Diving: Pandelela, Nur Dhabitah removed from Road to Gold programme

PETALING JAYA: Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri are no longer part of the Road to Gold (RTG) programme. RTG coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam announced on Thursday (Feb 29) after the meeting that the two senior divers have been removed from the programme for their failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics. The two divers did not...

Just monitor Axelsen at French Open, he’s more motivated with new sponsor

PETALING JAYA: All eyes will be on Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen (pic) at the French Open starting next week. World No. 1 Axelsen will be out to restore his start to this year after receiving a shot in the arm by signing a deal with his latest sponsor, Monitor ERP, a leading provider of ERP solutions for...

Hon Jian-Haikal out to be Masters of Orleans as giants will be at All-England

PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles shuttler Mohd Haikal Nazri has set his sights on capturing the Orleans Masters title along with Choong Hon Jian. With the world’s top pairs competing in the All-England (March 12-17) in Birmingham which clashes with the Orleans tourney in France, Haikal is optimistic of his chances of going all the way with...

Tze Yong’s Olympic qualification may be reversed through luck and last minute heroics

PETALING JAYA: Hendrawan is not throwing in the towel just yet on Ng Tze Yong’s (pic) qualification for the Paris Olympic Games. Although all looks doom and gloom for Tze Yong after picking up a back injury, Hendrawan believes the door is not completely shut on his Olympic dream just yet. The Indonesian coach says luck and...

Buddies Rayner-Goh bloom as stars for future with first Under-21 title

PETALING JAYA: Good buddies Rayner Beh Chun Meng-Goh Boon Zhe lifted their first Under-21 men’s doubles title to show they are shaping up well to emerge as the country’s promising pair in the future. Yesterday, the top seeds lived up to their billing by beating Choi Jian Sheng-Wong Vin Sean 16-21, 21-17, 22-20 in a thrilling...

Nurul Izzah Izzati wins gold at Asian Track Cycling Championships

PETALING JAYA: Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri earned big cheers for Malaysia when she won the women's elite keirin gold medal on the penultimate day of the Asian Track Cycling Championships in New Delhi, India today (on Sunday). The 20-year-old from Kedah rode brilliantly to overtake Tong Mengqi of China, coming out of the bend to...

Fareez exits worlds quarters, Olympics spot in jeopardy

PETALING JAYA: Para shuttler Fareez Anuar (pic) is in danger of missing out on the Paris Paralympics after bowing out of the quarter-final in the World Championships. Fareez went down fighting 15-21, 21-17, 15-21 to Taiwan’s Fang Jen-yu in the men’s singles SU5 (upper body impairment) in Pattaya yesterday. The world meet is the last event offering...

Tze Yong taking spine injection to be fit for Olympics qualifying race

PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong is exploring every avenue he has in an attempt to save his Paris Olympics dream. Tze Yong faces a tough battle to qualify for the Olympics after injuring his spinal disc during the Asia Team Championships recently. The 23-year-old now faces a race against time to be fit for...

Back injury forces Tze Yong to withdraw from French Open, All-England

PETALING JAYA: National men's singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong has withdrawn from the back-to-back French Open (March 5-10) and All-England (March 12-17) as he is set to undergo minor surgery to fix his back injury. Tze Yong suffered an injury to his spinal disc in the Asia Team Championships last week and had hoped to recover...

Rexy rues misfortune of Malaysian doubles collision in first round

PETALING JAYA: The luck of the draw was not in favour of men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in the All-England from March 12-17 in Birmingham after both pairs were pitted against each other as early as the first round. National coaching director Rexy Mainaky rued his charges’ misfortune...