03/09/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | SEPT 3, 2026

31

Azriyn-Wee Kiong spoil Aaron-Man debut in Shenzhen

NATIONAL men’s doubles pair Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong spoiled the debut of compatriots Aaron Chia-Man Wei Chong after edging them in a three-game battle in the first round of the 2026 China Masters yesterday. Azriyn-Wee Kiong recovered from losing the opening game to prevail 14-21, 21-15, 21-19 at the Shenzhen Arena and book their place in the second round of the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament. The Malaysians stayed composed in the decider to hold off Aaron-Man and complete the comeback victory.

comfortable start after dispatching England’s Karen Yun Qiao Feng 21-6, 21-3. Letshanaa dominated from the outset to secure a convincing straight-game victory. However, there was disappointment for another newly formed mixed doubles combination, Chen Tang Jie-Cheng Su Yin, who bowed out after losing 14-21, 19-21 to China’s Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui. The defeat came in the first competitive

Meanwhile, mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing also advanced after defeating Hong Kong China’s Chan Yin Chak-Ng Tsz Yau 21-12, 16-21, 21-11 in 51 minutes. Pang Ron-Pei Jing, who formed their partnership about four months ago, will face China’s sixth seeds Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi in the second round. National women’s singles player Karupathevan Letshanaa also enjoyed a

CHAMPIONSHIP: Swansea 2 Watford 0, West Ham 4 Wolves 2, Sheffield United 3 Bolton Wanderers 2, Preston North End 1 Bristol City 3, Portsmouth 0 Derby County 2, Stoke City 1 Norwich 0, Birmingham 1 Southampton 1, Lincoln City 0 Blackburn Rovers 0. TOP 10 P W D L F A Pts Swansea 4 3 1 0 8 2 10 Charlton 3 3 0 0 5 2 9 Wolves 4 2 1 1 7 4 7 QPQ 3 2 1 0 6 3 7 Bristol City 4 2 1 1 5 4 7 M’brough 3 2 0 1 4 2 6 Millwall 3 2 0 1 3 2 6 West Brom 3 2 0 1 3 2 6 Birmingham 4 1 3 0 4 3 6 Sheffield Utd 4 1 3 0 4 3 6 GERMAN CUP (1st round) : HEBC Hamburg 0 Borussia Dortmund 5. RESULTS & STANDINGS outing for Tang Jie-Su Yin. In men’s doubles, Junaidi Arif-Kang Khai Xing were unable to join their compatriots in the second round after losing to India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty 11-21, 16-21. – Agencies

National swimmer acknowledges tougher Asian competition but remains focused on giving himself a medal chance Hoe Yean’s final target

417/26

02/09/2026

0483 1021 0402

National swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean speaks to the media at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil yesterday as part of preparations for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. – BERNAMAPIC

N ATIONAL SWIMMER Khiew Hoe Yean is refus ing to burden himself with medal expectations at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, preferring instead to focus on his preparations and securing a place in the final of his events. The 24-year-old, who will com pete in the 200m and 400m fre estyle, admitted that competition at the Asian level has become increasingly fierce, with his per sonal-best times this year placing him around sixth or seventh among the leading contenders. He said times that could previ ously have put him among the top two are no longer enough to guar antee a medal. “If you ask me three years ago, my time records might have been

8921 4263 5805 6007 3046

9637 6815 4257 3063 2941

8874 1285 6054 5361 5333

1389 5998 3340 6056 5678

was fourth in the 400m freestyle. The experience has given him greater confidence heading into the Games, with the swimmer keen to apply lessons learned from previous major competi tions, including the Commonwealth Games. “This is not my debut. This is my second Asian Games. Hopefully I will gain more experi ence from all the competitions and try to apply what I have learned before. “I want to see if the strategy works to help me reach the final and hopefully compete with many great swimmers there,” he said. Hoe Yean is also likely to com pete in the 100m backstroke, 800m freestyle and three relay events at the Games. – Bernama

is the world junior record holder and is almost in the top six in his tory. There is also a South Korean swimmer who is a former world champion. “Several Japanese swimmers have just clocked 3 minutes 45 seconds in the 400m freestyle and broke the Japanese national record for the 1,500m at the Pan Pacific (Championships). “So, I won’t say there is no competition or that there is not a big gap. “If I manage to qualify for the final, I think we all have a chance to swim fast,” he said. The Aichi-Nagoya Games will be Hoe Yean’s second Asian Games appearance after making his debut at the previous edition in Hangzhou, where his best result

in the top two. But this year, based on my personal best, I am actually in sixth or seventh. “So, if there is an opportunity and I can do my best, that would be great. It’s better not to think too much about it and just focus on the things I can control,” he said when met in Kuala Lumpur dur ing a recent training session. Hoe Yean said the Asian com petition is particularly stiff with the presence of leading swimmers from China, South Korea and hosts Japan. According to him, several of the main contenders have records and achievements that rank them among the best in the world, mak ing the challenge of chasing med als even tougher. “One of the Chinese swimmers

RM6,700,300.17

0483 + 0402 1021 + 0402 0402 + 1021

0483 + 1021 1021 + 0483 0402 + 0483

RM234,026.74

8 16181922233033

JDT put one foot in FA Cup second round

3 25

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) put one foot in the FA Cup second round after cruising to a 4-1 win over UM-Damansara United in the first leg of their first-round tie at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, on Tuesday. Playing as the visiting side after UM Damansara United requested a change of venue, the Southern Tigers needed just three minutes to break the deadlock from the penalty spot. JDT were awarded the spot-kick after Jonathan Silva was fouled by Muhammad Ghaffar Abdul Rahman inside the box, with Jairo da Silva making no mistake from 12 yards to beat goalkeeper Muhammad Azfar Arif Mohd Sukri. The Southern Tigers dominated proceedings and doubled their advantage in the 29th minute through Daniel Castro before Manuel Hidalgo made it 3-0 just before half-time. Hidalgo added his second and JDT’s fourth in

The second leg will be played at Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras on Sept 9. Meanwhile, Kelantan Red Warriors were held to a goalless draw by Kuching City FC at Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Bharu. The two sides will meet again in the second leg in Kuching, Sarawak, on Sept 8. In another development, the FA Cup first-leg tie between DPMM FC and Terengganu FC, scheduled for 8.15pm at Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, was postponed due to wors ening haze conditions in Brunei Darussalam. The Malaysian Football League (MFL) said the decision was made following a directive from the Brunei Ministry of Health after taking into consideration the country’s air quality. The Air Pollutant Index (API) reading stood at 215 as of 4pm, placing it in the “very unhealthy” category. “A new date for the FA Cup round of 16 match between DPMM FC and Terengganu FC will be announced soon,” the MFL said. – Bernama

the 53rd minute, unleashing a fierce strike from outside the box to leave the visitors firmly in control. UM-Damansara United managed a consola tion in the 90th minute when Muhammad Amirul Akmal Safarinizam hit the post before reacting quickest to the rebound and slotting the ball home. The second leg will be played at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Sept 8. At the Manjung Municipal Council Stadium, Perak FA were unable to make home advantage count as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Kuala Lumpur City FC (KL City). Perak were reduced to 10 men in the 64th minute when substitute Firdaus Fuad was shown a straight red card for a foul. The City Boys finally made their numerical advantage count in the 86th minute after being awarded a penalty, with Paulo Josue calmly con verting to give the visitors a slender advantage ahead of the return leg.

RM12,799,444.35

RM144,473.67

8 3 2 1 0 2 83210

32102

8321

2102

832

102

83

02

21

04

All jackpot amounts stated above are for this Draw. Subject to T&Cs of the Scheme. Please visit to www.magnum4d.my for more info. THE BIGGER PLAY IS TO PLAY RESPONSIBLY