Aira Azman claims third consecutive national squash crown after five-set thriller against sister Aifa
The 20-year-old defending champion edged past 23-year-old Aifa 8-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8 in a thrilling showdown at the Penang International Squash Centre.
'Very happy with the way I played today even though I have to meet my sister for the second time for the national title. We played really tough matches today. Very delighted to win my third title,' she said according to a voice recording shared with reporters.
Meanwhile, Duncan Lee carved out a milestone of his own by capturing his maiden National Championships title after defeating Sanjay Jeeva in a hard-fought clash in the men's premier category.
The 23-year-old sealed the win in straight games, prevailing 11-9, 11-8, 11-8.
'This is an incredible time for me. I am not really in the podium programme, but I am so glad I beat all podium players. My target this year is to make it to the Top 100 and I would also like to appear in the SEA Games as well,' he said. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Different strokes from Jiwa's three children
KUALA LUMPUR: Jiwa Mohan has three children and all of them are good at hitting a small ball with something. The hockey Olympian and World Cupper has two sons and one daughter excelling in different sports. Jiwa's 14-year-old twin sons, Kryshant and Kriish live in Victoria, and they have been selected for the Australia Under-16 squad. And on Sunday, his squash-playing daughter Yashica made Jiwa proud by winning the National Championships Division Two title in Penang. Yashica, who took up squash at the age of six, made her debut in the National Championships. Seeded third, she upset top seed Nurul Nisa Najihah Nazir 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 in the Division Two final at the Nicol David International Squash Centre. Yashica, a Form One student of SMK Convent Green Lane in Penang, was thrilled to win her first national-level title. "This is the first time I played in a national-level tournament and I never expected to win the title. "It's definitely a big boost for my career as I want to turn professional by the age of 17 or 18," she said. Recalling her involvement in squash, she said: "I had the option either to follow in the footsteps of my father and my twin brothers or play squash. "I wanted to do something different and new, so I picked up squash. "I am proud of my brothers who have been selected for the Australian national Under-16 team and I too want to represent Malaysia in squash. "My dream is to play in the World Championships. I took up squash after I was inspired by eight-time world champion Nicol David whom I met in Penang a few years ago. "Nicol's motivation is a big boost as she is my idol. My other idols are eight-time world champion Nour El Sherbini of Egypt and world No. 4 Olivia Weaver of the United States. "I thank my dad for funding my trip to play in the Hong Kong Junior Open last week. It was my first overseas competition and I finished 13th," said Yashica, who is trained by three coaches: Khoo Teng Hin, Aaron Soyza and Ammar. Last year, Yashica was named as the top eight rising star in the CIMB National Junior category. Jiwa said he is proud of his daughter's success, and he hopes she will go far in squash. "Winning at the National Championships is a boost to her, and I hope she will continue to shine in competitions," said Jiwa, who played in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2002 KL World Cup.
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Bittersweet farewell for Jan Jireh after surprise final run
PETALING JAYA: Independent men's singles shuttler Lee Jan Jireh (pic) is taking the tough decision to retire from the sport due to lack of funding. Jan Jireh proved his potential when he unexpectedly finished runner-up to fellow Malaysian Eogene Ewe in the Malaysian International Challenge in Ipoh yesterday, but it turned out to be a bittersweet outing for the 20-year-old, who has been forced to call it quits right after the tournament. The youngster, who was dropped from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last year and currently ranked No. 354 in the world, stunned several higher ranked players like fellow Malaysian Ong Zhen Yi (No. 109), India's Manraj Singh (No. 66) and Mithun Manjunath (No. 130) en route to the final. Jan Jireh nearly pulled off another upset in the title match before going down fighting 15-8, 7-15, 13-15 to world No. 80 Eogene at the Arena Badminton Perak. 'I really like to continue playing badminton but I am forced to retire due to lack of funding,' said Jan Jireh. 'Currently, I hardly have any time to train as I have to coach 10 hours a day to make money to travel and compete in tournaments. 'I can only train three days in a month. I am coaching freelance state players in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. 'Travelling for competitions is very expensive and I just cannot continue like this,' added Jan Jireh. However, the Penang-born Jan Jireh would consider continuing his playing career if he manages to get sponsors. 'I will definitely continue playing if I can get sponsors. If not, I will just continue coaching,' said Jan Jireh. 'I will be inconsistent if I cannot train regularly and if I were to play, I want to become better.' Meanwhile, for Eogene, it was his second senior title after his maiden win in the Slovenian Open in May.
The Star
15 hours ago
- The Star
Penang striker Dylan rocks Hang Jebat Stadium with a brace
PETALING JAYA: Dylan Wenzel-Halls stole the show at the Hang Jebat Stadium as the Australian striker struck twice to fire Penang to a 2-0 victory over Melaka in their FA Cup round-of-16 first-leg clash on Sunday (Aug 17). The 27-year-old thought he had broken the deadlock in the first half with a superb curling effort from Bosnian winger Danilo Sipovac's pass. But after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the goal was chalked off as Sipovac was judged to have fouled Melaka midfielder Nizaruddin Jazi in the build-up. Wenzel-Halls' frustration boiled over, and he was shown a yellow card by referee Nawal Mohd Zubir for his protests. But there was no denying him after the break. Just three minutes into the second half, he calmly slotted home from Ivorian striker Tchetche Kipre's pass to give Penang the lead. His celebration was filled with emotion as he made the VAR gesture before embracing fans in the stands. He doubled his tally in the 69th minute, latching onto a clever through ball from Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor and firing a low shot that slipped past Melaka goalkeeper Jun Badelic. Penang will now take a healthy advantage into the second leg, with Wenzel-Halls' brace proving the difference on the night. Earlier, Sabah hammered Bunga Raya 6-0 while Immigration stunned Terengganu 2-1 in other round-of-16 fixtures.
