Day: June 15, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, The national women’s recurve team secured a spot in the 2024 Olympic Games at the ArcheryInParis Final Olympic Qualifier in Antalya, Turkiye, today.

The trio, comprising Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi, Nurul Azreena Mohamad Fazil and Syaqiera Mashayikh, qualified on merit after advancing to the semifinals by defeating Colombia’s Ana Maria Rendon, Valentina Acosta Giraldo and Maira Sepuldeva 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

They continued their excellent form by advancing to the final, overcoming Megan Havers, Bryony Pitman, and Penny Healey from Great Britain with a 5-3 victory.

However, the Malaysian team had to settle for silver after losing to China’s Yang Xiaolei, Li Jiaman and An Qixuan, who won 5-4 in the final.

Earlier, China reached the final by defeating Taiwan 6-2.

Previously, Ariana Nur Dania secured her individual qualification for the Olympics in the women’s recurve event by winning gold at the Asian Continental Qualification Tournament in Bangkok last November.

The 2024 Olympic Gam
es will take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) sounded an early warning of their intentions to defend the FA Cup title when they trounced Kelantan Darul Naim (KDN) FC 4-0 in a first-round match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium here tonight.

In the quarter-finals later this month, the Southern Tigers will take on semi-pro League A1 side Malaysian University, who stunned PDRM 3-0 on Wednesday.

In tonight’s action, JDT had to wait until almost the end of the first half to open accounts through a header by strike sensation Fernando Forestieri off a cross from Murilo Henrique in the 44th minute.

The home team, under the guidance of Hector Bidoglio, doubled their lead in the 61st minute when substitute striker Romel Morales was quickest to react when KDN FC goalkeeper Mohd Muhaimin Mohamad could only parry the spot kick taken by Juan Muniz.

Coach Bidoglio’s strategy paid off again when another substitute, Francisco Geraldes, got his name on the scoresheet in the 81st minute before wing wizard Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi wr
apped up the proceedings by slotting home a spot kick in added time in the second half.

JDT are looking good to bag their fourth FA Cup trophy after winning it in 2016, 2022 and 2023 while Johor FA won it in 1998.

Over in KOTA KINABALU, home team Sabah FC checked into the quarter-finals in style when they hammered League A1 side Kuala Lumpur (KL) Rovers 7-0 in another first-round match at the Likas Stadium.

Sabah import striker Ramon Machado stole the show when he bagged a hat-trick in the 28th, 45th and 59th minutes.

Sabah, under the guidance of coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee, got four more goals through Saddil Ramdani (17th minute); Park Tae-su (51st); Jafri Firdaus Chew (73rd) and an own goal by Raffli Nagoorgani in added time in the second half.

Sabah, winners of the FA Cup in 1995, will take on two-time champions Terengganu FC in the last eight.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The Real Madrid Foundation continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting the development of football at a young age by introducing its own football education programme starting this October.

Dr V. Nathan, president of Winner Takes All and co-organiser with the Real Madrid Foundation Clinic, announced that the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) has been selected as the venue to integrate sports-related values ??and football training through the school sports community programme.

“The goal is to instill core values ??while enhancing the football skills of participants. They can choose to join the programme once a week or twice a week and will be coached by Real Madrid coaches, eliminating the need to wait for periodic football clinics to come to Kuala Lumpur.

“This programme is open to children under 18, both boys and girls, with a monthly fee of RM360. It will apply the methodology used by Real Madrid teams to these children, which is crucial for football development,” he tol
d reporters after a Real Madrid Foundation football clinic at ISKL today

Earlier, 135 children aged five to 17 benefited from the football clinic, which was held in two sessions.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

.PETALING JAYA, Selangor FC, with stalwart Faisal Halim watching from the stands after recovering from the acid attack in May, produced an inspired performance to tame Negeri Sembilan FC (NSFC) 4-0 in the first round of the FA Cup match at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium here today

With the win, the Red Giants, who had also defeated NSFC 4-0 in a Super League clash at the end of last month, are through to the two-legged quarter-finals, where they will meet Kuching City FC, who stunned Kuala Lumpur City FC 3-2 yesterday.

In today’s match, home team Selangor, under the guidance of coach Mohd Nidzam Jamil, took just six minutes to break the deadlock when midfielder Yohandry Orozco cleverly lifted the ball over NSFC goalkeeper Syahmi Adib Haikal Mohd Shukri from close range.

Orozco was on target again eight minutes later when he pounced on a mistake by NSFC defender Aliyu Abu Bakar to put Selangor 2-0 up.

Import striker Alvin Fortes then made it 3-0 in the dying seconds of the first half when h
e curled in a shot from close range for his first competitive goal for Selangor.

The Dutchman then notched his second goal, and Selangor’s fourth, in the 67th minute after teammate Ronnie Fernandez saw his penalty saved by Syahmi Adib a minute earlier.

The penalty was awarded following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check after Aliyu was seen to have fouled Fernandez.

Meanwhile, Faisal Halim gave the Red Giants a huge boost when he turned up at the stadium with his wife and son to support them.

Faisal Halim, whose nickname is Mickey, smiled and waved at the cheering Selangor fans.

On Thursday (June 13), the 26-year-old made his first public appearance at a special media conference at the Selangor FC Training Centre in Shah Alam since being splashed with acid by an unknown assailant at a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya in May.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The country’s top professional Lee Zii Jia had to dig deep into his reserves to move into the final of the 2024 Australia Open after coming from behind to overcome Taiwan’s Lee Chia Hao in a three-set semifinal encounter, today.

In the semifinal action at the Quaycentre in the Sydney Olympic Park the 2021 All England champion who looked vulnerable, lost the first game 10-21 but fought back gamely to take the second and third games 21-15, 21-10 to make the final where he will meet Kodai Naraoka of Japan.

The win today is the third from six meetings for Zii Jia over Chia Hao who beat him in the 2016 Asia Junior Badminton Championships, 2023 German Open and 2023 Hong Kong Open.

As for his opponent Naraoka who is the second seed, Zii Jia has a 2-1 head to head win record with his wins registered at the 2023 All England and 2024 All England championships.

Malaysia will also have another representation in the Australia Open final since the country’s women’s doubles pair Lai Pei Jing-Lim Chiew Sie
n overcame the tournament’s third seeds Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam from Hong Kong, 21-13, 18-21, 21-14.

In the women’s doubles final, Pei Jing-Chiew Sien will meet the tournament’s second seeds Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi from Indonesia.

Another two Malaysian pairs in the competition, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing the country’s mixed doubles pair, lost to top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang- Wei Ya Xin from China, 11-21, 11-21 while the men’s doubles pair Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal lost to He Ji Ting-Ren Xiang Yu from China, 18-21, 9-21.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency