06/06/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | JUNE 6, 2026

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I T was a day of heartbreak, contro versy, and ultimate salvation for the Malaysian camp at the Indonesia Open 2026 yesterday, as men’s doubles powerhouse Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani rescued what would have been a cata strophic quarterfinal exit for the nation. The world No. 8 pair stood tall as Malaysia’s lone survivors at the Istora Senayan, salvaging a day that was oth erwise defined by a shocking straight game defeat and a high-stakes deuce

point officiating row. Following the unexpected early exit of teammates Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik a day prior, Goh-Izzuddin successfully shouldered the entire weight of the national contingent. England’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy, the in-form Malaysians barely broke a sweat. Goh-Izzuddin controlled the tempo from the opening serve to secure a convincing 21-12, 21-10 vic tory. Goh-Izzuddin salvage pride Soon Huat-Shevon see red, Pearly-Thinaah surrender in Indonesian Open quarterfinals Facing India’s dangerous unseeded pair, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun, the Asian Champions delivered a tactical masterclass. Brimming with confidence after a dominant round-of-16 win over

The swift straight-game win pro pels them into the semifinals, keeping Malaysia’s championship dreams alive in this prestigious Super 1000 event. Earlier in the day, the tournament witnessed stunning drama in the mixed doubles bracket. The husband and-wife duo of Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie were locked in a gru eling, 68-minute war against defend ing French champions Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue. After taking the first game 21-15, the Malaysians dropped the second 18-21. The deciding set became an absolute thriller. The world No. 12 Malaysian pair fought back fiercely to hold a com manding 20-17 advantage, sitting on triple match points. However, the French pair mounted a spectacular comeback to level the field at 20-20. At that critical juncture during deuce, the match took an unbelievable turn when the umpire issued a rare red card to the Malaysian pair for time wasting. The penalty handed France a direct point and an automatic 21-20 match point. The fourth-seeded French pair wasted no time converting the freebie, ending Malaysia’s mixed doubles run in a highly controversial fashion. The women’s doubles also brought disappointment. National aces Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah fell short of repli cating their stellar 2025 run where they finished as the tournament’s runners up. Facing Japan’s Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara, the Malaysian world No. 2 pair struggled to find their usual rhythm. Despite a tight opening game, they ultimately went down 20-22, 16-21 in 45 minutes. This marked Pearly and Thinaah’s first-ever career defeat against the 13th-ranked Japanese duo, having tri umphed in both of their previous head-to-head encounters. – Agencies

Erwin bracing for tight squash season

Ű BY ZIKRY MARZUKI zikry@thesundaily.com

June 30 to July 5 before heading to Shandong for the China Junior Squash Open. The 1.85m-tall athlete will then feature in the Hong Kong Junior Open in early August before repre senting Selangor at the 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma). The tight schedule however does not give additional pressure for Erwin as his love for squash makes every sacrifice worthwhile. “It’s not a big issue for me because I enjoy keeping myself busy,“ he said. “I’m willing to sacrifice my time to pursue my goals, so I don’t think the schedule will have a huge impact on me. “I’m also looking forward to Sukma. It would be a great honour, and I’d be very proud if I could help deliver a gold medal for Selangor.” The squash event at Sukma 2026 will be held at MBPJ Astaka Sports Complex, Petaling Jaya from Aug 16 26 with four categories set to be contested. Erwin previously represented Selangor at the 2024 Sukma, competing in the men’s dou bles event.

also prepares for the tour nament by watching his potential opponent’s previous match to learn their playing style. “I work on my mental and physical side. I have to keep thinking positively during games,“ he said. Following the Southeast Asian Junior Championships, Erwin is scheduled to com

hot streak after winning the Sri Lanka Junior Open in February before captur ing the PSA Tournament in

NATIONAL squash prodigy Erwin Kros is preparing for tight schedule as he pursues his personal goal of reaching the top of the Asian U-19 squash rankings. In an exclusive interview with theSun , the 17-year-old shares his preparation for the upcoming tour naments, starting with the 2026 Southeast Asian Junior Individual Championships in Manila, Philippines, starting on June 10. “I won the tournament on 2024 and I am looking forward to defend my title there. I’ve been train ing very hard over the past few months and studying the players I may face there,“ he said. “I will be playing two events, one is professional squash and the other is the Southeast Asian Junior tourna ment. So, it is going to be tough, but I will try my best to bring two titles home.“ At the 2024 Southeast Asian Junior Individual Championships in Bangkok, Erwin captured the U-17 crown after defeat ing fellow Malaysian Nabil Iman Shahrizan Azrol 11-6, 11-8, 3-11, 11-8 in the final. The triumph ignited the

Tashknet, Uzbekistan a month later. His impressive performances have propelled him to No. 11 in the Asian U-19 rankings despite taking a six

month break from com petition to focus on his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations. Apart from improv ing his technical skills, Erwin

pete in the Penang J u n i o r O p e n from

Together with partner Harold Rynesh Aloysius, he narrowly missed

National squash player Erwin Kros. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THE SUN

out on a medal after losing to Melaka’s Veroon Heng and Andrik Lim in the bronze medal match.

youngster’s passion on the court as he is currently on

World Cup brewing more than teh tarik , jersey sales

Ű BY CHRIS ARIEF

denly becomes a football expert. The pakcik Grab predicts Argentina will retain the title. The bubbly kakak kuih seller confidently declares that Cristiano Ronaldo will finally win the one trophy missing from his collection. Meanwhile, the Nepalese security guard insists football is finally “coming home” to England. Speaking of predictions, who can deny that the office World Cup betting pool often attracts more participation than the weekly sales meet ing? And finally, the most unexpected World Cup beneficiary: wedding planners. “My girlfriend and I watched the 2006 World Cup final between Italy and France at a public viewing event in Bukit Bintang,” recalled former Malaysian international captain Muhammad Shahrom Abdul Kalam. The silky defender, now a coach with Selangor FC, added: “Immediately after Italy won, I pro posed to her on the spot, and she said yes.” Not every World Cup produces a marriage pro posal, but some tournaments apparently “deliver” far more than trophies. In Shahrom’s case, it deliv ered a wife and, years later, enough family mem bers to field a respectable five-a-side team. Coach Chris Arief is an Asian-level certified football coach, youth development junkie, and collector of colourful training markers and cones. He can be reached at coachchrisarief@gmail.com

ball every night, I might as well be comfortable.” Sofas, recliners, bean bags and coffee tables suddenly become part of the football conversa tion. Living rooms evolve into miniature stadiums designed for maximum comfort and minimum movement. The World Cup’s economic influence, however, stretches far beyond businesses traditionally asso ciated with football. Modern football viewing has created another unlikely winner: delivery riders. Millions of fans now choose to watch matches from the comfort of their homes. Once firmly moulded into their newly purchased sofa, plastic wrapping still proudly intact, many become reluc tant to leave their viewing position for any reason whatsoever. Food delivery becomes the preferred solution, arriving faster than Kylian Mbappe on a counterat tack. Supper, desserts, drinks and fast food are ordered throughout the tournament. Official jerseys remain popular, but the eco nomic impact extends well beyond the usual Al Ikhsan outlets. Printing businesses, embroidery shops, custom apparel providers and online sell ers all benefit from supporters wanting personal ised football gear. Every tournament creates new heroes, and every new hero creates new jersey sales. By the end of the tournament, half the buyers are still unsure how to pronounce his surname. When the World Cup arrives, everyone sud

Tables remain occupied for hours. Orders of roti canai, Maggi goreng, nasi lemak and endless rounds of teh tarik continue flowing throughout the night. “We went there for one hot Milo and ended up having supper, second supper and breakfast,” explained a panda-eyed England fan when ques tioned by his wife about his mysterious five-hour disappearance. Then there is Malaysia’s unofficial national pas time during football tournaments: snacking. Every four years, football fans suddenly become elite level snack consumers. Potato chips vanish from 7-Eleven shelves. Pagoda peanuts become strategic match-day supplies. Popcorn, instant noodles, soft drinks, ice cream and energy drinks find their way into homes at a rate that would trigger concern from most nutri tionists and cardiologists. The tournament also creates another familiar phenomenon: the great television upgrade. A per fectly acceptable 40-inch television in May sud denly becomes unacceptable by June. Nothing less than a 70-inch screen will do. “It’s not a luxury purchase,“ one fan insists. Another adds, “It’s an investment in football analy sis.” The spending rarely stops there, as a bigger television soon leads to another realisation. “If I’m going to spend a month watching foot

THE 2026 World Cup may be played more than 13,000km away across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, but its impact is felt everywhere in Malaysia. The usual beneficiaries, mamak restaurants, sports bars and sports equipment retailers, live for moments like this. While the restaurant cashier struggles to consistently calculate the total price of two pieces of ayam goreng , a fried egg and nasi putih, he somehow transforms into a Harvard trained economist when forecasting the month’s football-driven revenue. In many ways, the World Cup is not merely a football tournament. It is an economic tourna ment too. Perhaps no business sector under stands this better than the humble mamak restau rant. While football fans passionately debate which nation will lift the trophy, mamak operators are preparing for a month-long tournament of their own. Matches kicking off at midnight or three o’clock in the morning are not viewed as incon veniences. They are viewed as “extra-time” busi ness hours. A football match that lasts 90 minutes some how becomes a three-hour social gathering. Fans arrive early, stay late, and continue ordering food long after declaring, “Bro, I’m damn full already.”