KUALA LUMPUR: National sepak takraw coach Ahmad Jais Baharun has urged his players to remain focused and hungry after winning two out of three titles at the Sepak Takraw World Cup which concluded yesterday.
Malaysia stunned Thailand to claim the title in both the doubles and inter-regu categories, but were forced to settle for runners-up to them in the team event at the Titiwangsa Stadium.
It was a positive result overall for the national team as Malaysia had never beaten Thailand in doubles since the discipline was introduced in 2004 and had not beaten them in an inter-regu final since the 2015 Istaf Super Series leg in Melaka.
Malaysia's defeat to Thailand in the team event, however, highlights a lack of strength in depth, an area which Jais admits needs improvement.
"There are a number of elements, especially with our second and third regus, which prevented us from giving Thailand a strong fight in the team event," said Jais yesterday.
"There is no shortcut to success, we must multiply our efforts and improve ourselves for the future.
"To beat Thailand is not easy. However, nothing is impossible.
"I constantly remind the players to not get carried away and become too comfortable after winning these two titles. They must remain hungry and have a strong desire to succeed."
Jais said Malaysia's next major assignment will be the Thailand King's Cup from Sept 1 to 8 and he hoped to bring in more players to strengthen the team.
"There were a number of players who were not able to join us for this World Cup. We are hoping to bring them in after this.
"We will discuss this with the Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia (STAM) and the National Sports Council (NSC) to see if it is possible to call them up.
"Having more players in the team will improve the quality of our sparring sessions and will also increase competition for places in the squad. This will keep the players on their toes."
Thailand's World Cup coaches admitted that Malaysia had improved significantly and forced them to dig deep to secure the team title.
The last time Malaysia won a team event title was at the 1991 Manila Sea Games.
