07/06/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | JUNE 7, 2025

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KL to kickstart FIM World Supercross C’ship 2025 in October THE FIM World Supercross

RESULTS & STANDINGS

UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE (semifinal) : Spain 5 (N. Williams 22, Merino 25, Yamal 54, 67, Pedri 55) France 4 (Mbappe 59-pen, Cherki 79, Vivian 84-og, Kolo Muani 90+4) , Germany 1 (Wirtz 48) Portugal 2 (Conceicao 63, Ronaldo 68) . AFC WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Group A: UAE 0 Uzbekistan 0, Oman 0 Jordan 3, North Korea 2 Kyrgyzstan 2, Qatar 1 Iran 0. P W D L F A Pts Iran 9 6 2 1 16 8 20 Uzbekistan 9 5 3 1 11 7 18 UAE 9 4 2 3 14 7 14 Qatar 9 4 1 4 17 21 13 Kyrgyzstan 9 2 1 6 11 17 7 North Korea 9 0 3 6 9 18 3 Group B: Kuwait 0 Palestine 2, Iraq 0 South Korea 2. P W D L F A Pts South Korea 9 5 4 0 16 7 19 Jordan 9 4 4 1 16 7 16 Iraq 9 3 3 3 8 9 12 Oman 9 3 1 5 8 13 10 Palestine 9 2 3 4 9 12 9 Kuwait 9 0 5 4 7 16 5 Group C: Australia 1 Japan 0, Indonesia 1 China 0, Bahrain 0 Saudi Arabia 2. P W D L F A Pts Japan 9 6 2 1 24 3 20 Australia 9 4 4 1 14 6 16 Saudi Arabia 9 3 4 2 6 6 13 Indonesia 9 3 3 3 9 14 12 Bahrain 9 1 3 5 5 15 6 China 9 2 0 7 6 20 6 QUALIFIED CONMEBOL WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Ecuador 0 Brazil 0, Paraguay 2 Uruguay 0, Chile 0 Argentina 1. New Harimau Malaya hero Hevel defends his eligibility TO those who question his eligibility to play for Harimau Malaya, midfielder Hector Hevel has this to say: “My grandfather hailed from Malacca”. Though he doesn’t know much about his late grandfather, the 29-year-old said that was the connection that kickstarted talks which culminated in him playing a starring role for Malaysia in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against Nepal in March. For the record, Hevel is one of seven heritage players in the Harimau Malaya squad. The other six are strikers Rodrigo Holgado and Imanol Machuca and centreback Facundo Garces (from Argentina); defender Jon Irazabal and leftback Gabriel Palmero (Spain); and striker Joao Figueiredo (Brazil). But none of them could have dreamed of making an instant impact like Hevel did, who not only scored the opening goal in their 2-0 win over Nepal in their opening Group F match of the Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in March but also took home the Man of the Match award. Hevel is thrilled to receive a second call-up to the Harimau Malaya setup as they gear up for their second 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers Group F match against favourites Vietnam at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday (June 10). “When I found out that they wanted me to come, I was really happy and excited. “Obviously, I played the first game and it went well because we won it. The second call-up is always good and it boosts your confidence as well because they’ve called you again,” he said. Malaysia’s next Asian Cup Qualifiers outing after Tuesday’s clash is an away match against Laos on Oct 9. – Bernama

the championship. The other four venues are Buenos Aires, Argentina (Nov 8); Vancouver, Canada (Nov 15); Gold Coast, Australia (Nov 29); and culminating in Cape Town, South Africa (Dec 13). Shamil Yusof, the chief executive officer of Data Sukan Sdn Bhd, the company that brought the race to Malaysia, hopes the championship will give motor-racing fans a thrilling experience and make Malaysia well known on the global stage. “We are incredibly excited to

welcome the FIM World Supercross Championship to Kuala Lumpur. “It’s a testament to Malaysia’s rising status in global sports and we look forward to providing a thrilling experience for fans, showcasing the vibrant energy of our nation to the world. “This is also an incredibly exciting period for motorsport lovers in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, with the prestigious 2025 Malaysian Moto Grand Prix following just a week after. “It’s a fantastic double-header for

the region,” said Shamil. FIM Motocross Commission director Antonio Alia Portela said in the same statement that he was happy to take the supercross competition further around the world and create exciting moments in every continent. Team and rider announcements will be released throughout the year as the pace picks up to the first gate drop in Kuala Lumpur. For presale ticket access and further details, visit https:// wsxchampionship. com/.

Championship will be held in Kuala Lumpur for the first time, with the Merdeka Stadium playing host on Oct 18. The FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) announced on Thursday that Kuala Lumpur, one of the race destinations for the Asian continent, has also been

chosen to be the curtain raiser for

Malaysia’s Thinaah Muralitharan (left) and Pearly Tan playing against Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi during their women’s doubles quarterfinal match at the Indonesia Open. – AFPPIC

Tang Jie-Ee Wei check into final four final four Heartbreak for Soon Huat-Shevon, Pearly-Thinaah lead the way to Indonesian Open semis N ATIONAL mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei lived up to their second-seed status when they bounced back from a game down to power into the semifinals of the Indonesia Open 2025 in Jakarta yesterday. and stayed aggressive throughout their first-ever meeting against Toft-Magelund. “I think my partner did a great job leading the way today and that really helped us to eventually win the match,” he said in an audio recording shared by Badminton World Federation with the media. quarterfinals yesterday. “We followed our game plan and are happy with our performance today. We hope to continue this momentum,” said Pearly after the match. “Our performance wasn’t just based on confidence, but also our communication and ability to stay calm on court. “These are things we’ve worked on over the last few tournaments.”

In the Super 1000 tournament quarterfinal clash at the iconic Istora Senayan, the Malaysians needed 54 minutes to overcome fifth-seeded Danes Jesper Toft-Amalie Magelund 17-21, 21-16, 21-14. Their reward is a last-four showdown against sixth seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran after the Thais dashed the hopes of an all-Malaysian semifinal by disposing of Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie 21-16, 21-12. Tang Jie said they focused a lot on raising their tempo to match their Danish opponents’ pace NATIONAL MEN’S singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong is expected to be out of top-level competition for up to a year due to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury he sustained at the recent Malaysia Masters. Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen said this is the worst-case scenario for Tze Yong, who is scheduled to undergo surgery. “The operation date has not been set. It (surgery process) is quite technical, but what I understand is that the stronger you can get before the surgery, the better your recovery will be. “There are also some bruises and swelling that need to go away. Again, everything we’re doing right now is to give him the best chance to have a successful surgery,” he told reporters at Akademi Badminton Malaysia, Bukit Kiara yesterday. Jonassen acknowledged that recovering from

Shevon, meanwhile, was disappointed with their inability to remain consistent, resulting in them committing unforced errors to give away cheap points to the world No. 6 Thai pair. Soon Huat also admitted that they crumbled under pressure and struggled to keep up with the speed and intensity of Dechapol-Supissara. The national women’s doubles, Pearly Tan M. Thinaah soaked up the pressure to overcome world No. 5 pair, Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi of Japan, in straight sets in the an ACL injury is one of the most demanding challenges for an athlete, but the case of Spain’s former Olympic champion Carolina Marin, who returned strongly after similar injuries, gave Tze Yong hope. Jonassen is confident that Tze Yong will find inspiration from the Spaniard’s experience and make a comeback when the time is right. “I can’t speak for him (about the early retirement question), but from my understanding, he is very motivated to come back. “As long as there’s motivation, we must follow the path. We’re taking inspiration from other top athletes who have managed to bounce back. I believe in Tze Yong’s ability and determination,” he added. Jonassen clarified that Tze Yong will not be eligible for a second protected ranking as it can only be granted once within a particular period. “My main concern right now isn’t the rankings. It’s about getting the surgery done,

Earlier, in men’s doubles team, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, eliminated the Indian representative, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty 21-19, 21-16 in 43 minutes. World No. 1 doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani fail to reach the semifinals after losing to Indonesian pair Sabar Karyaman Gutawa and Reza Pahlevi Isfahani 18-21, 21-19, 23-21 in the quarterfinals. – Bernama/Agencies

ACL injury hinders Tze Yong’s progress

going through the rehabilitation, and keeping Tze Yong motivated,” he said. With Tze Yong’s absence, Jonassen revealed plans to strengthen the senior men’s singles squad by grooming juniors who are transitioning to the senior level this year. “It’s always a tough blow when one of your best players is out due to injury. But we will keep working hard to develop the next generation,” he said. BAM yesterday confirmed that Tze Yong will undergo knee surgery after scans revealed the ACL injury. “It’s tough to accept, especially after all the hard work leading up to this point, but I know this is just another challenge to overcome. I’m staying positive, following the prehab plan, and I’m fully focused on coming back stronger. I also want to thank all my fans for ‘your kind messages – it really means a lot to me’,” said Tze Yong. – Bernama