Let the floodgates open!

Chinlone linking event set to spark Malaysia’s gold rush at KL Games

PETALING JAYA: The first gold medal for Malaysia at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games is as good as in the bag and it will come from the chinlone linking event.

This is because two-time champions Myanmar have not entered for the event on the opening day of the sepaktakraw competition at the Titiwangsa Indoor Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 16.

The opening ceremony for the Games will be on Aug 19.

To make it even easier for Malaysia, only two other teams – newcomers Brunei and the Philippines – will be vying for the linking gold medal.

There are four gold medals up for grabs in chinlone – linking, same stroke, non-repetition primary and secondary.

Except for the host nation, the other teams are only allowed to take part in two of the four events in chinlone.

That means Malaysia stand a good chance of winning a second gold in the non-repetition primary as Myanmar are not competing in it.

Captain Izuan Efendi Azlan feels that the national team have narrowed the gap on chinlone powerhouse Myanmar.

“We have made steady progress since the sport was first introduced at the SEA Games in Naypyitaw in 2013. We made numerous trips to Myanmar this year to train and pick up valuable pointers from their coaches over there.

“This game originated from Myanmar, but we have slowly narrowed the gap over the years. I think we have matured and would stand a fighting chance of beating the masters at their own game if they took part in the linking event this time,” said Izuan, who had previously won a bronze (2013 Naypyitaw) and silver (2015 Singapore).

The 25-year-old Negri Sembilan player claimed that only two days ago they achieved 185 points in training, saying “it was far better than what we achieved in the previous two SEA Games”.

“We have never achieved 185 points before. In Naypyitaw (2103), we managed more than 120 points and in Singapore (2015) about 130 points. This is good but we need to maintain this form. It will be a challenge to prove it during competition. This is the big test for the team,” said Izuan.