Sepak Takraw: MSA sweating on Sulaiman

SULAIMAN Salleh, the country's most experienced "tekong", is unlikely to feature in the Laos Sea Games and this does not augur well for Malaysia in dethroning rivals Thailand at the event.

Sulaiman, a double silver medallist at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, will be dropped from the 22-member elite squad if he fails to obtain a release from his employer Risda, to attend training.

Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association coaching chairman Tengku Adnan Tengku Burhanuddin said his presence in the Sea Games will be essential if the sepak takraw boys were to return with the targeted one gold.

"The association is negotiating with Risda over his release but for now, it does not look promising," said Tengku Adnan at the National Sports Council (NSC) Datuk Keramat branch yesterday.