The men’s national volleyball team are on a high after winning a perfect two matches out of two in the pre-SEA Games Volleyball Championship organised by the Malaysian Volleyball Association (MAVA) at the MBSA Indoor Volleyball Court in Shah Alam.
In a round-robin tournament, the national team had a close encounter in their second match in a five-setter battle with guests from Thailand – the Air Force volleyball club.
The Malaysians won the match 3-1. This follows their earlier win in their first game of the tournament when they beat AFVC by the same 3-1 scoreline.
Despite the win, national coach Tay Yeu Siong admitted that there’s still a lot work to be done especially his juniors in preparations for KL2017.
“I think we have improved as compared to the last few years. We’re coming up quickly ever since the development programme started.
“The players have been committed as a team since January this year but I feel that the juniors require more exposure to hone their skills,” said coach Tay who guided the team to the quarter-finals of the Asian U23 Championship in Iran in May.
According to Tay, a total of three players are currently in the injured list which includes team captain Sim Jian Qin – who is currently recovering from an ankle injury.
To balance the team, coach Tay have included four senior players – Ranjit Ramu, Yap Kent Bin, Mohd Aizzat Zokri and Cheoh Jia Ming – to strengthen the 12-man team.
“Our skipper is recovering and will most likely be back for training with the team next week. Out of the three players injured, only one is doubtful to recover in time,” added Yap.
The national team will meet the National Volleyball Development Programme (NVDP) team next. – BY ALVIN OH
