NETBALL: MALAYSIA SINK SINGAPORE FOR SEA GAMES GOLDEN HAT-TRICK

From Amiril Muttaqien Meketar

BANGKOK, Dec 17 (Bernama) -- The national netball team maintained their domination in the SEA Games when they clinched the gold medal for the third time in a row today.

Malaysia ended their campaign in the SEA Games Thailand 2025 with a hard-fought 52-49 win over arch rivals Singapore at the Chantana Yingyong Stadium, Chulalongkorn University.

Malaysia had also won the gold medal at the 2001 and 2017 editions in Kuala Lumpur and the 2019 edition in the Philippines.

Netball was not contested in the 2021 (Vietnam) and 2023 (Cambodia) editions, as well as from 2003 to 2013.

Today’s victory means Malaysia have now won the SEA Games netball gold medal four times out of the five times it has been contested since its introduction in the 2001 Kuala Lumpur edition.

Singapore won the gold once, on home ground in the 2015 edition.

The SEA Games Thailand 2025, from Dec 9-20, are being held in Bangkok and Chonburi.

Meanwhile, national team skipper Nur Syafazliyana Mohd Ali said her teammates were not rattled when Singapore started to exert pressure, despite the national team featuring many new faces.

She said today’s success also eased the disappointment of being unable to play from the start of the competition due to a recent hamstring injury.

“This time, the feeling is different because I did not get to play. I suffered the injury, but my teammates did their best, and I am grateful they got the job done,” she told reporters, her voice filled with emotion.

-- BERNAMA