30/05/2025

FRIDAY | MAY 30, 2025

31

SPORTS

Smashing doubles Aaron-Wooi Yik end losing streak against Japanese pair in Singapore N ATIONAL MEN’S doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik ended their eight match losing streak against Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi of Japan at the Singapore Open yesterday to book a place in the quarterfinals. like a training match,” he added when asked about their next match against Wei Chong-Kai Wun.

BRIEFS Anwar congratulates Asean All-stars

PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has congratulated the Asean All-Stars on their victory over English Premier League giants Manchester United in a friendly match on Wednesday night. “Aduh! Man United failed to win another trophy. Looks like you’re in for another tough season, hope you don’t drop to the Championship. Congrats Asean All Stars, you were solid!!” the Prime Minister wrote in a Facebook post yesterday. The game, which drew over 72,500 local and overseas fans, was also attended by Anwar, who made time for it in his packed schedule. Perak aim for top 3 PERAK are aiming for a top-three finish at the 2025 National Traditional Archery Championship to be held at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) this weekend. State Education, Higher Education, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Khairudin Abu Hanipah said a total of 43 participants comprising adults and children from the Perak Archery Association will be taking part in the two-day championship starting tomorrow. “We have high hopes of achieving success in this championship because in the previous edition, we finished in fifth place. This target was set after we sought to improve that standing through preparations, training, and selection processes that have been conducted regularly by the association,” he told Bernama . The third edition of this national championship is expected to involve the participation of more than 700 traditional archers from across the country. M’sia draw Thailand in group F THE national men’s under-23 (U-23) football squad have been drawn with arch-rivals Thailand in Group F for the 2026 U-23 Asian Cup Qualification in Thailand from Sept 1-9. Apart from Thailand, coach Mohd Nafuzi Zain’s men have also been placed alongside Lebanon and Mongolia in the centrally conducted qualification competition. Only the group winners and the four best runners-up from all 11 groups will qualify for the 2026 U 23 Asian Cup finals which are scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from Jan 7-25. Malaysia’s best achievement in the U-23 Asian Cup was reaching the quarterfinals of the 2018 edition in China. Meanwhile, defending champions Japan will face Kuwait, Myanmar and Afghanistan in Group B of the tournament’s qualifiers.

covered for me a lot today,” Pearly said. Thinaah added that while the pair are still adjusting to the court conditions, they don’t want it to affect their game tomorrow. They will next face the winner of the match between Chinese pair Jia Yifan-Zhang Shuxian and Indian duo Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Pullela for a spot in the semifinals. Meanwhile in the mixed doubles, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai displayed remarkable composure eliminating China’s Feng Yan Zhe Wei Ya Xin 21-11, 21-19 in the second round of the Singapore Open yesterday. The country’s sole men’s singles representative, Leong Jun Hao overcame Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-16, 21-19 in 53 minutes yesterday. Leong was reported to be unwell before going into the match. He will face world No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn from Thailand today for a semifinal spot. Newly-reunited mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei lost their second round match to Hong Kong’s Ye Hong Wei-Nicole Gonzales Chan, falling 18-21, 18-21 in under 40 minutes. – Bernama

Earlier, newly-crowned Malaysia Masters champions Wei Chong-Kai Wun advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Chinese pair Huang Di -Liu Yang 21-16, 21-16 in 34 minutes. The world No. 7 pair said they felt more confident yesterday compared to their opening match when they were still adjusting to the stadium conditions. “This court has a (strong) draft, so the coach gave me tips on how to play in this situation, to make sure to get points,” Kai Wun told Bernama . The country’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, also advanced to the quarterfinals after clinching a 25-23, 21-18 victory over world No. 12 Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto of Japan. The Thailand Open champions said they managed to keep their composure after a tough first set to secure the win. “In the second set, I made a lot of simple mistakes which gave away many points to our opponents. Luckily, my partner helped and

The Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallists won 21-18, 24-26, 21-12 in a hard-fought match at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, setting up a repeat of the Malaysia Masters final against compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the next round. Aaron said they managed to overcome a moment of flashback to their recent loss against the same opponents at the Sudirman Cup, which had affected their game in the second set. “During the second set, we had many match points but couldn’t convert them. In the third set, the coach gave us a lot of motivation and helped boost our game,” he told the media. Aaron added that after the second set, coach Herry Iman Pierngadi asked them to forget the past and focus on their game. “At least we have secured a spot in the semifinals for Malaysia. We are going to treat it

Asean All-Stars players lift the 2025 Maybank Malaysia Challenge Cup. – BERNAMAPIC

Aguero fears no team after United shock defeat

ASEAN ALL-STARS captain Sergio Aguero said the 1-0 victory over English giants Manchester United in the Maybank Challenge Cup here, on Wednesday night has boosted his confidence to a level where he now believes he can take on any team in the world. The Harimau Malaya naturalised striker said simply being part of a squad that played against one of the world’s most prominent football clubs was already a proud achievement – and the win, in front of 72,550 fans at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, made the moment even more special. “It’s an amazing feeling, of course a historic moment for us. Not just because of the win; just being able to participate in this match made me very happy. And the win was a bonus. “The team that we play, they are top. Their control of the ball and the passes that they make is

Ruben Amorim’s side. “(But it was) as if they had been teammates for two decades. It was a great match and fantastic performance from the team. “We were only trained for two days but they played like they were together for 20 years. The team played with real good organisation and we are very happy with the victory,” he told a post-match press conference. Manchester United will continue their post season tour with a game against the Hong Kong national team on May 30 at Hong Kong Stadium. – Bernama Aguero also shared brief moments with some Manchester United players after the game, including fellow Argentine Alejandro Garnacho and Brazilian midfielder Casemiro. “I spoke to Garnacho because he’s from Argentina and has played for the national team – very nice guy. I also spoke to Casemiro as he played in Spain for a long time and speaks Spanish. They looked tired – too much travel, having just played a final and the last league game before flying here,” he said. United, who endured a dismal season by their lofty standards when they ended in 15th place with 42 points, are also scheduled to travel to Hong Kong as part of their pre-season tour to play against the Hong Kong national team at the Hong Kong Stadium on May 30. – Bernama

overcome Kim Sang Sik’s side. While the loss was disappointing, especially since this was the kind of game they were expected to win easily, Amorim said what’s more important now is to move forward and improve. Asean All-Stars head coach praised his players’ great teamwork and attributed it to his side’s stunning victory over English football giants. Kim said what made the result even more remarkable was that the players had only met 48 hours earlier prior to the match against crazy. So yes, I consider it a historic moment for myself also,” he told reporters after the match. The 31-year-old Sri Pahang FC forward said the confidence gained from playing against the 13-time Premier League champions has helped him feel ready to face any opponent. “I started to feel confident with the ball over time. I began to trust myself more as well. Now, I feel like I can play against anyone. I feel confident,” said the Argentine-born striker. On Wednesday, substitute Maung Maung Lwin scored the only goal in the match for Asean All-Stars, deepening the misery of Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils after a difficult season. “This moment is very rare for me, and I would like to dedicate my goal to the Southeast Asia region,”he said.

Amorim admits guilt after surprise loss in friendly MANCHESTER UNITED head coach Ruben Amorim did not mince words after his team’s shock 1-0 defeat to the Asean All-Stars in the Maybank Challenge Cup at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Wednesday night. “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. Then the boos from the fans, I think it’s something that we need maybe. “If they (fans) see that it (the way Manchester United play) is not working, they will change the way they behave,” he said at a post-match press conference.

The loss stunned fans and drew boos at the final whistle, a rare reaction from the usually passionate and loyal Malaysian and Southeast Asian supporters of the Red Devils. Still, the Portuguese tactician did not shy away from criticism, acknowledging the crowd’s frustration in what was the team’s first match of their post-season tour in Asia.

Amorim, who was clearly gutted with the result, said the 13-time English Premier League champions should have performed better and won the match. The 40-year-old admitted his squad was sluggish and lacked the sharpness needed to