PHNOM PENH: In their quest for a podium finish, the Malaysian men's volleyball team suffered an early setback at the Sea Games when they lost their opening Group B tie to Thailand at the National Olympic Stadium here today.
Captain Sim Jian Qin admitted that the 25-20, 25-17, 25-20 defeat has put the national team in somewhat of a pickle, as they must now win their remaining two group matches to reach the semi-finals.
Jian Qin hopes his team will not dwell on the defeat, but quickly shift their focus towards beating Myanmar tomorrow. The other team in Group B is Vietnam.
"It was our first match, and I hope my teammates are not feeling too disappointed with the defeat.
"Thailand are a strong team and are always considered one of the favourites.
"We didn't play well in the first set and tried hard to bounce back in the second and third. We thought we could at least take the third set, but luck wasn't on our side.
"There is no point dwelling on it now. We still have two more group matches. If we can beat Myanmar, it will help our team morale," said Jian Qin.
