IT took Malaysia 30 years to reach the final of the women’s table tennis, but yet the gold medal was not never within their reach.
Malaysia lost 3-0 to regional powerhouses Thailand in the final at the Morodok Techo Stadium in Phnom Penh. The pressure, the momentous occasion got to the Malaysian women, leaving them in tears.
Karen Lyne went down 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 to Suthasini Sawettabut in the first tie, while Alice Chang put up a tenacious fight before she was edged by Orawan Paranang 11-5, 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 9-1.
Tee Ai Xin couldn’t keep Malaysia in the game, losing to Jinnipa Sawettabut 11-2, 11-8, 11-7 in the third tie.
Although the Malaysian women’s team won silver and improved on their bronze medal effort in Hanoi last year, Ai Xin feels deeply disappointed.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself, I feel sorry for my teammates,” said a dejected Ai Xin.
