31/03/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | MAR 31, 2026

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N ATIONAL head coach Peter Cklamovski is confident that Harimau Malaya are fully prepared for a stern chal lenge against Vietnam in their last Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Nam Dinh, today night. Cklamovski said his players are ready to embrace the challenge despite facing a quality opponent on their home ground. “We come here prepared, ready and ready for a tough game against a very good opponent. We’re looking forward to that challenge and do eve rything we can to get the victory,” he told a pre-match press conference yes terday. The Australian tactician, however admitted the team are still reeling from the recent setback involving Fifa sanc tions and points deduction imposed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which severely affected Malaysia’s chances of qualifying.

Bring ‘em on Harimau Malaya ready for Vietnam test despite setback, says Cklamovski

2027 Asian Cup Finals, leading Group F with 15 points, followed by Malaysia in second spot with nine points. Laos and Nepal are third and fourth, respec tively, with three points each. Recently, the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee found that Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had breached Article 56 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code for field ing ineligible players in two Asian Cup 2027 qualifying matches against Nepal and Vietnam. – Bernama INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES Macau 0 Tanzania 6, Lithuania 0 Georgia 2, Armenia 1 Belarus 2, Aruba 4 Liechtenstein 1, Colombia 1 France 3, Barbados 2 St. Vincent/Grenadines 3, British Virgin Islands 4 Anguilla 0, Domini can Republic 1 Cuba 1, Cayman Islands 1 Bahamas 0. RESULTS

“At the same time, Malaysia has not beaten Vietnam away from home for over 12 years or something like that, so there’s something to chase there. It’s a challenge, and we do it through our football,” he said. Malaysia last recorded an away vic tory over Vietnam with a 4-2 win in the second leg of the semifinals of the 2014 AFF Championship in Hanoi. Meanwhile, defender Dion Cools echoed his coach’s sentiments, high lighting the squad’s determination heading into the crucial encounter. “We always know it’s a tough game against Vietnam, so the players are extra motivated. The team has trained well and, yeah, we’re ready to have a good game tomorrow,” he said. Malaysia’s hopes of featuring in the Asian Cup Finals on merit for the sec ond consecutive time were dashed after being docked six points by the AFC. Vietnam, who have qualified for the

Cklamovski stressed that Malaysia will maintain their winning mentality regardless of circumstances as they aim to end their campaign on a high note. He said the match also presents an opportunity for Malaysia to end a long standing winless run against Vietnam away from home, stretching over a decade. “We always have that mentality to win the next game no matter who it is against and what circumstances. That doesn’t change tomorrow night.

“Listen, it’s obvious to say that we’re disappointed with the outcome and devastated because something com pletely out of our control has impacted the chance to qualify but again, to sim plify things for us, we control what we can control, the way we train, the way we operate as a national team. “In tough times, it gives you a really good chance to measure yourself as men, as a group, as a national team. This camp, I’ve got to say I’m very proud of the players and staff and the commitment they have,” he said.

Rise of a relentless star

THE career of young and promising national squash player Sanjay Jeeva needs little introduc tion, given the impressive achievements he has enjoyed so far. His triumph at the 2025 SEA Games and shock victories over far more experienced opponents rank among the highlights of the 26-year-old’s career. However, many fans, including locals, are unaware of the struggles he faced early on or the immense pressure that comes with being a pro fessional athlete. Still, his sacrifices have paid off, with Sanjay enjoying numerous memorable moments and setting increasingly ambitious personal goals. This is the story of Sanjay’s highs and lows, shared exclusively with theSun. Turning Pro Growing up in Belgium, Sanjay first fell in love with badminton, but a lack of coaching options left him at a crossroad. Faced with that dilemma, he eventually turned to squash, where his interest deepened after enjoying success in an international-level tournament. “My father decided for me to stop play ing badminton and move to a club closer to our house and play the sports that were there. In those clubs, I played tennis, swimming, football and also squash. That’s where I picked up the game. “But I really got into it because I competed in my first squash tour nament when I was 12 years old. It was in Luxembourg, and it was an international competition. “I didn’t think much of it, but I ended up winning that tournament, and that really sparked my interest in playing squash,” he told theSun . Sanjay remained in Belgium until the age of 18 before moving to the United States after receiving a scholar ship to study at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania, awarded on the strength of his sporting achieve ments. The move proved piv otal in his career, as it gave him the opportu nity to compete at

Ű BY ZIKRY MARZUKI zikry@thesundaily.com

lete. “I then started working at a country club as a touring professional, where I began my profes sional career in squash. “After three years, I then received another scholarship offer, this time in the United Kingdom (UK), to pursue postgraduate study in high-per formance sports, which I completed last year,” he added. Consistency & perseverence After nearly 10 years as a professional, Sanjay admitted there is still plenty of room for improve ment, particularly in the mental aspect of his game. This remains a significant obstacle in his pur suit of a top-50 world ranking, with his personal best standing at No. 58 in March 2025. “Right now, the challenge I am facing is the mental side of the game. I have started with a sports psychologist to help me through my men tal state because of the pressures that I am facing from the country, from my par ents, and from myself.

level tournament, which is quite a high level tour nament. The result helped me move up to my highest ranking of World No. 58,” he told. With the experience and knowledge he has gained over the years, Sanjay remains hopeful of achieving more milestones in his career. No excuses Like many athletes, Sanjay has faced difficult periods in his career, with technical setbacks at times preventing him from performing at his best. “There are no excuses,” he claimed. “Sometimes it’s the time you get into an event as some of it was last minute while some of those events are across the world. “Getting there last minute, having to deal with the time zone changes and adjusting to the court is quite difficult. Sometimes, you’re not 100% when you have to play your match.” Apart from technical challenges, Sanjay admit ted pressure has also increased as he faces more experienced opponents due to his rising ranking. “As my ranking is moving up slowly, I am able to get into bigger events, where I am playing top, higher ranked players that are at the moment a lot better “It will be a lot harder to beat them. So that’s another factor, but I can say it’s a good experi ence,” he said. One of the most challenging periods for Sanjay came in early this year, when he endured a five-match losing streak that began with defeat to Hong Kong’s Alex Lau at the Karachi Open. The slump continued with losses to Moustafa Elsirty at the Motor City Open, a 3–1 defeat to Patrick Rooney at the Squash on Fire Open, an early exit at the New Zealand Open to Yannick Wilhelmi, and a hard-fought 71-minute loss to France’s Auguste Dussourd at the Australian Open. Sanjay’s run of defeats finally ended when he overcame Om Semwal 11–5, 11–5, 11–2 to reach the quarterfinals of the Indian Open. He built on that momentum with a convincing 3–0 win over Egypt’s Ibrahim El Kabbani. His impressive campaign, however, ended in the semifinals after a 11–7, 11–5, 5–11, 11–6 defeat to home favourite Veer Chotrani in a 37 minute match. Despite those setbacks, Sanjay showed resil ience by continuing to work on the mental aspect of his game while striving to regain consistency. “There are times where I can play really well when I am not overthinking, but there are also times where I can play really bad. “Those moments come and go, depending on the pressure, my travel, the tournament level. Plus, during that period, I have been in some unfortunate circumstances where I’m not feeling great,” he added. With proper coaching and guidance, Sanjay is poised to reach his peak both mentally and physically in the near future. etter lot be “It will be a lo another factor, b ” he said. ence,” One of the Sanjay came in ea match losing five-m Hong Kong’s Alex The slump con Elsirty at the Mo Patrick Rooney a exit at the early Wilhelmi, and a France’s Auguste Sanjay’s run o overcame Om Se uarterfinals the q momentum thatm Egypt’s Ibrahim E His impressive semifinals af the s defeat to home f te match. minut

point to win matches back-to-back and consis tently to break into top level,” he claimed. Now ranked world No. 63, Sanjay is aiming to build consistency with the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 PSA World Championships just around the corner. The qualifying event, to be held in Hong Kong from tomorrow to April 4, will feature Sanjay alongside several other national players, includ ing Duncan Lee and Ameeshenraj Chandran. Memorable moments Reflecting on the most memorable moment of his career, Sanjay described his victory at the 2025 SEA Games as one of the standout high lights. He defeated compatriot Lee 6–11, 11–6, 11–5, 11–4 in an all-Malaysian final at Vajiravudh College in Thailand to secure the gold medal. “I still look back to the day when I won the SEA Games, and every time I think about it, I felt relief and joy because I was top seeded, and in Malaysia squash, we were expected to bring home all gold medals,” he said. The achievement was even more meaningful for Sanjay as it came just six months after he had been outplayed by the same opponent in the National Squash Championship final, making his SEA Games triumph a “redemption.”

“It can be as simple as just winning matches, but it is not simple to get to that

“I knew that the second seed was against my team mate (Duncan Lee) who is also a Malaysian and beat ing him made it even more special,” Sanjay added. His victory over then world No. 22 Abdulla Al-Tamimi at the 2025 New Zealand Squash Open is also one to remember, as the Qatari was the high est-ranked opponent Sanjay has defeated. Sanjay won 10–12, 11–9, 11–6, 5–11, 11–6 in a 54-minute match to book his place in the quarterfinals.

Sanjay Jeeva with the 2025 SEA Games gold medal. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUNPIX

university level, further fuelling his ambition to become a pro f es - sional ath

“It was also in my first ever Silver