimin finished second. The nation’s e-sports campaign has yielded three medals in total at the Asian Games, including a gold medal won by simulation racer Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira in the Gran Turismo 7 competition.