16/07/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | JULY 16, 2025

31

All for one, one for all! Malaysia head to World University Games with spirit of togetherness T HE cream of Malaysia’s top varsity ath letes are all primed for action in the 2025 World University Games (WUG) at the Rhine-Ruhr, in Essen, Germany remembered for successfully hosting the 1989 edition, just 153 days after replacing the original hosts, Sao Paolo of Brazil.

one – the Jalur Gemilang. “That is the spirit, strength and uniqueness of Team Malaysia at the 2025 WUG,” he told Bernama. However, he admitted that the contingent faced a big challenge following the implemen tation of a decentralised format by the hosts. “The format for this year’s Games is not cen tralised. All events will be held at different loca tions across six cities. “Our contingent will have to operate sepa rately and arrange their logistics themselves. The biggest challenge is how to retain team spirit and lift athletes morale. “Due to the different locations and the absence of a centralised placement, it will be difficult for us to foster the spirit of togetherness of team spirit like at other Games. “We are concerned with the emotional highs and lows among our athletes due to the differ ent environments (they will be competing in),” he said. The official opening ceremony of the 2025 WUG, which will see 19 sports contested and 234 gold medals on offer, is slated to be held at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg tomorrow night. – Bernama sponsorship mock cheque presentation by the Penang Hill Corporation (PBBPP) to Penang FC for the 2025-2026 season at Komtar in George Town yesterday. The PBBPP presented sponsorship worth RM120,000 for the second consecutive year, with PBBPP general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng handing over the mock cheque to Penang FC chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen, who is also the Penang Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman. Penang FC general manager Jeffrey Chew Gim Eam witnessed the mock cheque presentation. Penang FC were reported to have released 22 players and brought in 20 new faces, including seven import players. Some of the experienced players roped in are Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor, Amirul Hisyam Awang Kechik, Bruno Suzuki and former Selangor goalkeeper Khairulazhan Khalid. Australian Dylan Wenzel-Halls is the only import player retained. Penang are slated to begin their 2025-2026 Super League campaign against Terengganu FC at the City Stadium on Aug 10. – Bernama Nur Mohd Azriyn-Wee Kiong will next play Danish fourth seeds Kim Astrup Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, after the duo bear compatriots Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard 21-19, 21-16. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Ong Xin Yee Carmen Ting fell short in their bid to upset home pair and sixth seeds Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi in women’s doubles. The unseeded Xin Yee-Carmen won the first game but ran out of gas to go down 21 17, 8-21, 8-21 in 56 minutes. In the men’s singles, national shuttler and world No. 24 Leong Jun Hao’s campaign came to an abrupt halt when he fell 12 21,14-21 to defending champion Alex Lanier of France. The 26-year-old Malaysian found the world No. 8 Lanier a tough nut to crack as the Frenchman began his campaign in style. – Bernama

and Nurul Azreena Mohamad Fazil in archery. Hopes are high that 2023 Cambodia SEA Games gold medallist Muhammad Syafiq Zuber and rising poomsae star Yow Mei Yee will kick up a storm in taekwondo. Olympian and national 400m freestyle record holder Khiew Hoe Yen has the potential to make a splash in swimming, while the bad minton squad, under the tutelage of head coach Datuk Rashid Sidek, are determined to improve on the two-bronze collection at the previous edition. Malaysian chef de mission Datuk Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Hafiz Yusoff said the Malaysian con tingent’s strength this time lies in their spirit of togetherness. “From my observation, we have received very good assistance and moral support from all parties, particularly from the Ministry of Higher Education, Sports Section, Masum (Malaysian University Sports Council), (and) the IPT (insti tution of higher learning), which all come all under one banner, namely Malaysia. “We are not here as different representatives of UM (Universiti Malaya), UiTM (Universiti Teknologi Mara) or UPM (Universiti Putra Malaysia), what we have brought along is just

The 2025 WUG’s official mascot, called Wanda, is a peregrine falcon, which is renowned for recording the fastest speed in a downward dive (called a stoop) at over 300kph. This beautiful bird not only symbolises speed and agility, but is also the most wide spread species in the world, living in a variety of environments, including urban and post-indus trial areas along the Rhine and Ruhr Rivers. For the national contingent, who are target ing seven medals, their participation this year is not only to fulfil the international competition schedule, but also a platform to test the capa bilities of the athletes and gain international experience. In athletics, all eyes will be on national sprinter Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi, who has been given the honour of being the flag-bearer, as well as national 400m record holder Umar Osman and national shot put record holder Jonah Chang Rigan. Malaysia will be featuring the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s recurve trio of Syaqiera Mashayikh, Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi

starting today to July 27. A total of 64 national athletes – 39 men and 25 women – will compete in artistic gymnastics, badminton, archery, athletics, swimming and taekwondo at the biennial Games, hosted by the International University Sports Federation (Fisu). The WUG 2025 is one of the biggest Games to be held this year, with an estimated 9,000 ath letes and officials from over 100 countries con verging on the five major cities in the Rhine Ruhr metropolitan area, namely Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, Mulheim and Hagen, as well as Berlin. The Rhine-Ruhr holds a long heritage in the university sports landscape. Before the emergence of the modern WUG in 1959, Germany had hosted the Third International University Sports Week in Dortmund in August 1953, which became one of the early symbols of the revival of European sportsmanship after World War II. Duisburg, one of the main venues, is also

Penang FC to field revamped squad for Super League

SHORTS

Men doubles sizzle, women crumble in Japan PROFESSIONAL men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani began their Japan Open title defence in style at the Super 750 tournament held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo yesterday. The world No. 1 Malaysians powered their way to a 21-13, 21-15 first-round win over Canada’s Kevin Lee-Ty Alexander Lindeman in their first-ever meeting. Sze Fei-Izzuddin will next be up against either home pair Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita or Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh Wang Chi-Lin. Also through to the second round are fellow Malaysian professionals and world No. 26 Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong, who came from behind to upset world No. 18 Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov of France 13-21, 21-17, 21-19 in 58 minutes. PENANG FC have significantly revamped their squad by introducing 80% newcomers for the 2025-2026 Super League campaign, which will kick off on Aug 8. Penang head coach Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail is counting on the players selected this time to achieve the team management’s target of a top-seven finish. He also does not expect the team to have any difficulty playing together as a unit since most of them are experienced players, having featured in domestic and international games, adding that this could be seen from the results of several pre-season friendlies. “We are now into the sixth week of preparations, and what I can say is that Penang FC is on the right track to challenge the other teams in the Super League. “We have about three more weeks to prepare the team so that we do not repeat the roller-coaster performance of the previous season. “So far, I am satisfied with their performance because I can see that the players have adapted to each other’s style of play,” he said at a media conference for the official

PTCC MD Datuk Manibalan Kutty (2nd left) and Malga president Tunku Puteri Datuk Seri Jawahir (2nd right) pose for a group photo yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

Women’s Amateur Open draws 14 countries A TOTAL of 14 countries will compete in the 2025 Malaysian Women’s Amateur Open golf championships from July 28-31, which is being held in conjunction with Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship this year. Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (Malga) president Tunku Puteri Datuk Seri Jawahir Tuanku Ja’afar said the Asean teams competing are Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and host Malaysia. “The non-Asean countries competing are China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan and South Korea,” she told a media conference in Rawang, Selangor yesterday. She added that the annual championships, to be

held at the Templer Park Country Club (PTCC), aimed to empower the development of golfing talent among Asean nations, in addition to strengthening Malaysia’s reputation as an international-level sports destination. “It also aims to raise the standard of performance of golfers throughout Asean, providing invaluable international exposure to young athletes. “It is also aimed at widely promoting sports tourism in Malaysia and the region, as well as fostering unity and cultural exchange through healthy competition,” she said. Malaysia will be counting on the likes of Wang Xin Yao, Pang Hee Jie and Foong Zi Xuan to deliver the goods. out from competing in the ongoing Japan Open. Zii Jia injured his ankle during the World Tour Finals last December and made his return in March at the Orleans Masters, where he lost to Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen 21-23, 7-21 in the quarterfinals. He then competed in the 2025 All England Championships in Birmingham from March 11-16, where he was knocked out in the first round by Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long, who won 21-19, 16-21, 12-21. The world No. 8 subsequently withdrew from the 2025 Swiss Open in Basel, Switzerland, held from March 18-23, due to the same ankle injury.

Men’s singles pro shuttler Zii Jia pulls out of China Open NATIONAL professional singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has pulled out from the 2025 China Open Badminton Championships.

This was posted on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website, which stated that the 27-year-old will not be competing in the July 22 27 championships to be held at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre Xincheng Gymnasium in Changzhou. However, there has been no official statement from Team LZJ regarding his pullout from the Super 1000 tournament. This is the second tournament in the past week that Zii Jia has withdrawn from, having also pulled