NATIONAL sepak takraw coach Jamaluddin Hassan has warned his players they will have to impress if they hope to secure a place in the starting line-up at the Myanmar Sea Games.
Jamaluddin said he was pleased with the performances of Mohd Syazreen Qamar Salehan (feeder) and Hanafiah Dolah (killer) during their extended run in the team, ahead of their more experienced peers, in the last leg of the Super Series in Kota Kinabalu.
The national team put in their most impressive performance this season in Sabah. Represented by Mohd Syazreen, Hanafiah and Noor Azman Abdul Hamid (tekong), the team came within three points of upsetting Thailand in the final.
"We have been rotating a lot of players this season but giving the pair a longer run in the team has provided them the opportunity to really show what they are capable of," said Jamaluddin.
"They displayed good combination and understanding on court. Hanafiah, especially, showed good skills and endurance during the tournament.
"The players must remember that no one can take his place in the team for granted. We cannot afford to just keep using the same players.
"We have a few more weeks till the tournament and the boys need to work hard and prove themselves if they want to be in the (starting) team."
Jamaluddin stressed that the squad in general as well as a number of individuals still have a lot to improve on before the Games.
Noor Azman, recalled to the side for the first time since 2011 in Sabah, and former Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia Player of the Year Norshahruddin Mad Ghani (killer) are among those in a race against time to be ready for the Games.
Norshahruddin has been an automatic choice the past few seasons but was left out of the KK side due to injury.
"Our services and consistency still need to be worked on while on court combinations can always be better," Jamaluddin added.
"We did not want to risk Norshahruddin in Sabah but he is back in training now and hopefully will be fully fit by the Games.
"Norazman has been away from the national team for some time and although he has been training with his club during that period, he needs more time to be ready for this level of competition.
"He is likely to be included in the overall squad but will have to keep working hard to regain his sharpness."
The national team are undergoing their final phase of preparation in Langkawi and will return to Kuala Lumpur on Nov 29.
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