19/02/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | FEB 19, 2026

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Swimmer Hoe Yean stays true to CNY tradition

RESULTS & STANDINGS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (Playoffs, 1st leg) : Gala tasaray 5 (Gabriel Sara 15, Lang 49, 75, Sanchez 60, Boey 86) Juventus 2 (Koopmeiners 16, 32) , Benfica 0 Real Madrid 1 (Vinicius 50) , Borus sia Dortmund 2 (Guirassy 3, Beier 42) Atalanta 0, Monaco 2 (Balogun 1, 18) Paris Saint Germain 3 (Doue 29, 67, Hakimi 41) .

EVERY family has its own cher ished traditions when ushering in the Chinese New Year. For national swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean, it is no different; his family continues to faithfully uphold long-standing customs during the festive season every year. Speaking to Bernama , the 24 year-old athlete shared that his family makes it a point to observe certain taboos every year, includ ing refraining from washing their hair on Lunar New Year’s day. Khiew explained that the prac tice is believed to prevent the loss of “ong”, or good fortune, on what is regarded as an auspicious and sacred day. “Every year, my family and I stick to this tradition. Each family has its own customs, and this is ours. We follow our own routine, starting from the day before the celebration and continuing

he said.

“At the time, my teammates and I went to the supermarket to look for ingredients to prepare yee sang , and we cooked a festive meal together,” he said. Looking ahead to the compe titions on his calendar this year, Hoe Yean said he is eager to start his campaign at the Malaysia Open in April. He described the meet as an important benchmark to test himself ahead of the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. “We’ve taken a short break from training for the Chinese New Year, so I haven’t had much time to prepare. “That’s why I want to use this competition to assess my current level and fine-tune my prepara tions for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. I believe those are the two most important meets for me this year,”

through the first day of the Lunar New Year,” he said. “We also avoid sweeping the house on the first day, as it is believed to sweep away good for tune. Besides that, we continue to practise several other traditions that have been passed down through generations,” he said. Hoe Yean said that this year, he had the opportunity to celebrate Chinese New Year with his family in the capital. The Kuala Lumpur-born ath lete also recalled an unforgettable experience in 2024, when he had to celebrate the festival in Australia while attending the national squad’s training camp in preparation for the World Championships. Despite being far from his loved ones, he made it a point to uphold tradition by observing a vegetarian meal on the first day of the celebration.

Meanwhile, young national swimmer Tong Yu Jing has been told to keep his “fin” sharp as he prepares for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this July. The SEA Games bronze medal list said that despite the excite ment of celebrating Chinese New Year, his coach has encouraged him to continue training and fine tuning his technique to ensure faster finishes. “Previously, I would spend more time with my family during Chinese New Year, but this time my coach told me to keep swim ming every day. “Probably swim in the morn ing, attend family gatherings, and then return for training, cannot stop,” he told Bernama. The Penang-born swimmer secured his spot for the 2026 Commonwealth Games following his performances earlier this year.

ENGLISH Charlton Athletic 1 Portsmouth 3, Bristol City 2 Wrex CHAMPIONSHIP:

ham 2. TOP 20

P

W

D 8 7 8 9 6 9

L 6 7 8 6 9 8 8

F

A

Pts 62 61 56 54 54 48 48 48 47 46 46 45 44 43 42 42 39 39 36 35

Coventry

32 18 32 18 32 16 30 15 31 16 32 13

66 36 50 33 41 37 51 29 50 43 46 41 40 36

Boro

Millwall Ipswich

Hull

Derby

10 47 39

Wrexham Preston Bristol City

32 12 12 32 12 12

32 13

8

11 45 40

Southampton 32 12 10 10 48 44 Birmingham 32 12 10 10 43 39

Watford

32 11 12

9

41 38

QPR

32 12 32 12 32 13 32 12 32 11 32 10

8 7 3 6 6 9 9 8

12 43 46 13 34 29 16 45 45 14 38 39 15 42 42 13 31 41 13 30 40 15 30 41

Stoke

Sheff Utd Swansea Norwich Charlton

Proud Munoz

Portsmouth 31

9 9

Blackburn

32

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18/02/2026

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JDT’s Bergson da Silva (left) is challenged by Vissel’s Takuya Iwanami of during the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Elite match at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Tuesday. – BERNAMAPIC

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Spaniard salutes JDT’s fighting spirit after win over Vissel Kobe J OHOR DARUL TA’ZIM (JDT) head coach Xisco Munoz was gushing with pride after watching his men claim a hard-fought 1-0 win over Vissel Kobe in group phase gives JDT an added advantage heading into the knockout stage, particularly with the confidence gained from strong per formances at home and away.

RM3,865,249.79

lock in the 39th minute when Nene’s low strike beat Gonda and found the net, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review that adjudged him offside. The home side suffered the same fate after the restart when Marcos Guilherme’s effort in the 55th minute was also disallowed for offside after another VAR check. Vissel Kobe, coached by Michael Skibbe, nearly stunned the hosts in the 71st minute through Kento Hamasaki, but his shot crashed against the post. JDT finally found the breakthrough two minutes later when Guilherme drilled a low shot past Gonda in the 73rd minute to give the hosts the lead. Both teams continued to create danger ous chances, but the scoreline remained unchanged until the final whistle. Vissel Kobe head coach Skibbe admitted that JDT deserved victory and progression to the next round.

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RM175,441.37

“It doesn’t matter who we face. When teams reach the next round, it’s because they are strong. We must be ready for anything,” he said. Defenceder Bergson Da Silva set the mood of the game early on, firing a long range effort in the second minute, but his attempt was parried away by goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda. JDT continued to press and came close again in the 13th minute when Antonio Cristian Glauder latched onto a pass from Bergson, only for Gonda to deny them once more. The Japanese side responded through Jean Patric Reis in the 20th minute, but his low drive from outside the box was safely dealt with by JDT custodian Andoni Zubiaurre Dorronsoro, while Mitsuki Hidaka went close a minute later but saw his close range effort go wide. JDT thought they had broken the dead

the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) East Zone match to check into the round-of 16. Describing it as “an amazing night”, Munoz said the win marked another step forward for the Southern Tigers and reflected the squad’s steady development and strong mentality. “It’s an important result for us, and I’m very happy with how the fans helped us tonight,” he said at the post-match press con ference on Tuesday night. “The stadium was magical, incredible, and they (the fans) helped us in all moments. “I’m proud of the players because they gave everything they had.” Munoz was also delighted with the clean sheet and praised his team for putting up a strong fight despite having two goals ruled offside Munoz added that finishing sixth in the

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“I’m not happy with the result, of course, but I’m satisfied with what we have done on the pitch,” he said, adding that the loss was due to resting his key players. – Bernama Speedy Tigress on journey of discovery at World Cup Qualifiers

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THE national women’s hockey team will travel to Santiago, Chile, for the 2026 FIH World Cup Qualifiers, scheduled from March 1-8, aimed at gaining exposure and experience. Speedy Tigress coach Mohd Nasihin Nubli stressed that their mission this time is to expose the younger players to a

The Speedy Tigress will begin their Group B campaign against Ireland on March 3, before facing Canada on March 4 and Japan on March 6. Based on the competition format, the two best teams from Group A and Group B will advance to the semifinals. – Bernama

the kind of high-level exposure we want for our women’s team moving forward,” he said yesterday. At the FIH World Cup Qualifiers in Santiago, Malaysia have been drawn in Group B with Ireland, Canada and Japan. Group A comprises Australia, Chile, France and Switzerland.

competitive tournament, especially in facing world-class teams. “The focus for our women’s team is ‘performance and process’. This is because we will be fielding six players from our 2025 Junior World Cup squad. “So, we hope to optimise the World Cup Qualifiers… this is

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