12/01/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | JAN 12, 2026

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T HAI SHUTTLER Kunlavut Vitidsarn celebrated a per fect ending at the Malaysia Open 2026 after winning his first-ever BWF Super 1000 title and receiving the prize from none other than his own idol, Malaysian bad minton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur yesterday. However, it may not have been the win anyone wanted as his opponent Shi Yu Qi of China retired after trailing 21-23 and 1-6 due to a back injury. “I feel very happy (to win the Malaysia Open). Yu Qi is top class and I wish him speedy recovery,” he told reporters yesterday. Vitidsarn also thanked Chong Wei, saying he always gives advice to him on how to control anything on or off the court. The 2023 world champion now eyes Olympic gold and All England glory. For the record, this is the first time Vitidsarn booked a Super 1000 final since his debut at a Super 1000 event in 2020 and since then, he has played in 17 more, reaching the semifinals on four occasions. Meanwhile, South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se Young once again showcased her exceptional quality as

she clinched the women’s singles title in dramatic fashion, completing a hattrick of Malaysia Open titles. After taking the first set 21-15, Se Young appeared on the brink of being forced into a decider when she trailed 9-17 in the second set but the Olympic champion mounted a remarkable comeback to prevail 24 22, sealing victory over China’s Wang Zhi Yi in a gruelling 56-minute encounter. The win marked Se Young’s 17th victory over Zhi Yi in their head-to head meetings with the Korean star crediting her confidence and commitment to playing her natural game. She had captured 11 titles from 12 finals contested in the 2025 season. China’s pair Liu Sheng Shu–Tan Ning defeated South Korea’s Baek Ha Na–Lee So Hee, 21-18, 21-12 to claim the women’s doubles title. China also clinched the mixed doubles title as Feng Yan Zhe– Huang Dong Ping defeated their fellow compatriots Jiang Zhen Bang– Wei Ya Xin in straight games 21-19, 21-19. The singles champion walked away with a prize purse of US$101,500 (RM415,000) while the doubles champions received US$107,300 (RM440,000). – Bernama

Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn celebrates winning the men’s singles title at the 2026 Malaysia Open at the Axiata Arena yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

Not-so perfect win Vitidsarn clinches first Super 1000 title after Yu Qi retires with back injury

RESULTS & STANDINGS

ENGLISH FA CUP (3rd round) : Boreham Wood 0 Burton 5, Bristol City 5 Watford 1, Burnley 5 Millwall 1, Cambridge 2 Birmingham 3, Charlton 1 Chelsea 5, Cheltenham 0 Leicester 2, Doncaster 2 Southampton 3, Everton 1 Sunderland 1 aet - (Sunderland win 3-0 on pen) , Fulham 3 Middlesbrough 1, Grimsby 3 Weston-super-Mare 2, Ipswich 2 Black pool 1, Macclesfield 2 Crystal Palace 1, Manchester City 10 Exeter 1, Newcastle 3 Bournemouth 3 aet - (Newcastle win 7 6 on pen) , Sheffield Wednesday 0 Brent ford 2, Stoke 1 Coventry 0, Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2, Wolves 6 Shrewsbury 1. AFCON (Quarterfinals) : Algeria 0 Nige ria 2 (Osimhen 47, Adams 57) , Egypt 3 (Marmoush 4, Rabia 32, Salah 52) Ivory Coast 2 (Aboul-Fetouh 40-og, Doue 73) . FRENCH CUP (Last 16) : Bastia 0 Troyes 2, Angers SCO 1 Toulouse 1 (Toulouse win 7-6 on pen) , Montreuil 2 Amiens 4, Orleans 1 Monaco 3, Avranches 0 Strasbourg 6, Hauts Lyon nais 1 Lorient 3, Le Puy Foot 0 Reims 0 (Reims win 3-0 on pen) , Istres 0 Laval 2. LA LIGA: Real Oviedo 1 (Chaira 64) Real Betis 1 (Lo Celso 83) , Villarreal 3 (Moleiro 49, Moreno 55, Mikautadze 75) Alaves 1 (Martinez 85) , Girona 1 (Vanat 44) Osasuna 0, Valencia 1 (Pepelu 87) Elche 1 (Diangana 75). Top 6 P W D L F A Pts Barcelona 19 16 1 2 53 20 49 Real Madrid 19 14 3 2 41 17 45 Villarreal 18 13 2 3 37 17 41 Atleti 19 11 5 3 34 17 38 Espanyol 18 10 3 5 22 19 33 Real Betis 19 7 8 4 31 25 29 Serie A: Atalanta 2 (De Ketelaere 13, Pasalic 90+5) Torino 0, Como 1 (Baturina 90+4) Bologna 1 (Cambiaghi 49) , Roma 2 (Kone 77, Soule 79) Sassuolo 0, Udinese 2 (Kabasele 19, Davis 40-pen) Pisa 2 (Tramoni 13, Meister 67) . Top 6 P W D L F A Pts Inter Milan 18 14 0 4 40 15 42 AC Milan 18 11 6 1 29 14 39 Roma 20 13 0 7 24 12 39 Napoli 18 12 2 4 28 15 38 Juventus 19 10 6 3 27 16 36 Como 19 9 7 3 27 13 34 BUNDESLIGA: Bayer Leverkusen 1 Stuttgart 4, Union Berlin 2 Mainz 2, Freiburg 2 Hamburg 1, Heidenheim 2 Cologne 2. Top 6 P W D L F A Pts Bayern 15 13 2 0 55 11 41 Dortmund 16 9 6 1 29 15 33 RB Leipzig 15 9 2 4 30 19 29 Leverkusen 16 9 2 5 34 24 29 Stuttgart 16 9 2 5 29 23 29 Hoffenheim 15 8 3 4 29 20 27

Vision 2026 aims to benchmark Malaysia against the world’s best

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11/01/2026

IN his New Year address, Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) President Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria outlined a strategic vision for 2026. He emphasised that Malaysia’s involvement in major multi-sport events will transcend the sole objective of medal acquisition, positioning these competitions instead as crucial benchmarks to gauge the nation’s genuine competitive standing among the global elite. Reflecting on a landmark 2025, Mohamad Norza extended his gratitude to athletes and offi cials for their contributions, acknowledging that their efforts have established a robust foundation for the demanding international schedule that lies ahead. “Now we turn our gaze and focus on 2026, a pivotal year packed with challenges and opportu nities on the global stage,” he said in a video uploaded on the official OCM account. “Our core mission this year is two major multi sports games: the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in July, and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in October. “These are not just

late October to mid-November this year, which is the first event to be staged on African soil. These initiatives, he added, are integral to a larger strategic roadmap, one that prepares the nation to host the 34th SEA Games in 2027 while building the high-performance systems necessary to achieve Malaysia’s first Olympic gold. “We are building the engine that will drive us towards hosting the 34th SEA Games here in Malaysia in 2027. Furthermore, every podium fin ish this year brings us one step closer to our ulti mate national aspiration: securing Malaysia’s first ever Olympic gold medal at the 34th Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028,” he said. He concluded by calling on the entire sporting fraternity to remain united, disciplined and focused as Malaysia continues its upward trajec tory on the international sporting stage. Meanwhile, among the notable achievements last year was Malaysia’s performance at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, where the national contingent collected 12 medals, compris ing one gold, two silver and nine

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RM131,255.91

bronze, followed by three bronze medals at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh. Mohamad Norza also praised the contingent’s outstanding showing at the SEA Games in Thailand, where they amassed 231 medals — 57 gold, 57 sil ver and 117 bronze — the country’s highest-ever medal haul at a SEA Games held out side Malaysia. “This stands as our highest ever total medal haul at a SEA Games outside of Malaysia, prov ing that our tiger spirit roars loudly, no matter where we com pete,” he said. – Bernama

competitions; they are the ultimate testing grounds. We must carry the momentum from Thailand 2025 into Scotland and Japan, proving that we are contenders against the world’s best.” He also emphasised the importance of long term athlete development, highlighting Malaysia’s par ticipation in the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, from

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Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria. – BERNAMAPIC

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