Latest news with #Dania
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kyiv teenagers mourn their friend killed by Russian missile (PHOTOS)
On a sunny but chilly Monday, after class had already started in Kyiv schools, scores of grim-faced teens filled a crematorium hall at Kyiv's main cemetery instead. They had come to say goodbye to their friend and classmate Danylo Khudia, a 17-year-old whose coffin stood next to those of his parents, Viktoriia and Oleh, around the fire pit where their bodies would be cremated after the farewell ceremony. The Khudia family was asleep at home when a Russian missile struck their apartment building on April 24, killing 13 people in Russia's deadliest attack on Ukraine's capital in almost a year. Danylo's younger sister, 14-year-old Yana, was the only person in the family who survived the strike. A video of her dusty, expressionless face gazing out from the wreckage, while first responders struggled to lift the concrete slabs and pleaded, 'Hold on, Yanochka, we'll surely get you out,' went viral online. Yana couldn't come to the funeral of her parents and brother on April 28 due to her injuries. Her two surviving older siblings, a brother and sister in their early 20s, stood in the front row, opposite a teenage girl with long brown hair – Danylo's girlfriend, whose mother had to hold her up with an arm around her waist as she approached the caskets. 'Danylo was the brightest person I had known in my eighteen years,' said one young man when everyone was invited to say something about the family. When short speeches were said between the towering crematorium walls and the priest had finished the rites, hundreds of people slowly flowed past the coffins, leaving flowers and speaking to the dead one last time. One soldier put scarlet red carnations on Oleh's casket, who was also a soldier and had been recovering from a battle wound at home. Young boys whose chins had little more than peach fuzz came up to Danylo's casket to place flowers, as Danylo's grandmother in a wheelchair cried out next to them: 'Dania, Dania! Why?' For most of the ceremony, Danylo's closest male friends looked stoic, standing in a close-knit group behind his surviving relatives. But when Danylo's casket was lowered inside the fire pit, following the caskets of his parents, many young men covered their faces, biting back tears and clutching each other's shoulders. After the strike, Danylo's friends had stayed behind the red tape cordoning off the wreckage for the whole day, hoping he'd be found alive. 'We were recording videos: 'C'mon, Dania, we're waiting for you!' Or writing to him,' said Varvara Shustova, 15, a member of Danylo's friend group. 'No one believed that he had died at first.' 'I couldn't ever believe that it could happen to us. To Dania. That all of us will be going through this together,' she told the Kyiv Independent after the funeral. Read also: Memorializing Ukraine's fallen soldiers: One asked to be cremated so future fighters don't 'dig trenches in our bones' We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Star
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Shuttler Low set to reach a high thanks to family and partner Dania
Future stars in the making: Low Zi Yu (right) and Dania Sofea Zaidi in action during the Under-18 National Championships.— RONNIE CHIN/The Star IPOH: Sporting talent runs in rising shuttler Low Zi Yu's blood. Zi Yu made her presence felt when she became the youngest finalist in the World Junior Championships after winning silver with Dania Sofea Zaidi last October. The Johor lass achieved the feat when she was just 14 years and 53 days old. Previously, Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon was the youngest at 14 years and 269 days old when she reached the 2009 girls' singles final in Alor Star. Zi Yu has credited her family for her sporting genes. Her father Darren Low was a former Johor state badminton and tennis player while her mother Linda Tan plays tennis socially. Zi Yu's brother Low Cheng Wei also played badminton and tennis while her sister Low Zi Xuan played netball. 'Growing up in a sporting family helped me to become a badminton player. My family supports me a lot in this journey,' said Zi Yu. 'My father played badminton and tennis. When I was three, my father gave me a racquet and I started playing the sport. 'My father said I had the talent and he encouraged me to go for training. I trained in Segamat under my father's friend Wee Hock Leng.' Zi Yu shared that her friendship with Dania, who is also from Johor played an important role in the duo's rise to become one of the most promising doubles pairs in the country. 'I knew Dania since I was nine as we were both from the Johor state team. We became friends and this helped our understanding on court,' said Zi Yu. 'We complement each other well as she is good at intercepting the shuttle at the front court and create opportunities for me to attack. 'She also guides me on strategies and encourages me a lot.' The 17-year-old Dania joined the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) this year while Zi Yu, who is still part of the Johor state team, joins her partner for training in the national set-up before tournaments. Zi Yu's main target this year is to win gold with Dania in both the Asian (July 18-27 in Solo, Indonesia) and world junior meets (Oct 6-19) in Guwahati, India. Yesterday Zi Yu stayed on course for the girls' doubles title when she combined well with Dania to beat Lee Joinne-Nicole Tan 15-7, 15-11 to set up a final date against teammates Carine Tee-Lee Mun.
The Star
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Teen shuttler Zi Yu aims high, thanks to family support and good partner
Strong support: From left (Low Zi Yu's father Darren Low, mother Linda Tan, Zi Yu, sister Low Zi Xuan and brother Low Cheng Wei). IPOH: Sporting talent runs in rising shuttler Low Zi Yu's blood. Zi Yu made her presence felt when she became the youngest finalist in the World Junior Championships after winning silver with Dania Sofea Zaidi last October. The Johor lass achieved the feat when she was just 14 years and 53 days old. Previously, Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon was the youngest at 14 years and 269 days old when she reached the 2009 girls' singles final in Alor Star. Zi Yu has credited her family for her sporting genes. Her father Darren Low was a former Johor state badminton and tennis player while her mother Linda Tan plays tennis socially. Zi Yu's brother Low Cheng Wei also played badminton and tennis while her sister Low Zi Xuan played netball. "Growing up in a sporting family helped me to become a badminton player. My family supports me a lot in this journey," said Zi Yu. "My father played badminton and tennis. When I was three, my father gave me a racket and I started playing the sport. "My father said I had the talent and he encouraged me to go for training. I trained in Segamat under my father's friend Wee Hock Leng." Zi Yu shared that her friendship with Dania, who is also from Johor played an important role in the duo's rise to become one of the most promising doubles pairs in the country. "I knew Dania since I was nine as we were both from the Johor state team. We became friends and this helped our understanding on court," said Zi Yu. "We complement each other well as she is good at intercepting the shuttle at the front court and create opportunities for me to attack. "She also guides me on strategies and encourages me a lot." The 17-year-old Dania joined the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) this year while Zi Yu, who is still part of the Johor state team, joins her partner for training in the national set-up before tournaments. Zi Yu's main target this year is to win gold with Dania in both the Asian (July 18-27) in Solo, Indonesia and world junior meets (Oct 6-19) in Guwahati, India. On Saturday (April 26), Zi Yu-Dania made it into the semi-finals of the Under-18 National Championships after beating teammates Nicole Chau-The Si Yan 15-7, 15-7 at the Academy Badminton Perak in Ipoh and will next play another BAM pair Lee Joinnee-Nicole Tan for a place in the final. Zi Yu is also competing in the girls' singles and has reached the semi-finals as well after ousting BAM's Lee Mun 15-11, 12-15, 15-6 and will face top seed Eng Ler Qi next.
The Star
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Riding high in studies and sports as few athletes score straight As
From left bowler Intan Nor Edryana Nor Azliman, cyclist Dania Avriel Alviera Azif and volleyball player Lee Xin Nee. KUALA LUMPUR: Studies and sports can be a good mix as proven by a group of athletes cum students who have passed their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) with flying colours. Among the high-achievers are national junior track cyclist Dania Avriel Alviera Azif, volleyball player Lee Xin Nee, youth bowler Intan Nor Edryana Nor Azliman and rhythmic gymnast Lim Xian Yar. Dania went through lots of stressful moments juggling her studies and devoting time to training last year but it has all paid off after she scored 10As. The student from SMK Desa Cempaka in Nilai received the good news with a mix of joy and relief. "I'm beyond grateful to share that I have achieved straight As in my SPM. It wasn't an easy journey, full of sleepless nights, tears, doubts and countless prayers," said Dania posted on Instagram. "But with perseverance, support from my family, teachers, friends, and most importantly, Allah's guidance, I made it through. Dania have not only shone in her academic studies but she has done well in her cycling career too. Dania, who focuses on endurance events, won the silver in Omnium in the Asian Championships in New Delhi, India last year. She continued her good run by picking up bronze in the scratch race at the Asian meet in February this year. "I hope to fight for selection for the 2027 SEA Games (in Kuala Lumpur). One does not have to neglect studies while pursing track cycling as it can be done with proper time management," added Dania, who has never failed to pack her books along when she is on international assignment. Like Dania, Xin Nee also showed that she was as sharp in the classroom as she was with her spikes, scoring 10As as well. Other Bukit Jalil Sports School students who had outstanding SPM results were national youth bowler Intan Nor Edryana Nor Azliman who scored 9As and rhythmic gymnast Lim Xian Yar, who scored 7As and 3Bs. Intan is currently preparing for the Asian Youth Championships in Petaling Jaya from Aug 20-28.
The Star
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Test for juniors as new scoring system on trial at U-18 meet
PETALING JAYA: The National Under-18 Championships, which gets underway today in Ipoh, Perak, will not only be a battle among young shuttlers to be the country's top juniors – it is also a testing ground for the new 3x15 scoring system. The competition, which usually confirms who the best current juniors are in Malaysia, now has added significance as the Badminton World Federation (BWF) seek to trial the new points system. It will be interesting to see how the likes of World Junior Championships silver medallists Dania Sofea Zaidi-Low Zi Yu adapt to the 3x15 format. Dania-Zi Yu are the most prominent players in the tourney this time and are the hot favourites for the girls' doubles title. The rising young pair should have little trouble securing the crown regardless of the new scoring system. Dania is also out to make it a double joy by capturing the mixed doubles title with Datu Anif Isaac. While Dania, Zi Yu, Anif and the other players will be focusing on winning, their feedback on the new scoring system could play a role in BWF's decision to permanently replace the current 21-points system with the 3x15 format in World Tour competitions next year. Other involved parties including member association officials, tournament organisers, volunteers, coaches, team managers and technical officials will also be asked to complete an online survey to share their experience with the 3x15 format. The Malaysian International Challenge from Aug 12-17 will also feature the new scoring system. Meanwhile, the national Under-18 tourney will also offer the shuttlers a platform to prove themselves and fight for spots in the Asian Junior Championships from July 18-27 in Solo, Indonesia.
