Category: Sports

KOTA KINABALU, Sabah FC today denied a report by a news portal that claimed some of the team's best players were involved in a plane crash that claimed their lives while on their way to an important league match. Sabah FC team manager Rafie Robert in a statement today said the news portal report is not true and he is considering filing a police report in the near future so that the authorities can take appropriate action. Rafie said the Sabah team was currently undergoing training in preparation for a friendly match with Tawau FA on Oct 12. 'Several players including Stuart Wilkin, Dominic Tan, Daniel Ting and Darren Lok have been called up to the national squad for a friendly match against New Zealand at the North Harbour Stadium, Auckland on Oct 14. 'This portal report is seen as malicious and causes concern among the management of Sabah as well as football fans in this state. 'We will file a police report in the near future to ensure that this does not happen again in the future and thus ensure that the safety level of Sabah players is always maintained,' he said. Rafie said that so far all the players and Sabah management are in a safe condition and there have been no incidents as reported. 'The public in particular, football fans in Sabah are reminded not to easily believe reports that deliberately cause confusion these days,' he said adding that the Sabah squad under head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee were undergoing ytaining as per scheduled. Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) admits it is facing difficulties in securing another Tier 1 friendly match for the national team during the FIFA international match window from Oct 7-15. FAM deputy president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi revealed that many higher-ranked teams had shown interest in holding friendly matches with the Harimau Malaya squad, but they had other commitments. "They didn't reject (the invitation), but they have other commitments for the benefit of their own teams. They can actually see the capability of our team. "So, the constraint is from the opposing teams and not from us," he said when met after the FAM Executive Committee meeting at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya near here today. The national team's intention to play two Tier 1 friendly matches this month has not materialised. Instead, the team will face a top club side for a Tier 2 international match in New Zealand this Friday. Pau Marti Vicente's squad will then face the New Zealand national team in a Tier 1 i nternational match at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, next Monday. Meanwhile, FAM Secretary-General Datuk Noor Azman Rahman confirmed that they are waiting for feedback from several teams to finalise the national team's match schedule for the FIFA international window next month. "We have confirmed one match against India on Nov 19, and we are awaiting feedback from other teams before we make the official announcement," he said. In a separate development, Noor Azman said that FAM is scouting several heritage players with potential to represent Malaysia after missing out on Dutch-born defender Mats Deijl. "The executive committee is currently evaluating several players with the potential to represent Malaysia. But as of today, we have yet to receive documentation from the players involved," he said. Previously, FIFA confirmed that the Go Ahead Eagles player (Deijl) did not meet the eligibility requirements to represent Malaysia through ancestry. Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA TERENGGANU, A total of 170 cyclists from 25 teams will compete for a total prize of RM100,000 in the Tour Gateh D'Tranung 2024, set to take place from Oct 22 to 28. Terengganu Youth Development, Sports, and Non-Governmental Organisations Committee chairman, Hishamuddin Abdul Karim told a press conference here today that the third edition of the tournament would gather riders from 12 local and 13 professional clubs from both domestic and international teams. Five categories will be contested this time - Overall Individual, Sprint King, King of the Mountains, Best Local Club, and Best Under-23 Rider. The local teams competing are Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG), Armed Forces Cycling Team, National Sports Council of Malaysia, Selangor Cycling, and Propain Cycling Team. Meanwhile, international teams include Global Cycling Team from the Netherlands, Australia Velofit Cycling Team from Australia, and Nc Pro Cycling Team from Indonesia. There are also teams from China, Singapore, and Thailand. Hishamuddin said the riders will cover five stages over a total distance of 671.3 kilometres, starting from Dungun and finishing in Kuala Terengganu. He added that this event is hoped to further boost the state's sports tourism sector and establish Tour Gateh D'Tranung as an international brand that is part of the global cycling calendar. This year's winner's jerseys will feature batik elements, a symbol of Terengganu's identity. Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The Harimau Malaya and the national Under- 23 (U-23) football team will not be privatised but instead, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will form a new unit dedicated to specifically monitor the performance and management of national football teams. FAM deputy president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said the idea for the formation of this unit was proposed by the Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail, during a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "There is no plan to privatise the national teams but instead, a special unit will be created for both the national team and the Under-23 (U-23) squad. This unit will report directly to the FAM president (Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin) and the FAM executive committee. 'The reason for this unit is that we need specialisation to take care of the welfare and performance of national team players to ensure they improve. The funds for this will be specifically allocated so that the finances will not be used for other matters,' he told the me dia after the 12th FAM Executive Meeting for the 2021-2025 term at Wisma FAM today. Previously, there were media reports suggesting that Harimau Malaya could be privatised after Tunku Mahkota Ismail, who is also the owner of the Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) Football Club, shared the system, role, and organisational chart of an independent body on his social media. The document outlines that the organisation would be headed by a Chief Sports Officer (CSO) or Technical Director and would be supported by several officials, including a Director of Coaching, Chief Operating Officer, Head Coach, Director of Strategy and Evaluation, and Head of Human Resources. When asked about the structure of the new unit, Yusoff said that FAM is currently in discussions, and a proposal will be presented to the Prime Minister in the near future. 'Soon, Tan Sri President will have a more detailed discussion on how this unit will be formed. It will involve only the structure of the unit, and we expect this matter to be resolved befo re the end of the year,' he added. Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Following podium finishes in three rounds of the 2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, experienced Malaysian racer Jazeman Jaafar aims to keep his winning momentum at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games, set to take place at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain, from Oct 23 to 27. The 32-year-old hopes to bring home a medal in his debut at the prestigious FIA Motorsport Games, often regarded as the 'Olympics' of motorsports. Jazeman views his selection to represent Malaysia on this international stage as a big honour. 'I raced at the Valencia circuit in 2008 and did some shakedown (testing) there in 2017-2018. However, this will be my first time racing with a different car setup, so I hope to carry the momentum from my recent podium finishes onto the global stage. 'In every race, the car's setup is crucial. I'm fortunate to have experienced teammates, and data transfers will also help us prepare for the race,' he told Bernama. However, Jazeman remains cautious about the formidable competiti on from experienced drivers representing the United Kingdom and Germany. In the 2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, Jazeman secured second place at The Bend Motorsport Park in Adelaide, Australia (June), claimed victory at Fuji International Speedway, Japan (August), and also competed at the Shanghai International Circuit, China (September) with Selim Rafique in the Pro-Am category. Jazeman will compete in the GT Sprint category at the FIA Motorsport Games, while Selim and Weiron Tan will represent Malaysia in the GT category. All drivers will be racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 cars. 'I'll be competing in the GT class with my bronze license, and I'm determined to deliver my best performance in the tournament with the aim of winning a medal,' said Selim. This marks Malaysia's third appearance at the FIA Motorsport Games. The country made its debut in 2019 in Italy, where eRacing GP 2019 winner Mior Muhamad Hafiz finished eighth in the Digital Cup. In 2022, Naquib Azlan advanced to the finals of the Esports Cup in France, overcoming competitors from more than 60 countries. Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SEPANG, National squad head coach Pau Marti Vicente does not expect the absence of skipper Dion Cools to be a setback for Harimau Malaya when they face New Zealand in a friendly on Oct 14. Vicente said that even with Cools ruled out, some of his other players are capable of taking up the leadership role, with Matthew Davies and Mohammad Syamer Kutty Abba among those in line to lead the team against the Kiwis at the North Harbour Stadium in Auckland. 'Of course, all players are very important but what we need to believe in is that we have a strong team. So, if any player is missing, we still have many good players who can take on his (Cools) role as well. So, I am very confident about all my players. 'It's more of a collective work and everybody must feel important. Of course, this is an important match. We are going up against a higher-ranked team,' he told reporters before the team left for New Zealand at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here today. Earlier today, the Football Association o f Malaysia (FAM) said in a statement that Cools would not be joining Harimau Malaya to face the Kiwis due to family matters. Vicente said the match against New Zealand, nicknamed the All Whites, would give the coaches the best opportunity to assess the chemistry between the players, especially with the inclusion of some newcomers. He added that the game would also be helpful for his boys to get some playing time and step up their preparation for the 2024 ASEAN Championship, previously known as the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup, in December. 'For me, it is very important to arrange quality friendlies to prepare ourselves... the better the opponents, the better it is for us to have the best preparation. 'I believe that it has been almost 20 years since Malaysia played against New Zealand. Difficult country, a difficult team to play against. So, I think we need to get used to facing these kinds of oppositions...,' he said. The Harimau Malaya last played against New Zealand 18 years ago, with head coac h Norizan Bakar's men losing 1-0 to the Kiwis in Christchurch on Feb 19, 2006 and 2-1 in Auckland four days later. Source: BERNAMA News Agency

BINTULU, Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL rider Max Poole has clinched the title of overall champion (Green Jersey) in the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2024, Asia's prestigious cycling race. The 21-year-old Briton, who has kept a firm grip on the Green Jersey since clinching it in Stage Three, had a total time of 26 hours, 27 minutes and 44 seconds (s) for the eight-stage LTdL, despite only finishing in 35th position in today's final stage. JCL Team UKYO's Thomas Pesenti finished second 0.13s behind, while Equipo Kern Pharma's Unai Iribar Jaurgei was third (0.20s behind). "I'm just a little disappointed that my performance went downhill when we lost a rider (Johan Dorussen). So, it was a little difficult for us to plan (our tactics). Anyway, everyone did his job well,' Poole said. Earlier, Italian Matteo Malucelli of JCL Team UKYO scored a hat-trick of stage wins when he crossed the finish line in 3:07.38s, with Tudor Pro Cycling Team's Arvid De Kleijn and Astana Qazaqstan Team's Gleb Syritsa coming in second and third respectively. That saw Malucelli snatching the Orange Jersey (Best Sprinter) with 80 points, just two ahead of De Kleijn while Syritsa finished third with 57 points. BH-Burgos rider Mario Aparicio Munoz took home the Polka Dot Jersey (King of Mountain) after accumulating 27 points, followed by Poole (22 points) and Astana Qazaqstan Team's Anthon Charmig (12 points). The White Jersey (Best Asian Rider) belonged to JCL Team UKYO's Manabu Ishibashi (26:30:02s), followed by his teammate Yuma Koishi (2.41s behind) and Aisan Racing Team's Keigo Kusaba (2.45s behind). Meanwhile, Equipo Kern Pharma came out tops in the team general classification with a total time of 79:24:12s, followed by Astana Qazaqstan Team (1.31s behind) and Polti Kometa (1.40s behind). The country's representative, Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) finished as the third-best Asian team with a total time of 79:58.46s, behind JCL Team UKYO (79:35.36s) and the Thailand national team (79:58.24s). Source: BERNAMA News Agency

BINTULU, The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) hopes that the state governments will be more serious in organising the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) race together with the ministry in the future. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said that the states are aware of the returns from organising races which lead to attracting tourists and boosting the local economy, but on the other hand, they are not willing to bear the cost of organising as a sponsor. "Most states are keen for the race to come to their states but they are not keen to give money, that is the challenge that we (KBS) face. It is all about costing, even last year I had to explain in Parliament why the race was not going to Langkawi (2023 edition). "We (KBS) always try our best to cover places that we feel are interesting for both tourism as well as the cycling (racing) aspect," she said in a press conference in conjunction with the final stage of LTdL, here today. She also revealed that the total sponsorship funds for LTdL amounted to RM8.1 m illion, including from private companies such as Petronas and Tourism Malaysia, while KBS and the National Sports Council (MSN) spent almost RM12 million to ensure that the eight-day race ran smoothly. "We do hope that all the states pay more attention to the sports development fund. They need to allocate and not just see this as an investment but that it also brings in tourism to the state. "There are so many platforms for states to promote themselves but if they do not set aside funds (it will not happen). By now all states should know that LTdL is an annual event," she said. Earlier, Hannah witnessed the flag-off of cyclists for the final stage of 2024 LTdL competition involving a route around the Bintulu division for a distance of 147.5 kilometres. Source: BERNAMA News Agency