National rider Izzah and sister anchor Kedah to elite team sprint title
PETALING JAYA: Double Asian champion Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri (pic) got off to a winning start in the National Championships by leading Kedah to the women's elite team sprint title at the Johor Velodrome in Iskandar Puteri yesterday.
Izzah, competing for the first time since her inclusion in the Road to Gold programme, partnered her younger sister Nurul Nabilah Mohd Asri and Phi Kun Pan to win the race in 51.444s.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Kluivert confident Indonesia will edge China in World Cup qualifier
Coach Patrick Kluivert says he is 'very confident' Indonesia will get a positive result against China on Thursday (June 5, 2025) to move closer to a historic World Cup spot. - Photo: AFP JAKARTA: Patrick Kluivert said he is "very confident" Indonesia will get a positive result against China in front of a sell-out crowd in Jakarta on Thursday (June 5) to move closer to a historic World Cup spot. Barcelona and Dutch great Kluivert saw his team thrashed 5-1 by Australia in his first game in March but they recovered to beat Bahrain 1-0 on home soil days later to leave their World Cup hopes in their own hands. "I'm very confident, and counting on my players that they will execute the things that we trained," the coach told reporters Wednesday (June 4) ahead of the clash in Jakarta. Kluivert took his squad to a training camp on the resort island of Bali to prepare for the crucial match. "The things we want to see tomorrow, I saw very clearly. We know the importance of the game," he said. Japan top Asian qualifying Group C and have already punched their ticket to North America in 2026, with Australia in a distant second in the other automatic qualifying place on 13 points. With two rounds of matches to go, Saudi Arabia are third on 10 points, one point ahead of Indonesia in fourth who have won two games and drawn three. Bahrain and China are both on six points. Teams finishing third and fourth will go into another round of qualifying -- Indonesia's most likely route to their first World Cup since gaining independence as a country in 1945. Indonesia has embarked on a recruitment drive of Dutch-born players overseen by coaches from the country's former colonial ruler to bring better results. Around 76,000 are expected to attend Thursday's match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, with Kluivert hoping the raucous crowd can push his team to victory. "I hope that we can show them a good result," he said. FIFA ranks Indonesia 123rd in the world. - AFP
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Kluivert confident Indonesia will edge China in World Cup qualifier
JAKARTA: Patrick Kluivert said he is "very confident" Indonesia will get a positive result against China in front of a sell-out crowd in Jakarta tomorrow to move closer to a historic World Cup spot. Barcelona and Dutch great Kluivert saw his team thrashed 5-1 by Australia in his first game in March but they recovered to beat Bahrain 1-0 on home soil days later to leave their World Cup hopes in their own hands. "I'm very confident, and counting on my players that they will execute the things that we trained," the coach told reporters today ahead of the clash in Jakarta. Kluivert took his squad to a training camp on the resort island of Bali to prepare for the crucial match. "The things we want to see tomorrow, I saw very clearly. We know the importance of the game," he said. Japan top Asian qualifying Group C and have already punched their ticket to North America in 2026, with Australia in a distant second in the other automatic qualifying place on 13 points. With two rounds of matches to go, Saudi Arabia are third on 10 points, one point ahead of Indonesia in fourth who have won two games and drawn three. Bahrain and China are both on six points. Teams finishing third and fourth will go into another round of qualifying – Indonesia's most likely route to their first World Cup since gaining independence as a country in 1945. Indonesia has embarked on a recruitment drive of Dutch-born players overseen by coaches from the country's former colonial ruler to bring better results. Around 76,000 are expected to attend tomorrow's match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, with Kluivert hoping the raucous crowd can push his team to victory. "I hope that we can show them a good result," he said.
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Popovic urges Australia to seize World Cup spot ahead of Japan clash
PERTH: Australia coach Tony Popovic has implored his side to "finish the job" ahead of the Socceroos' crunch World Cup qualifier against rivals Japan tomorrow in Perth. A drought-breaking win over the Asian powerhouse would all but assure Australia an automatic berth in next year's World Cup in North America. The Socceroos have a three-point lead and a significant goal difference advantage over Saudi Arabia as they jockey for second place in Group C of Asian qualifying. But a loss or draw against already qualified Japan means Australia will be thrust into a critical clash against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on June 10. A win does not totally guarantee Australia's passage if Saudi Arabia claim victory in their away game against Bahrain later tomorrow. "We just need to finish the job off. We can take a major step tomorrow night by winning," Popovic told reporters today. "There's a real excitement from the group, but there's a calmness and confidence in our ability." Australia have not beaten Japan since 2009, but hopes are high against a considerably weakened side resting a slew of top players. Leeds United star Ao Tanaka, Reims forward Junya Ito and Hidemasa Morita from Sporting Lisbon are among the players missing for the Samurai Blue. In contrast, Australia will boast a near full-strength side and buoyed by the recent return of Parma defender Alessandro Circati from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. "It's been a long time since Australia has beaten Japan, but I have a lot of confidence in this group," said Popovic, who has turned Australia's fortunes around since replacing Graham Arnold in September. "At some point, Australia will beat Japan. We have a chance to do that tomorrow and we want to take that opportunity." A febrile atmosphere is tipped with 50,000 fans expected to attend Optus Stadium despite stormy weather in Perth ahead of the game. "We certainly are aware of what these games mean to us and mean to Australia," Popovic said. "I'm very confident the players will go out there and execute in a very calm, composed manner." With an eighth straight World Cup appearance assured, Japan are using their trip to Australia and subsequent home game against Indonesia as an opportunity to trial younger players and build depth. Japan's 27-man squad includes eight uncapped players, but Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo provide plenty of class for the Asian nation eyeing a first World Cup triumph. "The ultimate goal is to win the World Cup," Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said. "So we really need to take each match and the time we prepare for matches seriously. "We need to build the strongest team possible (for) the World Cup."
