Volleyball team bogged down by injuries
ANOTHER senior player is down with injury in the national men’s volleyball squad.
Last month captain
Sim Jian Qin was ruled out from the pre-SEA Games competition with an ankle injury. Now, seasoned campaigner Yap Kent Bin is down with a hamstring injury while training at the MBSA Indoor Hall in Shah Alam last week.
Coach Tay Yeu Siong is not pressing the panic button yet, but is keeping his fingers crossed that both the seniors will be match fit when Malaysia open their campaign in Group A against Cambodia at the MiTEC Hall 11 in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 21.
“Kent Bin is recuperating but I can’t say for sure whether he will be ready in time for the group matches.
“The good news is that Jian Quin’s back in training but he’s not 100% fit.
“I hope to get my two seniors ready in time,” said Yeu Siong, who guided Malaysia to the silver at the 2001 KL Games.
The national team have an aver- age age of 19 for the tournament.
The three seniors – Jian Qin, Kent Bin and Chia You Jing – from the 2015 Singapore Games squad are all aged 21.
Malaysia are in Group A with fancied Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. Group B comprises the Philippines, Indonesia, Timor Leste and Vietnam.
Based on past results, Malaysia must beat Myanmar and Indonesia – the joint bronze medallists at the Singapore Games – to secure the targeted bronze.
Defending champions Thailand and silver medallists Vietnam are again tipped to meet in the final.