SERI KEMBANGAN: It will be an arduous task for the Malaysian gold medallists from the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in 2017 (KL2017) to defend them at the Philippines SEA Games in November, according to the national contingent deputy chef-de-mission Nurul Huda Abdullah.
Nurul Huda, who was a champion herself in swimming in the Games in her heyday, said it was a given that the competition would want to knock them from their perch.
She said the national rugby 7s and netball teams would find the going tough to defend their KL2017 gold medals because the other countries would be priming themselves to capture the gold.
“As athletes who are going for their first competition, they have no fear because there is no expectations from anyone except yourself and coach.
“But when you are going as the defending champion, the other teams are aiming to beat you. So we have to stay one step ahead to be able to defend the title,” she told reporters after checking on both teams’ preparations at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), here today.
KL2017 was the first time the national rugby 7s squad won the gold in the SEA Games while the netball squad ended a 16-year wait for the coveted medal. - Bernama
