Selection slip-up a lesson ahead of SEA Games
In the final held at the Lohrheidestadion in Bochum on Sunday, the national team made a late change by bringing in Mohd Raimi Mustaffa Kamal to replace Aliff Iman Mohd Fahimi as the second runner.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
You gotta have faith
Main priority: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik aim to focus on the World Tour Finals from Dec 17-21. — AFP PETALING JAYA: It's rare for the world No. 2 men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to give up the chance to represent the country at the Thailand SEA Games. But they are prepared to pass the baton to Malaysia's next generation of players, confident in the depth of the men's doubles to deliver the gold at the biennial Games from Dec 9-20. They can then focus on the World Tour Finals from Dec 17-21, which clashes with the SEA Games. The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) are aiming to send their strongest squad to win the gold and Aaron believes they have several capable combinations who can deliver, even without him and Wooi Yik in the line-up. Apart from Aaron-Wooi Yik, Malaysia also have other strong pairs, including world No. 22 Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King and world No. 43 Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri. World No. 7, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun may also have to be on standby for the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou in December as both pairs are currently in the best position to qualify. 'I'll be ready, but I'm handing that mission to players like Arif-Roy King or Haikal-Hon Jian, as I have already played in the SEA Games. 'This will be a good opportunity and stepping stone for them,' said Aaron, who won gold at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines. Last December, BAM had announced their intention to send a strong team to the Thailand Games following a disappointing outing at the 2023 edition in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. On that occasion, BAM fielded a line-up of younger players. Not only did they return without a gold medal, missing their target of one gold, but the women's team also suffered a shock 0-3 defeat to the Philippines in the quarter-finals. Roy King and Hon Jian were both in action in Phnom Penh, but in the mixed doubles. Hon Jian partnered Yap Ling and reached the quarter-finals, while Roy King teamed up with Cheng Su Yin to make the final before settling for silver. Malaysia's overall haul from the Games was two silvers and four bronzes.
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Azeem sprints to 100m gold in India
KUALA LUMPUR: Sprinter Azeem Fahmi clocked 10.35sec to storm to the men's 100m gold at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar, India, on Sunday. It was a double boost for Malaysia as 18-year-old Danish Iftikhar Roslee ran 10.50 to take bronze in the blue riband event, though it was shy of his personal best of 10.47. Sri Lanka's Chamod Yodhasinghe claimed silver in 10.43. Azeem, 21, who posted 10.35 for fourth place at last month's World University Games in Germany, won his morning heat in 10.48. Danish was third in his heat in 10.64sec. In the women's 100m, veteran Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli, the national record-holder, clocked 11.97 to finish third in her heat, while compatriot Nur Aishah Rufina Aling was fifth in 12.14. Zaidatul skipped the final. Sabah's Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam missed out on the men's 200m final after placing fifth in his heat in 21.95. Wan Fazri Wan Zahari, with a personal best of 1:47.64, ran 1:50.27 for seventh in the men's 800m. National coach Manshahar Abdul Jalil was pleased with Azeem's victory, despite the relatively weak field. "His time was slower than his national record of 10.09 and his season's best of 10.20," said Manshahar. "But youngster Danish did well to take bronze. It's a good boost for his future."
New Straits Times
20 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Wushu queen Cheong Min hails Chengdu fans after World Games triumph
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia ended their World Games campaign in Chengdu, China, on Saturday by adding a silver medal, but the star of the show was wushu queen Tan Cheong Min. She struck gold in the nandao and nanquan combined event with a score of 19.479 points, finishing ahead of Uzbekistan's Darya Latisheva (19.433) and Singapore's Kassandra Ong (19.386). It was the country's first World Games gold in the sport. Cheong Min, a world champion in 2017 (Duilian) and 2019 (Nandao), credited the Chengdu crowd for inspiring her to victory. "This is my first time in Chengdu, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere," she told CGTN Sports. "Having won at the World and Asian levels, I felt some pressure to perform here, but the support from the audience encouraged me to give my best." Cheong Min is only the fourth Malaysian to win gold at the World Games. Bowlers Daniel Lim and Sharon Low clinched the mixed doubles in Finland (1997), while squash legend Nicol David bagged three golds between 2005 (Germany) and 2013 (Colombia). Her latest triumph adds to an impressive collection — two world titles, two golds at the 2023 Phnom Penh SEA Games, gold at the 2023 World Combat Games, gold at the 2024 Asian Championships, and two Taolu World Cup titles (2018 and 2024). She will next compete at the World Championships in Brazil next month, followed by the Thailand SEA Games in December. Pang Pui Yee took silver in the changquan, qiangshu (spear) and jianshu (sword) combined event, scoring 29.189 points at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium. It was Malaysia's third medal in Chengdu. Sydney Chin had opened the tally with bronze in the women's taijijian-taijiquan all-round event on Friday. Malaysia sent a small contingent of five athletes competing in two sports to the World Games. On Friday, Clement Ting finished fifth in the men's changquan, daoshu and gunshu all-round event (28.815), while compound archer Alang Ariff Aqil Ghazali exited in the first round after losing to Turkiye's Yagiz Sezgin. Malaysia's haul of one gold, one silver and one bronze placed them 16th overall — ahead of Indonesia (one gold, one silver) and Singapore (one silver, three bronze) in 28th place. The World Games will conclude on Aug 17.
