KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- The national volleyball squad to the December SEA Games in Laos, although in group B, is determined to give its opponents a tough match and has engaged a coach from Thailand to strengthen the team.
Team coordinator Shamsaimon Mohd Sharif said the coach, who led Thailand to win a gold in the 2001 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, started work in July and would be with the national squad until December.
"Under his guidance, the 18 national squad trainees for Laos have shown remarkable improvement," he told Bernama Friday.
He said the participation of Malaysia's volleyball team in Laos was more of an exposure to its players and, for that, the team did not have a medal target.
The last time the national volleyball squad won a medal was in the 2001 edition in Kuala Lumpur when it got a bronze and after that did not participate in the SEA games anymore.
Shamsainon said the national volley ball squad did not participate in the SEA Games in Vietnam (2003), the Philippines (2005) and Thailand (2007) because there was no allocation for the team as it was in category B where the association would be required to pay for the team's expenses to the event.
The association would be refunded for the expenses by the Malaysian Olympic Council if the team won a gold or silver medal, he added.
For beach volleyball, Samsainon said Malaysia would be represented by Beh Shun Thing and Luk Teck Hua in Laos.
The pair won a bronze in the edition in Korat in 2007 and was also the winner in the Indonesian Volleyball championship the same year.
-- BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek remains confident that the national Uber Cup squad can spring a surprise when Malaysia hosts the Thomas and Uber Cup finals at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil from May 9-16. He said despite not being the favourite, the women's team was able to surprise everyone by winning the gold medal at the Laos SEA Games. "I am confident they (Uber Cup team) will be able to produce a similar surprise. Not only are they capable of reaching the semi-final, they can go further," he told reporters after having lunch with national shuttlers here Thursday. National badminton Team manager Datuk Syed Abu Bakar Abdullah who echoed the minister's confidence said: "In Laos, nobody expected the women's team to win the world, so why not the Uber Cup? All they need to do is try their very best." Women's team captain Wong Pei Tty said she and her team-mates have set a target of r...
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