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Sukan Olimpik 2012 London membuka tirai secara rasminya hari ini dan pemburuan pingat emas pertama buat Malaysia pada temasya sukan terbesar dunia itu juga bermula. Sejak Malaysia membuat penampilan pertama pada temasya tersebut di Melbourne, Australia pada 1956, setakat ini hanya acara badminton yang tampil sebagai penyumbang pingat. Kebanggaan Malaysia setakat ini ialah meraih dua pingat perak pada temasya tersebut yang disumbangkan oleh beregu lelaki badminton, Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock pada Sukan Olimpik 1996 di Atlanta. Datuk Lee Chong Wei pula melakukannya pada 2008 di Beijing, China. Sebelum itu, gandingan Razif dan Jalani Sidek menyumbang pingat gangsa pada temasya 1992 di Barcelona apabila acara badminton di perkenalkan buat pertama kalinya pada temasya Olimpik manakala Rashid Sidek turut menang gangsa pada temasya 1996. Sama - sama kita doakan kejayaan kontinjen negara di Olimpik London 2012! Semoga impian emas pertama negara tercapai!  *Go Malays

LONDON - Kuala Lumpur akan menjadi tuan rumah Persidangan IOC Ke-127 pada 2015, kata Menteri Belia dan Sukan Malaysia Datuk Seri Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek semalam. Menurutnya, keputusan tersebut dicapai selepas dipersetujui sebulat suara dalam sidang IOC Ke-124 di London semalam. "Keputusan dibuat selepas semua anggota IOC berpuas hati dengan pembentangan mengenai keupayaan Kuala Lumpur menjadi tuan rumah," katanya dalam kenyataan semalam. Shabery berkata, selain beliau, pembentangan telah disampaikan oleh Presiden Majlis Olimpik Malaysia, Tan Sri Tengku Imran Tuanku Jaafar. Persidengan dipengerusikan oleh Presiden IOC J. Rogge.

Rozalila Abdul Rahman (tengah) bersama pemenang peraduan Team Malaysia Be A Super Fan iaitu (dari kiri) Ahmad Faizal Basri, Muhammad Safian Abdullah, Amir Helmy Yusof dan Mohd Hafizuddin Nordin di Kuala Lumpur, semalam.    KUALA LUMPUR - Ia ibarat mimpi menjadi nyata buat empat anak muda berusia 21 tahun, Mohd. Hafizuddin Nordin, Amir Helmy Yusof, Ahmad Faizal Basri serta Muhammad Safian Abdullah apabila menerima peluang sekali seumur hidup menyaksikan Sukan Olimpik secara langsung di kota London. Jika selama ini mereka hanya menonton kejohanan menerusi televisyen, namun kali ini, Telekom Malaysia (TM) Berhad akan membawa empat anak bertuah bertuah ini merasai sendiri suasana temasya sukan terbesar dunia itu selepas mereka muncul pemenang peraduan 'Team Malaysia Be A Super Fan'. Peraduan tersebut yang dilancarkan pada April 2011 dianjurkan dengan mengambil konsep asas media sosial, iaitu berkongsi. Rangkaian media sosial popular seperti Facebook,

  Pemain Malaysia, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha diasak pemain Arsenal pada perlawanan persahabatan di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil, malam tadi. - UTUSAN/AHMAD ZAKKI JILAN    KUALA LUMPUR - Kebangkitan pada tiga minit terakhir permainan memusnahkan harapan Harimau Malaya untuk melakar kejutan seperti mana kemenangan 2-0 pada tahun 1975, apabila tewas 1-2 kepada Arsenal dalam perlawanan persahabatan Jelajah Asia 2012 di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil, malam tadi. Biarpun memperagakan aksi penuh berdisiplin di sebahagian besar perlawanan, skuad bimbingan Datuk K. Rajagobal gagal mengekalkan fokus sehingga penghujung perlawanan sehingga menghadiahkan dua gol mudah hasil kelekaan pertahanan. Di hadapan 40,000 penonton, bek kiri Harimau Malaya, Azmi Muslim mengejutkan Arsenal pada masa kecederaan separuh masa pertama dengan gol berkelas dunia. Namun jaringan itu tidak mampu dikekalkan apabila Thomas Eidfeld dan Chuck Aneke menjaringkan gol pada minit ke-87 dan

KUALA LUMPUR, 25 Julai (Bernama) -- Kelab Liga Perdana Inggeris, Arsenal FC bangkit daripada ketinggalan untuk menumpaskan Malaysia 2-1 pada perlawanan persahabatan sengit di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil, Selasa malam. Kemenangan itu adalah yang kedua bagi kelab berkenaan yang juga dikenali sebagai 'The Gunners' selepas mengalahkan skuad kebangsaan 4-0 di venue yang sama semasa Jelajah Asia pasukan itu tahun lepas. Pasukan negara yang diberi jolokan 'Harimau Malaya' terlebih dahulu mencemaskan The Gunners menerusi tendangan voli Mohd Safee Sali seawal minit kelima namun percubaannya berjaya ditangkap kemas penjaga gol Arsenal, Vitor Mannone. Marouane Chamakh hampir membuka jaringan buat kelab Inggeris itu pada minit kelapan tetapi percubaannya berjaya ditolak keluar penjaga gol negara, Mohd Farizal Marlias. Anak buah Datuk K. Rajagobal berjaya memecah kebuntuan pada masa kecederaan di separuh masa pertama apabila pemain pertahanan Mohd Azmi Mu

KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- English Premier League outfit Arsenal FC came from behind to gun down Malaysia 2-1 in an action packed friendly match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here Tuesday night. The win was the second on the trot recorded by the English side, dubbed the 'Gunners', after having won 4-0 at the same venue during their Asian Tour last year. The national side dubbed as 'Harimau Malaya' gave the Gunners an early scare through Mohd Safee Sali's half-volley in the 5th minute but it was well saved by the visitors' goalkeeper Vitor Mannone. The Gunners increased their tempo and forward Marouane Chamakh almost opened accounts for the English side in the 8th minute but it was pushed out by Mohd Farizal Marlias in the Malaysian goal. The national side coached by Datuk K. Rajagobal then took the lead in the 46th minute when defender Mohd Azmi Muslim unleashed an unstoppable shot from 25 metres into the top corner, le

KUALA LUMPUR, 24 Julai (Bernama) -- Yayasan Kebajikan Atlet Kebangsaan (Yakeb) pada Selasa menyampaikan sumbangan insurans dan khairat kematian yayasan itu berjumlah RM31,000 kepada keluarga bekas atlet angkat berat kebangsaan, Allahyarham Ahmad Lebai Jamaluddin. Allahyarham Ahmad, 59, meninggal dunia petang Isnin akibat penyakit paru-paru berair serta komplikasi jantung dan dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Ipoh, pada pukul 10 pagi Selasa. Yakeb dalam satu kenyataan berkata semasa hayatnya Allahyarham adalah jurulatih angkat berat pasukan Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) Perak sejak 1999. Semasa zamannya sebagai atlet, Allahyarham pernah mewakili negara di Sukan SEA Kuala Lumpur 1989 yang mana beliau menduduki tempat keempat dan memecahkan rekod kebangsaan dengan angkatan 115kg bagi acara clean & jerk dan 112kg bagi snatch.

DUA bintang Arsenal, Wojciech Szczesny (kiri) dan Alex Olade Chamberlain diperkenalkan kepada media pada sidang akhbar di Subang, semalam.    KUALA LUMPUR - Setahun berlalu, pengurus Arsenal, Arsene Wenger kembali menjejak kaki ke ibu negara bersama rombongan skuad 24 pemain kelab Liga Perdana Inggeris itu sambil diselubungi keadaan tidak menentu berhubung masa depan pemain tonggaknya. Kalau tahun lalu ia melibatkan Cesc Fabregas dan Samir Nasri, kini tiba giliran ketua pasukan, Robin Van Persie yang enggan melanjutkan kontraknya. Pemain Belanda itu secara terbuka mengumumkan hasratnya untuk meninggalkan Emirates bagi mencari cabaran baru. Wenger yang sendiri dapat menduga tidak dapat mengelak soalan mengenai perkembangan Van Persie, sekali lagi mengulangi niatnya untuk menyimpan ayam tambatan yang meledak 37 gol sepanjang musim lalu itu. "Robin ialah penyerang bertaraf dunia dan kamu semua tahu saya ialah penyokong setianya, dia ialah pemain yang sa

PETALING JAYA, July 22 (Bernama) - The national football squad will train in Vienna, Austria from Aug 4-16 as preparation to defend AFF Suzuki Cup in Nov. The squad fondly known as Harimau Malaya won the biennial football tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2010. Head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal said the 28 player squad will play three friendly matches against Austrian professional clubs yet to be determined. "I will only pick the Suzuki Cup squad after assessing the players performance during the three matches," he told reporters after the press conference for the match between Malaysia and Arsenal FC here Sunday.

PETALING JAYA, July 22 (Bernama) -- English Premier League (EPL) outfit, Arsenal FC manager Arsene Wenger aims to continue their winning record against the national football side in a friendly match betweeen the two teams at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, this Tuesday. Both teams had met at the same venue during the English's side Asian Tour last year which saw them whipping the national side dubbed as 'Harimau Malaya', 4-0. "Of course, we come here to win the game against the Malaysian side as this is part of our preparation for the new EPL season which starts next month, but I expect they will give us a tough job this time with a new line-up of players," he said at a press conference, here, Sunday.

KANGAR, July 22 (Bernama) - Perlis Football Association (PFA) president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim wants to resign from the post he has been holding since 1998. He said that football development is a costly affair and proposed that Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Md Isa Sabu take over the association. "I know that the menteri besar is not keen on football but he has the financial resources to lead this sport," he told a press conference here Sunday. Financial factors caused Perlis to fare poorly in the Premier League this season and has to play in the FAM League next season. Shahidan said the PFA management spent millions of ringgit annually while the sources of finance are very limited.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) should submit a proposal to the government before announcing that Malaysia would host the 2017 Sea Games to the public. National Sports Council (NSC) Director-General Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong said the discussion should be carried out taking into account the financial implications, before making the decision to organise the Sea Games. "I don't think the OCM will be able to organise the games without government assistance, but if the OCM has sufficient financial resources, NSC will be more than happy to approve. "The NSC has experience in organising larger games like the Commonwealth and Sea Games. So, it is not a problem for us," he told reporters after chairing a meeting with the London Paralympic team managers at the National Sports Complex here Friday. He was commenting on the OCM's statement on Wednesday, agreeing to host the 2017 Sea Games, after Brunei dec

KUALA LUMPUR, 20 Julai (Bernama) -- Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM) yang mencadangkan Malaysia menjadi tuan rumah Sukan SEA 2017 sepatutnya mengemukakan kertas kerja kepada kerajaan terlebih dahulu sebelum mengumumkannya kepada umum. Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong berkata penganjuran temasya sukan besar seperti Sukan SEA perlu dibincangkan dengan teliti, khususnya mengenai implikasi kewangan sebelum keputusan dibuat. "Saya tidak rasa MOM mampu menganjurkan kejohanan tersebut tanpa bantuan kerajaan, tetapi jika MOM memang sudah mempunyai sumber kewangan yang cukup, pihak MSN akan meluluskannya dengan rasa gembira. "MSN sudahpun mempunyai pengalaman menganjurkan temasya sukan besar seperti Sukan Komanwel dan Sukan SEA, jadi ia bukanlah satu masalah bagi kita," katanya kepada pemberita selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat ketua kontinjen bersama pengurus pasukan Paralimpik London di Kompleks Sukan Negara, dekat sini

ON A ROLL: Fatehah breaks new ground in London FATEHAH Mustapa is accustomed to creating history right from the beginning of her cycling career and the London Olympics provides just another test of how well her star has shone. The Kuala Terengganu lass lines up for the women’s keirin at the London Velodrome as the first ever woman cyclist to qualify for the Olympics and she has achieved that four years ahead of schedule, as the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) had initially targeted her for the 2016 Olympics. It’s all been fast-tracked as the reigning Asian women’s keirin champion has gone through two of her best seasons yet, which has seen her rise to prominence on the world stage as well. Fatehah has come a long way since she first exploded onto the scene in the 2004 Malaysia Games in Negri Sembilan when she stunned a field of mainly elite national riders to win the road race gold medal. At just 15 then, she set the record as

  LANCAR...Shabery (tengah) dan Ketua Pengarah MSN, Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong ketika perasmian Akademi Kejurulatihan Kebangsaan di MSN Bukit Jalil, semalam.    KETIKA Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM) sudah menyatakan Malaysia akan menjadi tuan rumah Sukan Sea ke-29 pada 2017, lain pula nada dinyatakan Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek. Ditemui selepas majlis pelancaran Akademi Kejurulatihan Kebangsaan semalam, Ahmad Shabery lebih menggambarkan negara belum cukup bersedia menjadi tuan rumah sukan dwitahunan serantau itu berikutan beberapa faktor termasuk masa yang suntuk. “Saya tidak berani menyatakan boleh dianjurkan atau tidak tapi bagi saya, perkara ini banyak membabitkan soal kos yang pastinya agak besar. “Selain itu, saya perlu membawa perkara ini ke kabinet terlebih dulu bagi mendapat persetujuan semua pihak kerana dalam RMK (Rancangan Malaysia) ke-10 memang tiada menyentuh soal ini,” katanya. Jelas Ahmad Shabery, m

Ahmad Shabery Cheek    KUALA LUMPUR - Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek memberi bayangan bahawa penganjuran Sukan SEA 2017 di Malaysia mungkin sukar dilaksanakan. Menurutnya, ini disebabkan penganjuran temasya itu memerlukan perbelanjaan tinggi sambil memberi contoh cadangan untuk menjadi tuan rumah Sukan Asia 2019 yang ditolak oleh Kabinet kerana melibatkan kos besar. Tegas Ahmad Shabery, walau apa pun penganjuran Sukan SEA 2017 di Malaysia perlu mendapat restu Kabinet terlebih dahulu sebelum temasya dwi tahunan Asia Tenggara itu boleh diadakan di negara ini. Katanya, sebagai Menteri beliau hanya mampu membawa perkara tersebut untuk dibincangkan di Kabinet dan tidak berhak mendesak kerajaan supaya meluluskan penganjurannya. "Saya masih belum pasti tentang hak penganjuran tersebut malah perkara ini tak pernah disampaikan kepada saya. "Tempoh lima tahun menjelang 2017 tidak cukup untuk kita menyediakan keperluan yang dii

MONEY DAMPER: Onus on OCM to make proposal (From left) Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek accompanied by Director-General of the National Sports Council of Malaysia Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong and Dr Balbir Singh at the launch of the National Coaching Academy at Bukit Jalil yesterday. Pic by Goh Thean Howe SPORTS Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek poured cold water on the prospect of Malaysia hosting the 2017 Sea Games but the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) is prepared to work with the government to explore the matter in detail. The Sea Games Federation offered the 2017 hosting job to Malaysia during its council meeting in Yangon on Saturday and OCM expressed its readiness to host the Games should there be no other taker. But Ahmad Shabery said the cost to stage the multi-event regional extravaganza would be prohibitive to the government and cited concerns over the availability of venues wit

ESTHER Cheah was the only Malaysian to reach the women's stepladder finals at the Daejeon International Open in South Korea yesterday. Fresh from winning the Hong Kong Open in June, Esther, a two-time world champion, finished joint fourth in the women's masters to become the only non-Korean to still be left in the fray. Esther posted lines of 127, 177, 216, 215, 257, 183, 179, 209 and 279 for a grand total of 1,842 to finish joint fourth with Kong Hyun Jin. Lee Na Young topped the standings with a 1,987 series, 93 pins ahead of second-placed Son Yun Hee, followed by Lee Yeon Ji on 1,884. Team manager Cheah Ban Cheng said Esther did well to bounce back from a poor 127 in the opening game to qualify for the stepladder finals. "The competition among the bowlers for the top five positions was close but Esther managed to clinch a spot after scoring 279 on her final game. "She, however, will need to perform well if she

KUALA LUMPUR - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak percaya perpaduan negara ini boleh disatukan menerusi aspek sukan kerana hampir seluruh masyarakat Malaysia tidak kira usia, bangsa dan etnik berkongsi minat yang sama terutama pada sukan bola sepak. Perdana Menteri berkata, perkara itu dapat dilihat pada bulan lalu apabila jutaan rakyat Malaysia memenuhi setiap restoran mamak hampir setiap awal pagi, semata-mata mahu menonton siaran langsung Euro 2012. Kata beliau, suasana itu bakal dilihat sekali lagi menjelang hujung bulan ini apabila skuad kebangsaan akan bertemu juara Liga Perdana Inggeris, Manchester City di Bukit Jalil. "Saya berpendapat adalah penting bagi setiap peminat bola sepak daripada segenap lapisan masyarakat untuk hadir ke stadium dan memberi sokongan padu kepada skuad kebangsaan. "Oleh itu, saya gembira kerana sebanyak 50,000 keping tiket yang dijual pada harga RM10 iaitu harga yang mampu dimiliki oleh semua telah laris dijual pada pelanca

KUALA LUMPUR - Kesatuan Olahraga Malaysia (KOM) bakal mengemukakan rayuan kepada Persekutuan Olahraga Antarabangsa (IAAF) bagi meringankan hukuman terhadap atletnya Mohd. Yunus Lasalleh yang didapati positif doping pada Sukan SEA XXVI. Presiden KOM, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim berkata, rayuan akan kemukakan kerana Mohd. Yunus mempunyai prestasi yang baik dalam sukan olahraga. Kata Shahidan, KOM sedang menunggu keputusan daripada IAAF berhubung hukuman yang bakal dikenakan kepada atlet tersebut. "Kita telah memperoleh keputusan bahawa Mohd. Yunus memang positif doping dan kita masih menunggu tempoh hukuman pengantungan yang bakal dikenakan. "Hukuman boleh dilaksanakan oleh IAAF sendiri atau dengan cara mengarahkan KOM untuk mengantung atlet terlibat. "Selalunya hukuman kesalahan seperti ini digantung dua tahun. Kita akan merayu agar hukuman yang dikenakan kepada Yunus diringankan. ," kata Shahidan selepas mempengerusikan Mesyuarat Kejurulatih

KOTA BAHARU, 19 Julai (Bernama) -- Juara Liga Super dan Piala FA 2012, Kelantan yakin mampu menyekat kemaraan kelab Liga Perdana Inggeris, Queens Park Rangers (QPR) pada aksi persahabatan di Stadium Shah Alam, Jumaat. Ketua jurulatih Kelantan Bojan Hodak berkata pasukannya berpeluang menang memandangkan QPR baharu sahaja menamatkan musim liga mereka dan ramai pemain kelab itu masih dalam proses pemulihan. "Pertembungan itu bukan perlawanan bagi QPR, jadi ini menjadi peluang kami kerana saya tahu pemain mereka belum pulih sepenuhnya," katanya pada sidang media menjelang perlawanan persahabatan itu, di sini. Hodak berkata beliau juga akan menurunkan pemain import baru Kelantan, Keita Mandjou agar penyokong dan peminat Kelantan dapat menilai sendiri tahap permainan pemain tersebut. Sementara itu, Pengurus QPR Mark Hughes berkata beliau mungkin tidak menurunkan kesebelasan utama pemainnya menentang Kelantan bagi mengelak anak buahnya mengalami kecederaan

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 Julai (Bernama) -- Masa depan kejohanan berbasikal Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) dilihat cerah dan dijangka mampu bergerak sendiri terutama bagi mendapatkan penajaan tanpa bantuan daripada kerajaan dalam tempoh tiga tahun akan datang. Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif LTdL, Emir Abdul Jalal berkata walaupun status kejohanan itu yang memasuki edisi ke-18 tahun depan bukan di tahap Pro Tour, ia terbukti berjaya menarik penyertaan pelumba basikal terkemuka dunia dan pelumba yang sedang meningkat naik. Untuk rekod, penganjuran LTdL berstatus 2 Hors (Hors Classe). "LTdL memang ditunggu-tunggu kelab berbasikal profesional di benua Eropah dan Asia. "Sebagai contoh, jika kami menghantar jemputan hari ini, esok mereka akan terus beri jawapan bersetuju menyertainya," kata beliau ketika ditemui pemberita pada Persidangan Perniagaan Sukan Asia Pasifik 2011/2012 di Hotel Berjaya Times Square di sini pada Khamis.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's administration capital Putrajaya will be home to the 2014 Red Bull Air Race World Championship, which is expected to draw over 80,000 local and international spectators. Red Bull Air Race managing director Erich Wolf said the international series had grown to become a major tourism draw for cities where it was held, mainly held over water near cities, airfields or natural wonders. The series had, in the past, visited Abu Dhabi, Perth, New York and Rio de Janeiro where it attracted more than 100,000 spectators at the locations, he said at the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Red Bull Air Race and Aerolomba Sdn Bhd. Wolf signed the MoU on behalf of Red Bull Air Race while Aerolomba, a company that facilitates the coordination of logistics, accommodation and introduction to local businesses and organisations, was represented by its director, Mohd Halizi Mohamad.

MELAKA, July 19 (Bernama) -- Premier league runners-up Pahang clinched the last Super League's berth for next season after edging Kedah 3-2 through a penalty shootout in a knockout match at the Hang Jebat Stadium here Thursday night. They played to a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes, including 30 minutes extra time. Pahang's goals in the penalty shootout came from Zaiza Zainal Abidin, Faizol Husin and Jalaluddin Hassan while Kedah replied through Mohd Fauzi Nan and captain Baddrol Bakhtiar. During the regulation time, Pahang led 2-0 through Hafiz Kamal in the seventh minute and Boris Kochkin (penalty kick) in the 42nd minute, but Kedah drew level through Khyril Muhymeen in the 49th minute and Baddrol in the 67th minute.

KUALA TERENGGANU, July 18 (Bernama) -- Additional incentives await the Terengganu SUKMA contingent that emerged overall champion at the 15th Pahang SUKMA that ended on Monday. Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said the state government would announce a special incentive for the SUKMA contingent that clinched the overall title for the fourth consecutive time. "They deserve the incentives after putting on a brilliant performance in Pahang. An announcement will be made soon. "It will be in addition to what we have announced before," he said after chairing an exco meeting at Wisma Darul Iman here Wednesday. Terengganu had earlier announced that gold medal winners will receive RM5,000, silver medal (RM3,000) and bronze medal (RM2,000).

PEKAN, July 18 (Bernama) -- Pahang shooter Aina Zahiran, who won five gold medals in the Pahang SUKMA which ended recently, contributed part of her incentives received for her achievement, to the Parent and Teachers Association (PIBG) of Sekolah Kebangsaan Ubai, here. Aina, 18, a national back up squad shooter contributed RM2,000 to the PIBG of the school as a mark of appreciation for her success. "I have harboured this wish even before SUKMA started and I hope this contribution will help the PIBG's activities," she said here, Wednesday. In a simple ceremony here, Aina handed her contribution to the PIBG president of the school, Mohd Sulihi Zainal while head master Azhar Jamil was also present. Mohd Sulihi said Aina's contribution was very meaningful to the school.

ALOR SETAR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Defending champion Negeri Sembilan plans to loan a number of players from Sabah to beef up then squad in efforts to defend the Malaysia Cup. Head coach Mohd Azrai Khor Abdullah said the management of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association would submit a formal request this week to rope in several players who had been identified. However, Azrai declined to reveal the names of the players prior to an agreement from Sabah because other states could have also made earlier applications to get players from the Sabah team. He said he would also take five players from the Negeri Sembilan SUKMA squad to train together with the senior players from July 22. Azrai said the players were Khairul Ridzwan Othman, Muhamad Bukhairi Idris, Mohd Radzuan Abdullah, Fiqri Azwan Ghazali and Mohd Nizam Ruslan.

SEPANG, July 18 (Bernama) -- Sailor Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy wants to improve his performance before the London Olympic Games starts on July 27. The 19-year-old Kedahan said that he must improve some aspects before he can compete against some of the world's best sailors. "I must work on the start as sometimes it is slow and sometimes fast. I will use the remaining ten days to correct weaknesses before the sailing events start," he told reporters at KL International Airport (KLIA) before leaving for London last night. He left on the same flight with his father cum manager Mohd Afendy Abdullah and the archery team. The sailing events are expected to start on July 29 at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy on the south coast of London.

MELAKA, July 17 (Bernama) -- Klang Valley club Pos Malaysia FC and Johor's MP Muar gained promotion to the Premier League next season after beating their respective opponents in a Premier League playoff here Tuesday. Pos Malaysia recorded a comfortable win by thrashing Kuantan Port/Shahzan Muda 5-1 at the Hang Jebat Stadium with goals from Mohd Fakhrul Aiman (4th, 40min), G. Puaneswaran (13th min), Mohd Hanifuddin Abdul Rahman (16th min) and Mohd Hafizi Amiruddin (74th min) while Muhd Helmi scored the only goal for Shahzan Muda in the 69th minute. MP Muar beat Negeri Sembilan's Betaria FC 3-0 at the Hang Tuah Stadium through Hillary Odada's 32nd minute minute strike while Efendi Abdul Malek (72nd minute) and Mohd Alafi Mahmud (89th minute) completed the victory. Meanwhile, in the Super League playoff Kedah beat Sabah 1-0 at the Hang Tuah Stadium through Mohd Syamin Aliff's solitary goal in the 89th minute while Pahang also recorded a 1-0 win

SEPANG, July 17 (Bernama) -- National elite women archer Nurul Syafiqah Hashim vowed to give her best performance despite making her maiden appearance at the London Olympics which starts at the end of the month. The archer from Terengganu however, admitted being under a little pressure to exhibit her best, because the world's best archers and fans would be paying attention to archery events, which would be the curtain raiser for the Games on July 27, the same date as the opening ceremony of the Olympics. "The pressure is there because we will perform on the first day of the Olympics but I will try to absorb the pressure so that I will not freeze during the competition. "For me, although the focus of Malaysians will be on archery on July 27, I promise to give my best," she told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), here, before leaving to London Tuesday night. Also leaving to London tonight were the national archer

KOTA KINABALU, July 17 (Bernama) -- Queens Park Rangers (QPR) kicked off their Asian Tour by beating a Sabah Select XI 5-0 in a friendly match watched by some 20,000 fans at the Likas Stadium here Tuesday night. QPR struck their first goal through Bobby Zamora who tapped in from close range after Shaun Wright-Philip's attempt was blocked by the Sabah goalkeeper. Despite numerous attempts from the visiting side, the score remained 1-0 at half-time. Sabah Select launched a number of attacks led by Titus Jhon, Londow Bonai and Octavianus Maniani but failed to find the target. Coming out from the break like a transformed outfit, QPR buried Sabah in a flurry of goals through a 63rd minute strike by substitute Heider Helguson, Jay Bothroyd (69th) and a brace from hit man Djibril Cisse (73rd and 81st minute).

SHAH ALAM, July 17 (Bernama) -- After suffering three defeats in a row, Selangor hope to wrest the Sultan Selangor Cup from arch-rival Singapore when both teams meet at the Shah Alam Stadium on Sept 29. Organising chairman Datuk Abd Karim Munisar said Selangor has the capability to beat Singapore this year after suffering a narrow 0-1 defeat last year. "The Sultan Selangor Cup is a tournament that features two matches - a veteran match featuring ex-internationals from both countries and another match that involves a selection of current players from both countries - while tournament offers RM50,000 to the winner," he told reporters here Tuesday. Apart from losing 0-1 last year, Selangor had also lost 0-6 in 2010 and 0-3 in 2009.

KEMAMAN, July 17 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu state government announced July 22 as a state holiday to celebrate the victory of the Terengganu contingent that clinched the overall title for the fourth consecutive time when the 15th Pahang SUKMA ended in Kuantan yesterday. Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said when making the announcement said the victory this time around was more meaningful than emerging overall champion when hosting the 2008 SUKMA, with 61 gold medals. "The people of the whole state are overjoyed by the achievement of the contingent that accumulated 62 gold, 24 silver and 31 bronze medals. The state holiday is to honour that achievement," he told reporters after hosting a victorious welcome ceremony for the Terengganu SUKMA contingent at Padang Astaka, Bandai Cukai here Tuesday.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- After a lapse of 16 years since hosting the 2001 SEA Games, Malaysia will once again play host to the 29th SEA Games which will be held in 2017. The SEA Games Federation (SGF) meeting in Myanmar last weekend confirmed Malaysia's turn to host the regional biennial event in 2017 should there be no other countries willing to bid for the host job. Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, who attended the meeting, said after Myanmar became the host for the 2013 SEA Games, Singapore will host the 2015 Games. "Then should be Brunei's turn but the Sultanate state wants to host the 2019 games instead of the 2017 SEA Games. So, Malaysia is willing to be the host for the 2017 Games," he told Bernama Tuesday. Kuala Lumpur last played host for the SEA Games in 2001 when Malaysia became the overall champion with 111 gold medals followed by Thailand (103) and Indonesia (72).

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- After a lapse of 16 years since hosting the 2001 SEA Games, Malaysia will once again play host to the 29th SEA Games which will be held in 2017. The SEA Games Federation (SGF) meeting in Myanmar last weekend confirmed Malaysia's turn to host the regional biennial event in 2017 should there be no other countries willing to bid for the host job. Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, who attended the meeting, said after Myanmar became the host for the 2013 SEA Games, Singapore will host the 2015 Games. "Then should be Brunei's turn but the Sultanate state wants to host the 2019 games instead of the 2017 SEA Games. So, Malaysia is willing to be the host for the 2017 Games," he told Bernama Tuesday. Kuala Lumpur last played host for the SEA Games in 2001 when Malaysia became the overall champion with 111 gold medals followed by Thailand (103) and Indonesia (72).

KUANTAN, July 17 (Bernama) -- Host Pahang's 45-gold medal feat in the just concluded 15th Pahang SUKMA was the best ever achievement in SUKMA history. Pahang Sports Council director Datuk Nik Nasarudin Mohd Zawawi said Pahang collected 45 gold, 40 silver and 38 bronze medals to finish third overall behind overall champion Terengganu and Selangor. "When SUKMA was first held in 1986, Pahang managed only 1 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze medals from 127 events held, to finish 13th overall. For the first four games, Pahang's position has always been in the bottom half," he told Bernama here Tuesday. The best previous achievement in terms of medal collection was a fourth place finish during the Kedah SUKMA when Pahang finished fourth overall with 39 gold, 36 silver and 32 bronze medals. "As for overall position, Pahang had finished third when hosting the games in 1996 but collected only 37 gold, 42 silver and 44 bronze. So, this is definitely

KUANTAN, July 17 (Bernama) -- The 15th Malaysia Games (Sukma), which ended last night, saw an improvement of athletes' performance with three national records and 29 games records broken by national, regional and state second liners. Pahang, as host of the latest edition of the Sukma, put on an impressive effort when it was described as one of the best ever since its introduction in 1986 in Kuala Lumpur. The success of the games' host was acknowledged by the National Sports Council (NSC) as the main sports administration body in the country. NSC director-general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong said that overall, he was satisfied with the performance of the 1,707 athletes under the second liner programme who represented their respective states. "Two of the three national records achieved this time were through elite weightlifter Abdul Mubin Rahim in the under 77kg category in the clean and jerk while Freancy Titus made it in the 58kg category snatc

MELBOURNE, July 16 (Bernama) -- Defending champion and world number one Malaysian Datuk Nicol David and the woman she beat in the final of last year's Australian Open, Jenny Duncalf, will both play qualifiers in the first round of this year's tournament. The women's draw for the 2012 Australian Open in Canberra from Aug 13 to 19 was made on the weekend, with five of the top eight seeds drawn to play qualifiers in the opening round. Third-seeded Englishwoman Laura Massaro, former champion and fifth seed Annie Au of Hongkong and sixth-ranked Frenchwoman Camille Serme will also take on qualifiers. Australia's Rachael Grinham, the seventh seed, takes on South African Siyoli Waters, ahead of a possible clash against fellow Aussie Donna Urquhart in the second round, while eighth-ranked Kasey Brown faces Denmark's Line Hansen. Madeline Perry, the 2010 champion and fourth seed, will take on Malaysian Siti Munirah Jusoh and 2009 winner Joelle K

SECOND COMING: Reputable Korean is prime candidate for director of coaching Park Joo Bong THE BA of Malaysia's (BAM) mission in the London Olympics is not just about securing the nation's first gold medal but also to be on the lookout for a candidate to be the director of coaching and a familiar figure, Park Joo Bong, appears  on the horizon. Joo Bong, seen as  the best doubles player to grace the sport, had his first stint in Malaysia as the men's doubles coach between 2000 and 2003 and has been Japan's head coach since 2005.    The widely travelled Joo Bong was also England's doubles coach between 1997 and 2000 and also had a short stint at home in 2004 to help out South Korea's doubles preparations. His experience could be handy if BAM is looking for someone who is hands-on as a coach and also has the managerial experience due to his role in Japan.    Joo Bong guided Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan W

FATIN Zakirah Jalany Zain Jalany of Federal Territories redeemed herself by winning the rhythmic gymnastics individual all around gold medal in the Malaysian Games (Sukma) at the Sukpa Gymnastics Stadium. The Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) student, who finished behind team-mate Tai Qing Tong in the team event on the first day of the competition, grabbed the gold medal with a total of 97.299 points yesterday. Qing Tong (95.398) settled for the silver and Selangor’s Shak Yuki (91.766) the bronze. My way: Fatin Zakirah Zain Jalany in action during the Pahang Sukma in Kuantan Sunday.   Fatin, who won the team and individual all around gold medals in the 4th Asean School Games in Surabaya earlier this month, is glad that she managed to make amends for her poor performance on the first day. “I was a bit disappointed to finish second behind Qing Tong, so I really wanted to improve my performance for the gold medal,” said the 15-year-old Fatin. “I performed

TERENGGANU terus membuktikan reputasi sebagai kuasa sukan negara pada Sukma ke-15. KONTINJEN Terengganu hanya menunggu masa untuk dimahkotakan selaku juara keseluruhan Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) ke-15 Pahang. Tampil selaku juara tiga edisi berturut-turut (2008 di Terengganu, 2010 di Melaka dan 2011 di Kuala Lumpur), Terengganu hampir pasti muncul juara keseluruhan Sukma tahun ini. Tatkala hanya lapan pingat emas (empat dalam acara gimnastik berirama, dua petanque dan dua skuasy) menjadi rebutan pada hari terakhir yang akan melabuhkan tirai di Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan malam ini, Terengganu dilihat cukup selesa mendahului barisan pencabar mereka. Hanya kontinjen Selangor dianggap sebagai satu-satunya pencabar utama yang mampu mengakhiri dominasi Terengganu dalam tiga temasya Sukma sebelum ini. Hakikat itu diakui Ketua Kontinjen Terengganu, Wan Nawawi Wan Ismail kepada Kosmo! semalam. "Jika dibuat penilaian setakat ini, saya lihat kontinjen Selango

SKUAD hoki wanita Terengganu meraikan kejayaan meraih pingat emas Sukan Malaysia XV selepas menewaskan Wilayah Persekutuan 1-0 di Padang Hoki Wisma Belia dekat Kuantan, semalam.   KUANTAN - Kehebatan Terengganu melahirkan jaguh lumba basikal, memanah dan olahraga tempatan membolehkan negeri itu ditabalkan selaku juara keseluruhan Sukan Malaysia buat kali ketiga berturut-turut, biarpun tirai temasya hanya akan ditutup secara rasmi hari ini. Walaupun masih ada lapan pingat emas ditawarkan pada hari terakhir, namun pencabar terdekat mereka, Selangor sudah tidak mampu memintas kerana dipisahkan dengan 14 pingat emas selepas 360 acara dipertandingkan. Selepas muncul juara keseluruhan pada 2008 dan 2010, Terengganu meneruskan keunggulan sebagai kuasa sukan tempatan dengan membolot 62 pingat emas, jauh mengatasi Selangor yang melengkapkan saingan dengan 47 emas. Tuan rumah pula berada di tempat ketiga dengan 44 emas. Malah, pungutan yang diraih Terengganu jug

Muhammad Wisnu Awaluddin (kiri) menunjukkan pingat-pingat yang dimenanginya kepada bapanya, Awaluddin Kadir.    KUANTAN - Pengorbanan ayah memang tiada tandingannya dan itulah yang diberikan oleh Awaluddin Kadir yang menjadi orang kuat terhadap kejayaan anaknya, Muhammad Wisnu Awaluddin yang menghadiahkan lima pingat emas dan dua perak untuk kontinjen Pahang dalam menembak. Biarpun hanya bekerja sebagai buruh binaan, Awaluddin tidak menjadikan itu sebagai alasan menghalang anaknya menceburi bidang menembak di samping turut membantu sokongan daripada segi masa dan wang ringgit. ''Jika dia mahu menyertai mana-mana kejohanan menembak, saya sanggup memberikan wang sebagai duit sakunya walaupun menyedari pendapatan saya sendiri tidak menentu. ''Walaupun sibuk, saya selalu akan menghantar dia pergi dan pulang dari tempat latihan, dia terlalu minat dalam sukan menembak dan saya sanggup berkorban apa sahaja agar dia berjaya. ''Bukan sek

KUANTAN, 15 Julai (Bernama) -- Terengganu semakin hampir bergelar juara Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) ke-15 apabila mendahului selesa kontinjen lain pada hari kedua terakhir temasya dwi tahunan itu yang akan melabuhkan tirainya Isnin. Terengganu kini mengumpul 59 pingat emas, 23 perak dan 30 gangsa. Dua daripada enam pingat emas kontinjen Terengganu hari ini diperoleh menerusi acara memanah iaitu Recurve berpasukan lelaki (pusingan Olimpik) dan Compound berpasukan wanita (pusingan Olimpik). Atlet angkat berat Mohamad Norfarhan Ideris yang beraksi dalam kategori berat badan 105kg lelaki menyumbang dua pingat emas kepada Terengganu menerusi acara snatch dan clean & jerk. Dua lagi pingat emas Terengganu disumbang Mohd Hafizuddin Hakim Mohd Zahari dalam acara tinju (kategori berat badan 44-46kg lelaki) dan skuad hoki wanita. Selangor kekal menghuni tangga kedua dengan kutipan keseluruhan 47 pingat emas, 49 perak dan 55 gangsa. Dua pingat emas Selangor hari ini dir

KUANTAN, July 15 (Bernama) -- Three times overall champion Terengganu edged closer to their fourth consecutive overall title after opening up a huge gap over closest rival Selangor when action ended on the penultimate day of the 15th Pahang SUKMA here Sunday. Terengganu who were trailing Selangor three days ago moved into contention after dislodging Selangor as the overall leader two days ago and have since not looked back. The East Coast state that first emerged overall champion when hosting the Games in 2008, have accumulated 59 gold, 23 silver, 30 bronze medals compared with Selangor's 47 gold, 49 silver and 55 bronze medals. Terengganu who were leading the pack with 53 gold medals against Selangor 45 yesterday, picked up another six gold medals today while Selangor managed only two, leaving Selangor with a near impossible task of overhauling the 12-gold deficit on the final day of competition, since only less than gold medals are at stake tomorrow.

KUANTAN, July 15 (Bernama) -- Terengganu swept both the men's and women's hockey gold medals by edging favourite Federal Territories in both categories at the Wisma Belia Hockey stadium here Sunday. In the men's event, Terengganu edged Federal Territories 4-3 after a penalty shootout with Muhamad Zahirul Faiz Asha'ri emerging as his team's hero when he scored the deciding winning flick. The men's hockey gold was the first for the Terengganu side that had only reached the final back in 1996, incidentally in Kuantan, when Pahang hosted the SUKMA. Just like the men's final, the women's final was also a closely fought affair which Terengganu eventually won by a solitary goal from Rashidah Mahmad in the 18th minute.

KUANTAN, July 15 (Bernama) -- A religious school student in Johor, Muhamad Hazizul Hakim Md Sukor was crowned champion in the men's Under 52kg Boxing competition in the 15th SUKMA held at the Bitara Hall, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Rangin, here, Sunday. The Johor lad took the gold after defeating Penang's A. Jagadish by 20-15 while losing semifinalists Mohd Azman Mohd Azhar (Kelantan) and Mohd Zulfadlie Ibrahim (Pahang) were awarded bronze medals. Muhamad Hazizul, a form five student at Sekolah Menengah Al-Quran Waddin, competing in his first SUKMA, said he was thankful to God for his success today. He said the success was a big milestone for him and a gift for his parents and the Amateur Boxing Association of Johor for their undying support. Muhamad Hazizul was attracted to the sport when he was 13 and the sport has since become a passion.

KUANTAN, July 15 (Bernama) - Federal Territory emerged overall Malaysia Games (Sukma) badminton champions, thanks to rising star Zulfadli Zulkifli. Zulfadli won the gold medal by beating Tan Kian Meng of Johor, 21-14, 13-21, 21-7 in the men's singles final Sunday. Tan won the silver medal while the bronze medal went to Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, also of Johor. Iskandar Zulkarnain beat Lim Yu Fu of Sabah, 21-16, 21-18 for the bronze. "As I had expected, it was a tough match. Tan is a good player and has advantage in terms of height," Zulfadli told reporters at Pahang Indoor Stadium Sports Complex (Sukpa) here. His focus after this is to improve the Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking and to qualify for the All England Badminton Championships next year. Zulfadli is scheduled to participate in the Vietnam Open Championship from Aug 21-26. Federal Territory won three gold and one silver followed by Selangor with two gold and two bronze an

KUANTAN, July 15 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will close 15th Malaysia Games (Sukma) at 8.45pm tomorrow by cycling around Stadium Darul Makmur. Najib will be joined by his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, several Cabinet ministers, heads of contingents and cycling gold medal winners. "It will continue with performances by 2,000 dancers, fireworks display and many more," said Pahang Sukma chief executive officer Ahmad Hairi Hussain. Najib will present the best men and best women athlete awards followed by lowering of the Sukma flag and extinguishing of the games torch. Perlis, the host of 2014 Sukma will be then put up a performance. A lucky draw will also be held to pick 200 winners. The crowd of about 40,000 will be entertained to songs by Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Sofaz and Nubhan with comedian Nabil acting as compere.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama) -- The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) will be presenting a proposal to the goverment to consider disbursing a special allowance for its members. "Yakeb will be drafting a special budget to the government to consider giving a special allowance to Yakeb members who comprise former national athletes. "The special allowance is like BR1M(1Malaysia People's Aid) as a gesture of appreciation for the services and sacrifices of former athletes to the country," said its chairman Datuk Jamil Salleh. According to Jamil, while the proposal had yet to be decided and was still at the discussion stage, it could benefit 1,600 registered members if the proposal was approved. He said this when opening Yakeb's annual general meeting for 2010 and 2011 at Seri Kembangan near here Saturday.

KEMAMAN, July 14 (Bernama) -- The ongoing 15th Malaysia Games (Sukma) in in Pahang can be considered to be among the best as no complaints or protests have been received from the contingents, especially in subjective sports, said Youth and Sport Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek. He said he was satisfied with the organising of the Games which reflected that Pahang, as the hosted, were well-prepared. "I am happy because there are no complaints or protests in the subjective sports as sometimes judges are said to give an advantage to the hosts," he said. He was speaking to reporters after launching the Kemaman Umno Women, Youth and Puteri delegates meeting, here Saturday.

KUANTAN, July 13 (Bernama) -- Thirty-two Federal Territory athletes who won gold medals at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Pahang, each received a RM1,000 incentive Friday. The incentives were handed out by Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin at a hotel here. The recipients of the incentives were aquatic participants (eight), equestrian (six), karate (three), badminton (eight), shooting (four), athletes (two) and lawn bowling (one). The incentive for individual participants is RM5,000 each, while for team category, it is RM4,000. The balance would be given at a date to be decided later by the Federal Territory Sports Council (MWSP). Raja Nong Chik said the incentive was one of many under the MWSP sports development programme, other than allowances for athletes, daily training allowances, participatory sponsorships to national and international championships and purchase of equipment.

KUANTAN, 13 Julai (Bernama) -- Low Wee Nee dari Pulau Pinang dan atlet Selangor Mohd Addeen Idrakie Bakhtiar muncul juara wanita dan lelaki individu skuasy Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) ke-15, di Pusat Skuasy Kelab Golf Diraja, di sini pada Jumaat. Wee Nee mengetepikan pencabar dari Selangor Tan Yan Xin 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 manakala Mohd Addeen Idrakie mudah menewaskan rakan sepasukan Mohd Zul Azri Abdul Jalil Azhar 11-9, 11-0, 11-6. Wee Nee, 20, yang gembira berjaya membawa pulang pingat emas pada edisi Sukma terakhir baginya, sebelum ini gagal menyerlah kerana terpaksa bersaing dengan kakaknya, atlet kebangsaan Wee Wern yang juga pemenang emas pada tiga edisi Sukma. Wee Nee yang beraksi di hadapan kakaknya Wee Wern pada Jumaat, berkata beliau memasuki gelanggang tanpa harapan tinggi kerana sudah lama tidak menentang Tan. "Bagaimanapun pada perlawanan tadi saya dapat membaca rentaknya. Saya jadi lebih yakin dan dapat bermain dengan baik," katanya kepada Be

KUANTAN, 13 Julai (Bernama) -- Persatuan Sepak Takraw Malaysia (PSM) memuji prestasi baik yang ditunjukkan skuad sepak takraw wanita sepanjang temasya Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) ke-15 di sini. Presidennya Datuk Ahmad Ismail berkata beliau terkejut dengan kemahiran yang dipamer mereka khususnya daripada pelajar sekolah yang mempunyai bakat besar untuk diketengahkan ke peringkat lebih tinggi. "PSM akan mempertimbangkan untuk memberi peluang kepada mereka yang cemerlang di Sukma untuk diserapkan ke dalam skuad elit B negara. "Saya akui bahawa sukan sepak takraw wanita negara masih baru dan kita amat memerlukan bakat-bakat muda yang berkebolehan bagi mengisi kekosongan skuad kebangsaan," katanya kepada Bernama, di sini, Jumaat. Ahmad turut mengucapkan tahniah kepada skuad sepak takraw wanita Terengganu dan Perak yang masing-masing meraih emas bagi acara antara regu wanita (Berdua) dan acara antara regu wanita (Bertiga).

NUR Dhabitah Sabri emerged an unlikely star for the Federal Territories when she surprised her older rivals to win the women's 3m springboard gold and clinch the overall diving title for her team in the Malaysia Games yesterday. Nur Dhabitah Sabri is congratulated by her parents, Fadzidah Jaafar and Sabri Hashim, yesterday. Pic by Yazit Razali Nur Dhabitah, who celebrated her 13th birthday yesterday, recorded a 236.25 total score to win the event, edging favourite Jasmine Lai of Perak who scored 234.80. Third was Nur Dhabitah's teammate Loh Zhiayi who totalled 231.65. Nur Dhabitah's gold medal, the only one on offer on the final day of competition at the Wisma Belia Aquatic complex, clinched the overall title for FT with Perak, Penang, Selangor and FT all tied on two gold each going into the last day of the competition. The Bukit Jalil Sports School student, who despite her young age is already competing in her third M

KUALA LUMPUR - Selepas 12 tahun memimpin Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM), Datuk Seri Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh (gambar), baru-baru ini memberi bayangan kepada ahli majlis badan kebangsaan itu bahawa beliau sedia melepaskan jawatan presiden. Nadzmi, yang mula memegang tampuk kepimpinan BAM sejak tahun 2000, menyuarakan hasrat tersebut pada mesyuarat majlis 23 Jun lalu. Begitupun, beliau telah dipujuk oleh ahli majlis yang memintanya mempertimbangkan semula keputusan itu. Ia terhenti di situ, tiada sebarang keputusan dibuat oleh Nadzmi. Beliau mungkin hanya akan mendedahkan apa pertimbangkan akhirnya apabila badan induk badminton kebangsaan itu membuat pemilihan pucuk pimpinan pada Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan (AGM), Jun tahun depan. Begitupun, belum sempat Nadzmi membuat sebarang keputusan mengenai kedudukannya sebagai Presiden BAM, beliau telah diminta oleh ahli majlis supaya mencabar jawatan Presiden Persekutuan Badminton Dunia (BWF) dalam AGM mereka, Mei tahun