PENANG ended a 26-year wait for a sepak takraw gold medal at the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA), striking gold in both the men’s regu and berpasukan (team) events after a remarkable campaign at Arena MBSJ Puchong.
The long-awaited breakthrough was completed yesterday when Penang rallied from a group-stage defeat to beat Sabah 2-1 in the men’s three-player team final, adding another gold to their earlier triumph in the regu event.
The double gold marked a significant achievement for the Penang sepak takraw squad, which had battled through setbacks and limited preparation to emerge among the standout teams at SUKMA.
Penang team manager Mohd Hasnul Hadi Abd Rashid said the achievement was made even more meaningful by the commitment shown by the players, who gave everything in their bid to end the state’s long wait for gold.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Penang Sepak Takraw Association and the Penang Sepak Takraw Federation, especially our president, Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Ismail, for giving me and my fellow coaches the opportunity to represent and elevate the name of Penang through this sport.
“For the players today, all praises to God, they gave 150 per cent commitment. I believe they wanted to win. They wanted to win so that we could give a gold medal to Penang,” he said.
Hasnul said the team had also faced pressure going into the final, particularly given the different levels of competitive experience among the players.
However, he stressed that Penang’s journey was never going to be determined by reputations or league credentials.
“We started from the bottom. We had already lost in the group stage, but all praises to God, we went one step at a time until the end, and finally we won the gold medal,” he said.
The manager revealed that one of the biggest challenges faced by the squad was simply finding enough time for the players to train together.
Unlike teams whose players could assemble regularly, Penang’s players were scattered across different universities, making preparation difficult.
“For everyone’s information, Penang’s players could not gather together regularly. They were scattered, with many of them at universities. We rarely had the chance to train together.
“We only managed to get together about three to four weeks before SUKMA. That was our challenge, building the team spirit and understanding between the players took time,” he added.
Asked to identify the key to their success, Hasnul pointed to the collective spirit within the squad.
“The key to our success was actually the team spirit among all the players. You could see for yourself that all the male players who were not playing also came down to support our squad this afternoon,” he said.
And his message to the players after their triumph was short but emphatic.
“You guys are really great! Haria Penang Haria!”
Meanwhile, coach Sofix Nadzri dedicated the achievement to the players, officials and the various parties who had supported the team throughout their SUKMA campaign.
“First of all, all praises to God. This is the sustenance God has given us,” he said.
He also expressed his appreciation to the players and officials, as well as Penang’s patron Datuk Seri Syed Jaafar Ismail and the Penang State Sports Council (MSNPP), and others.
“We went through many challenges along the way. However, with the encouragement and support from MSNPP and our patron, they helped us achieve our target,” Sofix said.
He added that the team had originally been tasked with winning two gold medals at SUKMA, although the targeted events were the quadrant and regu categories.
“Our target from MSNPP was two gold medals, but not in the team event. It was supposed to be in the quadrant and regu events. But we got it in the team event and regu. So, all praises to God,” he said.
The gold-medal-winning Penang lineup comprised Muhammad Irzan Nazri, 19; Muhammad Sabarudin Abdul, 21; and Muhammad Imran Mohd Fazli, 21, while Irwanizan Seruji, 20; Muhammad Adi Syazmin, 20; and Lye Mc Dye Richo Lonlye, 17, also formed part of the squad listed for the event.
The men’s three-player team final was held at Arena MBSJ Puchong on Aug 23, with Penang emerging 2-1 winners over Sabah to secure the gold medal and complete a memorable double in sepak takraw after 26 years.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Muhammad Iqbal Hamdan