KABADDI will make its debut as a medal sport in Sukma and Federal Territory (FT) aim to become the inaugural champions.
The FT men picked up the gold when kabaddi was introduced as a demonstration sport at the last Games in Terengganu two years ago.
This time, FT want to return home with not only the men’s champions but also the winners of the women’s competition.
Victorious: The FT’s kabaddi team emerged champions in Terengganu when it was a demonstration sport two years ago.
Despite missing several first-choice players, the city team believe that they have the depth to take on their rivals.
Three players who were members of the teams for the Games in Terengganu are expected to be named in the final men’s squad. They are P. Dharmendra, C. Vinod and B. Kartigeyan.
“The rest will be making their debut in Sukma but that is not a major setback for us,” said coach R. Balamurugan, who captained the Malaysian team to the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
He said that all the players featured in the KL International Inter-City Championships (IICKC) in March, representing Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
“The experience of playing against top foreign players in March will come in handy,” said Balamurugan, who had also coached the national women’s team to the Asian championships two year ago.
The team from Kuala Lumpur finished runners-up to Chennai at the IICKC.
“We have a strong all-round team with a balanced offensive and defensive game. If they play their normal game, they will be a difficult team to beat,” said Balamurugan.
However, he was cautious of the other teams, especially Negri Sembilan and Selangor, who have also been undergoing intensive training for the Games.
Based on recent performance, FT, Negri and Selangor are strong contenders for the men’s title but they have been drawn in the same group.
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