7/09/2025

theSun on Sunday SEPT 7, 2025

SPORTS 15

A new chapter

RESULTS

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS EUROPEAN Group B: Slovenia 2 (Lovric 46, Vipotnik 90) Sweden 2 (Elanga 18, Ayari 73) , Switzerland 4 (Akanji 22, Embolo 25, 45, Widmer 39) Kosovo 0. Group C: Greece 5 (Karetsas 3, Pavlidis 17, Bakasetas 21, Kourbelis 36, Tzolis 63) Belarus 1 (Barkovski 72-pen) , Denmark 0 Scotland 0. Group D: Iceland 5 (Palsson 45+2, Johannesson 47, 56, Gudmundsson 66, Hlynsson 73) Azerbaijan 0, Ukraine 0 France 2 (Olise 10, Mbappe 82) . Group I: Moldova 0 Israel 4 (Peretz 15, Solomon 35, Baribo 59, Gloukh 77) , Italy 5 (Kean 58, Retegui 69, 89, Raspadori 71, Bastoni 90+2) Estonia 0. Group L: Montenegro 0 Czech Republic 2 (Cerv 3, Cerny 90+6) , Faroe Islands 0 Croatia 1 (Kramaric 31) . AFRICAN Group A: Djibouti 0 Burkina Faso 6, Egypt 2 Ethiopia 0. Group B: South Sudan 1 DR of Congo 4, Senegal 2 Sudan 0, Mauritania 2 Togo 0. Group C: Benin 1 Zimbabwe 0, Lesotho 0 South Africa 3. Group E: Congo 1 Tanzania 1, Morocco 5 Niger 0. Group F: Kenya 1 Gambia 3, Ivory Coast 1 Burundi 0. Group G: Somalia 0 Guinea 3, Uganda 4 Mozambique 0. Group H: Namibia 1 Malawi 2. CONCACAF Bermuda 0 Jamaica 4. World Cup European qualifying fixtures (kickoffs 2.45am Malaysian time unless stated) : TOMORROW Group A: Germany vs Northern Ireland, Luxembourg vs Slovakia Group E: Turkey vs Spain Group G: Lithuania vs Netherlands (12.01am) , Poland vs Finland Group J: North Macedonia vs Liechtenstein (12.01am) , Belgium vs Kazakhstan TUESDAY Group B: Switzerland vs Slovenia, Kosovo vs Sweden Group C: Greece vs Denmark, Belarus vs Scotland Group I: Israel vs Italy Group L: Gibraltar vs Faroe Islands, Croatia vs Montenegro WEDNESDAY Group D: Azerbaijan vs Ukraine (12.01am) , France vs Iceland Group F: Armenia vs Ireland (12.01am), Hungary vs Portugal Group H: Cyprus vs Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Austria Group I: Norway vs Moldova Group K: Serbia vs England, Albania vs Latvia FIXTURES

Sepaktakraw to be contested in World Abilitysport Beach Games in October

SEPAKTAKRAW is set to write a new chapter in its history when it is contested at the 2025 World Abilitysport Beach Games in Mersin, Turkiye, from Oct 18-25 as a medal sport. International Sepaktakaw Federation (Istaf) secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Kader said the sport has been accepted into the Games via an email from the Games’ head of operations Elin Luce on July 14. “Besides Thailand, Istaf has also listed Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan as among the seven or eight countries expected to take part,” he said in a statement yesterday. Abdul Halim, who is also Asian Sepak Takraw Federation (Astaf) president, said that so far the organisers have only confirmed the participation of Thailand, Indonesia and Laos. As such, he said Istaf will set up a special sub-committee to encourage member countries to form their respective adaptive

atrophy, or polio. Three events will also be contested, namely Arm Category (all players have a disability in one arm); Mixed 1 (one player with a leg disability together with two players with arm disabilities); and Mixed Quadrant (two players with leg disabilities and two with arm disabilities). – Bernama

sepaktakraw team. “We are still working to secure the participation of South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan, which will require the cooperation of Istaf and Astaf, including Malaysia,” he said. Abdul Halim is confident of forging close cooperation with the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM), particularly involving the participation of the country’s adaptive sepaktakraw team. Adaptive sepaktakraw will be contested in above-the-knee amputation on one leg who use a prosthetic leg or balancing aid; TKR2: Athletes with below-the-knee amputation on one leg, wearing a prosthetic leg, or those with muscle atrophy, polio or leg length discrepancy; and TKR3: Athletes with below-the-elbow amputation on one arm, or those with congenital anomalies, muscle stiffness, three categories: TKR1: Athletes with

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06/09/2025

1564 4795 5899

Jun Hao, Zii Jia to clash in Hong Kong

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their first encounter since the 2023 Arctic Open. He also emphasised that their status as com patriots and training partners would not alter the competitive nature of the match. “An opponent is an

NATIONAL men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao is prepared for a tough opening-round clash

against compatriot Lee Zii Jia at the 2025 Hong Kong Open, which begins on Tuesday (Sept 9). Although Zii Jia has only just returned from a long injury layoff, Jun Hao does not view it as a significant advantage for himself. “It’s a challenge for me because, as we all know, it’s never easy to beat Zii Jia. He only just made his comeback at the World Championships in Paris, and in a tournament like the Hong Kong Open, anything can happen,” he said when met recently. Jun Hao, cur rently ranked 23rd in the

RM8,537,166.33

opponent, whether I have trained with him or not. We will both give our best - it all comes down to strat egy on the court,” he said. Zii Jia has won all three of their previous encounters, making this showdown a crucial chance for Jun

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RM178,587.15

Hao to secure his first win over the pro fessional shuttler. – Bernama

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world, has b e e n d r a w n against Zii Jia, who sits at 47th, mark i ng BRIEFS

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Jun Hao (left) and Zii Jia. – BERNAMAPIC

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Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand. Better known as Jojo, the 18-year-old redeemed his past disap pointment by clinching a stylish victory through a technical knockout, after narrowly losing last June. In the bout, Jojo floored his opponent in two minutes and 10 seconds. For the record, Jojo last savoured victory on Sept 7 last year when he defeated Josue Cruz via a first-round knockout. M’SIA SECURE TWO MORE GOLD MEDALS MALAYSIA’S wushu squad secured two more gold medals on the third day of the 17th World Wushu Championships in Brasilia, Brazil yester day. At the Ulysses Guimarães Convention Centre, Tan Cheong Min delivered Malaysia’s first medal, winning the women’s Nangun event with 9.746 points. The second gold came from Si Shin Peng in the men’s Jianshu event after he also scored 9.746 points. After three days of competition, Malaysia have collected three gold, one silver and one bronze.

DUO THROUGH TO LSC SEMIS NATIONAL women’s squash ace S. Sivasangari advanced to the semifinals of the London Squash Classic 2025 after defeating home player Jasmine Hutton yesterday. The Asian Games 2022 gold medallist needed just 20 min utes to beat Hutton 11-9, 11-5 in the quarterfinal of the PSA World Tour Gold event at Alexandra Palace, London. The defending champion is set to face world No. 5 Amina Orfi of Egypt in the semifinals. In the men’s competition, national player Ng Eain Yow also marched into the last four after edging England’s Marwan ElShorbagy 11-9, 11-9. Eain Yow will next meet world No. 3 Paul Coll of New Zealand for a place in the final. JOJO STRIKES BACK NATIONAL Muay Thai ace, Muhamad Johan Ghazali Zulfikar knocked out Moroccan fighter Zakaria El Jamari in the flyweight class bout at ONE Fight Night 35 yesterday at Lumpinee

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