MALAYSIA’S men’s dodgeball team, Prime, has emerged victorious at the prestigious Asia-Pacific Dodgeball Invitational 2024 held recently in Sydney, Australia.
In a thrilling final match, Malaysia triumphed over the US to secure gold in the men’s category, marking a significant achievement for the team and the nation.
Now in its eighth year, the tournament featured 112 teams across three categories – male, female and mixed. It attracted the participation from eight countries, namely Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, the US, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In the men’s category alone, 42 teams competed but it was Malaysia’s Prime that shone brightest by clinching the gold in an intense showdown against the US.
Adding to Malaysia’s success, the men’s team captain Tan Jia Tzer made history as the first-ever double-gold medallist in the tournament.
As an invited player for the Australian team during the mixed final – where the team subsequently won – Tan earned an additional gold medal, making him the first player in the history of the Asia-Pacific Dodgeball Invitational to win two gold medals in a single tournament.
“This win is a testament to the dedication and talent of our players. Being part of this team has been an incredible experience,” shared Tan.
“The dodgeball scene in Malaysia is growing and we have so much untapped potential. We hope that this victory inspires more recognition and support for dodgeball as we continue to make waves in international competitions.”
Apart from Tan, two other outstanding Malaysian dodgeball players include Harigaran Ravichandran (27), who was selected as the Most-Valuable-Player at the 2019 World Dodgeball Championship in Cancun, Mexico and Au Zhen Jack (24) who captained the Malaysian men’s team at the 2024 World Dodgeball Championship in Graz, Austria.
Meanwhile, Prime is eager to build on their recent success and will continue representing the country in competitions around the world to showcase the talent and potential of Malaysian dodgeball team. – Nov 2, 2024
