Kuala lumpur: National sepak takraw player Haziq Hairul Nizam is leaving nothing to chance as he gears himself up both mentally and physically for the 2026 Sepaktakraw World Cup at the Titiwangsa Stadium here from May 16-23.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Haziq, who is the tekong (server), acknowledged the importance of being thoroughly prepared mentally, especially with the added pressure of playing on home ground. He expressed the pressure that comes with playing in front of a home crowd and emphasized the need to be mentally strong to perform well. Haziq shared his determination by stating, 'As for me, there is pressure playing on home ground. So, I need to be mentally strong. Who wouldn't want to give their best when playing on home ground?' He added that the national team had been preparing for the World Cup since January.

Haziq also urged his fellow national players to stay focused and not become complacent after their recent success at the Thailand SEA Games, where they ended a 34-year gold medal drought in the team regu event. He noted that the Thai team would be motivated to perform at the World Cup and stressed the importance of not resting on past achievements. 'We cannot be too comfortable with the SEA Games victory. For the World Cup, we will try to play to our usual strengths and strive to bring glory to Malaysia,' he vowed.

For the upcoming World Cup, Malaysia has been drawn in Group A alongside Japan and Singapore. In the team regu event, Malaysia is placed in Group B with India and Myanmar. Reflecting on past performances, Malaysia emerged champions in the Premier Division men's double and regu events at the 2024 World Cup, also held in Kuala Lumpur, while Thailand secured the Premier Division team regu title.