Malaysia Needs One Win To Remain In Division 1 Of ARC - National Rugby Coach

PETALING JAYA (Selangor, Malaysia), May 5 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian rugby team must win at least one match at the Asian Rugby Championship (ARC) 2016 to remain in Division 1 of the tournament. National coach Lee Nyuk Fah said the target of one win was realistic, as the team would have to face Sri Lanka (ranked 39th in the world), Philippines (53rd) and Singapore (59th) in the event to be held at the Royal Selangor Club field in Kuala Lumpur from May 8 to 14. "The target given to the national team to remain in Division I of the ARC is realistic. Although the national team has never faced any team in Division I before this, I am confident that they (national team) can compete with them. "We've been training for a long time...not like before, when we started practising only two weeks before the tournament," he said at a press conference, here, Wendesday. This is the first time Malaysia, ranked 58th in the world, will be playing in Division 1, after winning Division 2 last year. Lee said the national squad was strengthened by six naturalised players from Fiji, and national professional player K.Dineshwaran, who plays in the Japanese Premier League. "Besides having to win at least one game, it would still depend on the points collected in the matches. So every match is important...I often remind the players that every game is like a final, he said. Dineshwaran, who is also known as Dugro, said he hoped that Malaysia could show strong team spirit to win. "Personally, I think the national team will not lose anything if it does its best in the Division I matches, because it's an opportunity of a lifetime, so we will make sure the team stays in this division. "The management has placed the target to remain in Division I, but we want to emerge as champions," said Dugro. The national squad will kick off their campaign against the Philippines on May 8, followed by Sri Lanka the next day, and Singapore on May 14. -- BERNAMA