Malaysia is still the queen in netball when they beat bitter rivals Singapore to retain the gold medal with a hard-fought 48-42 win the final at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Manila on Monday.
The Malaysians who beat Singapore 65-41 in the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games in 2017 for the gold, took a psychological advantage over their rivals in Manila, having beaten their rivals 54-49 in the round-robin.
It was not an easy win in the final at Santa Rosa, especially in the first two quarters when it was a point for point battle between the two contenders.
Malaysia swung the final to their advantage after coach Tracey Robinson made some tactical changes in the third and fourth quarters. The champions held a 10-point lead after the third quarter but Singapore came charging back in the last quarter.
The Malaysians held out for a well-deserved win although Singapore narrowed the deficit to five points at one stage. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAHÂ
