The Malaysian women basketball players holding the 60 gold-medal sign after beating Vietnam in the final group match to win gold at the Singapore SEA Games on Monday. - IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/ The STAR
SINGAPORE: Malaysia claimed their 60th gold at the Singapore SEA Games and it was all thanks to the valiant efforts of the women’s basketball team.
Needing only a win to seal the gold, Malaysia were all fired up against winless Vietnam and duly scored a crushing 82-50 win at the OCBA Arena on Monday.
The Malaysians started strongly in the first quarter to lead 24-16. They conceded only six points in the second quarter and then extended their lead to 41-22 by half-time.
Vietnam pushed hard after the break as Malaysia looked a little complacent at times.
But Malaysia’s sleek passing game was just too much to handle for their opponents as they eventually finished with a comfortable 32-point victory. They finished top in the six-team round-robin competition with four wins.
It was Malaysia’s 13th gold in women’s basketball in the Games history. Indonesia took the silver while defending champions Thailand settled for the bronze.
“I’m really happy with the win because I was injured before the Games. I didn’t even know if I could compete,” said centre R. Kalaimathi, who top scored for Malaysia with 14 points.
“When we lost to the Philippines (63-74), the whole team felt very down and we thought we missed our chance to win the gold.
“But we just kept going and the whole team stayed strong. Winning the 60th gold for Malaysia is quite special too,” added the 1.84m Kalaimathi.
The win was also extra special for Games debutant Yap Fook Yee (pic, above), who celebrated her 22nd birthday on Monday. She was given an impromptu birthday party by her team-mates.
“This is my first SEA Games and to win the gold on my birthday makes it very special,” said Fook Yee.
“I’m really happy that we managed to do it as a team because all the hard work we put in prior to the Games has paid off,” she added.
