06/12/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | DEC 6, 2025 31 Focused on improvement Dollah urges critics to allow time for FAM’s leadership to develop more young talent

RESULTS & STANDINGS

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Manchester United 1 (Dalot 58) West Ham 1 (Magassa 83) . P W D L F A Pts Arsenal 1410 3 1 27 7 33 Man City 14 9 1 4 32 16 28 Aston Villa 14 8 3 3 20 14 27 Chelsea 14 7 3 4 25 15 24 Crystal Palace 14 6 5 3 18 11 23 Sunderland 14 6 5 3 18 14 23 Brighton 14 6 4 4 24 20 22 Man Utd 14 6 4 4 22 21 22 Liverpool 14 7 1 6 21 21 22 Everton 14 6 3 5 15 17 21 Tottenham 14 5 4 5 23 18 19 Newcastle 14 5 4 5 19 18 19 Brentford 14 6 1 7 21 22 19 Bournemouth 14 5 4 5 21 24 19 Fulham 14 5 2 7 19 22 17 Nottm Forest 14 4 3 7 14 22 15 Leeds 14 4 2 8 16 26 14 West Ham 14 3 3 8 16 28 12 Burnley 14 3 1 1015 28 10 Wolves 14 0 2 12 7 29 2 ITALIAN CUP (Round of 16) Bologna 2 Parma 1, Lazio 1 AC Milan 0. COPA DEL RAY (2nd Round) Atletico Baleares 1 Espanyol 0, Lega nes 1 Albacete 2, Real Avila 1 Rayo Vallecano 2, Sabadell 0 Deportivo La Coruna 2, Ponferradina 1 Racing Santander 2, Extremadura 1 Sevilla 2, Cartagena 1 Valencia 2, Real Zaragoza 0 Burgos 1, Sant Andreu 1 Celta Vigo 1 (Celta win 7-6 on pen) , Tenerife 0 Granada 1. BRIEFS Bowlers make nation proud MALAYSIAN BOWLERS added another medal to their tally when they clinched the women’s team silver after losing 2-1 to the United States in the final at the 2025 IBF World Championships in Hong Kong yesterday. The national women’s team comprised Sin Li Jane, Gillian Lim, Natasha Roslan, Nora Lyana Nastasia Norakmal, Adelia Nur Irwan Syazalee and Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman. The Malaysian women won the first game, knocking down 191 pins to the Americans’ 179 pins. But the Americans bounced back to win the next two 200-159, 199-185 to take the gold medal. Malaysia had earlier won silver through Adelia Nur Irwan (women’s singles) and bronze through Rafiq Ismail-Muhammad Syazirol WORLD No. 2 pair M. Thinaah and Pearly Tan are eager to make their mark for Malaysia in their debut appearance at the Thailand SEA Games next week. According to Thinaah, she will try her best to deliver a strong performance and make Malaysia proud at the biennial Games. “We’re really excited to finally compete at the SEA Games. Every point counts, every match is important – and we’re ready to give everything we have,” she said in a statement issued by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) yesterday. Besides Pearly Thinaah, the national team will also be represented by the world No. 22 pair Teoh Mei Xing–Go Pei Kee in the women’s doubles and team events. Malaysia last won the women’s doubles event at the SEA Games through Amelia Alicia Anscelly-Soong Fie Cho in 2015, while the women’s team event was last won in 2009. Shamsudin (men’s doubles). Pearly-Thinaah ready to shine

Ű BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com

that the programme, they don’t get left behind. That cannot happen. “This is exactly what we are discussing, how to make sure they continue progressing. Discussions are ongoing, and we will move as quickly as possible.” On the question of Datuk Ong Kim Swee being appointed as technical director at Akademi Mokhtar Dahari (AMD), Dollah voiced strong support. “For me, he is the best person for the job. His experience is extensive from his early days at the academy to international assignments, including his coaching stint in Indonesia. “His experience is exactly what we need. We will support him in any way we can.” when they leave

number, I can confidently say have strong potential. “I have already spoken to the coach, Javier Ribera, and reminded him that after this tournament, we must not lose track of these boys. “When they return to their clubs, we need to know their pathway. We cannot afford to lose them.” Drawing from his experience coaching at the highest levels of Malaysian football, Dollah said many players who featured in the Asian Cup U-17 qualifiers in Hanoi possess significant talent. However, he cautioned that young prospects often fall behind once they leave the national development structure unless clear transition plans are put in place. “There are many talented boys in this U-16 group. We must ensure

begun discussing some ideas,” Dollah told reporters at an event in Bukit Kiara on Wednesday. “The main objective for us now is to avoid past shortcomings where we failed to produce enough quality players. Our focus is on improving player standards.” He urged critics to allow time for FAM’s current leadership to develop more young talent, saying that at least five years are needed to groom players who can reach the required standard. Dollah also revealed that despite the U-16 team’s failure to qualify for the 2026 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, FAM has identified a promising group of players capable of progressing to the senior national team. “From the U-16 squad, I can see at least 10 players, at least that

PART 2 T HE Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has no concrete plans yet to revive the previous model that allowed national age-group squads such as the Olimpik 2000 team to compete in the Malaysian League, said its vice-president Datuk Seri Dollah Salleh. Responding to suggestions that the old system had successfully produced many players who later became state-team regulars, Dollah said discussions on any similar move are still at a very early stage. “I only recently met with Datuk Ong Kim Swee, and we’ve just

Sepaktakraw squad out to end Thai dominance

THE Malaysian Sepaktakraw Federation (PSM) has set a major challenge for the national men’s squad to break Thailand’s dominance as they

target two gold medals at the SEA Games Thailand 2025, which will be held from Dec 9 to 20.

PSM president Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan said Malaysia had proven that they could defeat their traditional rivals in major tournaments such as the World Cup and the Asian Championships. He said that given this record, the target of beating Thailand in this edition is realistic, even though Thailand enjoy the advantage of playing on home ground. “We have won SEA Games gold before, but without Thailand. This time, we will most likely meet Thailand in the final because they are the hosts and are entering every event. So it would be the sweetest and most satisfying achievement if we win gold, he said yesterday when met at the national sepaktakraw players’ gathering and dinner in Kuala Lumpur. “What I meant is that we want SEA Games gold by defeating Thailand, and it is not impossible because history has proven that, especially in the regu event, we can beat them. We have won the World Cup and the Asian Championships, including in the quadrant event,” he added. The national camp is targeting two gold medals – in the men’s regu and men’s quadrant events – and a place in the final of the men’s team regu at the competition, which will be held at the Nakhon Pathom Stadium Gymnasium.– Bernama

National sepak takraw players ahead of the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand. – BERNAMAPIC

JDT salvage draw in Phnom Penh

Harimau Muda eye winning start NATIONAL U-23 football team head coach Nafuzi Zain knows the importance of getting off to a winning start and has been drilling that into his players ahead of their opening Group B match against Laos in the SEA Games Thailand 2025 today. He does have a point. “If you look at the two “That’s why, whatever happens, we must do our best and get a win over Laos,” he said in a video clip shared by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) yesterday. Malaysia will also have to do it without three key players, Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili, Alif Izwan Yuslan and Fergus

JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM (JDT) staged a magnificent fightback by scoring two second-half stoppage time goals to hold PKR Svay Rieng FC of Cambodia to a 2-2 draw in their third Group B match of the Asean Club Championship (ACC) on Thursday night. In the match played at the National Morodok Techo Stadium in Phnom Penh, the home team stunned the Southern Tigers when midfielder Cristian Roque thundered home a long-range goal in the 29th minute before Nhean Sosidan doubled their lead eight minutes later, finishing off a pass from Kwame Peprah. JDT, though, showed incredible fighting spirit. And their efforts bore fruit when import defender Shane Lowry headed home a cross from Heberty in the 92nd minute. Buoyed, JDT threw everything into attack in search of the equaliser,

and it paid off, with La’Vere Corbin Ong emerging the hero when he nodded home a cross in the 96th minute to ensure the Southern Tigers return home with a share of the spoils and maintain their unbeaten record after three matches. JDT lead Group B with seven points, followed by Vietnam’s Nam Dinh (6) and PKR Svay Rieng (4). Singapore’s Lion City Sailors and Thailand’s Bangkok United are next with one point each from two matches, while Myanmar’s Shan United are still without a point after two outings. For the record, JDT won their first two home matches at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri by beating Lions City Sailors 3-1 and Bangkok United 4-0. JDT, who have won the domestic Super League title 11 times in a row, are slated to face Shan United at home next month. – Bernama

Tierney, who are unavailable after their clubs refused to release them to play in the biennial Games. Nafuzi, however, is unperturbed, saying he will rely on those available to get all three points from the opening game. The national U-23 squad, also known as Harimau Muda, have been drawn in Group B with Laos and Vietnam, with only the group champions and the best second-placed teams qualifying for the semifinals. Malaysia last won the gold medal in football at the SEA Games in 2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia. – Bernama

previous Games, we lost the early matches and that made it difficult for us to advance further,” he said. Having said that, he was quick to admit that it won’t be easy to get all three points off Laos at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, either, especially after Laos produced a fighting display en route to losing 2-1 to Vietnam on Wednesday. Nafuzi is aware that a win over Laos will boost team spirit and morale ahead of their sternest group test – a matchup against favourites Vietnam in their second and final Group B tie.