PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Volleyball Association (Mava) are counting on Beh Shun Ting and Luk Teck Hua to win honours in the Laos SEA Games women’s beach volleyball competition.
The duo, who ended Malaysia’s 10-year medal drought by winning the bronze in the 2007 Korat Games, could bank on their vast experience to challenge strongly for medals.
Shun Ting-Tech Hua have been together as a pair since the 2006 Doha Asian Games. They were also members of the national indoor volleyball team since 2001.
Experienced pair: Mava expect Luk Teck Hua (right) and Beh Shun Ting to deliver a medal in beach volleyball. However, coach Lim Poh Hong said that would be a tall order for them to get the gold medal in the company of two strong pairs from Thailand – Kulna Kamoltip-Yupa Phokongploy and Jarunee Sannok-Usa Tenpaksee – who were the gold and silver medallists respectively at he last Games.
“The Thais will start as the favourites in Laos,” she said.
Poh Hong added that they had yet to decide on their second women’s pair and there were four players in contention to forming the combination – seasoned campaigner M. Iswari and newcomers Tan Chiew Lee, Jessie Lee and Chia Chou Hua.
“I hope we get an invite to try out our girls in the world tour in Phuket in November. This will be a good warm-up ahead of the Laos Games,” said Poh Hong.
Beach volleyball was introduced in the biennial Games in 1993 and Malaysia’s best effort was a silver medal-winning effort by the men’s pair of Mohd Nasiruddin Hashim-Lee Kok Peng in Jakarta in 1997.
For the Laos Games in December, Malaysia will also compete in men’s indoor volleyball.
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