01/08/2025

FRIDAY | AUG 1, 2025

31

SPORTS

Funding not finalised, waiting for cycling plan: NSC

TOUCHLINES MANCHESTER UNITED have opened talks with Paris St-Germain for Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, after an earlier enquiry in the sum mer, but Chelsea and Manchester City remain interested. WITH Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, having agreed a contract with Liverpool, Newcastle have added Fulham’s Brazilian forward Rodrigo Muniz, 24, to their list of targets. CRYSTAL PALACE have informed Arsenal they would have to pay at least £35m (RM203m) in advance to sign Eberechi Eze, with the rest of the 27-year-old England attacking mid fielder’s £67.5m (RM391m) fee due in instalments. PALACE are ready to offer £27.6m (RM160m) to sign Germany centreback Yann Bisseck, 24, from Inter Milan as a potential replacement for England defender Marc Guehi, who has been linked with Liverpool. CHELSEA are still pushing to sign Alejandro Garnacho but Manchester United are holding out for a deal of at least £40m (RM232m) for the 21-year old Argentina winger. SUNDERLAND have reached an agree ment with NEC Nijmegen to sign Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs, with the 22 year-old expected to sign a five-year contract with the Premier League new comers. LYON have agreed personal terms with Liverpool’s English midfielder Tyler Morton, 22, but the Premier League champions’ asking price of about £8m (RM46.5m) could cause a roadblock in the deal. AS ROMA are considering a move for Wolves and Portugal forward Fabio Silva, 23, while also interested in Man City’s 19-year-old Argentine winger Claudio Echeverri. MANCHESTER CITY’S English centre back Max Alleyne could also leave on a season-long loan this summer, with Watford opening talks for the 20 year-old. ENGLAND U-19 midfielder Leo Castledine, 19, is set to join Huddersfield Town on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

THE National Sports Council (NSC) is still awaiting an official decision from the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) before finalising the amount of funding to be allocated for the national cycling team’s prepara tions for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand. NSC Director-General Jefri Ngadirin said the delay is due to MNCF’s sched uled Council Members’ Meeting tomorrow, where it will finalise its plans, list of cyclists, and funding requirements for the biennial games. “MNCF has already made an initial selection of four cyclists each from TSG

translate it into funding. Without a plan, it’s difficult to make a decision,” he said. Previously, TSG and MPC had stated that if the additional RM250,000 budget they requested was not approved, they would not release their cyclists to represent the country at the games. However, the NSC had earlier announced that no additional budget would be provided to MNCF and only the remaining allocation of RM196,000 could be used – an amount deemed irrelevant given current costs. – Bernama

mony of the 39th Asean Malaysian Women’s Amateur Open Championship at Templer Park Country Club yester day. When asked

(Terengganu

Cycling

Team)

and

MPC

(Malaysia Pro Cycling), and one from the national team. “MNCF will make

the final decision and confirm the list of cyclists. Only after that will discussions be held

about the amount of budget requested by MNCF from NSC for the 2025 SEA Games, Jefri stated that it would all be determined after the meeting. “Most importantly, their planning must be clear, and only then can we

with NSC regard ing preparations

for the national team’s participation in the upcoming SEA Games in Thailand,” he told reporters after the closing cere

Yeoh backs Jonassen to deliver Dane deserves time to produce champions, says minister

Y OUTH and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has called on all parties to give national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen the space and time to get the shuttlers firing again following their lacklustre per formance in the 2025 Badminton Asia Junior Championships (BAJC) recently. She said the ministry believes that it has chan nelled all the necessary support to the Badminton Association of Malaysia

a world champion,” he said. Earlier, former coaches Wong Tat Meng and Ng Mee Fen raised concerns regarding the junior shut tlers’ poor performance in the Asian Junior Championships in Solo, Indonesia, which ended on Sunday. Malaysia had a disappointing outing, returning home empty-handed from the tournament for the second time in the past three editions after a simi lar failure in 2023. Tat Meng, who was singles coach with BAM from 2003 to 2011 and 2013 to 2016 and Mee Fen, who was a junior coach in the national team for four years, expressed their concern via social media over the poor outing, especially in the singles. “Am I the only one who wonders what hap pened to our junior player’s performance in the Asian Junior meet in Solo?” questioned Mee Fen. “It’s worrisome, especially in the singles depart ment. Most of our current senior players can play for another Olympic cycle, but we have yet to iden tify the junior players who can replace the seniors in five years’ time. “Challenging time ahead for the juniors, and hopefully actions will be taken to improve the stan dard of the players before it’s too late.” Tat Meng, who responded to Mee Fen’s post, said: “Thanks for raising this. You’re definitely not the only one concerned. “I’m actually here in Solo watching the Asian Junior meet, and I have to say, it was disappointing and quite sad to see that none of our singles players made it to the quarterfinals. “Even though I’m no longer based in Malaysia, I still care deeply, especially having been part of the national coaching set-up in the past. “It really makes me question what has been going wrong with our junior development system for the past how many years? I don’t know. “We have talent, no doubt but something funda mental isn’t translating into results at the interna tional level. “It’s time for an honest review and a clear long term direction. Otherwise, we risk an even more serious gap in our singles department moving for ward,” added Tat Meng. – Bernama

Open golf championships at the Templer Park Country Club in Rawang yesterday. “So, I feel that he deserves to be given time to evaluate their performance, and produce champi ons… this is something that cannot be achieved in a month or two. “I believe that support is best channelled through BAM because the ministry fully backs their efforts to have the best infrastructure,” she added. Hannah was commenting on a statement by national badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong

Wei yesterday, calling for the former Danish shuttler, who only joined the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) coaching setup less than a year ago, not to be burdened with high expectations in the short term. The Malaysian badminton leg

(BAM) to ensure the 51-year-old coach can help improve the singles department. “The new coach has just arrived and has yet to warm his seat to assess their perform ance properly,” she said when met at the closing of the 2025 Malaysian Women’s Amateur

end said Jonassen, who has only been in the role for six months, needs time to adapt and rebuild the

strength of a men’s singles line-up that is currently in a critical state. “I’ve met and spoken with him

(Jonassen) about how he can con tribute to men’s singles in Malaysia. “He has great ideas and I agree with his proposals and plans. We just can’t expect instant results because this isn’t a one-month or one-year process.

“At the very least, one full cycle – four years – is needed before we can gauge the effectiveness of his plans. Give him room to adapt to the local culture and to rebuild the team. “It’s like a new ENGLISH defender Rob Holding, 29, is set to leave Crystal Palace on a free transfer to join Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids, who held off competition from Championship sides Sheffield United and Wrexham. MIDDLESBROUGH have accepted a £20m (RM116m) offer from Ipswich for England U-21 midfielder Hayden Hackney, 23. Conquer new heights in The Sky Race at Merdeka 118 for a once-in-a-lifetime experience National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen. – BERNAMAPIC born child – even learning to walk takes a year, let alone producing

MALAYSIA Towerrunning Association announced The Sky Race, a groundbreaking vertical challenge set to take place on Aug 30 at Merdeka 118. This event offers participants a unique opportunity to climb all 118 floors and conquer the 2,845 stairs, culminating at Level 118 – a level never before open to the public and is accessible for only this one day. “This isn't just a race; it's a gateway to an unparalleled experience. The Sky

experience of a lifetime. Soh Wai Ching, tower runner World Champion, has been named the official ambassador for the event. Soh will not only bring his world class energy to race day but will also lead pre-event training sessions, providing invaluable insights and motivation to participants. Registration is now open for The Sky Race at Merdeka 118, with tickets priced at RM159 for single entry, and RM449 for a team of three participants.

Timed perfectly with the Merdeka Day weekend, The Sky Race at Merdeka 118 serves as a profound tribute to national pride and progress. This momentous climb offers more than just a physical challenge; it's an opportunity to connect with Malaysia's journey of growth and achievement. There’s will be no cut-off time, so you can go at your leisure, one step at a time. Celebrate Malaysia’s Independence Day with the

“Merdeka 118 was never just about building the tallest tower – it was about creating meaningful experiences that bring people together and celebrate the spirit of Malaysia. “We are honoured to open the doors of Merdeka 118 for this historic event, and proud to provide the stage for Malaysia to shine on the global sporting map,” said Dato’ Tengku Abdul Aziz Tengku Mahmud, CEO of PNB Merdeka Ventures.

Race at Merdeka 118 provides a singular chance to access Level 118 of the most iconic building in Malaysia, where you’ll be rewarded with the most breathtaking panoramic views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. “Whether you're an elite athlete, a passionate fitness enthusiast, or someone eager to tick off a remarkable bucket-list item, this event is designed for all,” said Jeffrey Ross, general manager and race director of The Sky Race.