04/07/2025

FRIDAY | JULY 4, 2025

31

SPORTS

Liverpool star Jota dies in car crash

LIVERPOOL forward Diogo Jota has died at the age of 28 after being involved in a road traffic accident in a Spanish province. The forward was travelling in a vehicle with his brother Andre, 26, when it went off the road, causing a fire. The incident is said to have taken place on the A-52 in the province of Zamora, near the town of Palacios de Sanabria. The accident occurred shortly after midnight and firefighters were called to extinguish the fire, which had spread to nearby vegetation. The A-52 road in Spain is a key route taken by drivers leaving northern Portugal. Jota’s brother Andre is also reported to have died in the crash. It comes just two weeks after Jota married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso in Portugal. On Instagram , they shared pictures of them standing in front of the altar. They have three children together. Jota began his career in his birthplace of Porto, playing for Pacos de Ferreira. A year later,

brother. All my love and best wishes to his family.” In a statement, the Portuguese Football Federation said they were “completely devastated” by the deaths of Jota and his younger brother Andre. They added: “Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all colleagues and opponents, someone with a contagious joy and a reference in his own community. “The Portuguese Football Federation expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and Andre Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players respectively played. “We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and Andre Silva represents irreparable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything to honour their legacy daily.” – Express Newspapers

he moved to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and spent a year on loan at Porto where he scored eight goals. His form caught the eye of Wolves, who initially signed him on loan before making the move permanent in 2018. He adapted well in the Premier League and was snapped up by Liverpool two years later. Jota scored 65 goals for Liverpool and chipped in with 28 assists during his five-year spell at Anfield. Last season, he found the net on six occasions with his contribution helping the Reds to secure Premier League glory. The versatile forward also made 49 appearances for Portugal at international level, scoring 14 goals. He was part of the side that won the Nations League earlier this year. Tributes have been flooding in on social media, with Gary Neville posting on X : “That is heartbreaking news on Diogo Jota and his

Liverpool’s Diogo Jota. – REUTERSPIC

Gold and silver lining Soon Kit hoping for all-Malaysian men’s doubles final in Paris N ATIONAL badminton legend Datuk Cheah Soon Kit hopes to witness an all-Malaysian men’s doubles final at the World Championships 2025 in Paris next month. However, he stressed that staying at the top requires continuous hard work, as opponents will closely study their game. historic 1992 Thomas Cup triumph, is the brainchild of Soon Kit and another national badminton legend, Datuk Rashid Sidek. Rashid meanwhile believes

the competition would not be easy but explained that his players’ performance was at its best, and he believed it would continue to improve until actual match day. Brazilian-born Gabi joins Turtles BRAZILIAN-BORN Gabriel Silva Costa is the latest foreign signing of Terengganu FC (TFC) for the 2025/26 Malaysia League season. Terengganu Football Club Sdn Bhd acting chief executive officer Mohd Syahrizan Mohd Zain said Gabriel Silva has signed a one-year contract with the Turtles. He said the arrival of the 28-year-old is expected to bolster TFC’s attacking line, which has struggled in the past. “Gabriel Silva, better known as Gabi, completed his move to Terengganu after winning several titles with Cambodian giants Svay Rieng FC since 2023. “His presence helped the club win the Cambodian league for two consecutive years and the Hun Sen Cup in 2023. He also recorded excellent statistics in last season’s AFC Cup,” he said in a statement today. Gabriel Silva is the team’s second new foreign signing, after Cameroon’s Junior Ngong Sam. Cycling Federation suspends Nur Effandy THE Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) has suspended the coaching licence of Nur Effandy Rosli after he was charged in court yesterday with physical sexual assault involving a female trainee. MNCF president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said the suspension takes immediate effect and will be in force until the disposal of the court case. He said any further action to be taken will depend on the court’s decision. “MNCF takes this matter seriously and firmly upholds the principle that everyone involved in the sport of cycling has the right to be in a safe environment, free from any form of harassment, including sexual harassment. I want to assure all parties that MNCF will not tolerate any licence holder found to have violated national laws, the Safe Sport Code, or the UCI Code of Ethics, especially in cases involving underage athletes or trainees,” he said in a statement. MNCF noted that Nur Effandy was coaching his own club and was not involved with any state or national team at the time of the alleged offence.

BRIEFS

All systems go for 2028 Sukma in Kelantan PREPARATIONS for the 2028 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Kelantan are progressing smoothly, thanks to the strong collaboration between the state government and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS). Minister Hannah Yeoh said a meeting had been held between the KBS secretary-general and the Kelantan state secretary, and cooperation between both parties is now progressing well. “We’ve already announced that Kelantan will be the host of Sukma in 2028, and the KBS secretary-general has met with the Kelantan state secretary. Cooperation is now progressing smoothly. The progress of all stadiums and facilities under development is also on schedule, so I don’t foresee any issues,” she told reporters after officiating at the Asean Youth Robot Challenge 2025 competition in Kota Bharu day. Yeoh added that the Bukit Merbau Sports Complex is expected to be completed by September 2027, and the project has currently reached 17.84% construction progress according to the project timeline. She also highlighted the need to upgrade the Sultan Yahya Petra swimming pool, one of the oldest pools in Kelantan, which was built in 1972. “We’ve identified a clear need to upgrade and improve the existing pool to ensure it is safe for use, especially for young children,” she said. Thunderbolts ready to strike THE Melaka High School (MHS) Thunderbolts hockey team is determined to continue their excellent performance in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) 2025 Division One action, which kicks off this September. MHS coach Muhammad Fahmi Zulkifli said they would make the most of their experience competing in Division Two, where they became champions, and now in Division One. He aims for a top five finish in the competition. “For this competition, we target to be among the top five teams, as we will face challenges from top teams like Bukit Jalil Sports School, Tunku Ismail Sports School, and SMK Anderson from Perak,” he said. Muhammad Zulkifli admitted that

Soon Kit added that the Malaysian pairs must be proactive in analysing their performance and making improvements to stay ahead. However, Soon Kit was cautiously optimistic when asked about the prospect of Malaysia having two men’s pairs at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He said that maintaining fitness, commitment and discipline, including proper rest, training and injury prevention, will be crucial to sustaining high-level performance, especially as age becomes a factor. The last time Malaysia had two men’s doubles pairs at the Olympic Games was in Beijing 2008, with Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah being the flag-bearers. Sentuhan Wira , an upcoming movie that will chronicle Malaysia’s contacted yesterday. Ballard believes the HPDM, which outlines a long-term roadmap for national athletics, can benefit not just athletes but also coaches, officials, administrators and the broader volunteer network. Ballard said that on his return to Australia, he would continue to monitor Malaysia’s progress. On Wednesday, MA

Malaysia can finally end a wait of more than three decades to lift the coveted Thomas Cup in the 2026 edition in Horsens, Denmark. Rashid said Malaysia now have a strong team, especially in the men’s doubles, which currently dominates the top two rankings in the world. “We have two good men’s doubles. In singles, we have Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao. However, emphasis needs to be given to the singles to further improve the quality of their play. “If we have two doubles and two singles players who are more or less equal, I think the team will be stable and can lift the Thomas Cup,” he said. Apart from the 1992 edition, Malaysia also emerged as Thomas Cup champions in the 1949, 1952, 1955 and 1967 editions. – Bernama director in February 2014 on a two-year contract but decided to part ways with the association early on Dec 8, 2015. He later returned to the position in August 2023 on a two-year contract. Meanwhile, former national sprinter Nazmizan Muhammad urged MA to consider appointing a local expert to be the technical director. He said this approach would not only save costs but also allow MA to better focus on preparing athletes for the SEA Games in Thailand this December. “If funds are insufficient, why not utilise the internal expertise we already have? They might be more familiar with the inner workings and have networks with other state associations. “By appointing local talent, MA can ease its financial burden and allocate more resources to coaches and athlete preparations,” he said. He said the appointment of a technical director at this point should be on a temporary basis, and priority should be given to forming a solid squad and coaching lineup ready to face the challenges of the SEA Games. – Bernama

He believes professional duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and 2022 world champions Aaron Chia Soh Wooi Yik have what it takes to meet in the final, as they are holding the top two spots in the world rankings. “Hopefully both pairs can enter the final, and of course the gold and silver medals will be ours,” he said when met at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony and official launch of the Sentuhan Wira movie in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. The former national men’s doubles coach was also delighted to see the progress made by Malaysian men’s doubles, with Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin and Aaron-Wooi Yik rising to world No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. OUTGOING Malaysia Athletics (MA) technical director Robert Ballard hopes the development strategy implemented during his tenure will continue to serve as a foundation for the growth of athletics in the country. Ballard expressed appreciation for the opportunity to contribute to the sport’s long-term planning and vision. “I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the planning and development strategies for athletics in Malaysia during my two-year tenure. “The High Performance Development Model (HPDM) 2024–2032 Strategy requires time, alignment and commitment from all supporting structures to

Ballard hopes performance model will spur MA forward

confirmed in a statement that it will not be renewing the contract of Ballard, which is set to expire on July 31. MA said the services of Ballard, 60, would not be extended due to a lack of government funding and

p r i v a t e sponsorship for the n a t i o n a l athletics body. Ballard was first

f u l l y implement its vision and objectives,” he said w h e n

appointed technical

Robert Ballard. – BERNAMAPIC