07/08/2025

SPORTS THURSDAY | AUG 7, 2025

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Malaysia making waves in India MALAYSIA made waves on the 4th Asian Surfing Federation (ASF) Asian Surfing Championships in Mahabalipuram, India, with 16-year-old Lucas Santiago Wehle delivering points to finish second in his heat behind India’s Kishore Kumar (12.17) and will fight for a Round 3 berth in the elimination heats. Muhamad Nor

high-stakes elimination against teammate, Yen, Tsung-Lin Han from Taiwan and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Alizada. The statement said that Malaysia also debuted in the Open Female category with Nurain Mat Isa, Tun Athirah Shah Norazhar and Mona Rasidah Abdul Rashid, with each placing third in their heats to advance to Elimination Round 2, keeping Malaysia’s hopes alive on both fronts. “The competition here in Mahabalipuram is incredibly strong. “We’re facing some of the best surfers from Asia’s powerhouse nations, and every heat is a test of skill, strategy, and composure. “But our athletes have trained well. “I believe they’ll be

an early highlight for the national squad. Lucas, competing in the Open Men’s division combined precision wave selection with sharp, technical turns to post a heat-winning 11.37 points (best two waves), thus earned himself a direct slot into Round 3, bypassing the elimination rounds “I just focused on the best waves and tried to stay loose. “It’s amazing to surf here and represent Malaysia,” said Wehle in a statement yesterday. Meanwhile, veteran surfer, Mohd Nazrin Nasruddin, better known as “Yen”, posted 8.40

Afiq Haikal (“Kal”) placed third in a challenging heat, setting up a

able to showcase not just their skills, but also the spirit and determination of Malaysian surfing,” said head coach Muhammad Muttakin Talib. The championship, featuring athletes from over 20 nations, is taking place from Aug 3-12 at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. – Bernama

STF 2025 to feature local, international entries A TOTAL of 2,000 players from 104 touch (or touch rugby/football) teams are set to compete in the Selangor Touch Fiesta 2025, scheduled to be held at Hevea Arena, Rubber Research Institute (RRI) here from Aug 15 to 18. Touch Association Selangor (TAS) secretary Amir Afifuddin Amir Sharifudin said eight categories will be contested in the tournament, including five junior divisions and three open divisions: men’s, women’s and mixed. He said aside from local teams, the tournament has also attracted eight international teams from Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. “This is not just a tournament. It is the beginning of a legacy for the sport of touch. “This is the association’s way of elevating the sport of touch, uniting the community and providing opportunities for players from grassroots levels all the way to talented athletes who may one day represent the country,” he told a press conference yesterday. Touch is a sport played between two teams, each consisting of six players. Encouraging basic skills such

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Aiming for top spot for top spot Hakim Danish says last two RBMRC 2025 races crucial for Moto3 promotion

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Y OUNG national rider, Muhammad Hakim Danish Ramli is aiming to emerge as the overall champion of the 2025 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup (RBMRC), thus paving the way for him to com pete in the Moto3 World Championship next sea son. To realise this wish, the 18-year-old rider only needs to ensure a podium finish with two rounds remaining at the Red Bull Ring Circuit in Austria and the Misano Circuit in Italy. Hakim Danish is currently leading the RBMRC competition with 154 points, only 13 points ahead his closest challenger, Brian Uriarte of Spain. “I see that for now RBMRC is the most important for me because I am at the top of the chart. “So I will fully focus on winning the overall championship for this competition and I need to give maximum performance,” he said when met at the handover ceremony of his new Yamaha Y15ZR motorcycle through a UMA Racing and

RM232,505.08

RCB upgrade yesterday. Earlier, the high-performance component manufacturer presented a surprise in the form of upgraded components worth more than RM20,000 to the Terengganu racer to compete in the remaining RBMRC 2025. In the fifth round of RBMRC 2025 at Sachsenring Circuit, Germany last month, Hakim Danish only finished Race 1 in 10th position before failing to score any points in Race 2 when he crashed with 15 laps remaining in the race and was in seventh position. Meanwhile, UMA Racing assistant general manager, Alfred Lim Chiu Siong hopes the surprise for Hakim Danish will fuel his and other local racers’ enthusiasm to continue creating success in racing to bring glory to the country. “Through this collaboration, UMA Racing together with RCB strengthen support for grassroots talent, support young talent and the future of the country’s young athletes, and ensure that they have the right equipment to pursue their dreams responsibly,” he said. – Bernama Nassr last season for a record-extending fifth title. The Saudi Super Cup is contested by the winners and runners-up of the King’s Cup and Saudi Pro League. Al Hilal finished second in the 2024/25 Pro League behind Al-Ittihad. Al Hilal, who were due to face King’s Cup runners-up Al Qadsiah in the Super Cup semifinals on Aug 20, have been replaced by AFC Champions League winners Al Ahli. Since Al-Ittihad won the Pro League and King’s Cup, the extra Super Cup spot was awarded to Al Nassr – the third-placed team in the league – who they face in the semis on Aug 19. – Reuters

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as running, passing, catching, evading and support play, touch is a minimal-contact sport played with a ball similar to rugby, without aggressive physical collisions. – Bernama Al Hilal face ban from 2026/27 Saudi Super Cup

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HOLDERS Al Hilal will be banned from the 2026/27 Saudi Super Cup if they qualify after withdrawing from this season’s four-team competition, the Saudi Arabia Football Federation’s (SAFF) Disciplinary and Ethics Committee said yesterday. The decision came after Al Hilal pulled out of the Super Cup, scheduled to be played from August 19-23 in Hong Kong, citing player fatigue following their Club World Cup campaign. They lost 2-1 to Fluminense in the quarterfinals on July 4. “Al Hilal refused to participate in the Saudi Super Cup for the 2025/2026 season after the official schedule for the competition was

issued,” the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee said in a statement. “As a result, the committee ruled that Al Hilal had violated Article (59-3) of the Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations and fined the club 500,000 Saudi Riyals (RM564,000) to be paid to the SAFF,” the statement added. In addition to the fine, the club was banned from participating in the 2026/27 Super Cup and stripped of any financial awards allocated for this season’s competition. The committee said the decision is subject to appeal. Al Hilal have been asked for comment. They won the Super Cup by beating Al

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