MALAYSIA EYES VICTORY IN ASIA RUGBY U-18 TOURNAMENT

JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- The national rugby team is aiming for victory in the 2024 Asia Rugby Boys and Girls U-18 7s, which will take place at Johor Rugby Stadium this Saturday and Sunday.

Malaysia will battle it out with eight other countries - Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Chinese Taipei and Saudi Arabia.

Malaysia Rugby Union president Amir Amri Mohamad said that as the host nation, Malaysia is prepared to face stiff competition, especially from Hong Kong, which is a powerhouse in Asian rugby.

"The team has started training camps and is adjusting to the stadium environment, which is one of our advantages as the host.

"We hope our preparation will yield promising results and achievements on match day," he said at a press conference here yesterday.

Meanwhile, Johor Rugby Union president Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman, who was present at the press conference, said the 2024 Johor Rugby Carnival will take place over nine days, starting this Friday at the same venue.

Mohd Noorazam said various activities would be held, including a rugby clinic in collaboration with Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ), which will be attended by 1,000 students, as well as refereeing and coaching courses.

He said a rugby championship would also be held, featuring 104 schools from Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

“Among the teams that will compete in the Johor Rugby Carnival are Sekolah Sukan Negeri Johor, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tun Hussein Onn, Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, SMK Seri Mersing, Selangor Rugby Academy, Sekolah Dato Abdul Razak, Royal Military College, SMK Telok Mas, St Joseph College (Sri Lanka), and SMA Darunnajah, Jakarta,” he said.

-- BERNAMA