
Double lift for Aniq to snatch gold in his last 61kg event
PETALING JAYA: Getting picked again to be in the Road to Gold (RTG) elite programme and being the recipient of a scholarship from OCM Athletes' Education Fund will double the tonic for weightlifter Aniq Kasdan to sign out with gold from the men's 61kg event at the Asian Championships in Jiangshan, China, this weekend.
The 22-year-old retained his place in the RTG programme last month and was recently awarded a scholarship worth RM10,000 annually to help him in his academic studies.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Selangor athletes to get RM2,000 extra if state wins SUKMA 2026
THE Selangor state government has approved an additional RM2,000 incentive for athletes if the state secures the overall championship at the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA). Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari stated that the extra amount builds on last year's incentives for gold medal winners. Individual gold medalists will now receive RM12,000, while team event athletes with fewer than three players will get RM7,000 each. Athletes in team sports with more than three players will be awarded RM5,000 per person. Amirudin hinted that the incentives could still rise as SUKMA 2026 approaches, pending further analysis from coaches and the State Sports Council. 'If there's a significant increase as we head towards SUKMA, God willing, we will raise the incentives from time to time,' he said during the Road To Champion SUKMA 2026 launch. Last year, Selangor offered RM10,000 for individual gold medalists at the 21st SUKMA Games in Sarawak. Team events with five or fewer players received RM5,000 per gold medalist, while larger teams earned RM3,000 each. Seri Serdang State Assemblyman Abbas Salimi Che Adzmi@Azmi was appointed as the Selangor contingent head for SUKMA 2026. Datuk Johary Anuar, Deputy State Secretary of Selangor (Development), will serve as the deputy contingent head. In the previous SUKMA edition, Selangor placed third with 56 gold, 64 silver, and 61 bronze medals. Sarawak claimed the overall title with 76 gold, 55 silver, and 70 bronze medals, while the Federal Territory finished second. - Bernama


New Straits Times
12 hours ago
- New Straits Times
BAM to fast-track talent at 13 after Asian Juniors flop
KUALA LUMPUR: The BA of Malaysia (BAM) has officially pressed the panic button after failing to win a single medal at last month's Asian Junior Championships, and are now revamping their youth programme. The national body is considering drafting in shuttlers as young as 13 to fast-track their development. At the Asian Juniors, none of the Malaysian players managed to reach the quarter-finals in men's singles, men's doubles or women's singles. The dismal outing has prompted BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz to propose a return to the body's original system of bringing in players at 13, keeping them in the junior set-up until 18. BAM had switched to recruiting at 16 through national trials — largely due to budget constraints — but Tengku Zafrul insists the earlier pathway is more effective. His proposal has also won the backing of national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen and doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky. "That's my view. I've presented it to the council. Now I'm giving them time to think it through, and I will continue engaging with them," said Tengku Zafrul after the BAM council meeting at Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara on Saturday. "There are pros and cons, of course, but for me it makes sense to start again and focus on younger players. "The coaches have also stressed this — you can't expect overnight results if you don't have a strong grassroots pipeline in place. "The only way forward is to invest more resources in grassroots development, and that means working closely with states, schools, universities, as well as clubs and academies.' Tengku Zafrul hopes the revamped programme can begin as early as next year but stressed the need for proper funding and state-level support. "Ideally, we should be ready by next year — but what's most important is having a clear pathway moving forward," he said. "We need the funding, and we need the right programme in place. We must also engage with parents, sponsors, schools, and the State BAs before implementing it. "The good thing is that several corporate sponsors have already shown interest in supporting grassroots development." While the revamp will take time, BAM has already moved to address players' allowances. Beginning next month, the monthly amount will be raised by RM300 to RM1,000.


The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
RM20k boost for Penang Badminton Association
KUALA LUMPUR: The 100th anniversary celebration of the Penang Badminton Association was made more meaningful when CitaGlobal Berhad contributed RM20,000 to inspire the nurturing of more stars on par with legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei. Honorary Life President of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and Executive Chairman and President of CitaGlobal Berhad, Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria described Penang as still having 'unfinished business' in strengthening the national badminton ecosystem. 'That is why, as a badminton leader, I always value the leadership of Penang and throughout my seven years as president (of the Badminton Association of Malaysia), they have helped me greatly in leading the development of badminton not only in Penang but also across Malaysia. 'I think there is another so-called unfinished business. That is the setting up of a regional academy, and with this centenary celebration, it should basically be pursued. Because I think just having a centre like the Petronas Badminton Academy here, it will actually be more meaningful if we can also have a regional academy in Penang,' he told reporters after presenting the cheque at Akademi Badminton Malaysia, here today. Meanwhile, Penang Badminton Association president Datuk Kah Kau Kiak said Chong Wei has been appointed as the 100th Anniversary Ambassador and will enliven the gala night scheduled for Nov 22. Established in 1925, the Penang Badminton Association is the oldest state badminton association in Malaysia and continues to be a 'fertile ground' for producing champions, with Chong Wei remaining the symbol of its success. - Bernama