Siblings Aaliyah and Aiden sizzle as they deliver two golds at Asian meet
Family affair: Yoong Hanifah siblings Aiden (gold), Aaliyah (gold), and Adam (bronze) made it a grand day by shining in the waterski events at the Asian Championships in Bangkok on Saturday (June 28).
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian waterski team got their campaign in the Asian Championships, to a splendid start by winning two gold medals in Thailand, thanks to the Yoong siblings on Saturday (June 28).
Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah won the women's Open tricks gold medal while younger brother Aiden claimed the men's Open tricks gold at Rabbit Lake in Minburi, Bangkok.
Aaliyah scored 7130 points to beat Indonesia's Nailah Putri, who scored 3640, while Japan's Saaya Hirosawa came in third with 3520.
Aiden, 19, won his first-ever open men's tricks in the Asian Championships with a new personal best and national record of 5700 points, defeating Jo Nakamura of Japan with 5490 points in second.
Malaysia had another medal through younger brother Adam Yoong Hanifah, who claimed the bronze medal in the men's tricks event with 4520 points.
The 21-year-old Aaliyah was thrilled to have her brothers on the podium as well, and is confident to get more medals at the event.
"I'm super happy that my brothers also climbed the podium in the men's tricks. Hopefully, there will be more golds to come in the slalom and jump finals," she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
42 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
FAM chief responds to accusations of secrecy
KUALA LUMPUR: The foreign-born naturalised players have come to Kuala Lumpur, played for Malaysia and have gone back to where they came from. Yet, the debate over their ancestry, their lineage, their connection to Malaysia refuses to go away. It's an unusual situation, in fact, something which Malaysian football has never experienced. Some fans can't pronounce the names of their national players, some have problems remembering who is who and from where. And some fans have accused the FA of Malaysia (FAM) of keeping the lineage of the heritage players under wraps. In response, FAM president Datuk Joehari Ayub said the lineage and ancestry of the new heritage players have been verified. FAM had earlier announced that five new heritage players — Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Rodrigo Holgado — were cleared by Fifa. And they played key roles in the 4-0 win over Vietnam in an Asian Cup qualifier in Bukit Jalil last month. However, FAM has not revealed the lineage of these players, or how are they related to Malaysia, leaving fans in the dark. Joehari said the players' backgrounds were vetted and cleared by Fifa, and FAM has no reason to conceal any information. "We are not taking this lightly. Fifa has checked everything, and at FAM, we are merely following the procedures and directives set by them. "If we need to reveal it, we have no problem doing so." Joehari said FAM has always prioritised transparency and will not take shortcuts when it comes to recruiting foreign-born players, particularly in terms of eligibility and compliance with international regulations. "If there were any issues, Fifa would not have granted approval. In this case, everything was cleared and done through the correct process," he said.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
MNCF sees Olympic medal potential in BMX park discipline
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has the potential to challenge for BMX park medals at the Olympics in the future if a proper programme is set up for national riders, says the Malaysia National Cycling Federation (MNCF). MNCF secretary Arif Astaman said park, which is a discipline under the BMX freestyle category, offers Malaysian riders a level playing field. "Over the long run I really do see us having a chance (in BMX park) at the Olympics but don't expect results to come at Los Angeles 2028," said Arif when met recently. "BMX park is essentially a subjective discipline so we are not at a disadvantage (in terms of physique or aerobic capacity). "Riders are given a certain amount of time and have the freedom to do what they want within the park, which contains apparatus such as half-pipe, rails, hills etc. "This is something our athletes can be taught. They can excel if they are provided with world class coaches and a world class training facility. "China and Japan are already big on this (BMX park). "So far BMX park has been included at the last two editions of the Olympics and we are expecting it to remain in the Olympic programme. "UCI, as a world body, is very strong so we are confident it will not get dropped." China's Deng Yawen won the women's BMX freestyle gold at the Paris Olympics last year. Malaysia earlier this year received approval from the UCI to set up a World Cycling Centre (WCC) satellite for BMX in Johor, where athletes from around the continent can come and train. MNCF is hoping to include BMX park facilities as part of the centre which can also host national and international competitions including the Asian Championships as well as be used for training. The centre will be built and run in partnership with the Johor State Government, Johor State Cycling Association, Johor State Sports Council as well as MNCF.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Ex-NSC DG Abdul Rashid named CEO of MASOC for ASEAN Para Games 2027
KUALA LUMPUR: Former National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Abdul Rashid Yaakub has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Malaysia SEA Games Organising Committee (MASOC) and ASEAN Para Games 2027. The announcement was made by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh in a Facebook post today. Hannah said Abdul Rashid's appointment takes effect today, and his main responsibility will be to lead the secretariat in coordinating all aspects of preparations for the biennial regional games. 'Abdul Rashid, 61, has extensive experience in Malaysian sports, having been directly involved for over 37 years and holding various positions in the NSC before retiring as director-general in early April 2025. 'He also played a key role in assisting MASOC in management during Malaysia's previous hosting of the SEA Games in 2017,' she said. In addition to Kuala Lumpur, the 2027 SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games will also be co-hosted by three other states, namely Sarawak, Penang and Johor.
