Dhuha hopes to add mileage to long-distance swims before world juniors
PETALING JAYA: Teen swimmer Mohd Dhuha Zulfikry (pic) is hoping he can get more out of himself before competing at the World Junior Championships in August.
The 17-year-old, who was named the Malaysian School Sports Council's (MSSM) Best Male Athlete, said he was satisfied with his performance at the recently concluded Malaysian Open in Bukit Jalil.
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The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
BWF explore two more new scoring styles at world juniors in India
BWF secretary general Thomas Lund PETALING JAYA: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) will introduce two new formats at the BWF World Junior Championships in Guwahati, India this October to make the competition more exciting for both players and fans. In partnership with the Badminton Association of India (BAI), the BWF have confirmed that a new relay system will be used in the mixed team event, while a fresh scoring format will be tested in the individual events. The team event will feature a best-of-three games format, with each game played up to 45 points. Each set will consist of five matches, namely men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. A version of the relay system was first tried at the 2024 World Junior Mixed Team Championships in China, where it received mixed feedback. BWF have since made improvements based on that feedback. In the individual events, a 3x15 scoring system will be use and this is part of the BWF's ongoing testing programme to explore new formats for the future. Both changes were approved at the BWF Annual General Meeting held in Xiamen, China, in April. BWF secretary general Thomas Lund sees the introduction of the new format as part of the federation's push to modernise badminton by making the game more exciting for fans, without compromising the well-being of the players. "It is essential that this process remains inclusive and well-informed, with any future decision guided by evidence, wide consultation, and what is in the best interest of badminton worldwide. "That's why it is necessary to test such innovations in live tournament settings and it is great that we have the endorsement and backing from our member in India and the city of Guwahati who share the same vision as us," said Lund. To ensure all teams gain a better understanding of the new formats, virtual workshops will be held for team managers and coaches ahead of the World Junior Championships. In addition, BWF will also carry out stakeholder surveys and analyse key match data to guide future decisions regarding the implementation of the new formats.
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Borneo Post
Sarawak MSSM divers exceed expectations
Shi (sixth right, back row) celebrates the amazing achievement with the Sarawak divers and officials. KUCHING (May 31): Sarawak's young divers are charting a bold new course toward international waters after dominating the Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) diving championship. Held from May 24-28 at the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) Arena Larkin Aquatic Centre, the event saw Sarawak rise to the top of the national diving scene with a commanding medal haul of nine golds, two silvers and six bronzes. The victory was hard-earned against stiff competition, with Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur finishing second with two golds, four silvers and two bronze medals while Selangor were placed third with one gold, three silvers and one bronze. Other teams in contention included Sabah, Penang, Johor, Perlis, Perak and Federal Territory of Labuan. Despite the strong field, it was Sarawak's consistent excellence across all age categories that set them apart from the rest of the teams. In the Boys' Under-18 division, Muhammad Lutfir Rahman struck gold in the 1m springboard and added a silver in the 3m springboard, while teammate Soh Tze Kang delivered another gold in the 3m springboard. In the Girls' Under-18 category, Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi secured a silver in the 3m springboard event. The winning momentum continued in the Under-15 category, with Brayden Wong claiming gold in the 3m springboard and bronze in the 1m springboard. On the girls' side, Cecelia Olivia dominated with double golds in both the 1m and 3m springboard, while Nur Ikmas Darwisyah contributed two bronze medals. Sarawak's youngest divers also made their mark. In the Boys' Under-12 division, Muhammad Hijri Rayyan captured gold in the 1m and bronze in the 3m springboard, while Awang Sharzan Zaqwan earned gold in the 3m and bronze in the 1m. For the Under-12 girls, Nur Aryna Balqis emerged as a double gold medallist in the 1m and 3m springboar, while Izara Leanne Sufeeya delivered strong fourth-place finishes in both events. To Sarawak head coach Shi Yang, the MSSM results exceeded all expectations. 'I didn't expect that we could win many gold medals and we were all very surprised. 'Our divers gave an outstanding performance by showing mental strength, great technique and resilience under pressure,' he added. However, the coach from China was quick to shift focus towards what lies ahead. 'This victory is just the beginning. Now we are preparing for the SEA Age Group Championships in Singapore. 'That will be our next big test. After that, we're building towards Sukma 2026 in Selangor. Agi Idup, Agi Ngelaban (As long as we live, we fight),' he stressed. diving Malaysian School Sports Council sports
The Star
28-05-2025
- The Star
A bigger and more lucrative Malaysian Open on the cards
Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei - Nur Izzuddin in action for mens double match during the Malaysia Open 2025 at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Open could be set for a major revamp, with a longer duration and increased prize money on the cards. Under the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) new Super 1000 concept, the men's and women's singles will feature a group-stage format with 48 entries each, while the doubles events will retain a 32-pair knockout draw. The tournament is expected to span 11 days, ending on a Sunday. And under this new format, a total of 219 matches are expected to be played throughout the tournament. Prize money will also be increased, with BWF set to cover the minimum prize commitments, easing the financial burden on hosts. Another key change will see Super 100 tournaments fully integrated into the BWF World Tour's commercial framework from 2027. Consequently, the number of Super 100 events will be trimmed from 10 to eight annually, while Super 300 tournaments will also be reduced from 11 to eight . Both levels, however, are expected to be upgraded in terms of profile and presentation. However, the tournament duration for these two tiers including Super 750 and Super 500 will remain at six competition days. "We want to ensure a clear differentiation between the levels of events to highlight the prominence of the highest-level events, while still maintaining a family relationship between the tournaments under the BWF World Tour umbrella brand. 'Top players must also consistently perform at the highest levels of the structure,' said BWF, describing one of the objectives they hope to achieve through this new concept. Malaysia has been among the elite Super 1000 hosts since 2023, alongside the All-England, Indonesian Open and China Open. However, that status is only guaranteed until 2026, and it remains uncertain whether the Malaysian Open will continue to feature at the top tier in the next cycle. Still, the BWF are assuming that hosts from the 2023–2026 cycle will be keen to continue staging the same tournaments at the same level in the 2027–2030 calendar, with a final decision expected around November. At the same time, the world body are inviting member associations to show their interest to host one or more tournaments in the next cycle, based on the newly proposed structure. Concerns over the congested calendar and modest prize money in badminton have been raised before including by legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei. Earlier this year, two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen also urged the BWF to extend Super 1000 tournaments like the Malaysian Open, much like tennis Grand Slams, to give players more time to rest and recover between intense matches.
