08/06/2025

SPORTS 15 ON SUNDAY JUNE 8, 2025

Tough road ahead Hard for Tze Yong to regain form after ACL setback, says Roslin

RESULTS & STANDINGS

WO R LD CUP QUALIFIE RS Europe

Dos Santos out to end Vietnam hoodoo HARIMAU MALAYA midfielder Endrick Dos Santos is determined to draw on the experience and insights he gained during his time in Vietnam to help the national team secure a positive result against the Golden Star Warriors in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday. Endrick, who is currently on loan with Ho Chi Minh City in the V.League 1 for the 2024-2025 sea son, said he was working closely with the coaching staff to offer ideas and tactical input that could help Malaysia claim a long-awaited vic tory over Vietnam – a feat they have not achieved since 2014. “Many times we come prepared. We also have our analysts who study their game. They are fast, strong, and aggressive, but they also have weaknesses, so we train hard, follow the coach’s plan, and I believe we are in a good position to perform well again,” he said at a press con ference on Friday. “ The last time Malaysia defeated the Golden Star Warriors was in 2014. Since then, Malaysia has suf fered seven defeats and managed just one draw in their eight encoun ters across all competitions. In their most recent meeting, Vietnam secured a convincing 3-0 victory in the group stage of the 2022 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup, now known as the Asean Championship. When asked about the competi tion for midfield positions in the Harimau Malaya squad, Endrick admitted that securing a starting spot was no easy task. “It’s tough, but that’s a good thing for the team. It shows how strong and competitive our midfield options are right now,” he added. – Bernama Group I: Norway 3 (Sorloth 14, Nusa 34, Haaland 42) Italy 0, Estonia 1 (Kait 31) Israel 3 (Biton 39, 49, Abu Fani 90-pen). P W D L F A Pts Norway 3 3 0 0 12 2 9 Israel 3 2 0 1 7 6 6 Estonia 3 1 0 1 5 7 3 Italy 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 Moldova 2 0 0 2 2 8 0 G R OUP J: Wales 3 (Rodon 40, Wilson 65, Moore 68) Liechtenstein 0, North M ace donia 1 (Alioski 86) Belgium 1 (De Cuyper 28). P W D L F A Pts Wales 3 2 1 0 7 2 7 N. Macedonia 3 1 2 0 5 2 5 Kazakhstan 2 1 0 1 3 3 2 Belgium 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 Liechtenstein 3 0 0 3 0 8 0 G R OUP L: Czech R epublic 2 (Hlozek 23, Schick 65) M ontenegro 0, Gibraltar 0 Croatia 7 (Pasalic 28, Budimir 30, Ivanovic 60, 63, Perisic 73, Ivanovic 77, 79). P W D L F A Pts Czech Republic3 3 0 0 8 1 9 Montenegro 3 2 0 1 4 3 6 Croatia 1 1 0 0 7 0 3 Faroes 2 0 0 2 1 3 0 Gibraltar 3 0 0 3 1 14 0 Note: Group winners qualify automati cally for 2026 World Cup; runners-up join four sides from Nations League in playoffs.

THE anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained by national men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong may well see him struggle to regain his old form, said for mer world No. 1 Roslin Hashim. The ex-national shuttler also admitted that even before the ACL injury, Tze Yong’s performances of late had been quite shaky since returning to action in April following a back injury. “When Tze Yong sustained the lower back injury previously, he had to undergo surgery… now he has got an ACL injury (knee). These two lower parts of the body are extremely crucial to a shuttler. “When he came back to action (after his lower back injury), his performance wasn’t that stable either. “At an age where he should be reaching his peak powers but, unfortunately, he has suffered another serious injury and his recovery this time will take a long time. So, it will be difficult for Tze Yong to regain his old form,” he told Bernama . The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed in a statement on Friday that Tze Yong suffered an ACL injury, with the 25-year-old shuttler also admitting to finding it hard to accept this latest injury blow after all the efforts he had put in to get back to action.

BAM singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen said Tze Yong, who may be sidelined for nine to 12 months, is currently undergoing pre-habilitation (prehab) to strengthen the knee and the surrounding muscles ahead of the scheduled surgery for the ACL injury he sustained at the 2025 Malaysia Masters last month. Tze Yong has suffered various injuries, including a muscle tear in his back followed by a spinal injury since last year and underwent a long period of rest and rehabilitation before returning to action in the Badminton Asia Championship 2025 in Ningbo, China, in April. Despite his bleak assessment of Tze Yong’s situation, Roslin, however, hopes the 2022 Commonwealth Games men’s singles silver medallist possesses a burning desire and determination to fight back from adversity. “I sympathise with Tze Yong, I hope he remains strong. If he intends to get back on the court, he will need every ounce of his inner strength and remain steadfast in facing this latest setback,” he said. Roslin, winner of the men’s singles gold medal at the 2001 SEA Games, said the absence of the Johor-born Tze Yong, ranked 199 in the world, has also been a huge loss for the national camp.

He admitted that Tze Yong is a player with huge potential, having once risen to as high as 14th in the world, and has the qualities required to be one of the world’s top shuttlers. “It’s like we have lost a truly good player. We could see his potential as he won silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games… unfortunately, injuries have curtailed his progress,” he said. – Bernama

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07/06/2025

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5228 2682 1793 2415 5234

RM20,545,539.47

Pearly Tan (left) and Thinaah Muralitharan. – BWFWORLDTOUR

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RM437,924.05

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Pearly-Thinaah smash into final NATIONAL women’s doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M Thinaah stormed into the final of the Indonesia Open in Jakarta yesterday after defeating their Chinese opponents, making it their third final appearance this season. didn’t want to give up just like that,” Thinaah told the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Pearly revealed that their turning point in the match was due to their change in men tality to remain patient and enjoy every moment on the court.

RM12,746,964.89

RM100,000.00

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The world No. 4 pair, who won the Thai Open title last month, had to labour for 63 minutes before beating Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min 12-21, 21-17, 21-11 in a match that saw them take an 8-0 lead in the decider before emerging as winners. According to Thinaah, the key to their victory yesterday was their fighting spirit and unwavering support for each other, especially after falling behind in the first set. “I don’t think words can describe how happy we are today. After losing the first set, we really supported each other and

“We kept reminding each other to be patient. We didn’t want to rush, we just wanted to enjoy the match,” explained Pearly. Asked about today’s final, Thinaah insisted that they will face the action with a calm mind. “We just want to stay calm, remember each other’s strengths and weaknesses and always remind each other to just stay calm in the match,” she added. – Bernama/Agencies

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