Malaysia beats Philippines 2-0 to reach sepak takraw World Cup semifinals, facing Myanmar next at Titiwangsa Stadium
KUALA LUMPUR: The national regu lived up to expectations by advancing to the semifinals of the 2026 Sepak Takraw World Cup after brushing aside the Philippines 2-0 in their quarterfinal match at the Titiwangsa Stadium here tonight.
The victory sets up a clash for the squad, guided by Ahmad Jais Baharun, against the Myanmar regu, who successfully defeated India 2-0 in another quarterfinal match that took place concurrently.
Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi the ‘tekong’ (server), Farhan Adam (feeder), and Mohamad Azlan Alias (striker) faced no trouble maintaining their winning momentum as Group A champions from this morning, securing the first set 15-9.
The first-set victory then paved the way for another comfortable win for the national regu, thwarting any comeback attempt by the Philippines regu – represented by Ronsited Gabayeron, Glindel Phori, and Vince Alysson Torno – winning with a 15-5 scoreline.
However, Ahmad Jais admitted there are still several aspects of the game that need to be improved ahead of the semifinal clash, particularly involving the consistency of the national players’ serves.
“Looking at just now, perhaps in terms of the throw or the timing when serving, we need to fine-tune it further so that the tempo can be increased.
“At the very least, we can minimise errors in the upcoming match,” he said when met after the game.
