20/05/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | MAY 20, 2026

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Government doubles down on athlete welfare

RESULTS & STANDINGS

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Arse nal 1 (Havertz 37) Burnley 0. PWD L F APts Arsenal 37 25 7 5 69 2682 Man City 36 23 8 5 75 3277 Man Utd 37 19 11 7 66 50 68 Aston Villa 37 18 8 11 54 48 62 Liverpool 37 17 8 12 62 52 59 Bournemouth 36 13 16 7 56 52 55 Brighton 37 14 11 12 52 43 53 Brentford 37 14 10 13 54 51 52 Sunderland 37 13 12 12 40 47 51 Chelsea 36 13 10 13 55 49 49 Newcastle 37 14 7 16 53 53 49 Everton 37 13 10 14 47 49 49 Fulham 37 14 7 16 45 51 49 Leeds 37 11 14 12 49 53 47 Crystal Palace 37 11 12 14 40 49 45 Nottm Forest 37 11 10 16 47 50 43 Tottenham 36 9 11 16 46 55 38 West Ham 37 9 9 1943 6536 Burnley 37 4 9 2437 7421 Wolves 37 3 10 2426 6719 NOTE: Top five qualify for Champions League; bottom three relegated RELEGATED NATIONAL No. 1 women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah have with drawn from the Malaysia Masters 2026 which began yesterday and continues until May 24 at the Unifi Arena in Bukit Jalil. The latest development was con firmed by the Badminton Association of Malaysia via its Facebook post, stat ing that the decision was made due to an injury sustained by Tan. “The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirms that Pearly Tan has withdrawn from the Malaysia Masters 2026 due to a recurring back injury,” it said. Previously, Tan had also withdrawn from representing the country in the Uber Cup Finals 2026 in Horsens, Denmark. Malaysia’s hope on women’s doubles now hinges on up and com ing pair and seventh seeds Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting as well as Chong Jie Yu-Vanessa Ng. Meanwhile, National Women’s Doubles Head Coach Rosman Razak said it was still too early to allow Pearly to return to the court, even though her recovery process is progressing well. He said that the decision was also reached after discussions with National Doubles Coaching Director Rexy Mainaky. “We do not want to take a major risk considering there are still many major tournaments that she will be participating in after this. We under stand the sentiment and high expecta tions to see them play on home soil, but this decision was made to ensure Pearly’s recovery process is at its abso lute best,” he said in a separate state ment. Rosman added that the participa tion status of Pearly-Thinaah at the 2026 Singapore Open from May 26– 31, followed by the 2026 Indonesia Open from June 2–7, also remains uncertain. “Pearly and Thinaah’s participation in the Singapore Open and Indonesia Open will still depend on Pearly’s cur rent condition and fitness level,” he said. – Bernama Pearly-Thinaah skip Malaysia Masters 2026

THE government will continue to prioritise the wel fare of athletes to ensure the country is able to achieve more success at the international level, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said sport is not merely a recreational activity but an important strategy within the Madani Government framework to elevate the dignity of the people and the nation, as well as to build a more inclusive society that transcends race and back ground. He added that while attention is currently focused on the economic transformation agenda and artificial intelligence (AI), sports development remains an important national agenda given its sig nificant role in building a more inclusive and holistic society. “Just as the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has called for reduced spending in sports events or for moderation, I have stated that if there is surplus allocation, it should instead be channelled towards athletes’ welfare. “We also emphasise that if we want success in

activities and athletes’ welfare will continue to be fully safeguarded… that is my assurance,” he said. The Prime Minister also shared Malaysia’s eco nomic performance last year and in the first quarter of this year, which recorded better-than-initially-fore cast growth despite global economic uncertainties, including rising world oil prices. He said the development proved that the coun try’s economy is on a commendable trajectory as a result of continuous efforts by all parties to ensure stability and sustainable growth. The Prime Minister explained that economic fore casts are usually made conservatively and that there are sometimes differences between initial projec tions and actual performance. Anwar said: “I look at the forecasts made in sports events, which have achieved better-than-expected performance because these forecasts usually contain a bit of exaggeration. “In our country, there are two things we can be proud of when it comes to forecasts, namely sports and economic growth.” – Bernama

sports, the focus must be on athletes’ welfare. That must be the number one factor, apart from providing better and more comfortable training facilities,” he said when speaking at the 2025 National Sports Awards at the National Sports Council (MSN) yester day. Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said that despite current economic challenges, various sports events and programmes will continue through the implementation of appropriate cost-saving meas ures. He also gave an assurance in the Cabinet meeting that sports activities would not be affected, while ensuring that athletes’ welfare is always safeguarded. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my highest appreciation to the Youth and Sports Ministry, MSN and sports associations for under standing that we are not exempt from the impact of the economic slowdown, by organising programmes on a more modest scale and with prudent spending. “Even though there are financial constraints, I have assured Taufiq and the Cabinet that sports

Malaysia’s golden duo World title heroes dominate ASN 2025, recognised for landmark achievement

M IXED doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei have been crowned National Sportsman and Sportswoman respectively at the 2025 National Sports Awards (ASN) at the National Sports Council (MSN) in Bukit Jalil yesterday. The pair’s outstanding success on the international stage, particu larly their world title win in Paris last year, which ended Malaysia’s 48-year wait for a mixed doubles world crown, earned them the prestigious awards. For Toh, the award is not only for herself and Chen but also for all Malaysians who have continuously supported them. She described the recognition as a stepping stone towards achieving even greater suc cess. “Of course, after becoming world champions, there are still many tar gets to achieve and people certainly expect us to deliver more success. However, I feel this is an important journey with my partner because in sport, we have wins and losses. “When we win, we celebrate together, and when we lose, we must rise again and overcome it to achieve better results. “I believe that if we continue to work hard, stay disciplined and trust in God, we will be able to achieve something even better,” the Melaka born athlete told a press conference during ASN 2025. Chen said: “I feel that without Malaysia, we would not be at this level today. “So this trophy is not only for ourselves and our families, but also for all Malaysians. It motivates us to

Baharun was named recipient, while the National Women’s Coach Award went to Nor Hamizah Abu Hassan from pencak silat. Sepak takraw continued its dominance as the national men’s team was named winner of the National Men’s Team Award. The National Women’s Team Award went to the Duilian Wushu team comprising trio Tan Cheong Min, Lee Jia Rong and Pang Pui Yee.

work even harder moving forward.” Meanwhile, para cycling ace Mohammad Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin and para-swimmer Lim Carmen were named National Paralympic Sportsman and Paralympic Sportswoman respec tively. “I was really surprised and could hardly believe it because all my competitors are very strong, such as Bonnie (Bunyau Gustin) and Latif (Datuk Abdul Latif Romly), who are big names and win many titles every year. “Last year I only won at the Para Cycling Track World Championships in Brazil, so even coming here as a nomi nee I was already grateful. When I was announced as the winner, I was really shocked,” said Mohammad Yusof from Kuala Kangsar. The winners of the National Sportsman

ciated at the ceremony. Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, his deputy Mordi Bimol, Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Dr Norza

Z a k a r i a , Paralympic Council of Ma l ay s i a president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin and MSN director-general Jefri Ngadirin. – Bernama

P r i m e Mi n i s t e r Datuk Seri

A n w a r Ibrahim offi

and Sportswoman as well as the National Paralympic Sportsman and

Sportswoman categories each received a tro phy, challenge trophy, certifi cate of appre ciation and RM20,000 in prize money. For the Na t i ona l Men’s Coach A w a r d , n a t i o n a l sepak takraw coach Ahmad Jais

Chen Tang Jie (left) and Toh Ee Wei pose for photos during the 2025 National Sports Awards yesterday at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil. – BERNAMAPIC

NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS 2025 WINNERS

National Women’s Team Award: Duilian Wushu (Tan Cheong Min, Lee Jia Rong and Pang Pui Yee) National Men’s Coach: Ahmad Jais Baharun (sepak takraw) National Women’s Coach: Nor Hamizah Abu Hassan (pencak silat) Sports Personality Award: No winner

National Sportsman: Chen Tang Jie (badminton) National Sportswoman: Toh Ee Wei (badminton) National Paralympic Sportsman: Mohammad Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin (para cycling) National Paralympic Sportswoman: Lim

Carmen (para swimming) Special Award: The late Datuk Hishamuddin Aun, Ikan Bilis Swimming Club & Petronas Sports Leadership Award: Malaysian Sepak Takraw Federation president Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan National Men’s Team Award: Sepak Takraw Team