Malaysia Regu Squad Ease Past Japan In Opening Group A Match

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 (Bernama) -- The national regu squad comfortably collected three points in their opening Group A match of the 2026 Sepak Takraw World Cup after thrashing Japan 2-0 at Stadium Titiwangsa here tonight.

Malaysia, fielding Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi, Mohamad Azlan Alias and Farhan Adam, had little trouble brushing aside Japan in the first set with a convincing 15-4 win.

However, Malaysia, who introduced Muhammad Haziq Hairul Nizam and Muhamad Noraizat Mohd Nordin, initially led 10-8 before Japan fought back to take a 12-10 advantage.

Both teams then traded points before Malaysia eventually secured victory 15-13.

The win also moved the national squad a step closer to the quarter-finals, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage of the prestigious tournament.

The national squad are scheduled to face Singapore in their second Group A match on Monday, while Japan will take on Singapore tomorrow in the same group.

Meanwhile, Malaysia head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun admitted the national side were weak in attack during the second set, making it difficult for Malaysia to seal the match earlier.

“Perhaps in terms of attacking suitability and also our defence being slightly loose, that is something we need to pay attention to, especially among our players. We want our players to get used to a rather tense atmosphere.

“That is why we made substitutions so they could experience the match atmosphere in this edition and settle down quickly for the upcoming matches,” he said after the match.

In today’s Group B action, Thailand defeated Iran 2-0, while South Korea overcame Brunei 2-0 in Group D.

-- BERNAMA