MALAYSIA ended a 16-year wait to win the Sea Games netball gold medal by beating defending champion and arch-rival Singapore 65-41 in a lopsided final at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara today.

The win also avenges the team’s narrow defeat to Singapore at the 2015 Games.

Coach Tracey Robinson’s strategy to set a fast and furious pace right after the starting whistle seemed to have caught Malaysia’s Causeway rival off-guard, allowing the national team to take a commanding lead in the first and second quarters.

The Juara Stadium was filled to the brim, with tickets for the netball competition being sold out long before the Games began.

Among those who cheered on the Malaysian team were Prime Minister Najib Razak, his wife, Rosmah Mansor, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar. 

Najib, who later presented prizes to the winners, commended the Malaysian team for its commitment and ability to beat the defending champion.

“They moved as a unit, a team, to ensure victory. It was a very an energetic performance by the team,” said Najib. – Bernama, August 20, 2017.