12/08/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | AUG 12, 2025

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Astana list two sprint specialists for LTdL

NATIONAL wushu queen Tan Cheong Min has dedicated her World Games gold medal to the country as a National Day gift. She said her achievement on Saturday was also an important recognition for the sport, as it was contested as an official event at the World Games for the first time. “This gold medal is not just for me. It is for Malaysia and a gift for this year’s National Day. “Previously, wushu was not an official event in the World Games. So the Asian Games and World Championships were regarded as the highest platforms for us. I am very proud and happy,” she said when contacted yesterday. SHORTS Para athlete excel in studies PARA BOWLER Mohamad Haziq Danish Rozainy, who graduated from Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Polytechnic (PSA) on Sunday, said that the determination and fighting spirit he gained from being an athlete spurred him to excel in his studies. The 21-year-old said he never neglected his duties as a student and plans to have a stable career in the technical field even though he is a national para athlete and is preparing for the upcoming 2025 Asean Deaf Games. “Initially, I had trouble with the English and Mathematics subjects, but I applied the same fighting spirit in me as an athlete into the academic field, and I managed to get a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.99 at the end of my studies. “I’ll continue to try and gain as much knowledge to secure better jobs in the future and compete within the society as a normal person,” he said through an interpreter at the 26th PSA convocation in Shah Alam, where he received his Mechanical Maintenance Skills Certificate. He said his success proved that polytechnics gave persons with disabilities the opportunity to learn comfortably alongside normal students, thanks to the availability of various facilities. These facilities, including interpreters, learning aids and financial assistance, allowed him to study subjects ranging from welding to vehicle maintenance, he added. Mohamad Haziq was among the 937 graduates who received their certificates at the convocation ceremony today and will be competing at the 2025 Asean Deaf Games in Jakarta, Indonesia from Aug 20 to 26. M’sia miss out on final THE national men’s U-20 rugby sevens (7s) team’s hopes of reaching the final of the 2025 Asia Rugby U-20 7s Championship were dashed after losing to Hong Kong in the semifinals in Bihar, India, on Sunday. The side, coached by Syed Shazril Syed Mahadzir, had to concede to Hong Kong’s dominance, with the latter scoring 33 points compared to Malaysia’s five, which came from a solitary try by Luqmanul Hakim Ramli. As a result, Malaysia will now play in the third-place playoff against China. “Of course, we are disappointed not to make it to the final and to be unable to maintain our unbeaten run in this tournament. Against Hong Kong, we were less sharp in executing our game plan. “The Hong Kong players made full use of their physical advantage, and we were somewhat drawn into their style of play. “The players are aware of the shortcomings that need to be addressed, and they will give their all to ensure that third place goes to Malaysia,” said team manager Dr Muhammad Hazwan Khair in a statement shared by Malaysia Rugby (KRM) today. For the record, in the 2023 edition held in Kathmandu, Nepal, Malaysia emerged as runners-up. – Bernama

KAZAKHSTAN’S WorldTeam outfit, XDS Astana Team, has listed two sprint specialists – Matteo Malucelli and Gleb Syritsa – in the preliminary roster of six riders for the 2025 Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL), to be held from Sept 28 to Oct 5. Malucelli is the winner of the red jersey for sprints and three stages in last year’s LTdL, while Syritsa boasts four LTdL stage wins. The other four riders named in Astana’s preliminary list are Aaron Gate, Anton Kuzmin, Nicolas Vinokurov and Lev Gonov. LTdL Secretariat chief operating officer Emir Abdul Jalal said the team’s strategy came as no surprise, especially with six stages considered flat, which would favour teams with sprint specialists. “It may also be part of their strategy to counter the presence of other sprint specialists

teams, and one national team – Malaysia. A UCI ProSeries race on the Asia Tour calendar, the LTdL is organised by the Youth and Sports Ministry through the National Sports Council in collaboration with the Malaysian National Cycling Federation. It will begin in Langkawi on Sept 28 with the first stage covering 96.5km, followed by Stage 2 from Padang Besar, Perlis to Kepala Batas, Penang (170.1km); Stage 3 from Gerik, Perak to Pasir Puteh, Kelantan (198.2km); Stage 4 from Kuala Terengganu to Kemaman (140.8km); Stage 5 from Temerloh to Bukit Fraser, Pahang (133.7km); Stage 6 from Shah Alam, Selangor to Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan (123.4km); Stage 7 from Melaka to Medini, Johor (214.6km); and Stage 8 from Tangkak, Johor to Kuala Lumpur (180.5km) on Oct 5. – Bernama

such as Tudor Cycling’s Alberto Dainese and Team Picnic PostNL’s Fabio Jakobsen, both of whom have impressive records with wins in the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana,” he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Emir added that based on the preliminary line-up, Astana’s strategy could change depending on circumstances and team priorities, as this would be influenced by several factors and race situations. “However, with their WorldTeam status, we can say the Astana squad coming this time is a strong and fairly prominent team,” he said. The 29th edition of the LTdL will cover all 11 states and the Federal Territory in Peninsular Malaysia over a total distance of 1,257.8km across eight stages. It has attracted entries from three WorldTeams, eight ProTeams, 10 Continental

Penang FC and Terengganu FC players compete for the ball during their Super League match. – BERNAMAPIC

Costly tactical lapse Penang fall to Turtles after poor second half

P ENANG FC failed to earn its first win at home this season after falling to Terengganu FC (TFC) 3-0 in their Super League match at City Stadium in George Town. Both Terengganu and Penang had several chances at scoring in the first half but both sides failed to capitalise on them. Terengganu’s goal in the 50th minute came from Azam Azmi Murad’s shot from the left side of the field, a minute after Penang’s Bosnian winger Danilo Sipovac shot was denied by Terengganu keeper Mohd Suhaimi Husin. Even though Penang tried to their best to seek an equaliser, Terengganu’s Gabriel Silva managed to score five minutes later instead. Terengganu keeper Mohd Suhaimi managed to deny Penang from scoring several times and allowed his team to keep their 2-0 lead till substitute Mohamad Khalai’f Mohd Naskam added their third and final goal in the last minute of the match. Penang head coach Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail admitted his team’s failure to maintain The former world champion hoped her success would inspire other athletes to keep striving for excellence and continue to elevate the sport’s status. Cheong Min’s gold boosted Malaysia’s overall medal haul at the Chengdu Games to three, with the other two being a silver and a bronze. Fellow wushu athletes Pang Pui Yee and Sydney Chinwon took silver in the changquan– qiangshu–jianshu event and bronze in the taijijian–taijiquan event, respectively. The Melaka-born athlete said the victory has boosted her motivation as she now turns her focus to several upcoming competitions

on track. The 49-year-old coach said the team’s focus now shifts to injury recovery and correcting mistakes ahead of their away clash against Melaka FC tomorrow. Terengganu FC head coach Badrul Afzan Razali described the three points secured in the match as highly significant, especially given the challenge of winning away from home. However, he cautioned his players not to become complacent, reminding them that the league had just begun and a long season lay ahead. “Overall, I’m satisfied with the team’s performance as they followed the game plan closely. “Although we won 3-0, there were still some errors that cost us chances to score, particularly in the second half. Nevertheless, we thank the players and will work on improving these areas in the upcoming matches,” he said. – Bernama Games, which are held every four years The World Games is an international multi sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. She joins the ranks of bowlers Daniel Lim and Sharon Low, who won the mixed doubles gold in 1997, and squash legend Datuk Nicol David, who earned three golds between 2005 and 2013. Cheong Min won her first world title in 2017 in Kazan in the duilian event, before claiming her second in 2019 in Shanghai in the nandao event. – Bernama

tactical discipline in the second half led to their defeat. He praised his players for executing their game plan well in the first half, controlling the tempo and creating scoring chances. However, everything unraveled after conceding the first goal. “Our players showed great tactical discipline in the first half, successfully stifling the opposition’s attacks. “What we planned and trained for was well executed, but unfortunately, we couldn’t sustain it for the full 90 minutes. “After the first goal, the team lost its rhythm and started making simple mistakes. That early goal was too easy for the opponents and it somewhat killed our fighting spirit. “When the second goal came, whatever hope we had to bounce back disappeared,” Wan Rohaimi said. Despite his disappointment, the coach vowed to use the remaining time before their next match to regroup and get the team back this year. “I’m targeting gold at the World Wushu Championships in Brazil in September. “After that, I will try to focus on the SEA Games in Thailand in December,” she said. The 27-year-old won the women’s nandao– nanquan combined event, scoring 19.479 points, defeating competitors from Uzbekistan and Singapore. Tan had already impressed in the nanquan segment on Friday scoring 9.746 points at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium. Her achievement makes her only the fourth Malaysian athlete to win gold at the World

Early Merdeka gift from wushu queen Cheong Min