KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s campaign in the men’s trios event at the IBF World Championships ended in heartbreak on Monday (Dec 1) after both national combinations bowed out in the last 16 stage in Hong Kong.
The trio of Danial Abu Samah, Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin and Hazim Alihanafiah came agonisingly close to reaching the semi-finals, which would have guaranteed at least a bronze, but were eliminated following a one-game tie-breaker in Group A.
Danial, Izz and Hazim ended the round-robin with 12 points, level with Sweden and France, but were outscored once the tie-break mechanism was applied.
Sweden advanced as group runners-up after firing a 243 game against Malaysia’s 209 and France’s 168 to seal second place behind group winners South Korea.
South Korea (Ji Geun, Kim Jun Yung, Baek Seung Min) dominated the group, collecting 16 points from seven matches.
It was a bitter end for the all-debutant combination, especially after they finished 12th in the qualifying roll-off earlier in the day to make the top-16 cut from a field of 56 teams.
In Group B, the senior line-up of Rafiq Ismail, Hafiz Zainuddin and Syazirol Shamsuddin, who qualified 10th best, fought hard but were also edged out, finishing fifth with 12 points in a highly-competitive pool.
Denmark, Australia and Finland all ended on 15 points each, but it was the former two who advanced to the semi-finals.
Malaysia will now turn their attention to the women’s trios on Tuesday, hoping to deliver some cheer and extend the nation’s medal streak.
To date, Malaysia have reached the podium in both singles and doubles.
Adelia Nur Irwan Syazalee clinched silver in the women’s singles, while Rafiq and Syazirol combined to take bronze in the men’s doubles.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
