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New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
India-Pakistan tensions threaten Asia Cup hockey tournament in Bihar
KUALA LUMPUR: Political tension between India and Pakistan has thrown the Asia Cup hockey tournament — set to start on Aug 29 in Bihar — into doubt. The burning question: will the tournament go ahead, or will it be postponed? The winners will earn a spot at the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium. As of now, the draw and fixtures remain unset, with world No 15 Pakistan yet to confirm their participation in the event hosted by India. Alongside world No 8 India and world No 12 Malaysia, the competition will also feature world No 13 and defending champions South Korea, Japan (No. 18), China (No. 22), Oman (No. 26) and Taiwan (No. 38). Timesport contacted the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) regarding the status of the tournament, but it declined to comment. Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said the Asia Cup is a major international hockey competition, and the draw and fixtures should have been finalised months ago. "By not doing the draw and fixtures, it is affecting the preparation of the other seven teams. It is also affecting their planning, strategy, and tactics, as the groupings are still unknown," he said. "The mindset of coaches, players, and officials is being impacted because no one knows whether the tournament is going ahead or being postponed. Pekan added it was "embarrassing" that the delay was due to Pakistan's decision to delay confirmation. "The AHF should have set a deadline for Pakistan to confirm, rather than giving them unlimited time," he said. "This is not a six-a-side tournament where you can make the draw at the last minute. It's a crucial event, with World Cup qualification at stake, and needs to be handled professionally. "AHF must be firm in its decisions. Otherwise, in future, other teams might do the same."
New Straits Times
03-08-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Unauthorised clubs play MyPAS for a fool
KUALA LUMPUR: Some unscrupulous clubs have found a way to bypass MyPAS, the online system for registering players and team officials for sanctioned competitions in Malaysia. Timesport learnt that some clubs, particularly in amateur competitions, used the "login" of other football associations, to enter MyPAS despite not having the required endorsement. To register in MyPAS, clubs must first obtain endorsement from their respective state or parent FA after fulfilling the criteria related to governance, documentation, and eligibility. "This is not a minor technicality, it's a full bypass of the official process," said a source familiar with the league registration, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. "In some cases, the club's own FA is suspended or unable to endorse them. But instead of being barred, they find ways in through someone else's access. This has alarmed officials of other proper clubs, with many questioning how such cases slipped though competition organisers via MyPAS, which was meant to ensure accountability and fairness. They feel this is a mockery of the system. Imagine a club, who are under a Fifa player-registration ban, using a third party's MyPAS access to sign players. "We submitted documents, waited for approval, and followed every rule. Yet others log in through someone else and get to play." It also raises liability concerns. "If a club use someone else's login access and register players, and later fail to pay players or fulfill contracts, who's responsible?" the source asked. "The FA that lent out their login could be exposed. It's a huge risk, almost like acting as a guarantor. "This is not just about a few rogue teams. It's about the system enabling shortcuts," said the source. "Unless this is cleaned up, it sends the message that the rules don't apply equally to everyone. And if people lose faith in the system, what's left?" said the source. While the organisers have not issued a public statement on the matter, the situation is believed to be under internal re view. When contacted, Amateur Football League (AFL) Chief Operating Officer Raimi Fakri Fuad said to date, all participating clubs in the AFL had obtained the necessary endorsements from their respective parent or state FAs, except for those whose FAs are currently suspended.
New Straits Times
02-08-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Faisal Halim heartbroken over jobless footballers
PETALING JAYA: Football star Faisal Halim, who was the victim of a horrifying acid attack last year, is now sad about the plight of his peers. Faisal, who plays for Selangor, said today he has been distressed by the struggles of his fellow players, many of whom are jobless or are without clubs as the 2025-2026 M-League season starts next week. The local football fraternity knows this has much to do with the influx of foreign players into the M-League. "I'm sad to see that some of my friends, including senior players, still haven't found teams," said the 27-year-old Faisal. "Even if they're not with me at Selangor, we've all been working hard since we were young. Football is our careers, and we have to keep going." Faisal told Timesport at the Sultan of Selangor's Cup event at a shopping centre in Petaling Jaya today. However, he welcomed the Malaysian Football League's decision to allow clubs to register three more local players this season. Hopefully, the move will help many out-of-contract local footballers, and offset the impact of foreign players flooding the M-League. "With the increase in imports (15 foreign players per M-League team), we knew local players were going to be left out," said Faisal. "Now at least with this extra quota, there's hope. Even if they don't get to play right away (first 11), they'll have a team to train with, a job to keep them going, and a future to build."
New Straits Times
26-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Ex-Timesport journalist Christopher conferred Datukship
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Timesport journalist Christopher Raj was conferred the Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang award today (July 26) which carries the title Datuk. Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah presented the award today in conjunction with Al-Sultan Abdullah's 66th birthday celebrations. Al-Sultan Abdullah is a huge sports fan. The award recognises Christopher's stellar work in media, communications, event management and sports administration. Christopher Raj served the New Straits Times Sports Desk in the mid-2000s before leaving to set up his own award-winning public relations agency, ShekinahPR which is well known in the Malaysian sports industry. Christopher also served as media officer during the 2018 and 2022 editions of the Fifa World Cup and had also managed media operations during the 2015 and 2023 Asian Cup as well as the AFC Champions League between 2021-2024.
New Straits Times
25-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Golfers battle for national honours
Timesport KUALA LUMPUR: The chase for national honours intensified as the Perodua National Amateur Golf Series (PNAGS) saw over 400 golfers battle it out in the Northern Region Qualifying Round across four venues. Golfers from Penang, Perlis, Kedah and Perak competed at Penang Golf Resort, Impian Golf & Country Club, Permaipura Golf & Country Club, and Royal Perak Golf Club respectively, all aiming for a spot in the PNAGS National Final at Saujana Golf & Country Club from Sept 28-30. In Kedah, Langkawi's Juzaili Johari stole the spotlight with a commanding display at Permaipura, carding a 68 nett to top the Medal A category. Playing off a handicap of five, Juzaili posted seven birdies in a round that also featured five pars, four bogeys and two double bogeys. His performance not only earned him the title but also the captain's armband for the Kedah team. He will be joined by Johari Abdul Hamid (Medal B – 69 nett), Syazwan Yusof (Medal C – 68 nett), Zaiful Masri (Medal D – handicap 16), and Fairoz Latip (Medal E – handicap 21). Seasoned PNAGS campaigner Ahmad Shahrul Shafie led the way for Perlis, emerging as the Medal A winner with a 72 nett. Playing off three, he carded three birdies, nine pars and six bogeys at Impian Golf & Country Club to secure his berth in the national showdown. At the Penang qualifier, Batu Pahat's Eddy Ismail held his nerve to finish top in the Medal A division with a 74 nett. The four-handicapper's round included two birdies, 12 pars and four bogeys. He will captain the Penang squad at Saujana. Meanwhile, veteran Siew Cheng Fatt proved his mettle in Perak, carding a steady 73 nett at Royal Perak Golf Club to claim the top spot in the Medal A division. Cheng Fatt, who plays off four, will lead the Perak team, who include Zailana Dan (Medal B), Ilyas Safiyan (Medal C), Dalimi Dali (Medal D), and newcomer Fahmi Ismail (Medal E).
