Strict security measures assured at muay thai venue during SEA Games
Malaysia Muaythai Association president Datuk Muhammad Shahnaz Azmi said all participating delegates were taken on a site visit to the competition venue in Songkhla last week, and found preparations to be well on track.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Pandelela Rinong withdraws from world championships due to shoulder injury
A shoulder injury forced national diving star Datuk Pandelela Rinong and her partner Lee Yiat Qing to withdraw from the women's 10m synchronised event at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. The pair completed two of their five scheduled dives, scoring 87 points before pulling out during the preliminaries at the OCBC Aquatic Centre. Pandelela revealed the injury, sustained earlier this month, flared up during warm-ups. 'After two dives, we decided to withdraw for safety reasons. I want to thank everyone, especially those who came to support us,' she posted on Facebook. Earlier, Malaysian divers Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohamad Nazim and Yong Rui Jie missed the finals in the men's 3m synchronised springboard, finishing 21st out of 26 teams with 302.76 points. In swimming, Khiew Hoe Yean failed to progress in the men's 200m freestyle, placing 31st overall with a time of 1:48.10. SEA Games champion Phee Jinq En also withdrew from the women's 100m breaststroke due to a hip and groin issue. National swimming head coach Eric Anderson explained that Jinq En opted out to focus on the 50m breaststroke event on August 2. 'The team flew here straight from the World University Games in Berlin, which is hardly ideal,' he said. - Bernama
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Revive Harimau Muda or risk falling behind, warns Kim Swee
KUALA LUMPUR: Former national youth coach Ong Kim Swee has urged the authorities to urgently revive the Harimau Muda programme, warning that Malaysia risks being overtaken by the likes of the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos if immediate action isn't taken. Kim Swee said the national youth setup — once a breeding ground for SEA Games and AFF Cup-winning talents — must be brought back to stop the Young Tigers from falling further behind their fast-improving Southeast Asian rivals. The Harimau Muda programme, launched by the FA of Malaysia (FAM) in 2007 and disbanded in 2015, produced back-to-back SEA Games gold medals in 2009 and 2011. Players from this system also formed the backbone of the Harimau Malaya squad that lifted the AFF Cup in 2010. "During the Harimau Muda era, our young players were more competitive," said Kim Swee, who led the squad from 2009 to 2014. "Now their only real platform is the Super League. Even in last season's MFL Cup, how many top young players emerged? "The youth players in the Super League hardly get any minutes. There's nothing wrong with bringing back Harimau Muda — we've already proven that it works." Kim Swee said: "Don't underestimate the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia or Laos. "Look at what's happened in the last few years — how many times have we lost to the Philippines? "I'm not blaming anyone, but we need to ask how these countries have improved so quickly. "It's time to bring Harimau Muda back. Other countries may not have a similar setup, but they have strong grassroots systems at club level. Do we? "JDT have the right development structure, and Selangor are trying too. But what about the rest? "We've already lost to the Philippines. Don't be surprised if Cambodia, Laos — even Brunei — beat us next." His comments come after the Young Tigers failed to reach the semi-finals of the recent Under-23 Asean Championship, crashing out in the group stage following a 2-0 loss to the Philippines, a 7-1 win over Brunei and a goalless draw with hosts Indonesia. The early exit has sparked concerns ahead of tougher assignments — the Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers and the SEA Games later this year. FAM president Datuk Joehari Ayub said any revival of the Harimau Muda setup would depend on the national body's budget. Kim Swee, however, stressed that a centralised youth system gives both players and coaches the structure and time needed to build a competitive team. "When you call up players from different clubs, you only get between two to 10 days with them during FIFA windows — it's just not enough," he said. "Even if they understand tactics, team chemistry takes time to develop. "But with a centralised squad like Harimau Muda, we trained together for six months in Slovakia before returning for the SEA Games, and we won. "We didn't just win — we beat Italy at the World University Games. Imagine that — beating a footballing nation like Italy."
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Coach vows to fix mental game after King's Cup sepak takraw defeat
KUALA LUMPUR: National sepak takraw coach Ahmad Jais Baharun has voiced his disappointment over his players' timid performance in the men's team regu final at the Thai King's Cup in Songkhla on Sunday. Ahmad Jais said his players lacked belief and failed to take advantage of their opportunities, allowing Thailand to dictate the pace of the match. "The players did not perform up to expectations in the final. They didn't capitalise when they took the lead, which allowed the Thais to catch up and pile on the pressure. "That's something we'll need to fix ahead of the SEA Games at the end of the year," he told Bernama. Malaysia were beaten 2-0 by arch-rivals Thailand in the final. The first regu of Noraizat Nordin, Haziq Hairul Nizam and Norfaizzul Razak lost 15-12, 15-12 to the Thai trio led by Pornthep Tinbangbon. The second regu of Syahir Rosdi, Azlan Alias and Farhan Adam also failed to extend the contest, falling 17-16, 15-4 to Siriwat Sakha, Thawisak Thongsai and Rachan Viphan. The defeat means Malaysia's 34-year wait for a win in the team regu event continues, their last triumph coming at the 1991 SEA Games in Manila. Ahmad Jais, however, is not hitting the panic button, noting that the team had limited preparation for the Thai King's Cup. He now plans to devise a better strategy for the SEA Games, which will be held in Thailand from Dec 9-20. "We only had a week to prepare the team for this tournament. That said, I don't want to use that as an excuse for the underwhelming performance. "We'll carry out a full post-mortem as we prepare for the SEA Games," he said. - BERNAMA
