Malaysia capture two SEA squash titles

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Players from Malaysia and the Philippines answering a photo-call before their showdown. Seventh from left is Lau.

Players from Malaysia and the Philippines answering a photo-call before their showdown. Seventh from left is Lau.

SIBU: Malaysian squash players returned from last weekend’s 2nd South East Asian (SEA) Cup held in Myanmar with both the singles’ titles and finishing runner-up in the team event.Miri’s Valentino Bong and Perak’s Sivasangari S won the men’s and women’s individual events respectively. Malaysia, however, lost 2-3 to the more experienced Singapore in the team event. Bong and Kuching’s Marcus Sim lost in straight sets to their Singapore opponents.

Aika Azman and Sivasangari, however, won their ties to level the score at 2-2.

In the deciding men’s Jumbo doubles, Bong and newcomer Ryan Pascal bowed out to the Singapore combination.

SEA Squash Federation president Robert Lau Hui Yew, who was in Naypyidaw, described the overall results as satisfactory.

He said Malaysia did not send its strongest teams but a young team to gain exposure.

“Besides, this is also to give the other SEA teams the opportunity to compete and win honors, hence jointly promoting the standard of the squash which is good for squash development in SEA countries.”

Meanwhile, Malaysia will host the 3rd edition in Kuala Lumpur next year. At the 2nd annual general meeting of SEA Squash Federation, which coincided with the championship, Malaysia also proposed to increase the number of squash events in the 2017 SEA Games from the current five to nine, the additional events coming from international standard doubles and Jumbo doubles.