The Malaysian women’s basketball squad triumph in the finals yesterday gave the nation its 60th gold medal in the 2015 SEA Games, adding up to a total of 181 medals overall.
Under the guidance of coach, Yoong Sze Yuin, the national team defeated Vietnam 82-50 to seal the win.
“This is a very positive achievement since did not win any medals in the 2013 Myanmar SEA Games. In the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia we only managed to win a bronze medal,” said Yoong as quoted from Malay Mail.
“The squad had started preparations since March with only five players from the squad that played in Myanmar retained. I drafted young players to prepare for the SEA Games in Singapore and the 2017 SEA Games to be hosted by Malaysia.”
The victory was also meaningful for R. Kalamaithi, whom almost missed the SEA Games due to a knee injury sustained from a friendly match. Despite that, she scored 14 points for the team in the match.
“Before coming here, I was sceptical of playing. Even the doctors did not give me the green light to play because I was still undergoing rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
“The knee was still painful but I continued playing and happy to have did my part to win the gold
“It is no doubt that luck played a big part in our victory when Indonesia defeated Philippines. If not, then it would be harder for Malaysia.”
Photo credits: Utusan
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