27/02/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | FEB 27, 2026

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Decision looms for FAM, heritage players

CRUCIAL time for seven heritage players and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) with pro ceedings due to take place at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). According to information posted on CAS’s offi cial website, the hearing will be held at the organi sation’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland at midnight Malaysia time. Sports law expert Richard Wee said the pro ceedings could conclude on the same day, but the official decision is expected to be announced within a few days. “The decision being made on the same day is not necessarily guaranteed, as arbitrators some ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP: Millwall 3 Birmingham City 0, Sheffield United 1 Coventry 2, Norwich City 2 Sheffield Wednesday 0, Stoke City 2 Oxford Utd 1. TOP 10 P W D L F A Pts Coventry 34 20 8 6 70 37 68 Mid’boro 34 18 9 7 51 34 63 Millwall 34 17 8 9 45 40 59 Ipswich 32 16 9 7 56 34 57 Hull 33 17 6 10 55 48 57 Wrexham 34 14 12 8 53 45 54 Southampton 34 13 11 10 54 45 50 Bristol City 34 14 8 12 47 42 50 Preston 34 12 13 9 41 38 49 Birmingham 34 13 10 11 45 43 49 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (knockout play offs, 2nd leg) : Atalanta 4 (Scamacca 5, Zappacosta 45, Pasalic 57, Samardzic 90+8 pen) Borussia Dortmund 1 (Adeyemi 75) – Atalanta win 4-3 on agg , Paris Saint Germain 2 (Marquinhos 60, Kvaratskhelia 66) Monaco 2 (Akliouche 45, Teze 90+1) – PSG win 5-4 on agg , Real Madrid 2 (Tchouameni 16, Vinicius 80) Benfica 1 (Rafa Silva 14) – Real Madrid win 3-1 on agg , Juventus 3 (Locatelli 37-pen, Gatti 70, McKennie 82) Galatasaray 2 (Osimhen 105+1, Baris Yilmaz 119) – Galatasaray win 7-5 on aggregate . LCWC offers RM100k prize purse THE inaugural Lee Chong Wei Cup (LCWC) will offer a total prize purse of RM100,000, making it one of the most lucrative youth level badminton tournaments in Malaysia. The competition aims to identify and develop promising young players while promoting healthy lifestyles and positive sporting values. National badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei said the tournament marks his latest effort to give back to the sport that shaped his career. “I hope this initiative will help shape strong individuals and encourage children from all backgrounds to participate in sports. Badminton has always united Malaysians from every walk of life, and I hope the LCWC can become a meaningful platform for young players to grow and develop,” he said at a press conference yes terday. Meanwhile, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz described the LCWC as a valuable addition to Malaysia’s grass roots badminton development structure. “The LCWC is more than a tournament; it is a platform to widen access, strengthen our grassroots pipeline and nurture the next generation of talent,” he said. The tournament will feature three age categories (U-13, U-15 and U-17) across five disciplines (Boys’Singles, Girls’Singles, Boys’ Doubles, Girls’ Doubles and Mixed Doubles). Champions will also earn a trial oppor tunity at the Academy Badminton Malaysia. – Bernama RESULTS & STANDINGS

while each player was fined SFr2,000 (RM11,000) and suspended from all football-related activities for 12 months. Hopes for reduced sanctions were dashed after the Fifa Appeals Committee on Nov 3 rejected FAM’s appeal and that of the players, upholding the Disciplinary Committee’s decision regarding the serious Article 22 FDC violations. However, on Jan 27, FAM announced that CAS had granted a stay of execution application sub mitted by the seven players, allowing them to con tinue their careers and participate in football related activities until the final appeal decision is made. – Bernama NATIONAL track cycling champion Datuk Mohamad Azizulhasni Awang will continue to be a backup for the national squad to compete in the four major tournaments of the World Track Championships, the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya, Japan. Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) presi dent Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said Mohamad Azizulhasni, nicknamed The Pocket Rocket Man, is still being fielded to help in the hunt for gold medals for the national squad. “He is currently competing as an independent profes sional athlete, but has informed MNCF he will continue competing until the Asian Games. Therefore, his involve ment with the national squad until the Asian Games is guar anteed. Participation in the championships after that is uncertain. “He is making his own preparations as an independent cyclist. He is a mature athlete who understands what is at stake,” he told reporters after the 2026 Working Committee meeting at the National Sports Council yesterday. Amarjit said the results of the 38-year-old athlete at the Asian Games would be decisive for him whether he qualifies to compete at the World Track Championships in Shanghai, China from Oct 14 to 18. The World Track Cup is scheduled to be held from April 24 to 26 at the Nilai National Velodrome, followed by the Commonwealth Games from July 23 to Aug 2 in Glasgow. The Asian Games will also be held in Aichi Nagoya from Sept 19 to Oct 4. KBS rallies behind Hakim Danish YOUTH and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari has given words of encouragement to national rider Muhammad Hakim Danish Ramli ahead of the Moto3 season opener at the Grand Prix (GP) in Thailand this week. He said he had met the 19-year-old rider previously and had also invited him to break fast with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Masjid Wilayah Kuala Lumpur last week. “We had a lengthy discussion to motivate him. In Thailand, we hope for the best. Continue to uphold the spirit of making Malaysia proud, and I am confident he can go even further,” he said after launching the My Athlete Centre at the Pavilion MSN yesterday. Mohammed Taufiq said the prime minister was also surprised to learn that Muhammad Hakim Danish began his journey in motorsports at the age of seven. “That is a source of pride. He comes from Terengganu and not from a MotoGP background, but through our grassroots programmes we have managed to produce athletes like him. That is why the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) will continue working closely with all parties to nurture more grassroots athletes,” he said. SHORTS Azizulhasni keeps backup role

Malaya squad. Earlier in September, Fifa had confirmed that FAM and seven players – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Manchuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel – were found to have violated Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (FDC) relating to document forgery. Investigations found that FAM had submitted documents believed to be forged to verify the eligi bility of the players, allowing them to play when Malaysia defeated Vietnam 4-0 in Group F of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers here last June. As a result, FAM was fined SFr350,000 (RM1.8m)

times take time to hear the case first. “But based on my experience, it may take sev eral days or even weeks,” he told Bernama yester day. Meanwhile, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John expressed a similar view when contacted. “From our experience, some decisions are issued within two to three days, while others are released later,” he said. Last December, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed it had filed an appeal to CAS regarding Fifa’s sanctions against the associa tion and the seven heritage players of the Harimau

United front Zii Jia-BAM combo can boost Thomas Cup bid, says Mohammed Taufiq

T HE combination of professional players and those under the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) can strengthen the country’s challenge in the 2026 Thomas Cup competition in Horsens, Denmark, at the end of April, said Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari. He is confident that the country’s top professional shuttler, Lee Zii Jia (pic) , and BAM players could team up well to pro vide a vital boost to their Thomas Cup campaign. “I thank Zii Jia and the team for agree ing to join us in our quest for Thomas Cup glory, which was last achieved in 1992. “Thank you, and this participation is made based on patriotism and the spirit of giving the very best for the country,” Mohammed Taufiq told reporters after launching the My Athlete Centre at the National Sports Council (NSC) Pavilion yesterday. Zii Jia recently confirmed his readiness to assist Malaysia in the 2026 Thomas Cup campaign without making any demands to BAM. On another matter, Mohammed Taufiq said he would meet the Road To Gold (RTG) programme committee soon to map out a clearer direction in pursuit of TERENGGANU FC (TFC) interim head coach Tengku Hazman Raja Hassan has urged his players to be more aggressive and avoid commit ting simple mistakes when they face Kuala Lumpur City FC in a Super League match at Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin tonight. The 49-year-old tactician said the defeat to The City Boys in the Malaysia Cup quarterfinal on Feb 15 should serve as a lesson for the squad, reminding them not to lose concentration and concede easy

Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. “So far there are no changes (to RTG), and we will continue to work closely and hold discussions to ensure that the pro gramme runs smoothly, and that we can achieve the targets we have set. “But if there are any changes, I will issue a statement on what will be imple mented. In the near future, I will also meet them to ensure our direction is clearer,” he said at the launch of the My Athlete Centre. The government has allocated RM12 million for the implementation of the RTG programme in 2026. The My Athlete Centre serves as a welfare and well-being hub for athletes, aimed at enriching their experience through mental health support and wel fare management. “Today I launched the My Athlete Centre, which is a hub for our athletes to relax, gather and unwind after a full day of training and so on. “This involves an allocation of RM500,000, and as you can see the design is very modern and relaxed. “We also want to ensure that our ath

letes are able to manage and control their stress after long training sessions,” he said. – Bernama Turtles urged to step up against KL City

ing session this afternoon before deciding on the main squad. Some players are injured, but nothing serious. “Our mission is to secure full points, especially in home games. To reach our target of the top four in the league, we cannot afford to drop any more points,” he said. TFC currently sit fifth in the Super League with 28 points from 17 matches, five points behind KL City, who are in third place. – Bernama

need to be more alert and must not repeat the mistakes this time,” he said when contacted yesterday. Tengku Hazman, who is also a former national player, said he has yet to finalise the starting eleven for tomorrow’s match as several play ers are struggling with injuries. However, he is somewhat relieved as central import player Raianderson da Costa Morais, better known as Careca, can return after serving a one-match suspension. “I need to assess the final train

goals in the final moments. He added that players must also make the most of their home matches to secure full points and improve the Turtles’ league stand ing. “I have emphasised and cor rected our defensive work because in the last meeting with KL City, we conceded easy goals. “Also, I noticed the players easily lose focus and have communication issues among themselves. We know KL City has quality players, so we