NATIONAL apit kanan (killer) Mohamad Azlan Alias was so determined to help the team beat Thailand in the 2025 Sepak Takraw Asian Cup team regu final last night that he even endured the agony of playing with a sprained hand.
Alas, his sacrifice came to nought as Thailand beat Malaysia 2-0.
Though his injury affected their rhythm in the first set, Azlan said he decided to play on despite the pain from the injury as he did not want to let his teammates down.
“As long as I’m able, and my hand is not fractured, I will soldier on. Anyway, I couldn’t bear watching my teammates play without me, so I just endured the pain.
“I wanted to be replaced but, at the same time, I also knew I could play on. However, luck was not on our side and we lost,” he told reporters after the final last night.
With Malaysia trailing 6-9 in the first set, Azlan sprained his hand when he mistimed his landing.
That clearly affected the Malaysian regu’s rhythm as Azlan, together with tekong Mohammad Syahir Mohd (server) Rosdi and apit kiri Amirul Zazwan Azmi (feeder) lost the first set 11-15.
Although they bounced back to take the second set 15-12, the Malaysian challenge, however, ended when they went down fighting 15-17 in the decider.
Azlan said he is awaiting a detailed checkup to assess the extent of his injury, adding that he is proud of the fighting spirit shown by his teammates despite their failure to win the team regu title.
