Azeem hopes to turn the tide in India
Despite making history at the Games by becoming the first Malaysian to make the men's 100m final and finishing fourth in 10.35s, the 21-year-old feels that it did not reflect his true performance, having clocked a season best of 10.20s in the United States in May.
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New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Pearly-Thinaah return to historic venue for world conquest
KUALA LUMPUR: Women's doubles Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah will return to a familiar battleground this month when they compete in the World Championships in Paris. The world No. 2 Malaysians will play at the Adidas Arena — formerly known as Arena Porte De La Chapelle — the same venue where they made Olympic history last year. Pearly-Thinaah reached the semi-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the first Malaysian pair to do so. Although they missed out on a bronze medal after losing to Japan's Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida, former national high performance director Datuk James Selvaraj believes the experience gained there will greatly help Pearly-Thinaah when the French capital hosts the world meet. Pearly-Thinaah are on the right track for the Paris showpiece, reaching four World Tour events finals this year and winning the Thailand Open in May. "Playing at the venue where you made history can have a positive impact," said James. "They know what the place is like. It was there they reached the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics. "Now, they should try to enter the final. Whether they win or not, I don't mind, but at least they must try." James hopes to see great on-court communication and chemistry between the duo, urging Pearly-Thinaah to stay mentally strong. "They must learn to be confident. They must motivate themselves to play better. Only then can they advance to the final," he said. Pearly-Thinaah's previous best result at the World Championships was a quarter-final finish in 2023. Meanwhile former Olympic medallist Datuk Razif Sidek said Malaysia's best chance of winning a medal at the world meet will be in the doubles. "There's a chance for us to at least have one pair reach the final," said Razif. "We have three pairs in the top seven on the world rankings. If the draw is favourable, they must take advantage of it." Both James and Razif feel that the doubles players will have to carry Malaysia's challenge for medals in Paris due to uncertainty in the singles department, with the only real hope for a deep run being Lee Zii Jia. However, the independent shuttler has not played competitively since March due to an ankle injury.
Borneo Post
12 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Hannah: 2026 Sukma to feature e-sports, chess, cricket, kabaddi
Hannah shared that the four sports were approved at the Sukma Supreme Council meeting that she chaired yesterday, adding that boxing and softball were also selected as mandatory sports for Sukma effective from the 2026 edition. – Bernama photo SHAH ALAM (Aug 6): The 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor will feature the new sports of e-sports, chess, cricket and kabaddi, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said. She shared that the four sports were approved at the Sukma Supreme Council meeting that she chaired yesterday, adding that boxing and softball were also selected as mandatory sports for Sukma effective from the 2026 edition. 'This brings the number of mandatory sports to 30. With the four additional sports approved for Sukma 2026, 34 sports will be contested,' she said at a media conference after chairing the meeting here yesterday, as she noted that the decision was final and no additional appeals would be entertained. This would ensure that the organiser had sufficient time to prepare for the Games, scheduled for Aug 15 to 24, 2026 in Selangor, she added. The meeting also approved the official participation of the Brunei Darussalam contingent in Sukma 2026, but the number of sports will be determined by a special technical committee soon, while the State Youth and Sports Exco meeting, which was also held yesterday, agreed that state participation for the Para Sukma would be managed by state sports councils from 2026, replacing the state youth and sports department to ensure preparation of para athletes was more strategic and focused. Yeoh also shared that they would continue developing sports for women following the lack of female athletes and technical officials in Sukma 2024 in Sarawak, with yesterday's meeting agreeing that for every open event, participation of athletes of different genders were compulsory. 'For sports events contested at the Olympic Games, they will be held and not dropped according to previous Sukma regulations even if the number of women athletes did not meet the minimum requirement of six states. 'This is a very important departure to encourage women sports continue to provide opportunities to compete, even with the lack of investment and funds from all states,' Yeoh said. Also, each state contingent has been asked to appoint a woman head of contingent or deputy head and to have a 20 per cent quota of female support officials for secretariat and medical duties beginning from Sukma 2026. 'Selangor Sukma will have at least 30 per cent female volunteers and 20 per cent female tournament technical officials. I feel this is a very inclusive Games and many will wait to see how this Sukma is different from the ones before,' she added. – Bernama
New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Rexy urges coaches to forge 'mental warriors'
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian badminton coaches should not focus only on techniques, but also on the minds of their players. That's the message from former world and Olympic champion Rexy Mainaky, who is credited by many people with Malaysia's badminton success, especially in doubles, in recent years. The Indonesian-born BAM doubles coaching director urged Malaysian coaches to go beyond technical instructions and adopt a more emotionally attuned approach to forge players into "mental warriors". "It's not about being robotic — pressing red for errors or green for perfect play. These are human beings. To get the best out of them, we need to coach with heart, not just methods," said Rexy today. He said while skill refinement remains part of training, performance inconsistencies at the elite level are more often due to emotional and psychological factors than technical flaws. Drawing on his experience, Rexy said that coaches must observe closely, understand emotional cues, and offer timely support — not unlike raising a child. "A coach's role is not just about tactics or skills. They must understand their players completely — like how a parent understands a child. "A child may do something wrong because they lack experience. But we, as adults, know that it could affect their character. It's the same with athletes. Coaches must be able to recognise and guide them through it," he added. Rexy said that coaches must be alert to subtle shifts in a player's attitude or confidence, particularly when performances fluctuate despite consistent training. "People may say, 'Oh, their front-court play is weak,' or 'They're too slow,' but the real issue might be the player's state of mind. Maybe their focus was disturbed before the match. We're all human — players too." He said improvements in technique are usually marginal, and that success requires alignment between a player's mindset and the coach's goals. "If a player improves technically but is still mentally inconsistent — good one day, poor the next — what's the reason? That's when coaches need to look deeper. What's the root cause?" Rexy also emphasised that coaching must extend beyond the court to include life management — rest, diet, and emotional discipline — all of which impact performance. "Preparation isn't only about on-court work. It includes rest, diet, staying healthy and mentally switched on. The player must want to succeed, but the coach must guide them towards that mindset."
