06/08/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | AUG 6, 2025

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Costly mistakes Tang Jie-Ee Wei struggling to find common ground: Rexy A CADEMY Badminton Malaysia (ABM) doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky has admitted that the coun try’s top mixed doubles pair, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, are still struggling to find common ground, especially when playing under pressure. Boje. Christiansen was playing in his first tournament with Boje after serving a one-year ban for a doping violation, but Tang Jie-Ee Wei were undone by their own mistakes and failed to secure a spot in the final.

SHORTS Wei Chong-Kai Wun eye third title

THERE’S no room for compla cency for Tee Kai Wun, who is chasing a third title with partner Man Wei Chong to strengthen their bid for a spot at this year’s Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals. However, their next assign ment is the World Championships in Paris from Aug 25 to 31, and Kai Wun also hopes to do well there. “Yes, we’ll definitely fight for the World Championships because everyone wants to play in such a big tournament. “But it’s not just about the World Championships; this year, we’re targeting a spot in the World Tour Finals. So we’ll be focused on every tournament,” he said after the national team’s training session in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Wei Chong-Kai Wun, ranked seventh in the world, have won two titles this season – the Indonesia Masters and Malaysia Masters. Commenting further on the World Championships, Kai Wun said their current ranking doesn’t necessarily give them much of an advantage. However, he said both he and his partner are ready to face any opponent in their quest to become world champions. “Being in the world’s top eight means we could meet one of the top four seeds as early as the quarterfinals. “So we can’t say too much; anyone in the top 10 can win. But our goal is definitely to try and bring back a medal from the World Championships,” he said. M’sia to host Special Olympics badminton competition A TOTAL of 64 badminton play ers with intellectual and develop mental disabilities (IDD) will com pete in the 2025 Special Olympics Asia Pacific Badminton Competition, scheduled to be held for the first time in Malaysia from Sept 17–20. Special Olympics Malaysia, in a statement, said the tournament will take place at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, and will also involve the participation of 17 “unified partners” – non-dis abled players – aimed at foster ing inclusivity through sport. “The participants are from Special Olympics programmes in 10 countries – Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. “Representing the host coun try are 12 Malaysian athletes with IDD and four unified partners, ready to take to the court with the full support of local fans,” the statement said yesterday. The competition will feature two age categories – 16 to 21 years and 22 to 33 years – and will contest men’s and women’s singles and doubles, including unified doubles, which sees play ers with and without IDD paired together and competing as a team.

wasn’t something new, as national women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah had previously gone through a similar situation. As such, he hopes Tang Jie and Ee Wei will learn to accept each other’s mistakes and weaknesses to help improve their overall performance. “It’s the same situation Pearly and Thinaah were in before, but now both of them have begun to accept it, and we’re seeing more consistent performances from them. “Because on court, there’s no one else to help them but their own partner,” he said. Tang Jie-Ee Wei had been aiming to end their title drought since their Korea Open triumph in September last year, but now it’s back to the drawing board for the pair. Ee Wei believes the next three weeks will be crucial for the pair to regroup before Paris. “Don’t overthink – just face each challenge one match at a time. We still have two to three weeks before the World Championships, and we’ll give it our best shot,” said Ee Wei. – Bernama Wan Arif-Roy King slip slide to victory in Macau “I EVEN had to battle through water dripping from above.” That was how national men’s doubles player Wan Arif Wan Junaidi summed up his gritty performance after finally clinching his first BWF World Tour title with partner Yap Roy King at the 2025 Macau Open on Sunday. The fourth-seeded Malaysians stunned Indonesia’s top seeds Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani 22-20, 21-18 in the Super 300 final held at the Macao East Asian Games Dome. Despite being distracted by water dripping from the roof, the 23-year-old Wan Arif managed to overcome the unusual challenge to seal a memorable day for both himself and Roy King. “During the final, water was dripping even when I served, during rallies and while smashing – it was falling on my head. “But I told myself, if I’m affected, so too are my opponents. So I just tried to focus point by point,” he said in an audio message shared by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) on Monday. The fifth meeting between the two pairs had to be stopped frequently due to the dripping water from the roof, which made the court surface slippery and dangerous. Wan Arif was also pleased to avenge their previous defeat to Sabar and Moh Reza in the final of the 2024 Madrid Spain Masters, where they lost 18 21, 21-17, 19-21. He added that he and Roy King have adapted better to the gameplay and tactical approach introduced by national men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, six months after the high profile Indonesian coach began his stint with Malaysia. Meanwhile, Herry, when contacted by Bernama, challenged Wan Arif-Roy King to maintain consistency in upcoming tournaments. He also expressed confidence that the duo’s breakthrough title could boost their confidence heading into the 2025 World Championships, scheduled to be held in Paris from Aug 25–31. In a separate development, national men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh said his loss to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan at 15-21, 5-21 in the same tournament’s final served as a valuable lesson in patience and game strategy improvement. Despite Justin falling short of clinching his first World Tour title, national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen remained pleased with the 21 year-old’s maturity and urged him to bounce back stronger in the future. – Bernama

“Honestly, I didn’t perform well – especially at the start of the second game. That was entirely my own problem (mistakes),” Tang Jie said after their Macau Open exit. “From the second game through to the decider, my performance was just too inconsistent,” he said. “I have to work hard to rectify my errors fast.” Tang Jie dismissed fatigue as an excuse for their exit, even though the Macau Open was their third consecutive tournament following the Japan and China Opens. “This is all part of a shuttler’s life. The BA of Malaysia sends us out to compete, and of course, we aim for the best results. “The rest comes down to how well we adjust and adapt to the situation,” added Tang Jie. Rexy said the issue of poor communication

According to him, the world No. 3 pair find it difficult to accept each other’s mistakes, which in turn affects their rhythm on court. “It’s not that they are not good; they just panic when one of them makes a mistake. “Once they start making mistakes, their game will go awry,” he told reporters after the national team’s training session in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Rexy was asked to comment on the pair’s inconsistent performance at the Macau Open last week. Tang Jie-Ee Wei, the top seeds in Macau, missed the chance to claim their first Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour title of the season after falling in the semifinals to Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra

Malayan Tigress ready for Iran test THE national women’s junior football team are all set for today’s opening Group F match against Iran in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras. Malayan Tigress B-20 head coach Cameron Ng speaking at a press conference ahead of the AFC Women’s U-20 qualifiers Group F match yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

“So, even as a coach, if I get nervous, I’m sure the players are getting and feeling nervous as well … but it’s all about controlling that nervousness. The players are ready to play. “If you’re not nervous, I don’t think you care. So, for me, being a little bit nervous means they’re excited to perform. They want to show what they’re capable of in front of the home crowd,” he said. Meanwhile, skipper Nur Dhiyaa Addin Zahari is confident that they have a strongly knit team spirit, which will help them produce positive results. “I believe we have all struck up a combination,” she said. After taking on Iran, Malaysia will be up against Japan on Friday before completing their Group F fixtures against Guam on Sunday (Aug 10). All the matches will be played at the KL Football Stadium. The eight group winners and three best runners-up will qualify for the finals in Thailand from April 1-18, 2026. – Bernama

Coach Cameron Ng said his Malayan Tigress have undergone two weeks of meticulous training, including intensive training, and gained a deeper tactical understanding. “I think the preparation for this camp has gone pretty well. We’ve had good preparation, the players have been training hard, giving 100% in the training sessions… and understanding the tactics that we want to use. “I think also in terms of fitness and injuries, we have minimal issues,” he told the pre match media conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. While admitting that his players are nervous about the qualifiers, he also described it as a good sign since they will be up against higher-ranked teams.