08/05/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | MAY 8, 2026

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We have the talent: Goh No shortage of capable mens singles players, says BAM sec gen after Thomas Cup backlash B ADMINTON Association of Malaysia (BAM) has rejected claims that the national governing body lacks talented singles play ers. Identification selections at least twice a year to ensure the country’s best players can be identified and absorbed into BAM’s development system. Goh said BAM will not take hasty action follow ing the underwhelming performance of the national men’s badminton squad at the recent Thomas Cup. According to Goh, in principle, the governing body had no issue with the player training at ABM, but several matters needed to be finalised first. “We just need to refine a few things, and one of them is obtaining approval from the council mem bers.

SHORTS

M-League at crossroads THE import player quota in domestic competitions organised by the Malaysia Football League (MFL) should be reviewed to ensure a more competitive and financially sustainable tournament structure, said former Kelantan FC chief execu tive officer Ahmad Muzakkir Hamid. He said the proposal to reduce the import player quota had their own rationale, particularly in helping teams to manage expenses while creating more opportunities for local players, as well as to narrow the gap between big and smaller teams in the league. “All teams should be given the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in order to create a more competitive league and reduc ing the import player quota could also minimise the risk of teams with drawing from the league due to financial problems,”he said in a state ment today. The proposal to review the import player quota was raised by several football clubs’ representa tives during a roundtable session held by the MFL last week. Ahmad Muzakkir said for this season, MFL allows Super League clubs to register up to 15 import players depending on their financial capability, with only six allowed to be SAM president Norismadi Abd Manap described the devel opment as the end to anxieties for local football fans who had hoped to watch the tournament in an inclusive, legal, and comprehen sive manner. “This development not only brings relief to the fans but also proves that the government is sen sitive to the concerns voiced previ ously. “I express my appreciation for this very meaningful effort by the Ministry of Communications, as it clearly understands the pulse of the people, especially football fans, to join in experiencing the excitement of the tournament,“ he said in a statement released yes terday. According to him, the fans’fears regarding the possibility of missing out on the matches in June and July have now been alleviated, allowing them to eagerly antici pate the upcoming action. Previously, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said that the decision was made through collaboration with the private sector to guarantee high quality broadcasting and broad access for viewers across the nation. The United States is co-hosting this year’s World Cup along with Mexico and Canada, with the opening match scheduled to take place in Mexico City on June 11, while the final is set for New Jersey (US) on July 19. fielded at any one time. SAM welcomes World Cup telecast THE Sports Writers Association of Malaysia (SAM) has welcomed the government’s announcement that Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and Unifi TV will serve as the official broadcasters for the 2026 World Cup in Malaysia.

The allegation was raised by several parties fol lowing the disappointing performance of BAM’s men’s singles players at the recent Thomas Cup. BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh said the governing body actually has talented players in the individual events, but the squad has at times been unfortunate due to injuries. “I do not agree when people say we (BAM) lack talent. Perhaps we have just been unfortunate in the singles events because we already have the talent, but then injuries happen. “You all know how many players are injured, while some are still recovering and others have only just recovered. So I don’t think we lack talent; we have just been unlucky in that aspect,” he said when met on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Kenny said that, to ensure BAM does not run short of new talent, the governing body’s tal ent scouts continuously monitor various national tournaments throughout the year. He added that, besides monitoring national tournaments, BAM also conducts Talent

“That’s all, but in principle, there is no issue, and this is not something new. We have invited him before to come and train with us,” he said. The media previously reported that Zii Jia was open to joining training sessions at ABM on a regu lar basis. According to Zii Jia, the plan is still at the discus sion stage as it involves several matters, including the governing body’s regulations. At the same time, Goh said that if Zii Jia was allowed to train at ABM, BAM would first review the player’s training programme before making any decision. This includes determining whether the profes sional player would train with the elite squad or the national back-up group. “We need to look at his training programme first and whether he will train with the elite players or the back-up players. I think this will be refined by the performance committee,” he said. – Bernama Nam Dinh attempted to fight back in search of an equaliser through several quick counter attacks, but Selangor’s defensive line remained disciplined, closing down the space and absorbing the pressure until the final whistle. Despite being pleased with his players’ dis play, Pan Gon said Selangor’s job is only half done and expects a much tougher challenge away from home. “I cannot explain our full strategy yet because there is still one more game to play. We have achieved only the first part of our plan,” said the South Korean in the post-match press conference. “We know Nam Dinh are very strong at home, so we cannot afford to be comfortable. We must be resilient. While we expect them to attack us, they must also know that we have dangerous strikers and wingers who can attack them as well. “We will be prepared to resist their pressure and reach our target of the final.” Pan Gon described the contest as an evenly matched affair and credited his players for exe cuting their tactical plan effectively. “I’m very proud of all our players. They were very solid, determined and united as a team. We planned well and the players followed all the instructions,” he said. “We are aware that Nam Dinh are physically and individually very strong but at home we wanted to win before going away. So we put in our best effort with an attacking strategy while maintaining good defensive balance.” – Bernama/Agencies the match. Jackson attributed the victory to the team’s excel lent discipline and hard work, noting that the squad has proven they can adapt to various playing styles throughout this season. JDT only managed to score in the dying minutes of the match through Ager Aketxe, whose strike from a tight angle found the back of the net. However, the home side’s joy was short-lived as Buriram United needed less than a minute to restore their two-goal cushion, with Guilherme Bissoli firing a powerful volley past goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed, following a pass from Peter Zulj. Earlier, Buriram United had established a comfort able two-goal lead in the first half when Guilherme Bissoli opened the scoring from a Sasalak Haiprakhon assist in the 33rd minute while Goran Causic doubled the lead with a diving header during stoppage time of the first half. – Bernama

He said this was because the governing body already had its own roadmap and long-term targets leading up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA2028). “We should not have a knee-jerk reaction every time we lose in a tournament. We already have a roadmap towards LA 2028, with several milestones in each tournament they participate in. “So what is important is that as long as we are within the roadmap and achieve the set milestones, it means we are on the right track,” he said when met by reporters after the Malaysia Masters badminton tournament press conference at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, when asked to comment on national professional men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia’s intention to train at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM), Goh said BAM was open to allow ing the move.

Red Giants take slim lead in ACC semis SELANGOR FC holds a slim advantage heading into the away leg after defeating Vietnamese representative Nam Dinh FC 2-1 in the first leg of the 2025/26 Asean Club Championship (ACC) semifinal at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium on Wednesday night

Selangor’s Chrigor Flores Moraes (right) celebrates scoring a goal in the 2025/26 Shopee Cup semifinal match against Nam Dinh FC at the MBPJ Stadium on Wednesday. – BERNAMAPIC

This result means that the “Red Giants” squad, coached by Kim Pan Gon, must at least maintain their momentum and avoid defeat in the return leg at Thien Truong Stadium in Vietnam next Wednesday to confirm their place in the final. Both teams displayed energetic perform ances from the opening whistle, but Selangor controlled the game more effectively and created several early opportunities that tested the visitors’ defence. Selangor’s opening goal came in the 37th minute when a low cross from Quentin Cheng was successfully finished by Chrigor Moraes to put the hosts in front. However, Nam Dinh managed to equal ise when Van Vi Nguyen scored towards the end of the first half, making it 1-1 before both teams headed to their respective dressing rooms. Once the second half resumed, Selangor reorganised their rhythm by increasing the intensity of their attacks and Moraes proved decisive once again, scor ing his second goal in the 58th minute with a chip shot after receiving an accu rate pass from Quentin.

Munoz wants absolute belief from JDT

JOHOR Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach Xisco Munoz has called for absolute belief from his squad to over turn a daunting deficit following their 3-1 defeat to Buriram United FC in the Asean Club Championship (ACC) semifinal first leg in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, on Wednesday night. Despite the Southern Tigers dominating 70% of the possession at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, the visitors proved incredibly efficient by converting every shot on target into goals. “We can only say sorry for our fans. We tried to control the game and push from one side to another, but football at the end of the day is about who has more capacity to score,” he said in a post-match press conference. The coach acknowledged the defensive lapses but refused to point fingers at individuals, instead attrib uting the goals to collective mistakes made earlier in the play.

On the team’s prospects for the return leg, Munoz remained adamant that the tie is far from over despite the two-goal cushion held by the Thai giants. “We need to trust in ourselves and we need to work. We are working for our logo, for our character, our spirit, and our ambition. We need to go there and try to change the situation. “I believe in that because football has these situa tions. We must analyse everything and focus on how we can stop these situations,” he added. Meanwhile, Buriram United FC head coach Mark Jackson expressed optimism about defending their championship title this season, citing total faith in his squad’s unity. “I believe in my team and we can win every game. We are not being arrogant but we believe in our group capabilities and we can win this season together,”he said, praising the resilience and fantas tic performance shown by his players throughout