Malaysians best Singaporeans for SEA squash team gold

MANILA, Philippines — Malaysia reasserted its mastery over Singapore, 3-1, last Saturday to bag the mixed team event title at the close of the fifth Southeast Asian Cup Squash Championships at the Kerry Sports courts inside the Shangri-La at The Fort Hotel in Taguig  City.

Noor Ainaa Amanti Binti Ampandi slipped past Sneha Sivakumar, 9-11, 11-5, 5-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7, in securing the fourth match of the best-of-five tie as the Malaysians took the last gold at stake in the tournament organized by the Philippine Squash Academy.

Jessica Jia Hui Keng topped Au Yeong Wai Yhann, 11-8, 12-10, 11-4, and Muhammad Amir Amirul Bin Azhar clobbered Timothy Leung 11-8, 11-5, 11-2, for Malaysia’s other winners in the series winding up the tourney backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The lone consolation for Singapore was Benedict Chan, who prevailed over Muhammad Hafiz Zhafri Sharif, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5.

Host Philippines wound up with a gold in the men’s singles from Reymark Begornia and a pair of bronze medals in the women’s singles courtesy of Yvonne Alisa Dalida and the mixed team singles in the tournament serving as a test event for the 30th Southeast Asian Games the country is hosting in December.