KUALA LUMPUR − The national men’s beach volleyball team is confident of delivering at least a bronze medal at the Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam from May 12-23.
National coach Mohd Rafiq Arumi Abdul Latif believes that the target can be achieved provided the mixture of young and experienced players can strike up an understanding.
“We are sending four players, comprising two juniors and two seniors. They will be mixed up to form the first and second teams.
“However, should one of the pairs fail to make the quarterfinals and the other pair makes it, then we can opt to field both the seniors in the last eight under the ‘golden match’ rule,” he told reporters at a media conference at the National Sports Council here today.
Meanwhile, national senior player Shon Ngiap Shyang is determined to make up for the disappointment of the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, where he suffered an injury prior to the start of the competition.
“Although we have not taken part in any international tournaments due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I feel that I am fully prepared to ensure we get at least a bronze medal this time,” he said.
He added that the team is also ready to take on Indonesia and Thailand, who are their biggest threats, at the biennial Games.
For the record, the national women’s beach volleyball team won the bronze medal twice in the 2007 and 2009 editions in Thailand and Laos respectively. – Bernama, April 20, 2022
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