25/06/1997
MALAYSIA aim to bring home a gold medal from the Asean Schools Sepaktakraw
Championships in Surabaya, Indonesia, on July 21-28.
Chief coach Syed Akhir Syed Rahman is confident that his charges will
better the silver medal won in Brunei last year.
"Last year we lost to Thailand in the final but we are better prepared
now, our target is to win gold," said Syed at the Bukit Jalil Sports
School yesterday.
Twenty-five players were selected after the National Schools
Championships in Johor Baru, where Malacca won the team event and Kedah
the inter-regu title, and started their second phase of centralised
training at Bukit Jalil on Monday.
The players will train until tomorrow and 12 will be shortlisted to form
four regus. Three regus will take part, the fourth will be on standby.
"Most of them have not played together so right now we are trying them
out with various partners."
"At the end of the day we will select the best 12 and if we meet
Thailand in the final, since they are still the best, we hope for an
upset," said Syed.
TRAINEES - Tekong: Mohamed Yazid, Mohamed Fauzi, Syahrulnizam Said,
Bunawan Zulkifli, Azrul Hisham, Nordanial Hamzah, Saipullah Seman, Mohamed
Hirman; Apit Kanan: Azam Heider, Zulkhuari Rahman, Mohamed Faizal, Mohamed
Shahril, Rahim Adnan, Putra Ghani, Joshua Erang, Norhaidi Zinor, Mior
Angah, Mohamed Isa; Apit Kiri: Sharil Rashid, Mohamed Rahmat, Mohamed
Asmawi, Norakmal Firdaus, Sufian Johari, Mazlan Burhan, Rukman Mustapha.
TEAMS: Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Philippines, Singapore, Laos.
(END)
