Latest news with #Roslin
The Star
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Roslin: Nothing to worry about Aaron-Soh's early defeat
PETALING JAYA: Even seeded players can lose early, and there's no reason to panic. Former national shuttler Roslin Hashim believes that the early exit of world No. 2 men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik from the Japan Open on Wednesday should not come as a shock, despite the high expectations placed on them to go far in the tournament. Roslin said there could be various reasons behind Aaron-Wooi Yik's below-par performance, but at the same time, he saw a silver lining in the result, as their defeat came at the hands of fellow Malaysians Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, who had been struggling for form over the past seven months. Until now, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallists had not cleared the opening round of a tournament since the India Open in January. In the first-round match at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Aaron-Wooi Yik fell to Yew Sin-Ee Yi 15-21, 15-21 in just 32 minutes. Roslin, who won the Japan Open in 2001, said such results were part and parcel of the sport, but what mattered most would be on how the Asian champions would respond, especially with many tournaments still to come. 'I believe both pairs were well prepared, but perhaps on match day, Yew Sin was more fired up as the tournament was held in his wife's hometown. That may have given him extra motivation to put on a stronger performance. Yew Sin tied the knot with Japanese Aya Ohori last month. 'To me, it's normal for seeded players to suffer early exits, especially when it's an all-Malaysian clash. I understand many were disappointed, especially since there were high hopes for Aaron and Wooi Yik to win. Still, Roslin believes the defeat will not affect Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik's focus ahead of the China Open, which begins next Tuesday in Changzhou. The world No. 2 pair are the second seeds and will open their campaign against rising Danish duo Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard. 'I don't think their confidence will be shaken. They are experienced players and they certainly know how to bounce back from setbacks, having done it before.'
New Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Tough battle as drug trends shift
The drug scourge has been with Malaysian society for as long as we can remember. "Traditional" drugs such as ganja and heroin had dominated the scene, topping the National Anti-Drugs Agency's (AADK) annual list of substances favoured by addicts. However, last year marked a sharp shift in the trend, with synthetic drugs such as ecstasy and methamphetamine overtaking traditional drugs as the narcotics of choice. Take the latest troubling statistics: Of the 193,000 addicts arrested or who voluntarily surrendered, 60 per cent were hooked on synthetics, outpacing heroin and ganja abuse. They were attracted to the drugs because of easy access, lower prices and more potent effects. AADK director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh, in an interview with the New Straits Times, said synthetic drugs have become the favoured narcotics of the younger generation, namely addicts aged between 19 and 39. They make up almost 70 per cent of those hooked on synthetic drugs. Why this shift to synthetics? It's a complex mix of social, psychological, economic and environmental factors. There's the party and clubbing culture: drug-using peers increase exposure and favourable attitudes, thrill-seeking and experimentation. There's also the misplaced perception that synthetics are "safe and legal" because peddlers' market them as "legal highs", labelling products as "incense" and "potpourri" to mislead users. The downside is severe and unpredictable side-effects: trauma, mental health problems, family conflict, stress and poor self-image. Another effect of the popularity of synthetic drugs, according to Roslin, is the perception among youths that ganja is a "safer" option. This has inadvertently fulfilled the age-old adage of ganja being a gateway drug, looping in fledgling users to experiment with stronger, more potent narcotics. Hindsight, they say, is 20-20. Given current developments, it would appear that Malaysia has dodged a bullet when a 2022 movement to legalise "medical" marjuana in the country failed to take off. Even Thailand, which had decriminalised marijuana in 2022 — a first for Southeast Asia — this week reimposed restrictions on the drug. All these only serve to underscore the harsh reality that despite decades of government and community approach involving education, early intervention, treatment and support, eradicating drugs is a monumental battle. While the temptation to capitalise on the potential economic benefits is there, it is undoubtedly too high a price to pay.
The Star
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Letshanaa won't get carried away after stunner over ex-world champ Okuhara
PETALING JAYA: It is always satisfying to defeat a more established opponent, especially one who is a former world champion. But women's singles shuttler K. Letshanaa (pic) is not getting carried away with her first-round triumph over 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara at the US Open on Wednesday. Instead, she knows that consistency is what truly matters. Letshanaa needed just 31 minutes to send the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist packing with an emphatic 21-8, 21-19 win. Her teammate Wong Ling Ching also delivered a fine performance by edging fourth seed Hsu Wen-chi of Taiwan 21-17, 19-21, 22-20 in a hard-fought three-game battle. Former men's singles player Roslin Hashim believes the victories are a timely morale boost for Malaysia's women's singles camp, which has long been seen as one of the weaker departments in the national squad. Roslin hopes the wins will give Letshanaa and Ling Ching the belief they need to climb the world rankings steadily. 'This is a very encouraging sign for the women's singles squad,' said Roslin. 'Even if Okuhara was not at her best, the fact remains that Letshanaa managed to defeat a former world champion. 'That is a positive result and it shows that our women's singles players still have potential. 'But they must not become complacent. Too often, we see our players beat a big name only to fall at the next hurdle. What is important now is for them to stay consistent.' Letshanaa will now aim to prove that her win over Okuhara was no fluke when she takes on India's Aakarshi Kashyap in the second round. It will be their first meeting, and their world rankings are close, with Aakarshi placed just one spot above Letshanaa at No. 50. Ling Ching will face Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova, who is ranked No. 75 in the world. Malaysia also have representation in the men's singles through Justin Hoh, who will take on Taiwan's Liao Jhuo-fu in the second round. Justin had earlier cruised past Belgium's Julien Carragi 21-10, 21-10 in just 27 minutes.
The Star
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Letshanaa won't carried away after stunner over former world champion Okuhara
Letshanaa reacts during the National Junior Finals in Seremban. PETALING JAYA: It is always satisfying to defeat a more established opponent, especially one who is a former world champion. But women's singles shuttler K. Letshanaa is not getting carried away with her first-round triumph over 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara at the US Open on Wednesday. Instead, she knows that consistency is what truly matters. Letshanaa needed just 31 minutes to send the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist packing with an emphatic 21-8, 21-19 win. Her teammate Wong Ling Ching also delivered a fine performance by edging fourth seed Hsu Wen-chi of Taiwan 21-17, 19-21, 22-20 in a hard-fought three-game battle. Former men's singles player Roslin Hashim believes the victories are a timely morale boost for Malaysia's women's singles camp, which has long been seen as one of the weaker departments in the national squad. Roslin hopes the wins will give Letshanaa and Ling Ching the belief they need to climb the world rankings steadily. 'This is a very encouraging sign for the women's singles squad,' said Roslin. 'Even if Okuhara was not at her best, the fact remains that Letshanaa managed to defeat a former world champion. That is a positive result and it shows that our women's singles players still have potential. 'But they must not become complacent. Too often, we see our players beat a big name only to fall at the next hurdle. What is important now is for them to stay consistent.' Letshanaa will now aim to prove that her win over Okuhara was no fluke when she takes on India's Aakarshi Kashyap in the second round. It will be their first meeting, and their world rankings are close, with Aakarshi placed just one spot above Letshanaa at No. 50. Ling Ching will face Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova, who is ranked No. 75 in the world. Malaysia also have representation in the men's singles through Justin Hoh, who will take on Taiwan's Liao Jhuo-fu in the second round. Justin had earlier cruised past Belgium's Julien Carragi 21-10, 21-10 in just 27 minutes.
The Star
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Bigger Worth Finally
Give us a break: Viktor axelsen has earlier called for a change to extend the competition days to give shuttlers some breathing space. PETALING JAYA: A long-overdue change may finally be on the horizon for badminton players. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) are considering key reforms starting in 2027, including extending the duration of tournaments and significantly increasing prize money, moves that are expected to benefit players worldwide. Former world No. 1 men's singles shuttler Roslin Hashim believes the proposed changes are timely and much needed. 'This should have been done a long time ago but I'm glad BWF are now looking into it seriously. These are positive developments for the players,' said Roslin. In particular, the increase in prize money is viewed as a crucial step forward, as badminton players continue to earn considerably less than athletes in other racquet sports, such as tennis. BWF are currently proposing to raise prize money for tournaments from 2027 to 2030. For example, prize money for top-tier Super 1000 events like the All-England is expected to increase from US$1.45 million to US$2 million. 'Badminton is a globally popular sport, and we can see its growing influence, especially with several players becoming household names. As one of the most widely followed sports, it is only fair that the players are paid accordingly. 'Although the US$2 million is not a huge amount, since it is the total prize money that will be split among podium finishers across all five events, it is still a positive step forward,' said Roslin when contacted. He also welcomed BWF's proposal to extend the duration of Super 1000 tournaments from seven to 11 days, adding that the format changes could create more excitement for fans. Under the new structure, the men's and women's singles events will feature an expanded field of 48 players, up from 36. Instead of the traditional knockout format, matches will be played in a group stage format, similar to what is used at the Olympic Games. Earlier, two-time Olympic Games champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark had also called for change as one of the advocates stressing the need to extend the competition days to give top players some breathing space. However, the doubles events will retain a 32-pair knockout draw. 'I find this format interesting because lower-ranked players will still have a chance to advance to the knockout stage, unlike the current format,' said Roslin. 'If they lose their opening match, their journey doesn't end there — they still have the opportunity to bounce back, instead of being knocked out after just one match. 'This will also put pressure on the top players, as the lower-ranked ones are capable of causing upsets in the battle to finish as one of the top two, or to claim the sole qualifying spot from the group stage into the knockout rounds,' he added. At present, the All-England, Malaysian Open, Indonesian Open and China Open are the four tournaments with Super 1000 status. The players are hoping for changes in how they are handled on court during medical emergency and the standard of umpiring and lines calls.
