National sepak takraw regu receives special award

KUALA LUMPUR: The success of ending a 24-year gold medal drought at the 2018 Asia Games saw the national sepaktakraw men’s regu picked to receive a special award at the 2018 Sportwriters Association of Malaysia(SAM)-100PLUS Award ceremony.

SAM, in a statement yesterday, said the men’s regu comprising Mohd Syahir Mohd Rosdi, Zulkifli Abdul Razak, Norhaffizi Abdul Razak, Farhan Adam and Mohamad Azlan Alias would receive the award at the event scheduled on Saturday.

‘’Actually, the achievements of national athletes at the highest level was too numerous last year and it is difficult for us to pick which is the best, but the high fighting spirit and the ending of a long wait for the sepak takraw gold at the Asian Games are matters which have their own sentimental values, what more, it is our heritage sport.

‘’So, SAM look at it as history. As such, the Malaysian sepak takraw regu is picked to receive this special award,’’ said SAM secretary Ahmed Faisal Jamal in the statement.

The event, which would be held in conjunction with SAM’s 50 anniversary was consented to by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong AlSultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Sultan Iskandar who would attend the ceremony.

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is scheduled to also attend the function.

For the record, at the JakartaPalembang 2018 Asian Games the national regu came back from behind to beat the host team 2-1, thus repeating the achievement at the 1994 edition in Hiroshima, Japan.

Meanwhile, other than the Special Award, the other awards were Best Athlete Award, Best Paralympic Athlete Award, Young Athlete Award and Dynamic Sports Association Award.

Other than giving recognitions to athletes and associations, the 2018 Sportwriters Association of Malaysia(SAM)-100PLUS Award also recognised local media representatives.