Category: Sports

CHENGDU, Despite low expectations from men’s singles camp heading to Thomas Cup 2024 in Chengdu, the Malaysian squad managed to prove their mettle after sweeping aside Hong Kong in the Group D opener here, today.

After professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia put Malaysia 1-0 ahead following a 21-18-21-18 straight set win over Lee Cheuk Yiu, all eyes focus on how well Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh would perform when they stepped into the court at the Chengdu High-Tech Zone Sports Centre.

And both Jun Hao and Justin did not disappoint as they played their part to help Malaysia thrashed Hong Kong 5-0.

World number 37 Jun Hao, who confirmed the winning point for Malaysia, displayed a heroic act by upsetting world number 27 Angus Ng Ka Long, 17-21, 21-12, 21-15, believed that today’s result would lift their confidence to fight against higher-ranked players here.

‘I just hope we will keep doing well and fighting to get a point for the team. For sure this win gave me a boost to play in upcoming matches b
ecause it was quite difficult to play against Angus just now,’ he told Malaysian media in a post-match interview here.

After trailing in the first set, Jun Hao said that rousing support from his teammates really inspired him to stage a comeback which contributed the third point for the national team.

In the meantime, Justin, who survived a rubber set battle against Chan Yin Chak in 21-17, 19-21, 21-17, in the last match, admitted he felt pressure to win in his first major tournament in Chengdu.

The 20-year-old said he was also too hard on himself that led to him losing in the second set against Yin Chak.

Despite feeling pressure against Cheuk Yiu, Zii Jia said he finally managed to heave a huge sigh of relief to see off world number 15 player and delivered the maiden point for Malaysia against Hong Kong.

He also said a few tips given by his coach Wong Tat Meng, who used to train Cheuk Yiu before, worked wonders for him as he equalled the head-to-head record to 2-2 since both players first met in the Belg
ian International 2017.

Meanwhile, team captain Soh Wooi Yik hoped that they carry the winning momentum onto the next matches while Aaron is optimistic that victory over Hong Kong will open the door for Malaysia to become top two teams in the Group D and qualify to the last eight.

Aaron-Wooi Yik had earlier notched the second point for Malaysia after seeing off Law Cheuk Him-Yeung Shing Choi 21-16, 21-12 while second doubles, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani delivered the fourth point with 21-19, 21-18 over Reginald Lee-Tang Chun Man.

Five-time champion, Malaysia, can qualify to the last eight berth, provided they overcome minnows from North African region, Algeria in the second tie tomorrow before ending the Group D campaign against 2016 champion and European powerhouse, Denmark on Tuesday.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

CHENGDU, Malaysia edged closer to the quarter-finals of the Thomas Cup 2024 after they got off to a flying start in their Group D campaign with a massive 5-0 win over Hong Kong at the Chengdu High-Tech Zone Sports Centre, here in China today.

Professional men’s singles shuttler, Lee Zii Jia got the ball rolling for Malaysia as he managed to survive a tight contest in the earlier stage of the first match against world number 15 Lee Cheuk Yiu before finding his groove to take the opening set 21-18.

Though Cheuk Yiu looked more defiant in the second game by pushing Zii Jia to 15-15, the 26-year-old Malaysian kept his feet on the ground to cruise to a 21-18 victory and delivered the first point for the country.

The 2022 men’s doubles world champions, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik put Malaysia in the driving seat as they scored the second point with a fine display to ease past Law Cheuk Him-Yeung Shing Choi 21-16, 21-12 in just 27-minutes.

Buoyed by a convincing start from Zii Jia and Aaron-Wooi Yik, second singles
Leong Jun Hao, ranked 37th, put up a heroic display to upset world number 27 Angus Ng Ka Long in their first-ever encounter that lasted 61-minutes.

Clearly undaunted by the first game loss 17-21, the Kuala Lumpur-born staged a magnificent comeback and was truly on fire in the next two sets to seal the third point for Malaysia with 21-12, 21-15.

Though Malaysia already secured victory, it did not stop Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) 2024 men’s doubles runner-up, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani from maintaining a clean record against Hong Kong in the fourth match.

However, Sze Fe-Nur Izzuddin were made to sweat against Reginald Lee-Tang Chun Man before edging the scratch pair, 21-19, 21-18.

Debutant Justin Hoh rose to the occasion and wrapped up the tie for Malaysia as he survived a gruelling rubber set battle against Chan Yin Chak 21-17, 19-21, 21-17.

Malaysia, five-times champion can qualify to the last eight berth, provided they overcome minnows from North African region, Algeria in the second tie t
omorrow before bringing Group D curtain down against 2016 champion and European powerhouse, Denmark on Tuesday.

Only top two from each group progress to the quarter-finals.

The world’s most prestigious badminton team tournament will end May 5.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Hanoi: A photo exhibition highlighting Vietnam’s victories that changed the course of world history is being held at the pedestrian space around Hoan Kiem Lake downtown Hanoi.

Kicked off on April 26, the event aims to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Dien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 – 2024) and the 49th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 – 2024).

It is showcasing 70 documentary images divided into three parts, namely the glorious Dien Bien Phu Victory; the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising with the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign liberating the South and reunifying the country; and Hanoi – Hue – Saigon.

Vietnam’s history in the 20th century was marked by the Dien Bien Phu Victory and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, which ended nine years of the resistance war against French colonialists and the 21-year-long struggle against the US, respectively.

Jointly organised by the management board of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the B52 Victory Museum,
and the Vietnam Military History Museum, the exhibition runs until May 31./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, A lack of match fitness is the main factor behind the national Under-23 squad’s failure to give their best in the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup in Qatar, said Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) technical director Scott O’Donell.

He attributed that to the Harimau Muda players’ lack of playing time and the long transition time of the Malaysia League (M-League).

Malaysia returned home without any points after losing all their three Group D matches – 2-0 to Uzbekistan, 2-0 to Vietnam and 2-1 to Kuwait.

“If we look at the statistics, not many players in this squad had any playing time with their clubs in last season’s Super League campaign…only four of them did.

“Goalkeeper Sikh Izhan Nazrel played for 2,250 minutes with Negeri Sembilan FC; Mukhairi Ajmal had 1,684 minutes with Selangor FC; T. Saravanan 1,252 minutes with Kuala Lumpur City; and Safwan Mazlan 1,063 minutes with Terengganu FC,’ he said in a statement shared by FAM today.

As for the long transiti
on time of the (M-League), he said the players had to wait a long time for the 2024/25 season to start on May 10, thus affecting their fitness levels ahead of the Under-23 Asian Cup.

As such, O’Donell stressed that FAM should look at restructuring age-group tournaments in the country so that the young players would get to play in more competitive matches.

He also hoped that the national Under-23 squad would make better use of the FIFA international window by holding more international friendlies.

“We need to give them more international exposure to play as a team and not just prepare our teams in an ad hoc manner just before the Under-23 tournaments like the AFC (Asian Cup) and SEA Games.

“If we cannot arrange an international friendly for the Under-23 team, we should at least have a training camp to give the coaches a chance to get to know the players during every FIFA international window period,’ he said.

O’Donell said he and the Harimau Muda head coach, Juan Torres Garrido will prepare a full report
on the Under-23 Asian Cup failure to be presented to the FAM National Team Management Committee.

KUALA LUMPUR, With fewer than 100 days until the 2024 Paris Olympic Games kick off, national diver Bertrand Rhodict Lises is intensifying his efforts to increase the degree of difficulty of his dives by training in different countries.

Bertrand, 19, who is currently based in Singapore (from April 15 to May 30), will continue his journey to Australia to participate in the Diving Championships in Brisbane before heading to another country in preparation for the world’s biggest sporting event.

As the only national diver at the quadrennial event, Bertrand admits feeling a bit “lonely” without the company of senior divers like Datuk Pandelela Rinong during this process, but he considers it an inevitable part of his career as a national athlete.

“I will be training in Singapore, Australia, and another country that I have not been informed of by the Malaysian Swimming Federation (MAS). I won’t be returning to Malaysia, so from that last country, I’ll go straight to Paris.

“The nervousness about going to Paris i
s there, but I am looking forward to it. This Olympics is definitely about gaining experience, but if luck is on my side, I might get on the podium,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Bernama previously reported that Bertrand had to sacrifice his participation in two 2024 Diving World Cup series events to focus on shifting from a 3.0 to a 3.7 difficulty in the back 3½ dive with pike routine.

When asked about any changes in his diet, Bertrand, who is accompanied by coach Nor Aznizal Najib in Singapore, said he is more cautious about food content and is taking supplements to boost his fitness level.

He believes all MAS plans are progressing smoothly, especially as his wrist injury has fully healed after receiving a recent platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection.

Meanwhile, MAS Technical Director (Diving) Bryan Nickson Lomas said the decision to send Bertrand to various countries was the right one, with the diver from Sarawak agreeing to the plan.

Although China, a powerhouse in swimming events, is not
among Bertrand’s ‘learning’ destinations, Bryan is confident that the diversity of other countries will be beneficial for him, potentially boosting his chances in Paris.

“We had several options, and we chose the ones that were worthwhile and beneficial. Indeed, China has complete facilities, but other countries are not far behind in terms of quality,” he said.

Bertrand is the only national diver who qualified to compete in the Paris Olympics Games in the men’s 10-metre platform event after securing his spot at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, last year.

Eight other athletes will join Bertrand, including three track cyclists, Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri; Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif (sailing), Johnathan Wong (shooting), Ariana Nur Dania Mohd Zairi (archery), Nur Aisyah Mohd Zubir (road cycling), and Mohamad Aniq Kasdan (weightlifting).

Six of them, including Bertrand Rhodict and Ariana Nur Dania, who are 19 years old, Nurul Izzah Izzati (2
1), Mohamad Aniq (22), along with Nur Shazrin and Nur Aisyah, 26, will be competing at the Olympics for the first time.

The Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 26 to Aug 11.

KUALA LUMPUR, Young national track cycling star Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri has described her debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a big step in her cycling career.

The 20-year-old said she did not expect her name to be listed to compete in such a prestigious sporting event, but admitted it is just the beginning of better things to come in the sport.

The Kedah-born athlete said she is determined to work hard to deliver a strong performance in Paris.

‘It is every athlete’s dream to qualify for the Olympic Games. It’s a big step for me. I hope my career will not end here; this is just the beginning for me to move forward.

‘There is still a lot I need to learn in my career; nothing is impossible, and size is not the only measure of success,’ she said in a post on her Instagram today.

Yesterday, the International Cycling Union (UCI) released the track cycling quotas for each National Olympic Committee (NOC), announcing that Nurul Izzah, along with Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Muhammad Shah Firdaus
Sahrom had officially qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Four Malaysian cyclists will compete in the Paris games after Nur Aisyah Zubir earlier secured a spot in road cycling, making history as the first Malaysian woman to compete in a road event at the Olympics.

With this latest development, nine Malaysian athletes have officially qualified for the Olympics, The others are diver Bertrand Rhodict Lises, sailor Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif, shooter Johnathan Wong, archer Ariana Nur Dania Mohd Zairi, and weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan, who had confirmed their places earlier.

KUALA LUMPUR, The national Under-23 (U-23) football squad ended their campaign in the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup without any victories after losing 1-2 to Kuwait in the final Group D match at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar early today.

The defeat saw Juan Torres Garrido’s squad finish the campaign at the bottom of the group standings without any points following defeats of 0-2 each to Uzbekistan and Vietnam in the first two matches.

In the match against Kuwait, the rhythm of the Harimau Muda squad was disrupted when they had to play with 10 players after goalkeeper Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman was shown a red card at the end of the first half for fouling Kuwait captain Salman Mohammed outside the penalty box.

Forward Luqman Hakim Shamsudin was sacrificed by Garrido to bring in substitute goalkeeper Muhammad Firdaus Irman Mohd Fadhil.

However, Malaysia fell behind at the end of the extended first half by 15 minutes through a penalty converted by Salman after Muhamad Umar Hakeem Suhar Rezwan was pe
nalised for fouling Talal Al Qaisi following a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

Muhammad Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi missed the chance to equalise for Malaysia in the 56th minute when he failed to finish a cross from Muhammad Haqimi Azim Rosli before Muhammad Firdaus saved a one-on-one attempt against Salman in the 59th minute.

However, a minute later, Malaysia faced more pressure as Emilio Peixe’s team successfully extended their lead after Talal headed in a cross from Sultan Al Faraj.

Entering the final 10 minutes of the match, Salman was ordered off the field after being shown a red card by referee Alexander King from Australia following a harsh tackle on Muhamad Umar Hakeem in the 83rd minute, leaving both teams to finish the game with 10 players.

The score remained 2-1 in favour of Kuwait until the final whistle, allowing Peixe’s team to surpass Malaysia to finish Group D in third place with one point, but still failing to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan progressed
to the quarterfinals as the Group D champions after defeating Vietnam, who had also confirmed their ticket to the knockout rounds, 3-0 in another match at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.

During the post-match press conference, Garrido apologised to all the fans because his team failed to reach the expected level.

‘And coming (to today’s game) from the last two defeats it’s a bit difficult. The team tried and gave everything, we’ve been close to getting the second equaliser but didn’t manage to get it,’ he said.

The 44-year-old Spaniard said his team had several chances to open the scoring before facing an unexpected situation when they had to play with 10 players thus putting the team in a difficult situation.

‘We cannot be positive on that (results) because our expectations were different and it’s difficult to define because when it comes to performance, my analysis is one (and) when it comes to results and what’s happening in the games was a bit different.

‘We need to apologise to the fans b
ecause we didn’t reach the level we wanted to,’ he added.