Latest news with #AFPPETALINGJAYA
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Bigger gain after pain
Tough battle: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in action against Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri during the China Open men's doubles final in Changzhou yesterday. — AFP PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have vowed to make amends after missing out on the China Open title by going all out to capture gold in the World Championships. Aaron-Wooi Yik were hoping to win their first World Tour Super 1000 title but were denied by Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri, losing 15-21, 14-21 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou yesterday. While it was a disappointing end after a good run in the tourney, the world No. 2 pair are keen to use the pain to drive them to the world title in Paris from Aug 25-31. Aaron-Wooi Yik created history by becoming the first Malaysian shuttlers to win gold in the 2022 edition in Tokyo before claiming bronze in 2023 and are now eyeing a third medal in Paris. 'Our goal is the gold medal in the world meet. We hope to keep improving and grab it,' Aaron told the Badminton World Federation (BWF). 'Next we need to recover and prepare well for the tournament.' Wooi Yik said: 'We still have almost a month to prepare and we want to keep our rhythm until Paris. 'We know there will be high expectations on us but we just want to stay calm because we believe the past is past. Our recent game play is different, so we just believe in each other and the coach's training. We don't expect too much but we still believe we can make it.' One pair who will not be in Aaron-Wooi Yik's way in the world meet are Fajar-Shohibul as the Indonesians have only recently formed a temporary partnership. Fajar has instead qualified for the prestigious tourney with former partner Rian Ardianto. In Changzhou, Aaron-Wooi Yik could not raise their game against Fajar-Shohibul and went down in just 35 minutes to the pumped up Indonesians in a fast-paced match. It was Aaron-Wooi Yik's second defeat in the China Open final after they finished runners-up to home favourites Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang in the 2023 edition. Aaron admitted that he and Wooi Yik found it harder to play against scratch pairings. 'All their shots were high quality and we couldn't handle them,' said Aaron. 'We always need some time to analyse scratch pairings and adapt against them. We had a game plan against them but they played very well.' Despite missing out on the crown again, Aaron-Wooi Yik are feeling positive about their performance ahead of the Paris showpiece after turning around their form following first-round exits in their last two outings in the Indonesian and Japan Opens. The duo had also made it into their fifth final of the year after capturing the Asian Championships, Singapore Open, Thailand Open and finishing runners-up to teammates Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the Malaysian Masters.
The Star
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Pearly-Thinaah need to find a formula quickly to unsettle China's world No. 1 pair
Pearly Tan (left) and M. Thinaah taking on China's Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning in their women's doubles final. — AFP PETALING JAYA: Women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah need to find a way to overcome China's world No. 1 Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning fast. Shengshu-Tan Ning ended Pearly-Thinaah's hopes of becoming the first Malaysians to win the women's doubles title in the Japan Open after beating them 21-15, 21-14 in the final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium yesterday. The world No. 3 pair have been in fine form this year but found the formidable Chinese duo hard to break down and lost in 45 minutes. It was Shengshu-Tan Ning's second consecutive win over Pearly-Thinaah in a final after they also denied the latter in the Indonesian Open title match in Jakarta last month. Last year, Pearly-Thinaah also faced their nemeses twice in finals and managed to win once in the Hong Kong Open but lost in the Arctic Open. Overall, Shengshu and Tan Ning, who are only 21 and 22 respectively, now lead Pearly-Thinaah 9-3 in their head-to-head record. On their latest defeat to the Chinese pair, Pearly told the Badminton World Federation (BWF): 'For today's (yesterday) match, our game plan didn't work. They read our game quite well. 'We couldn't overcome this and we need to learn from this match.' Thinaah said: 'The most important thing for us is to be confident in ourselves no matter what the scores are in the match. The main thing is to be confident in what shots you want to play. 'Our confidence was affected a bit today (yesterday). Our opponents put us under a lot of pressure and it wasn't the game we wanted to play.' With the China Open starting tomorrow in Changzhou and the World Championships coming up from Aug 25-31 in Paris, Pearly-Thinaah could face Shengshu-Tan Ning again and need to find a formula quickly to beat the pair. In the China tourney, the Malaysians could take on Shengshu-Tan Ning if both pairs make it into the final again. Pearly-Thinaah have vowed to not let the loss to the duo in Japan affect them too much as they look to maintain their encouraging form in China. The pair have reached four finals this year, capturing the Thailand Open and finishing runners-up in the Indonesian Masters to go with their achievements in the Indonesian and Japan Opens. 'Recently, we have been playing quite well. So, I hope this match won't affect us in the future,' said Pearly. 'The good thing is we keep communicating and supporting each other, whether we win or lose. 'We hope to keep this momentum for our next matches. We will refocus and prepare well for next week.'
The Star
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
It's not only about goal but grit as M'sia hail Holgado's heroics
Malaysia's Holgado (C) scores a goal during the AFC Asian Cup qualifier Group F football match between Malaysia and Vietnam at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur on June 10, 2025. - AFP PETALING JAYA: Harimau Malaya debutant Rodrigo Holgado is a man on a mission, one who wears both his heart and ambitions on his sleeve. After winning over Malaysian fans with a heroic debut in Harimau Malaya colours, the Argentine-born striker wasted no time in turning his focus back to his club duties, proving that his commitment stretches far beyond borders. Without much rest, Holgado hopped on a flight almost immediately after the match to return to Colombia, where his club America de Cali are chasing the league title. The 29-year-old Holgado was the talk of Bukit Jalil on Tuesday night, not just for his goal in Malaysia's commanding 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifiers, but for the sheer grit he displayed. Bloodied after a head collision with a Vietnam defender, he refused to come off, choosing instead to battle through the pain and cap off his night with a 59th-minute strike that sealed his name in the hearts of Malaysian fans. "A dream night," he said on his social media page yesterday. "Very happy to represent this beautiful country and fulfill this dream in my soccer career." The striker was effusive in his gratitude – not just to the fans and coaching staff of Harimau Malaya, but also to his club and their supporters for standing by him during a crucial point in their championship campaign. "I want to thank everyone who was part of it my teammates for the welcome, the coaching staff, and all the people of this wonderful country who made me feel so happy from the first minute," he said. "To America de Cali and the people above all, for supporting me despite competing at this crucial moment in the championship. "I promise to continue defending the jersey until the very end, as I always have, and to give my all to achieve that title." From bleeding on the pitch in Bukit Jalil to flying halfway across the world in pursuit of glory in Colombia, Holgado is proving that passion knows no borders.
The Star
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Kenneth tells Jun Hao and Co to chin up and step up after Japan setback
Staying sharp: Chen Tang Jie (right) serves as Toh Ee Wei looks on during their match against Japan's Hiroki Midorikawa and Arisa Igarashi. — AFP PETALING JAYA: Now, it's all about regrouping and turning their focus to today's quarter-final clash against China. That's the mindset Malaysia must adopt after falling short once again to Japan, losing 2-3 in their final Group C tie at the Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, China, yesterday. Malaysia got off brilliantly through wins from Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles) and Leong Jun Hao (men's singles), but Goh Jin Wei (women's singles), Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men's doubles) and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women's doubles) were unable to provide points. Aaron-Wooi Yik probably had the best chance to win but they went down fighting to 21-12, 20-22, 21-23 to Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi in a battle between former world champions. National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen felt the team had given everything against the three-time runners-up but admitted that luck simply wasn't on their side this time. Still, the defeat does not spell the end. Malaysia have advanced to the quarter-finals as group runners-up and must now carry the same fighting spirit into the knockout stage if they are to keep their hopes of at least a bronze medal alive. Under the Sudirman Cup format, a place in the semi-finals is enough to guarantee a medal. Malaysia have won bronze medals in the last two editions, ending a 12-year wait in Vantaa, Finland in 2021 and repeating the achievement in Suzhou in 2023. 'I think overall we can be very proud of our team effort, our aggressive spirit on court, and the support from the bench. 'I felt we were a little unlucky today not to get the win against Japan, but they also showed what they're made of and fought all the way. 'As I just mentioned to the team, with this spirit and aggression, we stand a chance against anybody if we believe in ourselves. But now, we need to focus on our recovery,' said Jonassen. Jonassen encouraged the team to keep the same fighting spirit in the quarters. 'Maybe we need a little bit of luck, so to speak. But we don't need to do much differently than we did today. Stay aggressive and keep believing. If we do that, we've got a real chance. 'I do believe that the level tomorrow (today) will be even higher but that's the task ahead,' he added.
The Star
30-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Jonatan and Co hope to standout in mouth-watering clash against Denmark
Powers on: Indonesia's Jonatan Christie hits a return against India's H.S. Prannoy during their men's singles match at the Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, China. - AFP PETALING JAYA: Indonesia and Denmark are set for a thrilling showdown on Thursday (May 1) to determine the winners in this year's group of death clash at the Sudirman Cup. This clash mirrors the 2021 edition in Vantaa, Finland, where both teams also competed for top spot in their group. Indonesia edged Denmark 3-2 then, and they'll be hoping for a repeat performance this time around. The Indonesians are riding high after a convincing 4-1 victory over India, one of the tournament's favourites, in their Group D tie on Wednesday. The standout performer was Putri Kusuma, who pulled off a stunning upset over 2019 world champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist P. V. Sindhu, winning 21-12, 21-13 in just 38 minutes. "I couldn't believe it myself. Of course, I was nervous before the match, but there was so much support behind me. I just wanted to enjoy the moment because I had nothing to lose," said Putri. "I wanted to prove something to myself. I had lost to Sindhu in our previous encounters, so this wasn't just about winning; I wanted to show that women's singles can deliver vital points for Indonesia." Indonesia's remaining points came from men's singles ace Jonatan Christie, the women's doubles pair of Lanny Tria-Siti Fadia, and the men's doubles duo of Shohibul Fikri-Daniel Marthin. This result has only fuelled Indonesia's hunger, especially after returning empty-handed from the last two editions, despite being the inaugural champions in 1989 and six-time runners-up. "Of course, I want Indonesia to reach the quarter-finals first, and then go as far as possible in the tournament," said Jonatan. "I've had many bitter memories at the Sudirman Cup. The past still lingers in my mind, and it's been a strong motivation for me to avoid repeating those mistakes this time. I'm really happy that I was finally able to contribute a point to the team." European champions Denmark had no trouble sweeping aside England 5-0, despite the absence of reigning world and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, who was sidelined by injury. Head coach Thomas Stavngaard faces a tougher task, as the European side have endured a medal drought in the tournament for more than a decade, with their last podium finish being a bronze in 2013 in Kuala Lumpur.
