07/05/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | MAY 7, 2026

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Penang faces backlash over Sukma football withdrawal THE Penang government will convene a meet ing following criticism over the decision by the Penang State Sports Council (MSNPP) not to send the state men’s football team to the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2026. to explain the matter,” he told Bernama yester day. The issue came to light after MSNPP con firmed that Penang would not field a men’s football team at the 2026 Selangor Sukma after failing to finalise the players’ list within the registration deadline set by organisers.

Golden run for youth dodgeball squad MALAYSIA’S youth dodgeball squad delivered an impressive performance by winning four gold medals and two silvers at the 2026 Asian Youth Dodgeball Championship which concluded yes terday in Bangkok, Thailand. The Malaysia Dodgeball Federation (MDF) in a statement today said that the four gold medals were won in the Under-13 mixed, U-13 boys’, U-19 boys’ and U-19 girls’ categories, while the two silver medals were contributed by the U-16 boys’ and U 16 girls’ squads. MDF said the achievement was even more commendable as majority of the athletes were making their first appearance representing Malaysia on the international stage and comprised new athletes. “The courage, fighting spirit and high level of commitment shown by these athletes prove that Malaysia has great potential in the development of dodgeball in the future,” the statement said. It said the success was a meaningful start for Malaysia in the Asian dodgeball arena despite the national contingent facing various challenges and constraints throughout preparations. As such, MDF hopes for greater support from various parties, including government agencies and the private sector, in terms of moral support, financial assistance and development efforts to ensure the continuity and progress of dodgeball in the country. – Bernama

ance with selection procedures, including structured training programmes and player performance assessments. The decision has triggered disappointment among football sup porters who were concerned about the man agement of the state youth football develop ment, calling for an internal investigation into the matter and urged the authorities to pub licly disclose the findings. They also demanded greater accountability from those responsible and called for a more systematic and professional youth football development framework to be implemented immediately. –Bernama

Penang State Executive Councillor for Health, Youth and Sports Daniel Gooi Zi said the meeting would be held with the MSNPP, FA Penang and Penang FC to obtain a clearer explanation on the circumstances that led to the team being left out of the country’s premier multi-sport event. “I will first meet MSNPP, FA Penang and Penang FC before holding a press conference

In a statement yesterday, MSNPP took full responsibility for the decision, saying the absence of a long list of players before the reg istration cut-off date made it impossible for the state to complete the participation process. According to MSNPP, participation in Sukma required early preparation and strict compli

Only two pairs to represent Malaysia at 2026 Asian Games Best of the best

Cheah’s final shot for glory

PAHANG male shooter Cheah Zen Hong is determined to give his best performance at the 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor, which he describes as his final appearance in the big gest multi-sport event in the country. The 20-year-old shooter said that his preparations are currently at a maximum level to ensure he can achieve positive results in this edition. “I will do the best I can for my final Sukma and hope to achieve extraordinary results,” he said when met by reporters at the Pahang Sports Awards 2023/24 ceremony at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Silver Jubilee Hall on Tuesday. He, along with Pahang female shooter Sayyeda Khadeeja Mohammad Anis Fadhli, were crowned as the 2023/24 Pahang Promising Sportsman and Promising Sportswoman, respec tively during the ceremony. At the same time, Cheah expressed his gratitude for the recognition received following his success in bringing honour to the country and the state of Pahang. “This recognition makes me more motivated to keep fighting and achieve greater success in the future,” said the gold medal win ner in the men’s 10m Air Pistol individual and team events at the Sukma 2024. He added that breaking his own record was one of his per sonal targets for the Games, as well as two other competitions. “I will just do my best, so if on that day (Sukma 2026) I can also break the record, it would be a very proud achievement for me,” said Cheah who is scheduled to participate in several interna tional championships before Sukma 2026, including the 2026 Shooting World Cup in Munich, Germany, this month, followed by the Southeast Asian Shooting Championships in Taiwan. Meanwhile, Sayyeda Khadeeja, who has recently recov ered from a recurrent tendon injury sustained over the last two years, said her focus is now entirely directed towards facing Sukma 2026 and the 2027 SEA Games in Sarawak. “The injury happened during training and was quite bad before, but Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), it is getting better now. I am still in the recovery process,” she said. – Bernama

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06/05/2026

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National men’s doubles head coach, Herry Iman Pierngadi. – BERNAMAPIC

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N ATIONAL men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi said only two pairs will be selected to represent Malaysia in the team event at the 2026 Asian Games. He said the selection will be based on current performances in several key tournaments, includ ing the World Championships and upcoming World Tour events. The current squad forms the core of prepara tions, but further evaluation will be carried out before the final list is confirmed “Each country can only field a maximum of two pairs, so we will select the best. This is different from the Thomas Cup, where three pairs are allowed. “The current players are being prepared, but there are still several important tournaments to assess their strengths and weaknesses,” he told reporters recently. He also urged all players to work harder to ensure they reach peak form ahead of the major competitions. On the chances of other pairs, including young duo Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Yap Roy King, Herry said they could still break into the squad if they show consistent performances. In a related development, he said players’ physi cal condition, especially Man Wei Chong, will be closely monitored to avoid injuries ahead of major tournaments. He added that the tournament schedule has been carefully planned, including selecting suitable events to keep players in top condition. “We will not compete in every tournament. We will choose between events in Malaysia, Singapore

and Indonesia, depending on the players’ condi tion. “There will be periods of rest for injury recovery, but decisions will be made based on their perform ance leading up to the World Championships and the Asian Games,” he said. The 2026 Asian Games will be held from Sept 19 to Oct 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Meanwhile, the country’s top mixed doubles pair, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, are determined to deliver their best performance at the Malaysia Masters tournament after not competing together in the previous edition. According to Chen, he and his partner will capi talise on the opportunity to play on home soil and hope to provide an excellent performance for the local fans attending the event at the Unifi Arena. “Playing at home is definitely an advantage for us. We always feel appreciated and are grateful for the support we receive. So, we hope to perform even better every time we play on home ground,” he said when met after the Malaysia Masters press confer ence at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) yesterday. Meanwhile, Toh said she is delighted to be given the opportunity to compete on home ground once again and expressed hope to bring joy to the sup porters who will be present to watch their perform ance at the tournament. “We are very excited to play at home and will give our best in this Malaysia Masters. Even though we are competing with the status of World Champions, the pressure is still there, but it is part of our jour ney,” she said. – Bernama

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