Kuala lumpur: With the Malaysian sepak takraw squad's fitness level already at around 90 per cent, main tekong Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi is confident the team are hitting peak form ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games from Sept 19-Oct 4.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohammad Syahir has expressed enthusiasm upon regaining the speed and consistency of his serves, a significant recovery following a torn muscle in his right leg sustained in May. He plans to utilize the remaining time to further enhance his fitness level and perfect his serves before the team departs for the Asian Games.

"So far, my performance is not yet at 100 per cent, it's still around 90 per cent. But it's enough to give me the confidence I need for the Asiad. Compared to a few months ago, my serves were still quite inconsistent. Alhamdulillah, these last few weeks, I have managed to regain my rhythm in terms of the ball toss and serves," he noted during the 2026 Sepak Takraw League 'Gelanggang Kita - Projek Komuniti' programme.

National head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun previously stated that Mohammad Syahir was only about 70 per cent physically fit after the injury during the Sepak Takraw World Cup. However, he acknowledged the tekong's positive progress after undergoing rehabilitation and treatment with the National Sports Institute (NSI), noting improvements in both recovery and fitness levels.

"If we look at his progress, after the series of rehabilitation and treatment with the NSI, we can see that his recovery is getting better and his fitness level is also improving," Ahmad Jais commented, adding that the national squad is set to compete in the men's regu and team regu events at the Asiad.

Despite Mohammad Syahir's progress, Ahmad Jais mentioned that the coaches, along with the Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia (PSM), the National Sports Council (NSC), and NSI, have discussed contingency plans should he be unable to compete. Player changes could be made to maintain consistent performance levels across the team.

PSM has set a two-gold target for the squad in the Asiad, with the sepak takraw competition scheduled to take place at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Gymnasium from Sept 20 to Oct 3. In the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, Malaysia secured silver medals in both the regu and team regu events.