Malaysian Sports - Today's back pages!

KUALA LUMPUR, 31 Mei (Bernama) -- Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) menyangkal sekeras-kerasnya laporan beberapa akhbar bahawa mereka bersikap 'berat sebelah' dalam pengagihan jumlah tiket perlawanan separuh akhir kedua Piala FA antara Pahang dan Johor Darul Takzim (Johor DT) di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil, malam esok. FAM dalam satu kenyataan Jumaat berkata perkara teknikal melibatkan venue perlawanan dan jumlah penjualan tiket telah diputuskan dalam Mesyuarat Khas Jawatankuasa Pertandingan Tempatan ke-34 di Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya, Rabu lepas, yang turut dihadiri wakil kedua-dua pasukan itu. "Sebagai pasukan tuan rumah (PTR), Pahang mempunyai hak ke atas semua aspek pengelolaan perlawanan termasuklah memperuntukkan tiket kepada pasukan Johor DT sebagai Pasukan Pelawat (PL). "Peruntukan 60,000 tiket untuk Persatuan Bola Sepak Pahang (PBNP) dan 20,000 tiket yang boleh dibeli oleh (penyokong) Johor DT di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil adalah

KUALA LUMPUR, 31 Mei (Bernama) -- Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin mempertikaikan keputusan Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) memberi hak tuan rumah kepada Persatuan Bola Sepak Pahang (PBNP) bagi perlawanan tertunda separuh akhir kedua Piala FA antara Pahang dan Johor Darul Takzim di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil, esok. Ini kerana, katanya persatuan itu telah gagal menjamin keselamatan pada perlawanan yang sepatutnya berlangsung di Stadium Darul Makmur, Selasa lepas. "Kutipan hasil yang patut diberikan kepada Pahang sebagai tuan rumah tak boleh lebih daripada kapasiti Stadium Darul Makmur iaitu 10,000 sedangkan kapasiti di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil adalah lebih besar iaitu 80,000. "Pahang tidak layak mendapat hasil kutipan jualan tiket lebih dari 10,000 kerana mereka telah dikenakan tindakan denda tapi FAM bagi keuntungan lebih kepada PBNP. Ini tidak masuk akal," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas melaku

KUALA LUMPUR, 31 Mei (Bernama) -- Empat temasya sukan penting yang dijadual berlangsung mulai Disember ini hingga 2015 menjadi medan persiapan atlet negara sebelum menghadapi cabaran Sukan Olimpik 2016 di Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, kata Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin Jumaati. Kejohanan berkenaan ialah Sukan SEA di Myanmar pada Disember, Sukan Asia 2014 di Incheon, Korea Selatan, Sukan Komanwel 2014 di Glasgow, Scotland dan Sukan SEA 2015 di Singapura. Bercakap kepada pemberita selepas melawat Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) di Bukit Jalil di sini, Khairy berkata kesemua temasya sukan itu dilihat amat penting dalam memastikan impian negara untuk membawa pulang pingat emas Olimpik pertama menjadi kenyataan. "Kita di Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) mahupun MSN akan memastikan semua atlet mendapat bantuan sewajarnya dalam melakukan persiapan ke arah membawa pulang pingat emas pertama negara di Rio de Janeiro, Brazil nanti," katanya. Dalam perkemb

KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 (Bernama) -- Former national athletics coach Harun Rasheed Othman was banned from taking part in any sports activeity for 10 years while six national sprinters were handed suspensions of 18 and 24 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. They were handed the punishment for absconding from turning up for anti-doping tests by the National Sports Institute (NSI) here on May 24, 2011 before going overseas for training and competitions. Prior to this, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had hauled up Malaysian Athletics Union (MAU) to CAS after the governing body for athletics in Malaysia only gave stern warnings to the six sprinters. MAU also handed a one-year suspension to Harun Rasheed after finding that he was the mastermind behind the disappearance of the six to Bulgaria to avoid taking the anti-doping tests by NSI. MAU president Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the CAS handed Norjannah Hafiszah Jamalu

PETALING JAYA: Squash, baseball/softball and wrestling have made the International Olympic Committee (IOC) shortlist for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games. The IOC made the annoucement of the three shortlisted sports chosen from a list of eight at its summit in St. Petersburg, Russia on Wednesday. A final decision will be made in September in Buenos Aires, Argentina just before a full IOC session at which the host nation of the Olympics will also be chosen. With Malaysian squash queen Nicol David leading the charge, there is still reason to be optimistic that squash may make the cut.

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today recommended that baseball/softball, squash and wrestling be proposed to the 125th IOC Session for possible inclusion as an additional sport on the Olympic programme for the 2020 Olympic Games. The EB selected the three sports by secret ballot from a shortlist of eight that also included karate, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. The vote followed 30-minute presentations by each International Federation and an extensive evaluation by the Olympic Programme Commission to determine their potential added value to the Games. The full IOC membership will meet for the 125th Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 7 to 10 September and will vote on which of the three sports to add to the programme of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in addition to the 25 core sports – plus golf and rugby sevens * – proposed by the EB in F

ORMER world junior champion Bryan Nickson Lomas has suddenly quit the national diving team, citing studies as the main reason. His stunning decision is a huge blow to national coach Yang Zhuliang, who sees him as one of the most talented divers in his squad. Bryan, a three-time Olympian, was initially granted six-month leave in January to focus in his pursuit of a sports science degree at Universiti Malaya with the understanding that he will train on a part-time basis. However, Bryan made an about-turn by handing over his resignation letter to the National Sports Council (NSC) last Tuesday. "NSC has accepted my resignation letter. I quit because I want to focus on my studies. However, I may return upon graduation in two years' time if the team still need me. I will continue to train and keep fit," said Bryan yesterday. "I want to complete my degree first... it is priority. I have seen athletes struggling with studies because of trainin

You will be missed: Bryan Nickson Lomas tendered his resignation to the National Sports Council a few days ago.   PETALING JAYA: Sarawakian Bryan Nickson Lomas is leaving the national diving team after a decade of service. Bryan, who was the country’s first world junior champion in diving, tendered his resignation to the National Sports Council (NSC) a few days ago in what will be a big loss to the country’s sporting scene. The 22-year-old platform specialist, who is a three-time Olympian, went on study leave at the beginning of the year. He is now in the second year of his sports science degree course at Universiti Malaya. “I’ve no regret in ending my career. At this moment, I need to focus on my studies. I do not want to think of anything else,” said Bryan. “I have discussed this with my parents and I think this is the best decision at this point of my life. “I don’t want to be like the other athletes. Some of them are still pursuing their studies late int

Johor Bahru: Persatuan Bola Sepak Negeri Johor (PBNJ) mencadangkan agar perlawanan separuh akhir kedua Piala FA membabitkan Johor Darul Takzim dan Pahang di Stadium Bukit Jalil, Sabtu ini dilangsungkan di stadium yang kosong bagi mengelak insiden kekecohan di Stadium Darul Makmur, Selasa lalu, berulang. Presiden PBNJ, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim bertitah lebih elok jika tiada penyokong menyaksikan perlawanan itu bagi menjamin keselamatan kedua-dua penyokong sama ada di pihak Johor DT mahupun Pahang memandangkan kekecohan yang berlaku di Kuantan, baru-baru masih belum reda. “Saya tidak bantah beraksi di padang berkecuali tapi apa yang saya harapkan biarlah aksi Johor DT-Pahang dilangsungkan tanpa kehadiran penyokong kerana keadaan masih panas selepas insiden di Stadium Darul Makmur, Selasa lalu. “Keselamatan penyokong menjadi kepentingan buat saya tidak kira sama ada penyokong itu dari Johor DT atau Pahang. Mungkin tiada insiden berlaku ketika mereka berad

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- The National Sports Council (NSC) has no objections if SEA Games gold medallist hammer thrower Tan Song Hwa wants to switch to cycling, said its director-general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong. He said what was important was that Tan, who landed the gold at the last SEA Games in Indonesia, expand his wings in the new sport and bring honours for the country. "If he has potential in cycling, why would we object? He might be even more successful in cycling," he told reporters at the NSC complex in Bukit Jalil here Wednesday. However, he said a final decision on the switch had yet to be made because the focus now was on the SEA Games in Myanmar in December. Tan has shined in the 'Ride with Pride' programme organised by the National Sports Institute (NSI) which had tested 90 athletes who had wanted to switch from their sport to cycling but only three made the cut. The programme held at the end of last year was

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Mei (Bernama) -- Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) tidak mempunyai halangan jika atlet olahraga negara, Tan Song Hwa beralih angin menceburi acara berbasikal, kata Ketua Pengarahnya Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong. Beliau berkata yang penting pemenang pingat emas acara baling tukul besi pada Sukan SEA 2011 di Indonesia itu dapat mengembangkan bakatnya dalam sukan serta meraih banyak kejayaan untuk negara dalam acara baharu tersebut. Bagaimanapun, keputusan sama ada Song Hwa akan beralih ke acara berbasikal belum diputuskan kerana fokus atlet itu kini kepada Sukan SEA 2013 di Myanmar Disember inui, katanya kepada pemberita di sini Rabu. Song Hwa sebelum ini mengikuti program 'Ride with Pride' anjuran Institut Sukan Negara (ISN) yang telah menguji 90 atlet, namun hanya tiga atlet berpotensi menjadi pelumba basikal kompetitif. Program tersebut yang diadakan hujung tahun lepas merupakan inisiatif ISN untuk melahirkan lebih ramai pelumba basikal negara

PETALING JAYA, May 29 (Bernama) -- The FA Cup semifinal second-leg match between Pahang and Johor Darul Takzim (Johor DT) which was postponed due to crowd trouble at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan yesterday, will be held at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here on Saturday (June 1) with the kick-off time set for 4.15pm. Announcing this here Wednesday, FA of Malaysia (FAM) Local Competitions Committee chairman Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said a neutral venue was chosen for security and safety reasons. "We have to hold the match in daytime because upgrading work on the floodlights system there is still in process while the Shah Alam Stadium is not available as a concert will be staged there this Saturday. "And as FAM itself will be handling this match, we will be suggesting to FAM's Tickets and Entrance Committee to use the 50-50 formula in distributing the 90,000 tickets available to the two teams," he said. Hamidin had earlier chaired

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- The tickets for the friendly match between Malaysian Selection XI against English Premier League (EPL) outfit, Chelsea FC will be on sale starting tomorrow until June 2 at all Adidas outlets nationwide. The match which is part of The Blues's 2013/14 Pre-Season Asian Tour will be held at the Shah Alam Stadium on July 21 with the kick-off at 9.45pm. When announcing this here Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer of ProEvents International, Julian Kam said starting June 3, ticket sale for the match then will be via Ticketpro's telephone hotline at 03-7880 7999, online website; www.ticketpro.com.my and at Ticketpro's outlets nationwide. Ticket prices are RM58, RM88, RM108, RM308 and RM408. ProEvents International is the exclusive organiser of the 2013 Chelsea FC Asian Tour. United Kingdom media recently reported that Spain's Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho is tipped to be back at Chelsea FC as the new manager, re

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- State Sports Council directors have been asked to ensure that doping does not become a problem at the 16th Malaysia Games, said National Sports Council's (NSC) Events Management division director Datuk Abdul Jalil Abdullah. He said the MSC could not monitor each and every athlete and could only do random testing as it cost almost RM1,000 per test. "To save costs, we have asked the state directors to monitor athletes so that the problem of doping does not rear it ugly head at the Malaysia Games," he told the media in an update on the Games here today. The 16th Malaysia Games which will be held at the National Sports Council's (NSC) Mini-Stadium here from June 28 to July 7 will see three new sports included, namely beach football, woodball and Muay Thai. Abdul Jalil said the cost of the Games this time around was estimated at RM9 million, slighly more than the previous edition because of the inclusion of the

  WELL RECEIVED: 3,000 volunteers assisted in activities PUTRAJAYA: The Putrajaya Youth Festival 2013  proved to be a success with a massive turnout of some 1.5 million visitors who thronged the city throughout the weekend. The youths took advantage of the long weekend to flood the administrative capital, taking part in a host of activities during the festival which began on May 23, and ended on Sunday. The festival was so well received by the crowd that Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he was impressed by the overwhelming response. The event involved at least 3,000 volunteers from the iVounteer group, Scouts, Rela youth squad, Red Crescent and registered individuals who helped execute some 500 activities. At least 100,000 people were directly involved in a wide spectrum of activities that took place during the large gathering, which saw more than 500 activities from 40 fun-filled segments lined up by government agencies, private

Kuala Lumpur: Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM) berharap Myanmar selaku tuan rumah Sukan SEA yang dijadual berlangsung Disember ini dapat segera menghantar Buku Panduan Pertandingan bagi membolehkan badan induk itu melakukan persiapan rapi menjelang temasya dwi tahunan itu. Setiausaha Kehormat MOM Datuk Sieh Kok Chi berkata, selagi pihaknya tidak menerima buku panduan itu, segala perancangan akan terganggu. “Buku panduan itu sebenarnya penting kerana ia mengandungi pelbagai peraturan yang harus diikuti negara bertanding. “Contohnya, dalam satu acara sukan, tuan rumah boleh menetapkan syarat berapa disiplin sukan boleh disertai sesebuah negara,” katanya. Ditanya adakah gesaan MOM itu kerana tuan rumah lambat menghantar buku panduan itu daripada tarikh sepatutnya, Kok Chi berkata, seeloknya ia dihantar dengan kadar segera. “Isunya bukan sudah terlambat kerana masih ada baki kira-kira enam bulan sebelum Sukan Sea bermula. “Tapi lebih elok kalau mereka menghantarn

HULL: Nicol David may be the best player in the world but her desire to become an Olympian is perhaps affecting her dominance, according to her coach. Within one hour of the startling loss of her British Open title on Sunday, Nicol was jumping on a train to hurry to her next commitment. The record-breaking Malaysian’s schedule required her to dash from the world’s oldest squash tournament to Russia, to try to play an important part in making history – getting squash into the Olympics. Nicol will be making a presentation in St Petersburg to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and some wonder whether her off-court commitments have affected her mentality, and in turn her squash. No one wishes to take away from the achievement of Laura Massaro, who became the first home woman to win the British Open in more than 20 years. The Lancastrian has clearly proved herself the closest and worthiest rival to the long-time world No. 1. However, the intensity of Nico

Busy schedule: Nicol David (right) in action against England’s Laura Massaro in the British Open final on Sunday. She then rushed to Russia to help present squash’s bid for Olympic inclusion.   PETALING JAYA: World No.1 Nicol David remains upbeat and positive in playing her part for squash’s Olympic bid despite suffering a demoralising defeat to England’s Laura Massaro in the British Open final on Sunday. Nicol, a four-time British Open champion, surprisingly lost in four sets to world No. 2 Massaro. It proved to be her most disappointing result in a major tournament in recent years. The last time she failed to shine in a major meet was at the 2009 British Open, losing in the quarter-finals to Ireland’s Madeline Perry. Despite losing her aura of invincibility, Nicol is positive enough for the next challenge – presenting squash’s Olympic bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board – alongside men’s world No.1 Ramy Ashour, and World Squas

Big blow: Hasli Izwan Amir Hasan failed to garner any ranking points after his disqualification. PETALING JAYA: It was heartbreak for Hasli Izwan Amir Hasan as he was disqualified from the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Munich, Germany, on Monday. The 2005 Manila SEA Games gold medallist, who was once ranked 35th in the world, had been looking forward to the tournament in his bid to earn points to haul himself back into the world rankings after taking a year-long sabbatical. However in a cruel twist of fate, the 36-year-old fell foul to the ISSF Rule 8.4.4.2 Ammunition Test. The rule states each shooter must begin each stage of competition with one full box of 50 cartridges on the bench or table (five sighting shots, 30 match shots, 10 cartridges for possible ammunition testing and five cartridges for a possible malfunction re-fire series) and failure to do so will result in a disqualificati

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Being among the medal winners is going to be a tall order THE encouraging performances of the divers at the recent World Series give a false impression that they are medal contenders at the World Championships, slated for July 19-Aug 4, in Barcelona, Spain. Except for Pandelela Rinong and Leong Mun Yee in the women's 10m platform sychro, the rest are unlikely to make any impression. The divers ended their campaign of the series by finishing in the top three overall bracket in three disciplines -- 10m platform and synchro; and 3m springboard synchro. Despite poor scores throughout the six-leg series, Pandelela finished second overall in the platform individual. The only reason she achieved it was because other top divers competed in selected events. However, she and Mun Yee are genuine contenders in synchro at the world meet following their consistency in the series which saw them finish second overall Cheong Jun Hoong and

HONOURED: Nicol delighted to be in St Petersburg to help get her sport into the Olympics NICOL David will today make the biggest presentation of her life which could have ramifications not just for the sport she loves but for Malaysia's Olympic future as well. The International Olympic Committee's executive board meets in St Petersburg, Russia to reduce the list of eight sports vying for a place in the 2020 Olympic programme with squash figuring prominently. Nicol, the women's World No 1, leads a World Squash Federation delegation which includes men's World No 1 and British Open champion Ramy Ashour of Egypt and WSF president N. Ramachandran. The executive board's recommendation will be forwarded to the IOC congress in Buenos Aires on Sept 8 for a vote and if squash is included, the list of sports capable of winning Malaysia medal at the Olympics Games will be expanded from badminton, diving, cycling and archery. "I'm deligh

PARA penonton tetap tidak berganjak dari kawasan trek Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan malam tadi meskipun diminta berbuat demikian oleh anggota polis. LEBIHAN penonton skuad Tok Gajah yang mencecah sehingga 60,000 orang, melebihi kapasiti sepatutnya iaitu 40,000 orang di Stadium Darul Makmur di Kuantan malam tadi, menyebabkan perlawanan separuh akhir kedua Piala FA 2013 di antara Pahang dengan Johor Darul Takzim (Johor DT) tertangguh selama 90 minit. Ia dikatakan berpunca daripada pengedaran tiket palsu oleh pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab untuk mengambil peluang mengaut keuntungan daripada perlawanan tersebut. Keadaan itu menyebabkan kira-kira 1,000 penyokong tuan rumah terpaksa ditempatkan di kawasan trek stadium tersebut bermula pukul 8.30 malam sebelum kedudukan mereka disusun semula oleh anggota keselamatan. Dalam pada itu, anggota polis dan Unit Simpanan Persekutuan (FRU) segera menghampiri para penyokong tersebut bagi memastikan keadaan terkawa

SULTAN Ahmad Shah (dua dari kiri) berbincang dengan pegawai perlawanan. Kuantan: Dua penyokong Pahang dan Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) cedera terkena objek dibaling individu tidak bertanggungjawab pada aksi separuh akhir kedua Piala FA yang melakar episod mendukacitakan di Stadium Darul Makmur, malam tadi. Seorang wanita dipercayai penyokong Pahang terpaksa dibawa keluar polis selepas mata kanannya cedera terkena objek dibaling ketika dia dan lebih 7,000 penyokong tuan rumah terpaksa duduk di trek gara-gara stadium skuad Tok Gajah itu penuh sesak. Seorang penyokong Johor DT pula memegang kepalanya selepas terkena balingan objek sekali gus menghidangkan risiko besar buat Persatuan Bolasepak Negeri Pahang (PBNP) terhadap tindakan yang boleh dikenakan Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia (FAM) yang pasti berang dengan insiden ini. Pertemuan yang diungguli Johor DT hasil kemenangan 1-0 di Stadium Larkin, Sabtu lalu itu gagal dimulakan mengikut jadual sebenar selepas 7,000

IT was the stuff that dreams are made of for Kelantan or nightmares, in Terengganu's case, when the former booked a place in the FA Cup final with a 6-5 aggregate win in Kuala Terengganu yesterday. Kelantan, who won the first leg tie 4-1 in Kota Baru, looked dead and buried after Terengganu managed to score four goals and with only seconds remaining in injury time. But just when referee Suhaizi Shukri was about to blow for the full time, Kelantan won a free kick just outside Terengganu's penalty box and captain Badri Radzi steered the ball in the direction of defender Obina Nwaneri who chested it down before slotting the ball into the back of the net to take the match into extra time. Just as in Kota Baru, Terengganu started the second-leg strongly and only after four minutes defender Vincent Bikana gave the homeside the lead via a free kick which sailed into goal without being touched by any player includ

Kuala Terengganu: Kelantan berpeluang mempertahankan kejuaraan Piala FA musim ini apabila menundukkan Terengganu dengan agregat 6-5 pada separuh akhir kedua walaupun tewas 2-4 di Stadium Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, petang semalam. Bagaimanapun, pelawat terpaksa mengerah kudrat hingga masa tambahan untuk melangkah ke final buat kali ketiga berturut-turut hasil jaringan penyerang import, Dickson Nwakaeme yang mudah menolak masuk menewaskan penjaga gol Mohd Shamirza Yusof pada minit ke-117 masa tambahan. Terengganu perlu menyalahkan diri sendiri apabila gagal mengambil kesempatan daripada kelebihan mendahului 4-0 sebelum Obinna Nwaneri menjaringkan gol sulung Kelantan pada minit ke-94 yang menjadikan kedudukan agregat terikat 5-5. Sebelum itu, Terengganu membuka jaringan pada minit keempat apabila pemain pertahanan Vincent Bikana menyempurnakan sepakan percuma dari jarak 25 meter untuk menewaskan penjaga gol Kelantan, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat. Pemain sayap G P

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 28 (Bernama) -- Kelantan suffered an early scare before marching into the FA Cup final on a 6-5 aggregate score despite losing 2-4 to Terengganu in the second leg semifinal at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, here, Tuesday. Kelantan who had won the first leg semifinal 4-1 were shocked by the home team who took a firm grip of the match to level the tie after winning 4-1 in regulation time. With the score tied at 5-5, the match was forced into 30 minutes of extra-time to decide the winner and Kelantan took the opportunity to strike the winner a minute before the final whistle to march on to the final for the second consecutive season. Kelantan will meet either Pahang or Johor Johor Darul Takzim (Johor DT) who play against each other in their second leg semifinal at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan, Tuesday night. Johor DT beat Pahang 1-0 in the first leg semifinal played at the Tan Sri Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin, on Saturday.

PETALING JAYA: So how do we describe Nicol David’s shocking loss in the British Open final to Laura Massaro on Sunday? Is she on the decline? It’s just too early to tell, to be honest. The Penangite, who turns 30 in August, has been on top of the women’s game for so long ... since 2006, so it’s natural to press the panic button when she loses. The defeat was her most disappointing result in a major event in recent years. The last time she fell at such a big tournament was in 2009, coincidentally the British Open as well, in which she lost in the quarter-finals to Ireland’s Madeline Perry. The easy explanation is to say that Nicol is getting old and is on a downward spiral, unable to keep up with the high expectations and the fast pace of the game. But in all honesty, that is just being unfair, not only to Nicol, but to Massaro as well. Massaro, who also turns 30 in November, is ranked No. 2 in the world and her win over Nicol was certainly no fluke. On S

BREAKTHROUGH: Best ever finish in World Series with eight medals  THE national divers recorded a breakthrough performance at the World Series, which concluded with the final leg in Guadalajara on Sunday, by finishing in the top three overall in three disciplines. The achievement was Malaysia's best ever showing, ending the series -- which gathers the world's top eight ranked divers and pairs -- with eight medals. A fourth place finish in the women's 10-metre platform was sufficient for Olympic bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong to repeat her runner-up performance from last season. Pandelela, 20, produced a commendable performance by amassing 334.40 points but failed to make the podium by 1.80 points behind bronze medallist Tonia Couch of Britain. China's Si Yajie posted 400.75 for the gold followed by Mexico's Alejandra Orozco on 384.65. Although Pandelela managed only one bronze throughout the six-leg series, her consistency saw h

NO LONGER INVINCIBLE: Malaysian's reign under threat from Laura SINCE Nicol David first ascended the summit of women's squash in 2006, no player has had a run of success against the seven-time world champion like newly-crowned British Open champion Laura Massaro. This year alone, Laura has beaten Nicol in three of their four meetings with the last two being most crucial. Laura stunned Malaysian fans by dumping Nicol out of the semi-finals of the CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open in March before Sunday's 4-11, 11-3, 12-10, 11-7 win in the British Open final marked her biggest success to date. Not since Lisa Opie in 1991 had a Briton won the women's title while Nicol was bidding for a fifth British Open crown, only to suffer her first defeat in the tournament since 2009 against Madeline Perry. After seven years of dominating the sport, Nicol could finally have met her match in World No 2 Laura as the sport's top-ranked player incredibly remains wit

KUALA LUMPUR: It looks like Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) are not going to delve immediately on the struggle faced by their top men’s doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong. Why else will they approve a plan to separate Kien Keat and Boon Heong for a week when both are racing against time to get back their footing ahead of the World Championships in August in Guangzhou? Kien Keat has been named only for the mixed doubles event with Vivian Hoo in the Kedah Open starting today in Alor Star while Boon Heong has gone to Japan to fulfil his obligation to Yonex. Why did BAM approve a trip for a national player abroad when they had made it compulsory for all national players to play in the local tournaments? Last week, Kien Keat-Boon Heong came under fire in the Sudirman Cup after losing to Lee Sheng-mu-Tsai Chia-hsin in a group tie against Taiwan. No thanks to their defeat, Malaysia went down 2-3 as their relatively weaker women shuttlers – Sonia Ch

PETALING JAYA: There were no medals but Malaysian divers will be pleased to conclude their best ever season by occupying the top three overall rankings in three disciplines in the FINA Diving World Series, which ended with the final round in Guadalajara, Mexico yesterday. A fourth place finish in the individual 10m platform final was enough for Pandelela Rinong to repeat her brilliant runners-up performance last year. The 20-year-old London Olympic bronze medallist collected 334.40 points through five dives but missed out on the bronze by a gap of 1.80 points behind Britain’s Tonia Couch (336.20). Gold and silver medals went to China’s rising star Si Yajie (400.75) and Mexico’s Alejandra Orozco (384.65). Pandelela’s 66 points which earned her second place behind Si Yajie (70) was due to her consistency in making the final in all six legs. She took bronze in the opening leg in Beijing and was fourth in the previous leg, also in Guadalajara last weekend. Pan

Beaming Malaysian: Jazeman Jaafar and his trophies after finishing third in the Formula Renault 3.5 World Series in Monaco on Sunday.   PETALING JAYA: Jazeman Jaafar has attributed his podium finish in the Formula Renault 3.5 World Series in Monaco on Sunday to his previous experience racing in Pau and Macau. Jazeman learnt his race craft tackling the street circuits in Pau, Belgium in three seasons of the British Formula 3 Championship and also at the iconic Macau Grand Prix last year. Jazeman raced to a superb third place finish on his debut at the Monaco race track, taking his first career podium finish in the third round of the series. What made it more memorable was it being a support race for the most famous event on the motorsport calendar – the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco. It will be a day Jazeman will remember in his racing career as it started with the Malaysian being the pace setter at the start of practice and qualifying, where he ear

Kota Bharu: “Jika mahu beri pendedahan sekalipun, biarlah betul-betul memberi manfaat,” kata Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara Malaysia Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong. Beliau diminta memberi reaksi berhubung persediaan pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan kendalian Datuk K Rajagobal yang ingin memperkukuhkan pasukan bagi melayakkan diri ke Piala Asia 2015 dan mengadakan perlawanan persahabatan menentang tiga kelab di Australia bulan depan. Bagaimanapun persediaan itu menjadi tumpuan banyak pihak malah ada yang menyifatkannya sebagai satu pembaziran dan sekadar rombongan melancong. Zolkples berkata, Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) tidak sepatutnya mengeluarkan perbelanjaan besar untuk mengadakan perlawanan persahabatan dengan kelab luar negara yang hanya dibarisi pemain remaja. “Kita perlu terima hakikat ranking pasukan bola sepak negara kita di tahap rendah namun pendedahan diberikan biarlah memberi manfaat untuk jangka masa panjang. “Jika pergi tanpa manfaat ia s

Kuala Lumpur: Rintihan Anuar Manan berhubung sikap Persekutuan Kebangsaan Berbasikal Malaysia (PKBM) yang mengenepikannya sebagai calon pilihan ke Sukan SEA, akhirnya didengari. Anuar yang kini beraksi bersama pasukan benua, Baku Cycling Project akan dipanggil untuk sesi pemilihan khas yang akan diadakan PKBM sebelum senarai akhir pelumba negara bagi menyertai acara lebuh raya, ujian masa individu (ITT) dan ujian masa berpasukan (TTT) kategori elit lelaki, diumumkan. Presiden PKBM Datuk Abu Samah Abd Wahab berkata, semua pelumba yang memegang lesen dikeluarkan badan induk itu layak menyertai sesi pemilihan dan antara lokasi dikenal pasti membabitkan pendakian di Genting Highlands serta Cameron Highlands. Katanya, bukan hanya Anuar akan dipanggil, malah semua pelumba Adiq Hussainie Othman (Champion System Pro Cycling), Amir Mustafa Rusli (Drapac Professional Cycing Team) dan pelumba Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) termasuk Saufi Mat Senan, Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin, Mohd

KOTA BAHARU, 27 Mei (Bernama) -- Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) perlu memastikan latihan skuad Harimau Malaya di luar negara mampu memberi pulangan yang setimpal dengan perbelanjaan besar yang terpaksa ditanggung kerajaan kepada skuad kebangsaan. Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong berkata kesesuaian memilih tempat latihan adalah penting kerana melibatkan kos yang tinggi. "Kalau peruntuk wang yang banyak, tapi lawan dengan pasukan berstatus sekolah, baik duduk dekat Kuala Lumpur...lawan dengan budak-budak Sekolah Sukan Bukit Jalil sahaja. "Kalau boleh berikan manfaat dari segi pendedahan, boleh diteruskan tapi kena pastikan kita akan dapat manfaat kerana belanja yang dikeluarkan bukanlah sedikit. Kalau tak sesuai tak perlulah. Banyak lagi tempat lain yang lebih sesuai," katanya kepada pemberita selepas mengadakan mesyuarat bersama pegawai Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) Kelantan di sini Isnin. Akhbar hari i

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Mei (Bernama) -- Persekutuan Kebangsaan Berbasikal Malaysia (PKBM) mempelawa semua pelumba negara termasuk pelumba profesional Anuar Manan menyertai tiga sesi perlumbaan khas pada Oktober ini untuk disenarai ke Sukan SEA di Myanmar, Disember ini. Presiden PKBM Datuk Abu Samah Abd Wahab berkata semua pelumba yang memegang lesen dikeluarkan badan induk itu layak menyertai sesi pemilihan khas tersebut. Sesi perlumbaan khas bagi menyertai acara lepas beramai-ramai, ujian masa individu dan ujian masa berpasukan kategori elit pada temasya itu akan diadakan antaranya di lokasi seperti Genting Highlands dan Cameron Highlands, katanya dalam satu kenyataan Isnin. Pelumba profesional lain seperti Mohd Adiq Hussainie Othman (Champion System Pro Cycling), Amir Mustafa Rusli (Drapac Profesional Cycling Team) dan pelumba Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) termasuk Saufi Mat Senan, Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin, Mohd Zamri Salleh serta Mohd Harrif Salleh juga dipelawa men