08/06/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | JUNE 8, 2026

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Chan eyes national records at Powerlifting

MALAYSIA’S top men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani produced a stunning comeback to win the 2026 Indonesia Open title after defeating Indonesia’s Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin in the final at Istora Senayan, Jakarta yesterday. Roared on by a passionate home crowd, the Indonesian pair made a blistering start and put the Malaysians under immense pressure from the opening rally. Raymond-Nikolaus dominated the exchanges with their aggressive attacking play and quick pace around the court, leaving Sze Fei-Izzuddin struggling to settle into their rhythm. The home favourites eventually claimed the first set convincingly, 21-13, and appeared to be on course for Fei-Din end 18-year wait with Indonesia Open triumph a memorable victory. However, the Malaysian duo showed the resilience that has made them one of the world’s leading pairs. Trailing 8-13 in the second set, Sze Fei-Izzuddin gradually worked their way back into the contest through improved defence and more controlled shot-making. They drew level at 15-15 before taking control of the crucial points late in the set to secure a 21-18 win and force the match into a deciding rubber game. Ű BY ADDAM KAMAL addam@thesundaily.com

Classic MALAYSIAN

POWERLIFTER Abrienda Chan is aiming to rewrite the national records in the U-57kg junior category at the Eagll Powerlifting Classic (EPC) 2026 later this month as she builds towards two major world championships next year. The 20-year-old Sarawakian, who previously dominated the U-52kg sub-junior division and still holds the national records in all three lifts and total for the category, sees the June 19-20 competition in Kuala Lumpur as an important stepping stone in her preparations for the interna tional stage. “This year is a building-up stage for me as I prepare for my goals next year. I will try to push my squat, bench press and deadlift total as high as possible while focusing on my technique. “In powerlifting, technique is nearly everything. “So this year is about improv ing my technique and gradually building up my numbers to allow me to achieve what I want next year,” she said. Chan said she plans to com pete in the World Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships 2027 in Istanbul, Turkiye, and the World Classic Sub-Junior & Junior Powerlifting Championships 2027 in Haining, China. Having moved up from the U-52kg sub-junior category to the U-57kg junior (U57) division last year, the SBD Cup 2025 Women’s Classic U-57kg Junior champion in South Korea said the transition has already trans lated into noticeable gains in strength and performance. “The biggest difference is that I feel stronger. My numbers are going up and my condition is much better than when I was competing in the 52kg cate gory,” she said. At the EPC 2026, Chan will be targeting a squat of 135.5kg to surpass the current national jun ior record of 135kg. Her personal best in the lift stands at 125kg. She is also aiming to become the first Malaysian junior lifter in the U57 category to deadlift more than 150kg, with a target of 150.5kg. Her current personal best is 142.5kg. For the bench press, Chan has already exceeded the exist ing national junior record of 67.5kg with a personal best of 75kg and is looking to further improve her overall total. Chan, who was ranked 12th in the world in the U-52kg sub junior category in 2024, said her ultimate goal is to break into the world’s top three in the U-57kg junior division. “I’m aiming for a world title in any form, whether it’s a world top-three finish, a world record or another international record. Since I’ve already become an Asian champion, my next goal is to be among the best in the world,” said the elder of two sib lings. – Bernama

With the momentum firmly on their side, Sze Fei-Izzuddin raised their level further in the third set. Capitalising on a series of mistakes from the Indonesian pair while maintaining relentless pressure at the net, the Malaysians raced ahead and never looked back. They eventually sealed the set 21-10 to complete a remarkable turnaround and silence the partisan crowd. The victory marked the pair’s second BWF World Tour Super 1000 title following their triumph at the China Open in 2024. It was also their second title of the year after winning the Indonesia Masters at the same venue in January. More significantly, the triumph ended Malaysia’s 18-year wait for an Indonesia Open men’s doubles crown, with Zakry Abdul Latif and Fairuzizuan Tazari the last Malaysians to lift the title in 2008. Sze Fei-Izzuddin received US$107,300 (RM432,476) in prize money, while runners-up Raymond-Nikolaus took home US$50,750 (RM204,562).

Special WC for Sasaki

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Negeri Sembilan midfielder Takumi Sasaki. – @negerisembilanfc/X

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Negeri Sembilan skipper backs former teammates for Japan’s World Cup campaign N EGERI SEMBILAN FC midfielder Takumi Sasaki is backing the Japan national team to build on their historic 2022 run as they pre pare for the 2026 World Cup. Ű BY ZIKRY MARZUKI zikry@thesundaily.com

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For Sasaki, who spent his early career with Japanese sides Vegalta Sendai and Renofa Yamaguchi, this World Cup holds deep personal sig nificance. The former youth international shared the pitch with several players now starring across Europe. “During my time in the Japan youth squad, I played alongside Kaoru Mitoma, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Ritsu Doan,” Sasaki said. “I hope all my friends can be in the squad and play well during the World Cup.” While Moriyasu’s final tournament strategy relies heavily on European-based players, the manager must navigate a heavy blow. Brighton forward Mitoma, who scored the winner against England, has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a hamstring injury. In his absence, figures like Junya Ito (Genk) and Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich) will need to carry the creative burden. Japan has reached the Round of 16 in four separate World Cups but has never progressed further. To break that barrier, they must navigate a challenging Group F featuring Sweden, Tunisia, and the Netherlands. The Samurai Blue open their campaign against the Netherlands on June 15 at Dallas Stadium in Texas.

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The 28-year-old playmaker, who recently extended his contract with the Malaysia Super League club, vividly recalls watching the Samurai Blue top the “Group of Death” in Qatar by defeating Germany and Spain. “In the previous edition, they beat Germany and Spain,” Sasaki told theSun in an exclusive inter view. “So, I hope they can win more matches this year. “Recently, Japan recorded good results in friendly matches. I really hope they can go further in the upcoming tournament.” Japan’s preparations have indeed generated mas sive confidence. In March, Hajime Moriyasu’s squad secured landmark away friendly wins against Scotland (1-0) and England (1-0). They followed this up with a 1-0 win over Iceland in May. This fine form carried over from their brilliant Asian qualifying run, where they dominated Group C to become the first nation to punch their ticket to North America.

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Shereen wins gold, Umar smashes record NATIONAL RUNNER Shereen Samson Vallabouy secured a magnificent gold medal in the women’s 400m while compatriot Umar Osman shattered the Malaysian national record and earned a silver medal at the New Taipei City Athletics Open. Shereen dominated her race Meanwhile, Umar delivered an incredible milestone for Malaysian athletics. During the preliminary heats, he clocked a blistering 45.73 seconds, officially smashing his own previous national record of 46.09 seconds set at the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, China. This extraordinary feat

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ishing just 0.2 seconds behind Australia’s Brenton Kerr, while Thailand’s Methawi Kanhaaudom took third in 46.43 seconds. Umar expressed deep emo tional relief afterward, noting that he had waited three long years through immense training sweat and competitive hardships to finally realise this breakthrough. “I’ve waited for this national record of 45.73 s for three years. All the ups and downs, my sweat during training and the spirit to rise up finally has borne fruit,” he said in a video shared by Athletics Malaysia on Facebook. – Bernama/Agencies

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entirely, clocking a winning time of 52.73 seconds. She confidently outpaced Sri Lanka’s Jithma Wijhetunga (53.16s) and Australia’s Sophia Gregorevic (53.86s) to stand proudly on top of the podium, marking another stellar victory in her international campaign.

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cements his status as the premier quarter-miler in the country, proving that his relentless dedica tion during training has success fully paid off. In a fiercely contested final, Umar secured the silver medal with a time of 46.42 seconds, fin

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