Ex-national hockey player Arrifin Ghani is new sports commissioner
KUALA LUMPUR : Former national hockey player Arrifin Ghani has been appointed the new sports commissioner effective today.
The appointment, on a two-year contract, sees Arrifin succeeding Suhardi Alias.
A national player from 1989 to 1993, Arrifin previously served with the National Sports Council.
He is a law graduate and was recognised as a sports alumni icon by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).
He is also the second former national athlete to be appointed to the post after Zaiton Othman in 1982.
Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh congratulated Arrifin on his appointment and expressed confidence in his capabilities.
'I'm confident he will strengthen national sports bodies thanks to his experience on the field, in sports administration, and academia,' she said in a statement.
'I wish him all the best.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Aira Azman claims third consecutive national squash crown after five-set thriller against sister Aifa
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 — National squash player, Aira Azman extended her dominance at the 40th National Championships 2025 by securing her third consecutive title after outlasting her elder sister Aifa in a gripping five-set final in the women's premier category, today. 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
Free Malaysia Today
12 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
We shouldn't have dropped F1, says SIC chief
Liberty Media Corp, the owner of F1, has quoted a price of US$70 million (RM295 million) per race in Malaysia, Sepang International Circuit CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif said. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : It was a mistake for Malaysia to give up the hosting rights for the Formula 1 (F1) grand prix, says Sepang International Circuit (SIC) CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif. He said it was a tall order now to host the F1 race in Sepang as there is a long waiting list for a place on the motorsport event's calendar. He added that it would also be very costly with Liberty Media Corp, the owner of F1, having quoted a price of US$70 million (RM295 million) for the rights to host the race in Malaysia, New Straits Times reported. 'That does not include our setup costs, in the region of RM10-20 million per year. In total, it would cost us more than RM300 million to bring back the race (annually),' he was quoted as saying. Nonetheless, Azhan believes there is a strong interest to bring the F1 grand prix back to Malaysia, adding that if enthusiasts and stakeholders were really serious about this, then 'maybe we can start the conversation'. He maintained that every stakeholder must be involved and contribute to make this a success, saying Malaysia should take a leaf from Singapore. '(Singapore) has everyone on board to make their F1 grand prix a success, from the ministries to the corporate sector and hotels. Everybody contributes. 'It has to be like that if we bring it back here,' he said, adding that the returns on investments will not be immediate. Azhan then warned against making the same mistake with the hosting rights for the MotoGP, saying that negotiations for a contract renewal with event organiser Dorna Sports will take place soon. 'We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. We let F1 go and now it is very hard to bring it back. I hope we don't make the same mistake with MotoGP,' he was quoted as saying. In April 2023, youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh said it would be 'quite impossible' for Malaysia to host F1 races in Sepang again because of the high costs it would incur. However, Motorsports Association of Malaysia president Mokhzani Mahathir said F1 races could return to Sepang if the corporate sector was willing to bear the costs. Malaysia first hosted the F1 grand prix in 1999 and it became a popular attraction for motorsports enthusiasts from around the world every year. The last race in Malaysia was held in 2017 after Putrajaya decided not to renew the hosting rights due to a decline in returns.
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Malaysia's Aaliyah Yoong dominates women's open with clean sweep at Ski & Wake Championships
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 — Malaysian athletes had a strong showing overall on the final day of the 2025 Malaysia Ski & Wake Championships at the Waterfront Sports Complex in Precinct 6, Putrajaya today and as expected national queen, Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah dominated the women's open category, sweeping all four events – slalom, tricks, jump and overall. Ranked world number seventh in jump, she cleared a distance of 42.6 metres (m) and scored 7,320 points in tricks, leaving her only challenger, Indonesia's Ni Ika Dewi Ambarawati to settle for silver in all three events. Aaliyah's stunning victory was witnessed by Youth and Sports Ministry deputy secretary-general Chan Hon Jin, who later presented the Malaysian Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (MWWF) RM145,000 under the ministry's matching grant initiative. Aaliyah, who also pocketed RM4,000 in prize money, will leave for Recetto, Italy next week for the IWWF World Open Water Ski Championships. 'It's been a fun and exciting adventure for me in this championship. Everything that I did was to prepare for the World Open championships in Italy. 'I will take a short break before going to Italy. It is going to be very competitive at the world level event and my focus will be at 100 per cent,' she said, who also recently won four gold medals and broke the Asian jump record three times at the Asian Championships in Bangkok. In the men's open, Aaliyah's siblings also impressed, with Aiden clinching gold in slalom and tricks, setting a new national record of 6,830 points in tricks. Indonesia's Muhammad Zahidi Putu grabbed the spotlight in the men's jump with a brilliant 39.9m effort to snatch gold ahead of Aiden (32.3m) and his brother Adam (28.6m). Meanwhile, Malaysia's upcoming sensation, 13-year-old Aydan Saisi won gold in the boys' Under-14 wakeboard final with 20 points, edging out five Indonesian rivals. 'I was so excited when my dad told me I won the gold medal again. I won it for the third straight year! This is a great achievement for me,' said the youngest of five siblings. Aydan, who also trains under 13-time world champion Julia Rick, had finished fifth in the same event at the Asian Championships in Bangkok. — Bernama
