03/06/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | JUNE 3, 2025

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Coach Petrovic throws down gauntlet to Mohd Irfan

COACH Frank Petrovic has thrown down the gauntlet to national discus thrower Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin, winner of six straight SEA Games gold medals, to break the regional Games’ record in the upcoming Thailand edition in December. Petrovic feels that the regional Games would be the perfect setting for the 30-year-old athlete to carve another milestone in his glittering career, following his 58.82m bronze medal effort at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea last Friday. “We have two main targets (for him) this year. This (Asian Athletics Championships) was the first,”Petrovic told reporters when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 in Sepang, yesterday.

major role in their recent performances, especially in refining their attacking gameplay. “Coach really plays a very big role. He is the one with the idea of how to complete our gameplay, which was previously inconsistent. “But it’s still a long journey, we still have a big mission this year, so I feel this is just the start for us,” he said. Aaron meanwhile said that their coach has been instrumental in motivating them, both in matches and training sessions. “He’s only been with us for three months, so we’re still learning from him. I think we still need time, but overall, we’ve improved. “He gives us a lot of confidence during training. He doesn’t current performance. “Honestly, my current shape is like when I was 23 or 24, I have more speed, lighter and more explosive. So I don’t want to waste it by just competing in Malaysia. “I’ve tasted success in Southeast Asia, my main focus is the gold in the Asian Games or the Asian Championship and obviously I need to go abroad for the moment of a hit throw,” he said. He also credited his coach for his current performance and physical levels. “What I am doing is being me. I mean, I eat right, rest well and at the same time, I don’t put too much pressure on myself. What I have now is the result of my and my coach’s hard work,” he added. The 2025 SEA Games in Thailand will be from Dec 9-20. – Bernama

SEA Games gold medal at the 2013 edition in Naypyidaw, Myanmar – a year after Petrovic started coaching him – before going on to emerge triumphant in the 2015 Singapore, 2017 Kuala Lumpur, 2019 Philippines and 2021 Hanoi and 2023 Phnom Penh editions. Elaborating, Petrovic hopes to see the tough training the Negeri Sembilan-born athlete has undergone this season bear fruit in competitions in Europe. “In Europe, the competition season just started… you have many opportunities to show what shape you are in. So, it is the best time for Irfan to go to Europe, compete and achieve his targets,” said the Slovakian coach. Muhammad Irfan revealed that he has discussed with Petrovic about the need to compete abroad to measure the true level of his

“Now, we will go through the competition season and then he will have to peak one more time at the end of the year in Bangkok. “There (at the SEA Games), it appears very easy but there is a Games record to beat, (and) not just win (the gold medal).” The SEA Games discus record of 59.50m is held by former Singapore throw king James Wong Tuck Yim, which he set in the 1999 Brunei edition. Muhammad Irfan, though has a personal best of 62.55m (also the national record), which he set at the Austrian Athletics Championships in Linz, Austria in 2017. The Malaysian’s season best is 60m, which he recorded at the Queensland Athletics Championships in Australia in March. For the record, Muhammad Irfan won his first

True grit DPM hails Aaron-Wooi Yik’s fighting spirit after Singapore Open win D EPUTY Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has described national badminton men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik’s tri 19 in a tense 65-minute battle at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

SHORTS Glauder joins JDT

JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM (JDT) Football Club has announced Spanish defender Antonio Glauder as the team’s first signing ahead of the upcoming season. The announcement was made through an official statement on Facebook by Johor Southern Tigers (JST), describing the 29-year-old’s arrival as a new addition to the Southern Tigers’ defensive lineup. “We’ve got a new wall at the back! Welcome to Johor Darul Ta’zim FC, Antonio Glauder. From Spain to Malaysia, Glauder is now a Southern Tiger,” it said. A video showing Glauder at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium was also uploaded with the statement. Glauder is set to wear the No. 5 jersey, previously worn by the team’s defence, Jordi Amat, sparking questions over Amat’s future. However, there has been no official announcement regarding Amat’s status with the Southern Tigers squad. Glauder is a product of Spain’s elite football academies and has previously featured in top youth clubs, including Barcelona, Villarreal, Espanyol, and Alaves. He also brings with him extensive experience from playing with clubs such as CF Fuenlabrada, Eibar, and Albacete in the Spanish Segunda Division. Eain Yow crashes out NATIONAL MEN’S squash ace Ng Eain Yow suffered a shock 11-13, 5 11, 7-11 defeat at the hands of unseeded Victor Crouin of France in the second round of the 2025 British Open in Birmingham early today. The 26-year-old eighth-seeded Eain Yow, who received a first-round bye, was far from his best as he crashed out of the tournament often dubbed the “Wimbledon of squash”. In the women’s category, national player Aira Azman also made an early exit after going down fighting 10-12, 11-13, 11-9, 11-8, 7 11 to Egypt’s Zeina Mickawy in the opening round. Malaysia’s Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi also bowed out after being outclassed 6-11, 7-11, 7-11 by England’s Sarah-Jane Perry. Malaysia’s only representative left in the tournament, S. Sivasangari, is set to begin her campaign against India’s Ahanat Singh in the second round early today.

“Their condition was very good. After the first set, I knew we needed to increase our speed. So we just pushed very hard for every point,” Wooi Yik told reporters after the win on Sunday. He credited coach Herry Iman Pierngadi for playing a

umph at the 2025 Singapore Open as a moment that brought pride to the nation and united Malaysians in celebration and gratitude. In a Facebook post on Sunday night, Ahmad Zahid expressed his pride in witnessing the pair’s spirited comeback victory over South Korea’s Kim Won Ho-Seo Sung Jae in a thrilling final. “This victory is more than just a title. It is a symbol of unwavering fighting spirit, the resilience of two young Malaysians who never gave up, and a source of pride for the nation. “I was informed that they had also met in the quarterfinals of the India Open in

Aaron Chia (left) and Soh Wooi Yik pose after their victory against Kim Won ho and Seo Seung-jae in their men’s doubles final match at the Singapore Open. – AFPPIC

put a lot of pressure on us. He also reminds us to be happy every day,” Aaron said. The duo said their next focus would be the Indonesia

January, where Aaron and Wooi Yik lost in a hard-fought match. “But today, they came back to redeem that defeat and proved their mettle on the final stage,” he said. Ahmad Zahid also expressed his admiration for the national pair, whom he described as heroes and an inspiration to Malaysians, and hoped they would continue forging ahead with courage for the nation. Aaron-Wooi Yik continued their excellent form by bouncing back from a first-set loss to clinch the 2025 Singapore Open title, marking their third championship win of the year. In their fourth final of

Open, scheduled for today to 8 at Istora Senayan, Jakarta, where they are slated to take on

Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard, whom they defeated in the opening round in Singapore. The last time Malaysia won in Singapore was in 2018, through mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie, while the last Malaysian men’s doubles to win was Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari in 2008. – Bernama

the year, the former world champions and world No. 3 pair defeated the fifth seeded South Korean pair 15-21, 21-18, 21

Podium finish for Putera Adam in Lamborghini Super Trophy THE country’s rising star in motorsport racing Putera Adam Halim Muazzam made history yesterday by becoming the first Malaysian driver to secure a podium finish in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe 2025 championship at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy. However, their extraordinary comeback was evident in the second race when Putera Adam, starting from eighth on the grid, successfully overtook other drivers to take third place.

for us as we couldn’t do any free practice beforehand and the car suffered an alternator failure in the first race. “However, Levet and I managed to overcome the previous day’s disappointment to lift our first trophy in this Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe 2025 championship,” said Putera Adam in a statement. Putera Adam and Levet are now in fifth place overall with 26 points in the championship. They will continue their challenge in round three at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit, Belgium, from June 26 to 28. – Bernama

VSR team’s strategic driver change at the opportune moment gave them an advantage as Levet’s energetic driving put the Italy-based team in the lead. Levet overtook the then-leader, Bergman of the Leipert Motorsport team, before maintaining consistent driving and finishing the race in first place with a time of 48 minutes 45.387 seconds (s). “ Alhamdulillah , it was a very challenging week

This success came after the 19-year-old driver and his French teammate, Paul Levet, representing the VSR team, won the second race at the circuit in the PRO category. Initially, they faced challenges with their Huracan EVO2 car in the first race, forcing them to settle for sixth place despite starting from pole position.