25/07/2025

SPORTS FRIDAY | JULY 25, 2025

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Kinoshi rallies Red Giants to enjoy battle against JDT in season opener

SELANGOR FC head coach Katsuhito Kinoshi wants his players to enjoy the challenge as they prepare for what he considers the toughest possible start in the Charity Shield Cup, the season opener against reigning Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) next month. Kinoshi is determined to lead Selangor to a stronger campaign in the 2025/26 Super League season and remains confident that the Red Giants will rise to the occasion with fans rightfully expecting more from the team this year.

Kinoshi also highlighted the return of Fazly Mazlan to Selangor as an important move not only to serve as a role model for younger players but also to prove his fighting spirit to the team. “I cannot say that he (Fazly) can be a starter or cannot be a starter but atleast he must be a member of Selangor FC like last year. And he must make an effort to be an effective player in the squad,” he said. Fazly was previously linked with a move to Super League newcomers Imigresen FC but the transfer did not happen. – Bernama

The ceremony also marked Daikin Malaysia’s renewed commitment as a Platinum Sponsor, underscoring shared values of unity, team spirit and community wellness. Also present at the event was Selangor Raja Muda, Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is also chairman of Selangor FC. When asked about potential new foreign signings and speculation surrounding the team captaincy, Kinoshi remained tight-lipped by saying the club would make an official announcement at the appropriate time.

“We must be ready (to face JDT) for this toughest match. Without enjoyment, no chance. So even in the toughest match, let’s go enjoy the match but enjoy the match means we must fight 100%. “Without hard work, we cannot enjoy so this is our preparation for the first match against JDT. For this season, let say we have 45 goals and 16 conceded, we must target 50 goals and less conceded goals,” he told reporters after Selangor FC and Daikin Malaysia celebrated the third year of their strategic partnership yesterday.

National flag ‘desecrated’ in Jakarta FAM want AFC, AFF to take action after Jalur Gemilang insult T HE Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has contacted the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Asean Football Federation (AFF) to take appro National Women’s League (LWN) yesterday. Recently, a screenshot of the Jalur Gemilang being “crossed out (with an ‘X’ drawn on it)” and held upside down by Indonesian fans during the match went viral on social media.

Five Malaysian shuttlers reach round of 32 badminton campaign at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 World University Games (WUG) continued to progress with five national representatives advancing to the round of 32 yesterday. Two national men’s singles shuttlers, Jacky Kok Jing Hong and Eogene Ewe, booked their berths after defeating their respective opponents in the round of 64 at the Westenergie Sporthalle. Jacky is set to face Sok Rekreay of Sri Lanka while Eogene will meet Donnias Oliveira of Brazil. In the women’s singles event, Wong Ling Ching will play Weronika Gorniak of Poland, while Siti Zulaikha Muhammad Azmi is scheduled to meet Suhasni Vidanage of Sri Lanka. Also advancing are mixed doubles pair Liew Xun-Vannee Gobi, who will take on Sathish Kumar Karunakaran-Vaishnavi Khadkekar of India. Malaysia, however, failed to at least defend its bronze medal in the men’s doubles event after Muhammad Fazriq Mohamad Rashid-Bryan Jeremy Gooting were ousted by Japan’s Shiina Sato-Tsubasa Yoshida 9-15, 7-15 in the round of 32. Earlier, the same Japanese pair had eliminated another Malaysian duo, Liew Xun-Wee Yee Hern, 15-12, 15-10 in the round of 64. Meanwhile, on the final day of taekwondo, Malaysia ended its campaign without a medal after the men’s team kyorugi trio of Ahmad Nor Iman Hakim Rakib, Fu Cern Put Thai and Muhammad Syafiq Zuber went down 0-2 to Taiwan in the round of 16. At the Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark in Berlin, Tan Khai Xin failed to progress in the final day of swimming events after finishing fourth in heat two of the men’s 400 metre individual medley. The men’s 4x100m medley relay quartet of Khiew Hoe Yean, Andrew Goh, Leong Bryan Xin Ren and Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal also failed to advance after finishing seventh in heat four. In athletics, Jonah Chang Rigan missed out on a spot in the men’s shot put final after finishing 16th in the qualifying round with a throw of 17.75 metres at Lohrheidestadion in Bochum. – Bernama MALAYSIA’S

FAM lawyers to take further action against an Indonesian football observer whose slur claimed that Malaysia have been suspended by the International Football Federation (Fifa) until 2027. The observer, through a podcast, accused FAM of fielding players whose lineage is unclear to qualify for playing with Harimau Malaya. The Malaysian squad, strengthened by the presence of seven new heritage players, including Facundo Garces, Joao Figueiredo, Imanol Machuca and Rodrigo Holgado, created a big impact as they thrashed Vietnam 4-0 in their second Group F match in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifiers at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil last month. Malaya currently lead Group F with six points, followed by Vietnam and Laos (both with three points each) and Nepal, with no points. – Bernama

priate action regarding the controversy over the Jalur Gemilang being “desecrated” during the Asean U-23 Championship against Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Monday. FAM president Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub said he views the incident seriously and deeply regrets it occurring in a match that saw the national squad draw 0-0 with the hosts. “We don’t condone this kind of act, whether at the national or international level. We are dealing with the AFC and AFF (for the next course of action),” he said after the launch of the 2025

The goalless draw saw Malaysia failing to advance to the semifinals after finishing the group stage in third place with four points, behind group winners Indonesia (seven points) and the Philippines (six points). Brunei finished bottom of the group with no points. Malaysia began their campaign with a 2-0 loss to the Philippines before bouncing back to thrash Brunei 7-1. They, however, failed to beat Indonesia, who only needed a draw to advance to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Mohd Joehari will also discuss with

BRIEFS

National mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie (right) and Toh Ee Wei. – BERNAMAPIC

LWN receives funding from KBS THE National Women’s League (LWN) has received an allocation of RM840,000 through the Sports Matching Grant (GPS) from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS). Its Minister, Hannah Yeoh, hopes the allocation, the highest amount ever channelled for the development of women’s football in the country, will enhance the quality of competitions, media coverage and technical facilities so that the league will continue to be competitive, professional and prestigious. “This fund has three main objectives, namely to provide more space for the participation of women from the grassroots to the professional level; unearth and polish new talent with the potential to go far; and strengthen the national squad and improve the world ranking of the national women’s team,” she said in her speech at the launch of the 2025 LWN yesterday. Alternative venues needed during Ramadan: MFL THREE Super League teams, Kelantan Darul Naim (KDN) FC, DPMM FC and Imigresen FC, have been asked to submit alternative venues for their home matches during the month of Ramadan. Acting chief executive officer of the Malaysian Football League (MFL), Mohd Shazli Shaik Mohd said the three teams involved have been informed to submit their new venue proposals by Aug 15 at the latest. He said the move was necessary as the main venues for KDN FC, namely the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium and DPMM FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, could not be used during that period. Meanwhile, the venue for Immigration FC, namely the Batu Kawan State Stadium, was only suitable for afternoon matches as it did not meet the standards for night matches.

Tang Jie-Ee Wei through to quarters, Jun Hao crashes out

NATIONAL mixed doubles shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei stormed into the quarterfinals of the China Open 2025 after overcoming a young pair from China in Changzhou yesterday. Playing at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, the fourth-seeded Malaysians took just 35 minutes to edge past the home duo of Gao Jia Xuan-Wu Meng Ying, 22-20, 21-17. Tang Jie-Ee Wei will next face another Chinese pair, Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui, in tomorrow’s quarterfinals. The unseeded duo had earlier upset Thailand’s fifth seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran, 22-20, 21-15. Earlier, national men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao’s struggles continued as he was ousted by reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, 21-23, 7-21. Yesterday’s result marked Jun Hao’s 11th early exit in 12 tournaments this year. The world No. 26 shuttler’s best performance this sea son was a quarterfinal appearance at the Singapore Open 2025 last May, where he also fell to Kunlavut, 13-21, 11-21.

Meanwhile, the national women’s doubles pair of Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah continue to shine when they disposed of Japan’s Rui Hirokami-Sayaba Hobara 21-17, 21-13. The third-seeded Malaysians will next take on either Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi or Japan’s Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto in the last eight. National men’s doubles shuttlers Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi also had no problems defeating Thailand’s Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh 21-16, 21-16. The Malaysians will next face Satwiksairaj Rankireddy Chirag Shetty after the Indians sent eight-seeded Leo Rolly Carnando-Bagas Maulana of Indonesia packing 21 19, 21-19. It will be tough for the Malaysians, though, as they have only beaten the Indian pair three times in nine out ings. Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair of Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien, however, failed to advance after going down 11-21, 26-24, 9-21 to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping of China. – Bernama