12/01/2026

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MONDAY | JAN 12, 2026

Malaysian Paper

So close yet so far for Aaron-Wooi Yik

Koreans shut the door and defended their title 21-18 in a one-hour-and-six-minute contest. The result meant Malaysia’s search for a home men’s doubles champion continues, with the last triumph still belonging to Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah in 2014. The defeat extended Aaron-Wooi Yik’s wait for a Super 1000 title, marking their seventh defeat at this level. As champions, Won Ho-Seung Jae pocketed prize money of US$107,500 (about RM440,000) while Aaron Wooi Yik earned US$50,750 (approximately RM208,000). – Bernama

THE wait goes on. Top national men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik’s hopes of clinching the 2026 Malaysia Open title were shattered, prolonging the country’s 12 year drought in the event. During the final in a packed Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur yesterday, the second seeds fell to top seeds and defending champions Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea. The world No. 2 pair Aaron-Wooi Yik were slow off the blocks and lost the opening game 15-21 after commit ting several unforced errors. The 2022 world champions changed the script in the second set and displayed clinical edge to surge to 18-11 lead before forcing a rubber with a convincing 21-12 vic tory. Momentum shifted decisively as the opponents raced to an 11-4 advantage, yet the Malaysians refused to fold, battling back to close the gap to 18-17 before the

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim presents the runners-up medals to Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik at the 2026 Malaysia Open at the Axiata Arena yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

Greatest shock … as non-league Macclesfield stun FA Cup holders Crystal Palace

Ű BY JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

said. “I am so proud of him.” “I can’t believe it, I can’t get my head around it,” John Rooney said. “We were incredible from the first minute. I thought we were deserved winners. “I couldn’t be any prouder of the lads. I couldn’t have asked any more of them and you can see the joy in them.” A furious Glasner congratulated Macclesfield for their victory and said Palace “deserved to lose” as he lamented the lack of “quality” in his team. “I haven’t seen anybody who can, who could win a dribble,” Glasner said. “Then conceding another set-play goal, losing the header, no tim ing in the header. We know this, but we have to do better. Second goal was more, a slapstick goal. “And on the other side, if you can’t create clear chances, we didn’t have really any – maybe one or two right at the end – but everything else is just a lack of quality what we’ve shown today. That’s why we lost and we deserved to lose.” – The Independent

John Rooney’s side, who are 14th in National League North, took the lead when the bandaged skipper Dawson, who worked as a motorway supervisor, planted a back-post header into the far corner shortly before half-time. Palace, who named a starting lineup that included England internationals Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton and the £26 million (RM150m) Spain winger Yeremy Pino, were dis jointed throughout on an artificial pitch and Macclesfield doubled their advantage in the 61st minute when Buckley-Rickett flicked in. To manager Oliver Glasner’s growing frustra tion, Palace could not find a way back into the match until Pino curled in a free-kick in the final minute of normal time. Macclesfield faced six minutes of stoppage time, in a nervy ending for the sold-out Moss Rose crowd, but John Rooney’s team held on to claim a memorable victory in front of his older brother Wayne, who was on punditry duties for the BBC and looked to be on the brink of tears at full time. “He has not long been the manager,” Rooney

Macclesfield became the first sixth-tier team to beat Premier League opposition. In terms of league position, and the 117 place gap between the sides, it is the biggest ever FA Cup upset in the history of the oldest cup competition in the world. Macclesfield’s victory cames less than a month after young forward Ethan McLeod was killed in a car accident at the age of 21, with trib utes paid to the former Wolves academy gradu ate before the match. Captain Dawson dedicated his side’s victory to McLeod, who was part of the Macclesfield squad that knocked out Slough Town in the sec ond round. “That was for him, that was for Ethan,” Dawson said. “It’s been a really tough time and we’ve all stuck together through it. “It’s never, ever gonna get easier. We’ve still got pictures up in the changing room. Those will never go. “It has been really tough. But Ethan, I think he’d be looking down today and he’ll be proud of us as well.”

N ON-LEAGUE Macclesfield produced one of the greatest FA Cup shocks of all time by knocking out holders Crystal Palace in a stunning 2-1 upset at Moss Rose. Eight months after Palace lifted their first major trophy by defeating Manchester City at Wembley, the Premier League side became the first FA Cup holders to lose to non-league oppo sition since Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1909. Macclesfield, of the sixth tier, started the day 117 places below the Eagles in the English foot ball league pyramid. But inspired by goals from captain Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Rickett, and over seen by coach John Rooney, the younger brother of former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, they overturned the odds in a hugely emotional day for the Silkmen. Thousands of supporters flooded onto the pitch at the sound of the full-time whistle as

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