Lee (bottom row, left) with her teammates after taking gold in the exciting competition. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/The Star
TEAM Blitz Steroid’s exceptional performance against Team Aces in the finals of the Turo Thunder Throw Dodgeball Competition 2024 secured them the gold medal – showcasing their superior teamwork and strategic prowess.
Both teams displayed tremendous skill, but the former had the better form as they made a comeback despite trailing 4-2 against Aces.
“It was an intense match and we kept our composure,” said Blitz Steroid captain Lee Kar Wai.
“Credit goes to my teammate Sean Lim, who managed to fight back while facing five opponents alone.
“He was the only player remaining when we were down 4-2 and he managed to knock out all five of the opponents and secure a point for us.
“Things weren’t working out during the first round, but we told the team to be patient.
Crowds gathering on all floors of the Petaling Jaya shopping centre to watch the fast-paced game.
“In the end, we forced a tie-breaker and eventually won the match,” said Lee, adding that they were overwhelmed by the victory, sealing the finals 5-4 against Aces.
Lim was crowned Male Most Valuable Player for his outstanding performance.
Held at The Curve shopping centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the competition featured 10 teams battling it out in the Mixed Open.
Organised by Turo Show, the games were sanctioned by Malaysian Association of Dodgeball (MAD) and supported by Youth and Sports Ministry.
An equally gripping match was the third-place playoff between Team Anak Malaya 1 and Team Blitz Autistic.
Blitz Autistic was at a 4-1 deficit during the last 12 minutes but managed to clinch two consecutive points to reach 4-3.
Team Aces in action at the inaugural Turo Thunder Throw Dodgeball Competition.
With just three minutes left, both teams were down to two players each.
However, Blitz Autistic struck with precision, grazing the leg of their opponent.
Eventually, Anak Malaya 1 was left with only one player to defend and Blitz Autistic tied the match at 4-4, thus forcing a gripping tie-breaker.
Anak Malaya 1 then made three consecutive hits on Blitz Autistic to gain the upper hand and, proving too strong, won the match 5-4.
Aiman Rijal plans to organise matches to look for a Malaysian dodgeball icon.Turo Show founder Aiman Rijal Shamsul Rijal said the inaugural dodgeball competition aimed to raise awareness about the sport.
“I am passionate about sports. Then I found out about dodgeball and discovered that our national team was one of the top-ranked teams in the world.
“However, not many people know about the game and I want to popularise it among Malaysians.
“Like what Wimbledon is to the world of tennis, I hope to find a culturally relevant context in celebrating dodgeball by adding entertainment and lifestyle elements.
“We hope to provide a steady platform for athletes, consistently support them and identify a sporting icon in dodgeball so that he or she can inspire more people to play the game,” he said.
Aiman Rijal added that he planned to organise competitions in Klang Valley as well as in the northern and southern regions of Malaysia in search of the best player in dodgeball.
Meanwhile, MAD vice-president Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz said the association aimed to debut dodgeball as a demonstration sport at Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2026.
Team Blitz Steroid anticipating an attack from their opponents on the way to the top.
“Before a sport can be included in multi-sport events, it has to be introduced as a demonstration sport.
“Unfortunately, the dodgeball governing body failed to include the sport in the recently concluded Sukma 2024 in Sarawak.
“We are working to get the sport to Sukma level and efforts are ongoing to promote it at the state level,” said Ramlan.
