KUALA LUMPUR – The national rugby 7s squad has invited 10 new players to join today’s selection process for the upcoming Asia Rugby Seven Series 2024, which kicks off in September.
Speaking to Scoop, head coach Nik Safuan Ismade Nik Man explained that this is part of a long-term plan, recognising that many current senior players are nearing the end of their careers.
He is also dealing with a long list of players facing injury crises, necessitating more fit players to take on the challenge in the three Asia Rugby Seven Series starting in South Korea (September 7-8), followed by China (September 21-22), and then Thailand (November 10-11).
The 10 new players invited for this selection process include seven scouted during the National 7s Championship in Terengganu last month, while the remaining three come from the state Sukma squad.
They will join 21 senior players who will also participate in this selection process.
“These new players have been on my radar for the past year and a half as I am building a team for the long term.
“While the final squad for each series of the tournament will consist of around 13 to 14 players, I can list up to 21 players in the long list. This allows for player rotation in case of injuries.
“For the players involved in Sukma at the end of this month, they will undergo selection training with us. Afterwards, I will allow them to return to their respective state teams to focus on Sukma, and then call them back to strengthen the squad for the Asia Rugby Seven Series,” said Nik Safuan.
Among those invited are Zul Farhan Adli, Ahmad Hamka Ilham, Mohamad Zariff Zaidy, Akmal Aiman Fadzil, Aqasha Daniel Irwan, Ahmad Aiman Asrul, Aif Adha Zabri, Aqil Ahmad Fozi, Farid Fauzi, and Wan Mohd Fikri.
Last year, Malaysia achieved a historic third-place finish in the final series in Bangkok after defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant milestone for the national squad.
However, with only about four weeks to prepare for this year’s edition, Nik Safuan acknowledges that it will be challenging for his team to replicate last year’s success.
Nevertheless, he has arranged an intensive preparation programme, including inviting Singapore for joint training sessions and scheduling two warm-up matches.
In addition to Malaysia and Singapore, seven other countries that will participate are eight-time champions Japan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, and the UAE.
“We have invited Singapore, and they will start training with us from August 4 in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, the plan for joint training sessions has been in place for quite some time.
“I don’t see it as a disadvantage to invite Singapore, even though we will compete against each other in the Asia Rugby Seven Series later.
“Instead, I believe the players should seize this opportunity, as they will serve as a good sparring team for us to face stronger teams in the future,” he added. – August 1, 2024
