KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — Malaysia can expect at least two bronze medals in futsal from the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games (KL2017), given the improved ranking of the men’s squad and the impressive performance of the women’s squad.

Chairman of Futsal and Beach Football Committee of the Football Association of Malaysia, Datuk Rosmadi Ismail said the target was realistic based on the current performance of both squads in several tournaments and international friendly matches.

"The bronze medal is a realistic target even though we are actually aiming for the silver medal. We cannot underestimate the challenge posed by Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia,” he said when met recently.

The men’s futsal squad under coach Chiew Chun Yong jumped from 69th to 64th place, trailing Thailand (15), Vietnam (40) and Indonesia (51).

For the record, the men’s futsal squad won the silver medal at the 2007 Korat SEA Games in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Rosmadi said the committee would hold a meeting soon to discuss and chart the direction of futsal in Malaysia.

Issues to be discussed include improving the quality of the National Futsal League (NFL), having more tournaments at national level, and increasing the number of teams next season. — Bernama