Nothing stops Siddiq
Forward puts aside broken nose to lead rugby team to victory
MALAYSIAN forward Muhammad Siddiq Amir broke hhis nose in the men’s Rugby 7s7 match against defendingg champions the Philippines but that did not stop the hosts from putting up a magnificent diisplay for a stunning 2414 wwin at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium in Kelana Jaya.
Siddiq was later taken too hospital.
The emphatic win capped an excellent outing for Malaysia on the opening day as they won all three matches impressively.
They began with a 510 thrashing of Cambodia before a hardfought 1210 victory over Singapore.
The win over Singapore inspired the Malaysians to play their hearts out to beat the Philippines and take a step closer to the final.
Malaysia will play two more roundrobin matches against Thailand and Indonesia today and they need just one win to book a place in the final.
National coach Saizul Hafifi Mohd Noor was full of praise for his team’s fighting spirit.
“But I am concerned about Siddiq’s injury. We need his services for coming matches. He is a hardworking forward,” he said.
“I hope our players can maintain their good form tomorrow and win the elusive gold. First, we need to beat Thailand or Indonesia to seal our place in the final.”
Singapore and the Philippines, with one defeat each, will fight for the other spot in the final.
Five teams featured in the women’s competition and Malaysia should have no problems qualifying for the semifinals despite winning just once and losing twice.
Laos, with three defeats, are definitely out of the running for the semifinals.
I hope our players can maintain their good form tomorrow and win the elusive gold.
Saizul Hafifi Mohd Noor