KUALA LUMPUR: The introduction of a ranking system in the 2024 Sepak Takraw World Cup here in May is set to spur the national players to go all out to ensure Malaysia can finish among the world's best.
National head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun said the sepak takraw fans can expect a healthy competition as each nation will surely be fielding their star players to ensure they can consistently collect points.
He also felt that only the best teams should be invited to the World Cup to ensure the sport remains in a class of its own.
"The ranking system introduced by the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) is good because it facilitates the ranking of teams and so on. It will create healthy competition as teams will chase victory to collect ranking points.
"So far, I am not sure which teams have been invited to participate but we must look at the teams' achievements and make a decision on which teams have the potential to be invited," he said when contacted by Bernama today (January 10).
On the national team's preparation for the Sepak Takraw World Cup, Ahmad Jais said 10 of the 18 players have started training full-time using the 15-point scoring system at the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil on January 2.
He said some of the players who have reported for duty include Muhammad Noraizat Mohd Nordin, Aidil Aiman Azwawi and Muhammad Zarif Merican Ibrahim Merican, while the rest are expected to join the team once they are released by their employers.
ISTAF had previously said that at least 16 countries will take part in the prestigious tournament, with 11 of them already confirming their spots through three events, namely team, regu and doubles.
He said the 11 countries who have confirmed their participation are Malaysia, Thailand, India, South Korea, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore and Japan.
The 2024 Sepak Takraw World Cup is set to be held at the Titiwangsa Stadium here between May 19-26. – BERNAMA