21/04/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | APR 21, 2026

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KBS committed to inclusive development of athletes

THE Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) is commit ted to further strengthening the development of young national athletes in a fair, inclusive and holistic manner, says its Deputy Minister Mordi Bimol. He said the story of young athletes such as national wushu exponent Jazmin Alag reflected the strong fighting spirit among the new genera

tion of Malaysian sports talent, while inspiring many youths to strive for success despite facing various challenges. “Every young talent must be given the oppor tunity to develop fairly, regardless of background, race or place of origin, as success in sports does not depend solely on talent, but also on opportu nities, support and an open system,” he said in a

statement on Sunday. For the record, Jazmin is the country’s first Indian female wushu athlete to win a gold medal at the 9th World Kungfu Championships in China in 2023. Meanwhile, Mordi said KBS would ensure that more young talents were given the opportunity to grow and not left out of the national sports

development system. He said strategic cooperation with sports asso ciations, state governments and the private sector would continue to be strengthened to ensure more effective athlete development. “No talent should be sidelined if they possess discipline, ability and determination to succeed,” he said. – Bernama

THE Selangor State Government will consider proposals from all state assemblymen in this State Legislative Assembly sitting, follow ing the view of the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah to postpone holding the 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma). State Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Exco Mohd Najwan Halimi said he was grateful for His Highness’ address during the opening of the Selangor State Assembly meeting, especially regarding the proposal to postpone the biennial games. “However, we are waiting for the assemblymen to discuss first and (listen to) their views, and from that, God willing, the state government will examine and look at the need to either postpone or continue. “Let’s not misunderstand, in the address (it is) the view and the appropriateness of whether to con tinue (the organisation of Sukma) or postpone,” he told reporters after the Opening Ceremony of the Fourth Session of the 15th Selangor State Legislative Assembly in 2026 at the Selangor State Assembly yes terday. The chairman of the 22nd Sukma Implementing Committee and the Selangor 2026 Para Sukma is of the view that the postpone ment of Sukma needs to be viewed comprehensively because it is a national-level sports event that was decided jointly with other states and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS). “However, the decree of the Sultan should be used as a guide for us to make any decisions. For this state assembly session, we will leave it to the assemblymen to dis cuss first,” he said. The Sultan of Selangor believes that the organisation of the Sukma Games in the state should be post poned until the crisis in West Asia is over. Sultan Sharafuddin said the postponement is also appropriate until the reconstruction of the Shah Alam Stadium is fully completed. Sukma Selangor 2026 is scheduled to take place from Aug 15 to 24. Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari previ ously said the biennial games would be held on a smaller scale to save on organising costs without reducing the number of sports and events contested. Taufiq said the move was taken after the Games supreme commit tee took note of the global energy crisis and the global economic impact that was also being felt in this country. – Bernama Selangor to consider call to postpone Sukma

Likas roar powers Rhinos

Sabah players and staff celebrate after winning the 2026 Challenge Cup. – BERNAMAPIC

RESULTS & STANDINGS ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Ever ton 1 (Beto 54) Liverpool 2 (Salah 29, van Dijk 90+10) , Nottingham Forest 4 (Gibbs-White 62, 69, 77, Jesus 90+8) Burnley 1 (Flemming 45+2), Aston Villa 4 (Watkins 2, 36, Rogers 46, Abra ham 90+3) Sunderland 3 (Rigg 9, Hume 86, Isidor 87) , Manchester City 2 (Cherki 16, Haaland 65) Arsenal 1 (Havertz 18). P W D L F A Pts Arsenal 33 21 7 5 63 26 70 Man City 32 20 7 5 65 29 67 Man Utd 33 16 10 7 58 45 58 Aston Villa 33 17 7 9 47 41 58 Liverpool 33 16 7 10 54 43 55 Chelsea 33 13 9 11 53 42 48 Brentford 33 13 9 11 48 44 48 Bournemouth 33 11 15 7 50 50 48 Brighton 33 12 11 10 45 39 47 Everton 33 13 8 12 40 39 47 Sunderland 33 12 10 11 36 40 46 Fulham 33 13 6 14 43 46 45 Crystal Palace 31 11 9 11 35 36 42 Newcastle 33 12 6 15 46 49 42 Leeds 33 9 12 12 42 49 39 Nottm Forest 33 9 9 15 36 45 36 West Ham 32 8 8 1640 57 32 Tottenham 33 7 10 16 42 53 31 Burnley 33 4 8 2134 67 20 Wolves 33 3 8 2224 61 17 SERIE A: Cremonese 0 Torino 0, Juventus 2 (David 2, Thuram 57) Bolo gna 0, Pisa 1 (Canestrelli 19) Genoa 2 (Ekhator 41, Colombo 55-pen) , Verona 0 AC Milan 1 (Rabiot 41) . TOP 6 P W D L F A PTS Inter Milan 33 25 3 5 78 29 78 AC Milan 33 19 9 5 48 27 66 Napoli 33 20 6 7 48 33 66 Juventus 33 18 9 6 57 29 63 Como 33 16 10 7 57 28 58 Roma 33 18 4 11 46 29 58 BUNDESLIGA: Monchengladbach 1 Mainz 1, Bayern Munich 4 Stuttgart 2, Freiburg 2 Heidenheim 1. TOP 6 P W D L F A Pts B. Munich (C) 30 25 4 1 109 29 79 Dortmund 30 19 7 4 61 31 64 RB Leipzig 30 18 5 7 59 37 59 Stuttgart 30 17 5 8 62 42 56 Hoffenheim 30 16 6 8 59 44 54 Leverkusen 30 15 7 8 60 41 52 FRENCH LIGUE 1: Monaco 2 Auxerre 2, Metz 1 Paris FC 3, Nantes 1 Brest 1, Strasbourg 0 Rennes 3, Paris Saint Germain 1 Lyon 2. TOP 6 P W D L F A PTS Paris SG 28 20 3 5 62 25 63 Lens 29 20 2 7 57 29 62 Lyon 30 16 6 8 45 30 54 Lille 30 16 6 8 49 34 54 Rennes 30 15 8 7 52 41 53 Marseille 30 16 4 10 58 40 52

Home support propels Sabah to Challenge Cup glory

T HE unwavering support and cheers of 20,589 spectators at Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu acted as the crucial “12th man”, providing the extraordinary energy to propel Sabah FC to Challenge Cup victory on Sunday night. Sabah FC head coach Juan Torres Garrido said the massive home crowd played an instrumental role in ending the Rhinos’ seven-year trophy drought, their last success being the 2019 Premier League title, particularly during a tense first half of the final. “Definitely (the crowd made the difference). Surviving those bad minutes in the first half was probably because we were at home and had that support. “The extra energy in the second half, extra time, and the penalty shootout… we felt the support, and for sure they were an important part of it,” he told a press conference after the match. Sabah FC lifted this season’s Challenge Cup after defeating Penang FC 4-3 in a penalty shootout, fol lowing a 1-1 aggregate draw at the end of regulation time. Reflecting on the match’s dynamics, Garrido admitted his squad struggled to dictate the tempo for about 20 minutes in the first half, despite initially starting the game on the right foot. “Towards the end of the first half, we started to have control of the game again. I think for most of the match, we were the better team and deserved to win,” he said. Despite a goalless draw after regulation and extra-time, the Spanish tactician said his players’ resilience kept them focused, eventually securing victory in the penalty shootout. Garrido, who is in his first season with Sabah FC, described securing the trophy on home soil as highly satisfying, and said the victory would inject fresh motivation and positive energy into the squad as they aim to finish the season strongly. Meanwhile, Penang FC head coach Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail admitted that shortcomings in attack were the main factor behind his side’s failure to seal victory in regulation time, despite creating numer ous dangerous chances. “I admit that from the start of the season until now, we have had issues with finishing. Had we con

verted one of our clear chances in the first half, the course of the match could have been different, as a goal in a final places significant pressure on the opposition,” he said. Wan Rohaimi described the penalty shootout as a 50-50 affair but said luck was not on his side. Despite the defeat, he expressed pride in his play ers for their composure in handling intense pressure from the home crowd throughout the 120 minutes. “Initially, I was slightly concerned about the pres sure from the home supporters. However, seeing my players absorb the pressure well and maintain their focus is something I am very proud of,” he said. On his team’s overall performance, he declined to single out individuals, stressing that the display reflected a strong collective effort. “There is no need to mention two or three names, as every player gave more than 100% on the pitch. “Although we lost, we fought hard, and I hope this high level of commitment can be further improved in the remaining four league matches,” he added. Sabah dominated the first half, but Penang appeared more dangerous with swift counter attacks and more attempts on goal. However, poor finishing that had affected them in the first leg continued to trouble the Black Panthers. The same pattern persisted in the second half, with Sabah controlling possession while Penang kept pressing forward. Tchetche Kipre had several chances, but both sides struggled to break the dead lock. The pace slowed during extra-time as players showed signs of fatigue, though both teams contin ued to push forward. After 120 minutes, neither side managed to find the breakthrough, sending the match into a penalty shootout. The drama then unfolded, with Sabah goalkeeper Damien Lim and Penang’s Ramdhan Ab Hamid each saving two penalties, leaving the score tied at 3 3 after the initial five kicks. However, in sudden death, Penang defender Adib Raop missed his spot-kick, disappointing the Black Panthers supporters. Sabah winger Farhan Roslan then calmly con verted his penalty to beat Ramdhan and send the home crowd wild. – Bernama