Kuala lumpur: National sepak takraw squad head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun admitted that he is concerned about the fitness level of main skipper Muhammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, from Sept 19 to Oct 4.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Jais said Muhammad Syahir, who suffered a muscle tear in his right leg during the 2026 Sepak Takraw World Cup in May, has currently reached 70 percent fitness ahead of the quadrennial games. "In terms of his performance, what he showed during the test matches and also training, I see that it still hasn't reached what we expected and we are still looking for his playing rhythm. He has only just reached 70 percent fitness and needs to work hard again. At the same time, we cannot pressure him because time is getting short and we are afraid that other injuries will occur," he told reporters after the launch of the Mekdi 2026 National Takraw League.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Jais stated that the national men's sepak takraw squad has shown a slight improvement in momentum ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, including winning 14 out of 16 test matches against the Pathumthani University team from Thailand recently. Touching on the target of two gold medals set by the Sepak Takraw Federation of Malaysia (PSM), Ahmad Jais admitted that there is pressure on the national squad due to the focus and high expectations placed on his men.
"Personally, what we are aiming for is one gold medal, but when the head of the Malaysian Contingent (CDM) for the 2026 Asian Games, Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan himself calls out the challenge for the national team to achieve two gold medals, it is a big challenge. Moreover, the Datuk President (Mohd Sumali) himself was appointed as CDM and this somewhat puts a little extra pressure but I believe our players are maturing and we hope the players continue to focus," he said.
The national men's sepak takraw squad is expected to participate in two events at this year's Asian Games, namely the men's regu and the men's team regu. The last time Malaysia won the men's regu gold was in the 2018 edition in Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia, while the last time Malaysia won the men's team regu gold was in the 1990 edition in Beijing, China.
Meanwhile, the Mekdi 2026 National Takraw League, jointly organised by McDonald's Malaysia and local newspaper Harian Metro, was launched by the Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Mohammed Taufiq Johari. It is a tournament involving young players aged 16 and below to open up space for them to gain widespread exposure to the heritage sport. With the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and PSM, the league competition, which offers a total prize money of RM60,000, will take place through three zonal rounds in Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, and Terengganu starting on Oct 9 before the final stage at the Malaysian Sepaktakraw Academy, Nov 28-29.