Kuala lumpur: The national women’s rugby sevens (7s) squad is emphasising on speed as their main identity ahead of the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, scheduled to take place from Dec 9 to 20. Senior national player Nur Izzah Azizan said speed would allow Malaysia to maintain a high tempo and challenge teams such as Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. She said the squad’s preparations began as early as January, with intensive training and tactical sessions focusing on teamwork and physical endurance to ensure each player was able to fully optimise their speed advantage on the field.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, although most players in the squad are smaller in size, their speed sets Malaysia apart from other teams. Nur Izzah, a Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) student in the Master of Facility Maintenance programme, highlighted this as the unique strength of the Malaysian team. She will make her second appearance at the SEA Games after contributing to the team’s bronze medal win in the 2019 edition in the Philippines, where they triumphed over Indonesia 19-12 in the third-place playoff.

For the upcoming SEA Games, Nur Izzah is one of only two senior players in the squad with previous SEA Games experience. The rest of the team comprises new talents recruited from last year’s Malaysia Games (SUKMA). Despite the influx of new faces, the team remains optimistic about reaching the final, acknowledging the formidable strength of hosts Thailand, the defending champions. Nur Izzah expressed confidence in the team’s abilities, stating that the goal of reaching the final is realistic, provided they keep their morale high until match day.

Nur Izzah’s sporting journey began in track and field, where she competed in the 100-metre event at the state level. The eldest of four siblings, she did not foresee rugby as a path to broader opportunities at the highest level. Her rugby career took off when women’s rugby gained momentum in Malaysia after the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur. Following a try-out session, she played for Selangor and was subsequently selected for the national squad. Reflecting on her transition from athletics to rugby, Nur Izzah noted that rugby’s emphasis on teamwork and strategy helped her gain a deeper understanding of herself and enhance her interpersonal skills in a team sport.