Asian junior star performer Qurratu'Ain aces studies and strikes
However, the Selangor-born athlete showed remarkable resilience by wrapping up her campaign at the Asian Under-18 Junior Championships in Doha with five gold medals – her best achievement since taking up the sport at age seven.
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New Straits Times
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'Only JDT look serious': Analyst slams sorry state of Super League
KUALA LUMPUR: The new Super League season kicks off on Friday — but the domestic campaign is already under threat, with poor pre-seasons, lack of ambition, and fading interest raising serious concerns. While defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) look sharp after a solid pre-season tour in Spain, many other clubs appear unprepared — a worrying sign for both the league's competitiveness and the national team's preparations. The curtain-raiser comes in the form of the Charity Shield clash between JDT and Selangor at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, but critics say excitement around the new season is notably lacking. "There's a lot of uncertainty in the Super League, except for JDT," said football analyst Dr Zulakbal Abdul Karim. "It feels like some clubs are participating just for the sake of it. Pre-season has been subdued, with hardly any teams going abroad like they used to." Zulakbal warned the domestic league's stagnation could lead to a slow start, with players lacking sharpness, low crowd turnouts, and financial hits due to poor gate receipts. "Clubs don't seem to have the funds for proper pre-season prep," he added. "Some don't even bother because they believe no one can challenge JDT. That kind of mindset is damaging for Malaysian football." JDT's dominance — 11 titles in a row — has made the M-League highly predictable, with many clubs seemingly surrendering before a ball is even kicked. The deeper concern is the impact this may have on Harimau Malaya, with two crucial friendlies coming up during the Fifa window against Singapore (Sept 4) and Palestine (Sept 8). National coach Peter Cklamovski has already warned that he needs players to arrive fit and match-ready as the games are warm-ups for the Asian Cup qualifiers. "If players arrive unfit, low on confidence, or carrying knocks, it will hurt the national team," said Zulakbal. "Singapore are always a tough derby, and Palestine narrowly missed out on the 2026 World Cup. We need our best players at their peak."
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Asian junior star performer Qurratu'Ain aces studies and strikes
SEPANG: Since joining the national squad in January, young bowling sensation Qurratu'Ain Izdihar Pozi has faced multiple challenges – from adapting to intensive training and meeting podium targets set by her coaches to preparing for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations. However, the Selangor-born athlete showed remarkable resilience by wrapping up her campaign at the Asian Under-18 Junior Championships in Doha with five gold medals – her best achievement since taking up the sport at age seven.
New Straits Times
19 hours ago
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Machuca thanks his grandma for Malaysia shirt
KUALA LUMPUR: His footie-loving granny worked hard to get him to play for a national team in the other side of the world. The Argentine-born Imanol Machuca attributed his move to Harimau Malaya to his Malaysian grandmother. In an interview with Spanish media outlet, Sabado Velez recently, the 25-year-old winger said his Malaysia debut was a "unique experience", one made possible by his grandmother. Machuca played a key role as Malaysia thrashed Asean powerhouse Vietnam 4-0 in an Asian Cup qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 10. In retrospect, Machuca thanked his grandmother for making his Malaysia dream a reality. "I got a phone call from my grandmother. She had been working on this (joining Malaysia) for a while. I had been talking about it for some time, but never managed to make it happen. Thank God, this year I was finally able to play. It was incredible." Speaking ahead of the Copa Libertadores round of 16, Machuca, who plays for Velez Sarsfield FC in Argentina, also talked about his Malaysian adventure. "There's a lot of passion in Malaysia. When the announcement (about Machuca playing for Malaysia) was made, the post got 15,000 likes and so many comments with the Malaysian flag. I want to send a big hug to all Malaysians," he said. Machuca said he was charmed in his first visit to Malaysia. "It's a beautiful country. Economically stable, the cities are very nice, although the weather is quite humid and hot. "People are friendly. They treated me well, and the culture is impressive. "I have been in contact with the coach (Peter Cklamovski). I hope they will call me again. I had a great experience in the Asian Cup qualifiers. We did well and I hope we can win our next two games (against Laos on Oct 9 and 14)."
