SEA Games: Women's squash team in final as men crash out

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's overconfidence cost them dearly after the men's team was knocked out in the semi-finals of the SEA Games squash competition. Despite boasting some of the best players in the region, Malaysia found a fired-up Philippines too hot to handle as they tumbled to a 2-0 defeat on Monday, thus ending their hopes of a seven-gold sweep. The decision to rest the team's No.2 Mohd Syafiq Kamal came at a hefty price as the Filipinos grabbed their chance with both hands.

Former world junior champion Ng Eain Yow was also off-colour as Robert Garcia claimed an 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 win in the first tie. It was sweet revenge for the 31-year-old Garcia who was beaten in straight sets by Eain Yow in the men's singles semi-finals just a day earlier. Malaysia's hopes then rested on 18-year-old Darren Rahul Pragasam. However, he crumbled under the pressure to lose 11-6, 8-11, 7-11, 11-4, 8-11 to Juan Rafael Yam. The win sends the Philippines into the final for the first time, where they will meet Singapore for the gold medal.

Meanwhile, Malaysia claimed gold No. 6 in squash through the women's team. But it wasn't a walk in the park as Malaysia was forced to dig deep before overcoming Singapore 2-1 in the final at the National Squash Centre, Bukit Jalil. With a 3-1-2 order of play, 16-year-old Ooi Kah Yan took to the court first against Pamela Chua. Kah Yan.

 However, was a bundle of nerves as she lost 10-12, 11-4, 4-11, 11-7, 9-11 to the 27-year-old Pamela. Malaysian No. 1 Andrea Lee levelled the tie by thumping Mao Shihui 11-8, 11-6, 11-6. And it was down to two-time British Junior Open winner Aifa Azman who confidently delivered the win by thrashing Sneha Sivakumar 11-4, 11-6, 11-4.