
Malaysia wins two titles at Petronas Junior International Challenge 2025
The tournament, held at Wawasan Hall, saw strong performances from young Malaysian shuttlers.
The mixed doubles pair of Loh Ziheng and Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan claimed Malaysia's first title after a thrilling three-set battle against compatriots Datu Anif Isaac Datu Asrah and Dania Sofea Zaidi.
Despite losing the opening set 20-22, Ziheng and Noraqilah staged a comeback, winning the next two sets 21-15, 21-12 in a 54-minute encounter.
Malaysia's second triumph came in the girls' doubles, where Low Zi Yu and Dania Sofea Zaidi dominated Thailand's Deearom sisters, Khanaphon and Thanaphon, with a straight-sets victory of 21-11, 21-19 in just 36 minutes.
However, the boys' doubles final saw Malaysia's Ziheng and Tan Zhi Yang narrowly miss out on the title, losing 21-18, 19-21, 20-22 to Indonesia's Alexius Ongkytama Subagio and Aquino Evano Keneddy Tangka.
In the singles events, Hong Kong's Lam Ka To, the top seed, secured the boys' singles title with a commanding 21-8, 21-9 win over Indonesia's Radithya Bayu Wardhana.
Thailand's Tonrug Saeheng claimed the girls' singles crown after a hard-fought 21-18, 15-21, 21-17 victory against Hong Kong's Ip Sum Yau. - Bernama
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Malay Mail
an hour ago
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Malaysia no longer pushovers, says pundit Richard Scully ahead of CAFA Nations Cup clash with Iran
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Sinar Daily
3 hours ago
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Harimau Malaya are no longer pushovers
He believes the national squad has undergone a major transformation and is now in the right shape to take on stronger sides. 07 Jul 2025 08:48am Local football observer Datuk Richard Scully says Malaysia may have been drawn in Group B alongside world No. 18 Iran for the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025 next month, but the Harimau Malaya are no pushovers. Bernama FILE PIX KUALA LUMPUR - Local football observer Datuk Richard Scully says Malaysia may have been drawn in Group B alongside world No. 18 Iran for the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025 next month, but the Harimau Malaya are no pushovers. He said any opponent would be wise not to underestimate them, as he believes the national squad has undergone a major transformation and is now in the right shape to take on stronger sides. He said Malaysia's recent resurgence has not gone unnoticed, with opponents beginning to take notice, a clear sign that the team is no longer being seen as underdogs. "It's too early to predict anything, but what's clear is that teams are starting to pay close attention to Malaysia. The Malaysia of old is not the same as the Malaysia of today. "Now, any team facing us will be on alert. I don't expect there to be big scorelines from either side,' he told Bernama. Scully has urged the Harimau Malaya to step onto the pitch without being weighed down by world rankings, insisting that "numbers are just numbers' and anything can happen once the whistle blows. He stressed that while a win would be a welcome bonus, a loss should not be seen as a disaster, but rather a chance to identify and address weaknesses ahead of bigger battles to come. Apart from facing heavyweights Iran, Malaysia (ranked 131st) will also take on hosts Tajikistan (104th) and Afghanistan (160th) in Group B of the CAFA Nations Cup. Malaysia will kick off their campaign against Tajikistan on Aug 29, followed by clashes with Iran on Sept 1 and Afghanistan on Sept 4. All matches will be played in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. National head coach Peter Cklamovski. Bernama FILE PIX After the tournament, Malaysia will resume their remaining Group F fixtures in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, starting with matches against Laos in Vientiane on Oct 9 and in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 14. They will then face Nepal in Kathmandu on Nov 18, before taking on Vietnam away in March next year. Meanwhile, sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli cautioned that three straight defeats in the group stage could shake fan confidence in the new-look Harimau Malaya, especially among those still unconvinced by the inclusion of heritage players. "At the very least, we need to reach the semi-finals for fans to continue feeling proud of this Harimau Malaya side. "If we suffer heavy losses or crash out early, expectations will dip and it'll give critics of the heritage player concept the opening they've been waiting for to lash out," he said. He also urged for the consistent inclusion of heritage players throughout the tournament, believing their presence is key to strengthening what he described as one of Malaysia's strongest squads in recent memory. - BERNAMA


The Star
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