24/07/2025

SPORTS THURSDAY | JULY 24, 2025

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No joy for Soon Huat, Shevon

SHORTS

Thailand warmup for Turtles TERENGGANU FC (TFC) will head to Thailand for their pre-season preparation and warm-up matches ahead of the 2025 2026 Super League season, which will begin on Aug 8. Terengganu State Football Association (PBSNT) president Hishamuddin Abdul Karim said the Turtles will take on southern Thailand club sides FC Yala tomorrow (July 24) and Nara United on Friday (July 25). “We initially wanted to go to Indonesia, but had to change plans as only one team (from Indonesia) was willing to play against us. It simply wasn’t worth it,” he said when met at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between TFC and Klinik Wildan in Kuala Terengganu yester day. Also present was Terengganu Football Club Sdn Bhd (TFCSB) acting chief execu tive officer Mohd Syahrizan Mohd Yahaya. Hishamuddin said the Turtles will also play two friendlies against club sides Kelantan Red Warriors FC (KRW) at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium (SSINS) in Kuala Terengganu on July 29 and Kelantan TRW at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Bharu on Aug 2. “We hope these four matches will allow us to enhance our playing style and be ready for our first Super League match,” he said. Dion cool about tuneup NATIONAL football squad defender Dion Cools has left it up to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and team management to decide on Harimau Malaya’s involvement in any friendly matches this September. He said the national squad still had room to prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers scheduled for October and November. This follows Harimau Malaya’s with drawal from the Central Asian Football Association (Cafa) Nations Cup 2025, which will take place in Tajikistan from Aug 29 to Sept 8. “I think it’s bad news (withdrawing from the 2025 Cafa Cup), but at the same time the management has done its best. “We have work to do for the Asian Cup qualifiers, and I think that’s the most impor tant thing for us. “September is the best time for us to prepare for October (the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos) because we want to go to Saudi Arabia (the 2027 Asian Cup finals) and I think the management will make the right decision, and we have to trust that they will make the right decision. “I don’t want to panic about it, just stay with the team,” he said. He was speaking to reporters at the launch of a special edition jersey created in collaboration with an international sports wear brand in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday. DESPITE now riding as a professional, national cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang continues to use his specially customised WX R Vorteq bicycle as he targets a spot at the UCI World Championships in October. The Pocket Rocketman said the National Sports Council (MSN) has given full approval for him to keep using the bike, as it fits his body and supports his KPI goals for the 2026 Asian and Commonwealth Games. “So far, I’ve been given permission by MSN to use it, so there’s no issue. The bike was designed to fit my body, so I don’t think any one else could use it,” he told Bernama after being named Volkswagen Malaysia’s first brand ambassador. He said the only other rider who might be able to use the same design is Nurul Izzah

THE hopes of national mixed doubles pair of Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie of reaching the final of China Open Badminton Championship were dashed in the 2025 edition when they crashed out in the first round in Changzhou yesterday. The world No. 6 pair was shown the way out by Indonesian pair, Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu 21-18, 22-24, 15 21 in over an hour. This is Soon Huat-Shevon’s second defeat to the same pair, apart from failing to retain their runner-up position in the tournament in the 2024 edition. Meanwhile, the national professional men’s doubles, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, had to forget their desire to defend the championship title when they were shocked by a defeat to the world’s

40th ranked pair from South Korea, Kang Min Hyuk-Kim Dong Ju 15-21, 21-15, 21-17 in 56 minutes. It was a double defeat for the world’s third-ranked pair, who also failed to defend their Japan Open title when they lost in the final last Sunday. The country’s No. 1 men’s doubles, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, started the Super 1000 tournament campaign on the right foot when they defeated Danish pair, Rasmus Kjær-Frederik Sogaard 21-19, 21-15 in 41 minutes. Awaiting them in the second round are either French pair, Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov or Kevin Lee-Ty Alexander Lindeman of Canada. – Bernama

Shevon Lai (left) and Goh Soon Huat. – BERNAMAPIC

Disappointment for Azeem Asian Games bronze medallist finishes fourth in 100m final

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N ATIONAL sprint ace Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi fell just short of a medal after finishing fourth in the men’s 100m final at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games in Bochum, Germany, yesterday. Azeem crossed the line in 10.35 seconds, his fastest time across all three rounds in Berlin, including the heats and semis, but still some way off his season best of 10.20s. South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza stormed to gold in 10.16s, with Thailand’s sprint star Puripol Boonson taking silver in 10.22s. Japan’s Hiroki Yanagita edged Azeem for the bronze with a 10.23s finish. Earlier, the 22-year-old Auburn University student booked his spot in the final after fin ishing third in his semifinal heat in 10.43s, behind Walaza (10.31s) and Hungary’s Dominik Mark Illovszky (10.32s). “Things happened, maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. I gave it my all, and I’m grateful I finished the race. “Most importantly, I did my best in these tough weather conditions. Honestly, I’m not used to competing in Europe, but that’s no excuse,” he said. Muhammad Azeem could not hide his disappointment after narrowly missing out on a medal, finishing just one place shy of the podium. “I didn’t come here just to make the final. My goal was to reach the podium. Missing out by one spot hurts even more. But this is part of the journey. I need to face moments like this “The other riders are taller and bigger, like Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom,” he added. Azizulhasni said his return to Malaysia was to undergo training with the national squad in hopes of impressing technical director John Beasley and earning a spot for the world meet. “Beasley is evaluating my performance to see which tournaments I’ll go to. Hopefully, I can take part in one or two competitions before the World Championships,” he said. While leaving individual event decisions to the coaches, Azizulhasni said his main focus remains the team sprint, part of his original comeback plan. “But we have to see if it’s still relevant. If I can go for the team event, great. If not, and I Izzati Mohd Asri, who already rides a Vorteq model.

RM11,889,328.38

to grow and get better,” said the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022 bronze medallist. Azeem, who holds the national record of 10.09s, will now turn his attention to the 200m event, before anchoring the 4x100m relay team on Saturday. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s 400m hopeful Umar Osman bowed out in the semifinals after clocking a disappointing 47.10s, his slowest time of the season, to place sixth in his heat. “That was my worst performance of the year. I need to improve a lot, especially for the 2025 SEA Games,” admitted the 2023 SEA Games gold medallist. Over in the women’s 800m, Hizillawanty Jamain may have finished last in her heat, but she still had reason to smile after notching her season-best of 2:18.45s in the first-round heats. In the women’s 400m hurdles, Mandy Goh Li placed fifth in her heat with a time of 1:03.12s, while Farrell Glenn Felix Jurus crashed out early in the men’s high jump qualifiers. The athletics competition, which began on Monday, will run through to Sunday. – Bernama get a slot in the individual event, why not? It still depends on the coaches’ plan,” he added. Beasley earlier confirmed that Azizulhasni is not currently listed for individual events in the World Championships in Santiago, Chile from Oct 15–19, but could be in the team sprint if he qualifies on merit. Azizulhasni said life as a professional ath lete is now more demanding, with added sponsor commitments. “My schedule is busier. There’s less time for leisure or socialising – but I’m happy because I love what I do,” he said. In April, the veteran cyclist announced his decision to continue racing professionally under Team Azizul for another two years, backed by a RM200,000 individual grant from MSN until 2026. – Bernama

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