14/10/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | OCT 14, 2026

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Noraizat’s cruel blow Takraw star faces six to seven months out after ACL injury A FTER missing the Asian Games, national sepak takraw striker Muhammad Noraizat of returning to play, I can.

Golden Tigers reap rewards after Asian Games success

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Coventry 4 (Rudoni 6-pen, Cherif 48, Simms 81, Mfuni 86) Newcastle 1 (Botman 70) . LA LIGA: Levante 3 (Romero 57, De La Fuente 90+2, Ndukwe 90+10) Sevilla 3 (Ure 13, Correia 54, Romero 90+5) . SERIE A: Atalanta 3 (Kessie 4, Krstovic 6, 30) Venezia 1 (Hainaut 37) , Torino 2 (Braganca 36, Kulenovic 67) Udinese 1 (Ekkelenkamp 43) . BAM eyes bigger slice of sports grant THE Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) hopes the Sports Matching Grant (GPS) announced in Budget 2027 will con tinue to benefit the governing body and other national sports associations. BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the association had previ ously relied heavily on private-sector part nerships to fund and deliver various pro grammes. He added that the RM30 million GPS initiative announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was expected to provide additional financial support. “I hope that grants like this will assist sports associations, including BAM, given the rising costs involved. “For instance, managing BAM today requires approximately RM55 million annu ally,” he said when interviewed as a guest on Bernama TV programme The Nation yester day. However, Tengku Zafrul noted that BAM has not yet determined in detail how it can leverage the GPS, as the implementation mechanism and eligibility criteria for the grant have not yet been finalised. He said BAM needs to examine the details further before deciding on the bene fits it can derive from the initiative. Commenting on the RM460 million allo cation for sports development, he described it as a positive development and expressed hope that sports would receive attention not only regarding athlete achievements but also as an industry capa ble of contributing to national economic growth. – Bernama THE national men’s sepak takraw squad, the Golden Tigers, have received a RM160,000 windfall following their suc cessful campaign at the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, where they won one gold and one silver medal. The Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) distributed the reward among 12 players and two coaches, who also received gold bars and shopping vouchers from strategic partner Telekom Malaysia (TM Group). PSM president Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan said the association was not pre pared to rely solely on the government’s reward scheme, choosing instead to raise its own funds to recognise the players’ sacrifices and achievements at the quad rennial Games. “I think this is the first time in the his tory of Malaysian sepak takraw that play ers are being recognised with a fairly sub stantial sum. “While we know that KBS (Ministry of Youth and Sports) and MSN (National Sports Council) provide rewards and incentives under Shakam (the National Sports Victory Reward Scheme), my responsibility and that of the entire PSM RESULTS

committee is to decide that we too must take the initiative. Even if it is not much, we give it to them,” he said. He said this after the national sepak takraw squad’s appreciation ceremony in the capital on Monday night. Also present were Olympic Council of Malaysia deputy president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad, National Sports Council director-general Jefri Ngadirin and National Sports Institute chief executive officer Dr P Vellapandian. Mohd Sumali said the reward was based on the association’s current finan cial capacity, but did not rule out an increase in future allocations. Meanwhile, national chief server Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi described the incentive as an unexpected blessing, given that the association had no formal obligation to provide cash rewards. “Maybe each person gets about RM10,000 if it is divided. After this, we will receive further incentives under Shakam, but we do not yet know the amount. As players, we are grateful and proud to receive this from PSM and TM,” he said. – Bernama

Bison fans. Insya-Allah , I will pray for them from afar. May the team continue to prosper. Even though I am not with the team, my prayers will always accom pany them,” said the player, who admitted the injury is the most serious of his career. The surgery is scheduled to take place at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, through a referral from the National Sports Institute, though the official date has yet to be finalised. Muhammad Noraizat suffered a right calf muscle injury during the final training session before the start of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Following the incident, the

“If I am not strong and fearful, that is where the real problem lies. Either way, it all comes down to me,” he told reporters at the National Sepak Takraw Squad appreciation ceremony on Monday. The absence of the star right winger has also disrupted Perak Bison’s campaign, with the team now having to navigate this sea son’s Sepak Takraw League (STL) without him. Muhammad Noraizat said he had accepted the medical experts’ advice, adding that sur gery was the best option to pro tect his career and long-term well-being. “The doctor did suggest sur gery (if I want to play again). Even if I don’t play again, he said it would be best to go ahead with it for the long term. “I apologise profusely to Perak

Mohd Nordin has suffered another major setback after being diagnosed with an anterior cruci ate ligament (ACL) injury to his dominant right leg. The 27-year-old confirmed the diagnosis following an MRI scan, which also revealed several other injuries. He is expected to be sidelined for six to seven months. “The latest update is not good news for me. “The MRI results are out, and they are not good. It shows I have injured my ACL and meniscus, and whatever else, quite a lot. “The doctor said six to seven months; that is the fastest if I really commit to rehab. Before the SEA Games, I think I can play, but he said it also depends on me. “If I am strong and confident

team management acted swiftly by calling up national striker Muhammad Shahalril Aiman Halim to fill the vacancy. – Bernama Malaysia strengthens takraw squad for 2027 SEA Games THE national sepak takraw team will retain 21 players and promote six promising talents from the backup squad as Malaysia strengthens its squad ahead of next year’s international competi tions. Head coach Ahmad Jais Baharun said the final list would be confirmed soon, based on players’ performances at international tournaments and in the domestic league. He added that the move was part of Malaysia’s preparations for the 2027 SEA Games, where the national team will compete in all four events: team regu, regu, doubles and quadrant. “There may be changes to the players in the national programme. We are also adding six play ers from the backup squad as this is something we need to look at to build a more competitive team ahead of our preparations to host the 2027 SEA Games. “This requires us to bring promising players into the national squad. So, I hope all the selected players will be ready to follow the schedule we have drawn up together with the Sepaktakraw Federation of Malaysia (PSM), National Sports Council (NSC) and National Sports Institute (NSI),” he added. Ahmad Jais told reporters this at the Malaysia Sepak Takraw Development Contribution Handover ceremony at the Titiwangsa McDonald’s Drive-Thru yesterday. Commenting on the available talent, he said monitoring of the recent Malaysia Games (Sukma) and domestic league competitions had identified many promising players who could be given the opportunity to represent the national team. He added that these players needed to be brought together under a structured develop ment programme to sharpen their skills, ensure a steady pipeline of emerging talent and sustain Malaysia’s success in sepak takraw. Malaysia won two gold medals in the men’s team regu and regu events at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, with the team regu triumph ending a 34-year wait for the title. The national squad continued its impressive run at the recent Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, end ing a 36-year wait for team regu gold by defeating arch-rivals Thailand 2-0 in the final. Malaysia also claimed silver in the regu event after losing 2-0 to Thailand in the final. – Bernama

Sanjay Jeeva (front) . – BERNAMAPIC

The Science behind Sanjay’s squash rise Ű BY ZIKRY MARZUKI sportdesk@thesundaily.com

NATIONAL squash player Sanjay Jeevaadmitted his Asian Games debut in Aichi-Nagoya came with immense pressure and high expectations, but thorough preparation helped him deliver a strong performance. The 27-year-old credited his Master of Science (MSc) in High Performance Sport with giving him a fresh perspective on the game and a better understanding of how to prepare for major competitions. “Having done my studies gave me more insight in how to handle and prepare myself at any high-level competition. “The biggest takeaway from my Masters was the right preparation for the tournament, includ ing the do’s-and-don’ts and the intensity level,” he told theSun . Sanjay was part of the national squad that clinched men’s team gold with a 2-0 victory over Pakistan in the final. The women’s team also struck gold, beating Hong Kong 2-1 to cap a successful campaign for Malaysia’s squash contingent. Besides thorough preparation, Sanjay cred ited his teammates’ outstanding performances, particularly singles players Ng Eain Yow and S Sivasangari, for helping him through his Asian Games debut. “Yow is someone I respect and look up to a lot despite he is just a year older than me. His suc

cess in individual event and being the best player gives us much-needed hope. “It is also very motivating to have another national player, Sivasangari that is up there and had achieved what she had. It is just inspiring for us to work hard and to do well,” Sanjay added. Both Ng and Sivasangari successfully defended their individual Asian Games gold medals, defeating India’s Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh respectively. Their triumphs helped Malaysia enjoy a suc cessful campaign, with the national contingent collecting nine gold, seven silver and 16 bronze medals to finish 11th overall. Despite striking gold on his Asian Games debut, Sanjay has set his sights higher, with com peting at the Olympics among his long-term ambitions. “I had my sights set on qualifying for LA 2028, but I knew it was going to be tough and I had to perform really well. “There’s still a chance for me to qualify, but I have to be very highly ranked. With almost a year and a half to go, I believe I can improve my rank ing,” he added. Sanjay is currently ranked world No. 59, but strong performances in tournaments leading up to the Olympics could boost his qualification chances alongside Ng, who has already secured his place following his Asian Games triumph.