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New Straits Times
19 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Extra deputy CDMs needed for multi-city Sea Games, says OCM
KUALA LUMPUR: The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) has stressed the need for there to be "at least two" deputy chef de missions appointed to help lead the national contingent at the Thailand Sea Games (Dec 9-20). OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria said a number of candidates have already been shortlisted for the CDM and deputy CDM positions. "The issue is in terms of logistics, the games will be held across three areas - Bangkok, Songkhla and Chonburi so we have to discuss the selection of one CDM and a few deputies, two at least. We will have to look at three or four personalities," said Norza yesterday (June 23). "It (candidates) will be a mix of sports administrators from OCM, former athletes as well as representatives from national sports associations. "We have shortlisted a few names and I will be in Penang tomorrow (today) with the Youth and Sports Minister (Hannah Yeoh). "I will discuss this with her. Although the right (to select CDM) is with OCM, we feel that we should also get approval from the minister." The appointment of at least two deputy CDMs has been the norm in recent editions of the Sea Games though there has yet to be three deputy CDMs appointed for the games. Tenpin bowling legend Datuk Shalin Zulkifli and former national squash player Sharon Wee served as deputy CDMs for the 2023 Phnom Penh games. Datuk Nasir Ali led the contingent as CDM. On a separate note, Norza added that Yonex has been appointed to supply the apparel for the national contingent at the Thailand Sea Games. "We have appointed Yonex, so we will sit down with them (to discuss) the design and everything. We will also bring in the National Sports Council this time," he said. The official attire originally unveiled for the Paris Olympics contingent last year was poorly received by the public and prompted OCM to redesign the kit prior to the games.
Daily Express
14-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Haier Cup returns bigger, bolder, and in search of Malaysia's next champions
Published on: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 Published on: Wed, May 14, 2025 Text Size: Haier Cup 2025 returns for its third edition. Kuala Lumpur: Haier Malaysia announced the return of the Haier Cup badminton tournament for its exciting third edition, which is now bigger, bolder, and better than ever. This year marks a major milestone with the introduction of the Haier Cup Junior, a brandnew championship aimed at discovering and nurturing the next generation of Malaysian shuttlers, from as young as seven years old. The addition of Haier Cup Junior alongside the main Haier Cup 2025 paves the way for families and young shuttlers to participate in what promises to be the nation's most exciting amateur badminton event by a brand. It provides greater opportunities for the country's passionate badminton community in Malaysia to pit their skills in a competitive arena. The newly-added Haier Cup Junior invites Malaysians aged 7 to 21 to showcase their talent. The Haier Cup 2025 grand champions will represent Malaysia at the regional finals in Indonesia. 'Through the Haier Cup, we celebrate talent, passion, and community spirit via badminton, a sports that unites Malaysians on home and international grounds. The third edition of the Haier Cup underscores the company's commitment to fostering a thriving badminton culture in Malaysia,' said Julian Thean, Brand Marketing Assistant Director of Haier Malaysia. In addition to medals and cash prizes, champions and runners up (first and second place) will walk away with Haier home appliances, exclusive tournament jerseys, and Yonex merchandise. Haier Cup 2025: Bigger and Broader From just about 390 participants in its inaugural edition in 2023, the Haier Cup has gone from strength to strength. This year, Haier Malaysia is gearing up to welcome over 1,000 participants across four categories - Men's Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles. The main Haier Cup is open to all badminton enthusiasts aged 18 and above, featuring an expanded format with regional qualifiers across East, South, North, and Central Malaysia. The journey to the finals begins with the State Challenge phase, kicking off in Kuching, before moving to Johor, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur. The champions and runners up from each State Challenge will earn a coveted spot in the Grand Finals in Kuala Lumpur on 10 August 2025, for a chance to claim ultimate glory and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent Malaysia at Haier's regional tournament in Indonesia. The national champions will be competing against top amateur shuttler peers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. All travel and accommodation expenses for the regional tournament will be fully covered by Haier Malaysia. Haier Cup Junior 2025: Discovering the Next Generation of Champions The Haier Cup Junior marks the beginning of a new chapter in Haier's commitment to nurturing young talent and growing Malaysia's badminton scene. Open to participants aged 7 to 21, this dedicated platform aims to be an avenue for promising young shuttlers from schools to gain competitive experience, and be an early pathway toward badminton careers. With a target of engaging 300 young participants, the Haier Cup Junior 2025 is a platform for youths to hone their badminton skills. In addition to Boys' and Girls' Singles and Doubles categories by age group, the Haier Cup Junior 2025 introduces a special Parents & Child category to offer families an opportunity to team up and share the court in the spirit of fun and competition. The Haier Cup Junior will be held exclusively in Kuala Lumpur on 19 and 20 July 2025, with medals and certificates awarded to all finalists and semi-finalists to recognise their achievements. The championship also forms part of Haier Malaysia's sports marketing strategy to engage and inspire youth and families through the spirit of competition and oncourt camaraderie. Speaking on the Haier Cup 2025, Thean said, 'Badminton holds a special place in the hearts of Malaysians, uniting us through a shared passion and national pride. This led us to introduce the Haier Cup as an annual platform for amateur badminton enthusiasts to showcase their skills. Inspired by our purpose of 'More Creation, More Possibilities' as well as the support received, we are expanding the tournament this year tournament to include more categories to encourage greater participation. We see the Haier Cup as more than just a tournament; it is an initiative that celebrates ambition and dedication. Haier's commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a healthy, active lifestyle aligns with the core values of positive competition. Whether you are a rising young star, a passionate amateur, or just someone who enjoys a sense of community, the Haier Cup 2025 has something for everyone. We hope the Haier Cup can serve as a stepping stone for aspiring talents to take to the court, live healthier lifestyles, and potentially discover the next badminton prodigy,' he continued. The Haier Cup 2025 builds on the strong reception of the 2023 and 2024 tournaments. The 2024 victors who went on to represent Malaysia as a team in the regional tournament also emerged victorious as the overall champion, defeating team Vietnam in a thrilling final match. The Haier Cup 2025 is now open for registration and Haier welcomes players of all experience levels to compete and celebrate Malaysia's deep-rooted love for badminton. For more information, please visit the Haier Cup 2025 website and follow Haier on Facebook and Instagram for the latest promotions, events and updates. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Razif: Let Pearly-Thinaah go if they want to turn pro
KUALA LUMPUR: A title at this week's Thailand Open could hand Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah the leverage they need in their ongoing contract row with the BA of Malaysia (BAM). BAM has maintained its stance and refused to revise its contract offer to the women's doubles world No. 4 women's pair. However, former national star Datuk Razif Sidek believes the ball is now in the players' court. Razif said it's time for Pearly-Thinaah to make a firm decision on their future — whether to stay with BAM or turn independent. While he feels the pair may already be leaning towards going pro, he hasn't ruled out a turnaround, especially if major sponsors step in to ease tensions. Yonex, BAM's main equipment sponsor, could play a key role. Razif believes the Japanese brand would be reluctant to see one of the world's top women's doubles pairs walk away, especially if they end up signing with a rival brand. "BAM should let Pearly-Thinaah decide if they want to go independent," said Razif. "But as one of the top pairs, Yonex won't want to lose them to a competitor." "I believe there's still a way to resolve this, possibly with Yonex's help, and keep them within the BAM fold. "BAM also needs strong sponsor backing to sustain its national programme." Razif was also surprised by the pair's delay in responding to the contract offer, suggesting the prolonged silence may have made things worse. "Hopefully, they get a good result in Bangkok. That could convince BAM to revisit the matter and keep them onboard." Top seeds at the Super 500 event, Pearly-Thinaah are favourites to claim their fourth career World Tour title. The other top-10 contenders in the draw are Indonesia's Febriana Kusuma-Amalia Pratiwi (No. 8) and India's Treesa Jolly-Gayathri Gopichand (No. 10). The Malaysians open their campaign against world No. 120 Akari Sato-Hina Osawa of Japan. "With several top pairs skipping this tournament, Pearly-Thinaah must seize the chance to win," said Razif. "A win will boost their confidence and help them make a clearer decision on their future with BAM." BAM deputy president Datuk V. Subramaniam and secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh are expected to meet the pair after the Thailand Open in a final bid to persuade them to sign the contract and remain under the national setup. The other Malaysian women's pairs in action in Bangkok are world No. 25 Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing and world No. 60 Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee.
The Guardian
26-01-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Madison Keys' mental breakthrough helps her unlock potential at last
'Lots of therapy,' said a delirious, exhausted Madison Keys as she finally appeared at her post-match press conference in the early hours of Sunday morning. Flanked by an enormous trophy on one side and a glass of champagne on another, Keys was still in the early stages of digesting her emotions after finally achieving the dream she had been chasing since she was a child. After becoming the oldest first-time women's singles Australian Open champion in history at 29 by defeating the No 1 seed, Aryna Sabalenka, in an incredible three-set battle on Saturday, the question posed to Keys was when and how she had come to the realisation that things needed to change. Throughout her time in Melbourne, the American has cited a mental breakthrough late in her career as a key factor in her success. Alongside her coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, who is also her husband, Keys finally opened herself up to change over the past year. After playing with a Wilson tennis racket throughout her career, she spent the off-season adjusting to a completely different Yonex frame. In recent months, she has also removed natural gut strings from her racket and adjusted her service motion. It took years of personal work for Keys to be willing to change her physical and mental approach. After seeing a sports psychologist for a long time, Keys says that addressing her mental health and approach in general therapy, and putting herself in uncomfortable positions, helped her to break through. 'I really kind of bought into it,' she said. 'I think in the past I had always tried to go the sports therapy route where it was more about routine and controlling things you can control and all of that. I felt like I was always good enough at that, but to really start digging in on how I felt about myself and being honest with myself about it, it was really hard because I didn't want to be the person that felt like I was struggling, but I was starting to really struggle with it.' 'Just being really honest and actually getting help and talking to someone, and not just about tennis but about how I felt about myself,' she added. 'Again, very uncomfortable. I never really like to be uncomfortable. I honestly think that had I not done that, then I wouldn't be sitting here.' Keys' journey has shown that early setbacks do not define a career. Tennis is an increasingly long pursuit and those who are willing to work on themselves can continue to improve after many years of competition and, eventually, find their way. While she has opened herself up to change, Keys also found her way by going back to basics. Among the many issues holding her back, she could never quite harness her considerable weapons into success. When her destructive groundstrokes are in full flow, Keys can look like the best player in the world, but her career has also been filled with moments when her shots land closer to the back fence than the baseline. She has spent much of her career trying to contain her power, to play with greater margin and nous in order to achieve her goals. As she tried to find a balance in her game, she has worked her way through countless coaches. Over the past fortnight, Keys gone through one of the most incredible grand slam title runs in recent years, defeating four top 10 seeds inDanielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka. As she went blow for blow with the best players in the world, particularly her two thrilling wins over Swiatek and Sabalenka, Keys trusted the quality of her shotmaking until the end. She played with total freedom in the decisive moments and refused to back down under pressure. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion In the aftermath of her victory over Swiatek, Keys referenced her tentative play in her heartbreaking defeat by Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the 2023 US Open, which she led 6-0, 5-3 before becoming passive in the key moments. 'I didn't want to be in the same situation where I kind of looked back at it and thought, 'man, I should have gone for it',' she said. 'I didn't want to have any regrets for not really laying it all out there'. After a year of change away from the court, Keys finally trusted herself enough to attack the biggest moments of her career and maintain self-belief in the key moments. Her efforts have yielded the greatest achievement in her career and they have put her in position to achieve even more success.
