KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 – Hosting the 31st SEA Games, Vietnam are expected to face tough challenges in both the men’s and women’s categories during the sepak takraw event at the biennial games.

Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) President Datuk Seri Ahmad Ismail said this was due to the fact that while the Vietnamese women’s team was one of the medal contenders alongside Thailand, the team The country’s men’s also showed improvement to become the main challenger to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

“It is understood that around eight events have been proposed to be held in Hanoi next year. Events such as team consistency, regularization, team double, team quadrant, quadrant, hoop and mixed events will be contested, but there is no confirmation yet (while the chinlone is also attractive to be included).

“In the last SEA Games, our women’s team was able to compete fiercely in Vietnam before losing to their own mistakes. But the Vietnamese men’s team should not be underestimated, especially when their country is hosting it. It is understood that even during COVID-19 they trained daily, ”he told Bernama.

At the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, Malaysia won two silver medals in men and in teams and bronze in women, while at the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia won two medals in gold, three silver and six bronze over 12 events.

Commenting on preparations for the 2021 SEA Games and 2022 Asian Games in China, Ahmad said PSM will determine goals and plan more closely after analyzing the level of strengths and weaknesses of the national team compared to opposing teams.

“We need at least one international tournament to allow us to do an assessment as tournaments and training have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the tournament, our technical director (Abdul Talib Ahmad) and coaches will be responsible for formulating strategies and improving weaknesses, ”he said.

He also said for the first time that PSM will set up a women’s B team (as a backup team) in January 2021 with the aim of improving the performance of the players. Bernama