Foul!

“Saya berharap tuan rumah Malaysia bisa memberikan perlindungan dan menjamin keamanan para penonton,” ujar Suryana. Hal tersebut dianggap perlu karena para penonton datang dari pelbagai tempat, bahkan ada yang datang langsung dari negaranya untuk menonton sepak bola di Malaysia. Permintaan itu disampaikan terkait insiden pengeroyokan suporter Indonesia yang diduga dilakukan suporter Malaysia. KBRI menyatakan masih menunggu laporan resmi dari para korban. “Kalau sudah ada laporan resmi, baru kita akan mengambil langkah selanjutnya." Kenyataan berikut dipetik akhbar Tempo . Dengar khabar pihak polis ada menerima laporan mengenai kejadian tersebut dan ini disahkan oleh  Ketua Polis Daerah Cheras, Asisten Komisioner Mohan Singh Tara Singh semalam. Pihak Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia pula tidak dimaklumkan tentang insiden tersebut tetapi berjanji akan memastikan tiada kejadian buruk akan berlaku kepada mana-mana penyokong mahupun pemain. Sebelum perlawanan Piala AFF bermul

Malaysia defeated Laos 4-1 in the second group match in the AFF Cup. Both teams were tied to a 1-1 draw in the first half. The goals for Malaysia came from Safiq Rahim, Safee Sali ( pic ), Wan Zack Haikal and Khyril Muhymeen Zambri. So will we now see a video of 'fans' singing 'Thank you Rajagobal'? Earlier Indonesia managed a 1-0 win over Singapore. It will certainly be an interesting clash between Malaysia and Indonesia this Saturday. HD says: What say you?  

On Sunday, Malaysia lost 3-0 to Singapore in their opening match of the AFF Cup. Right after the match, national coach K.Rajagobal said; " I don't like the score(line) ." Tonight, the Harimau Malaya lads will take on Laos at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil (kick off 8.45pm). At a press conference yesterday, Rajagobal was quoted by Bernama as saying; "I know the game against Laos is very important to us and of course my focus is to clinch all three points. I will make (major) changes in the line up for the game against Laos but I cannot reveal who will be fielded or dropped." Laos are no pushovers as evident in their match against Indonesia on Sunday. Both teams settled for a 2-2 draw. So what will K.Rajagobal say after the match? Will he like the scoreline? And how will the fans react after the match? A video of fans reacting after Malaysia lost 3-0 to Singapore as uploaded on YouTube. Other updates; - Norshahrul Idlan Tala

Five of our national athletes received monetary funding of US$1,000 (RM3,055) a month since 2010 as they are recipients of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) scholarship . The five are shuttlers Lee Chong Wei, Koo Kien Keat, Tan Boon Heong, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang and middle distance runner P.Yuvaraj . Apparently there are talks that Yuvaraj has not been receiving his monthly funding. A quick check with Olympic Council of Malaysia secretary Sieh Kok Chi proved otherwise. "We have all the records and we have been paying to the associations and in Yuvaraj's case to the Malaysian Athletics Federation," stressed Kok Chi. Perhaps that would answer all doubts - or would it? HD says : Hmm....

Those were the words of national coach K.Rajagobal right after Malaysia lost 3-0 to Singapore in the AFF Cup last night. Rajagobal was clearly dumbfounded with the scoreline but defended his players despite their rather poor performance on the field. Singapore skipper Shahril Ishak scored a brace while 'veteran' Aleksander Duric scored the final goal of the night as the national lads were left in tatters. "To be honest, a draw would have been a fair result. Yes, Khairul (Fahmi Che Mat) made a mistake..everyone makes mistakes. The team came back in the second half but we didn't score," said Rajagobal. Earlier, Rajagobal praised Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, saying the Kelantan player played a "good game". "We started positively but our play was marred by sloppy defending." At the last edition, Malaysia were whacked 5-1 in the opening match against Indonesia but bounced back to win the tournament. When asked if the same could happen agai

For the record, this also appeared on Astro Awani's Facebook page. Their jubilant faces were plastered all over the front pages of local dailies. The players turned into instant celebrities while the officials were glowing, some even shamelessly taking credit for the team's success. Two years on and Malaysians still remember how Harimau Malaya humbled Indonesia at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil with a 3-0 score line before going down 2-1 in the two-legged final at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. There was utter silence all around the stands as despite the defeat, Malaysia won the 2010 title with a 4-2 aggregate. National striker Safee Sali was handed the Golden Boot award with five goals under his belt. Two years on, Malaysians are hoping for that fairy-tale run to happen in this year’s edition of the regional tournament. National coach Datuk K.Rajagobal and his lads have certainly come under fire from various parties, as even FA of Malays

Perhaps some folks are being polite, giving the small football nation their fair share of space in the dailies. Singapore's Today Online says Laos are possibly the bogey team . And it looks like the Laos team are in an upbeat mood. Malaysia play Laos in their second match on Nov 28. Judging by their performances in the series of friendly matches, they cannot take Laos for granted. After all, skipper Safiq Rahim did caution his team mates against playing Bangladesh and it turned out to be a 1-1 draw. On paper, Laos have no chance of advancing beyond Group B for they have the likes of Singapore and Indonesia as company. Nevertheless, do expect Laos to create at least an upset - as they did in the 2-2 draw against Thailand in the opening match in 2010 which certainly surprised many. Hopefully the upset will not be against Malaysia. And here is the finalised list for the Malaysian squad; Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Farizal Marlias, Mahalli Jasuli, Mohamad Fadhli Mohd Sh

FA of Malaysia president Sultan Ahmad Shah expressed his disappointment with the poor results registered by the national team. Singapore are taking a modest approach before their curtain raiser against hosts Malaysia in the opening match of the AFF Cup. However, here's a heart warming article to how football unites. A soccer match between Muslim imams and Catholic priests has helped raise funds for a new kindergarten in Bosnia.  More than 4,000 people paid 1 euro ($1.30) to watch the game in the central town of Zenica on Wednesday night, cheering "Bosnia, Bosnia" and celebrating whoever scored. The Catholics won 5 -3. The match, organised by Bosnia's Inter-religious Committee, was played by priests of the Bosnian Franciscan order and Muslim imams, said Priest Fra Zdravko Andjic.   His good friend, Imam Jakub Salkica, said both sides got along well, but joked that shouldn't raise suspicions about match fixing. Nearly two decades ago, more

While some of us may still be reeling from the national football team's 1-1 draw against Bangladesh, here's another shocker in the sports scene. The Malaysian hockey team went down 3-2 to Taiwan in the 4th AHF Indoor tournament in Thailand. Read ' What a disgrace ' for the full story. Apparently it is not the national team but the Armed Forces representing the country Meanwhile; Second chance for Azamuddin National football coach K.Rajagobal replaces injured Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak by recalling Pahang player Azamuddin Mohd Akil for the opening match against Singapore in the AFF Cup on Sunday. PM boosts players' morale Prime Minister Najib Razak visited the national players ahead of their AFF Cup campaign. Apex to tie the knot on Dec 28 National goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat ( pic ) had, during a press conference yesterday, revealed his marriage plans with  Nur Eilunie Natasha Nazri or better known as Leuniey Natasha in Pasir Pekan, Tumpat, Kelant

Malaysia membuka jaringan melalui Khryil Muyhmeen Zambri pada separuh masa pertama. Akan tetapi Bangladesh menjaringkan gol penyamaan melalui sepakan penalti Jahid Hasan Ameli pada minit ke 83 untuk menamatkan perlawanana dengan keputusan seri 1-1 di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil semalam. Ini merupakan perlawanan persahabatan terakhir sebelum Malaysia beraksi dalam Piala AFF. Pasukan Harimau Malaya akan bermain Singapura di venue yang sama Ahad ini. Percaturan tidak menjadi? Skrip yang sama berulang lagi? Peminat kini tidak pasti? Mampukah anak didik K.Rajagobal memenangi Piala AFF kali ini? Btw, this is my 1000th post. Time flies.... HD kata: Masih ada masa...... :)

As reported by Sports247 THE court has ruled in favour of National Sport Council (NSC) in their dispute with Mesuma Sports Sdn Bhd over the national jersey tiger stripes. It is believed that the Intellectual Property High Court had concluded yesterday that the three tiger stripes, of which the apparel makers had registered for 10 years – from July 9, 2009 till July 9, 2019 – do not belong exclusively to Mesuma. However, details of the judgment have yet to be released but sources have mentioned that the court has ordered the cancellation of Mesuma’s design registration. The matter came to attention when NSC entered into an agreement with Telekom Malaysia (TM) to launch the Team Malaysia Panthera jersey on April 28 last year. TM had also filed eight applications to register designs consisting of its corporate logo and incorporating the tiger stripes on the words “TEAM MALAYSIA”. NSC had claimed that it registered the design under the Industrial Designs Act through CR Sports in

Those were the exact words describing the accommodation supposedly provided by the Malacca Hockey Association for the Malacca Under-14 team that competed in the national Under-14 tournament. Any one care to explain? HD says : Hmm....

From defending champions to finishing rock bottom in the Sultan of Johor Cup , it was certainly a forgettable tournament for the national under-21 hockey team. Nevertheless, a more important meeting took place at Thistle Hotel in Johor Baru yesterday. A paper to 'restructure' the Malaysian hockey scene was presented by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to MHC officials. Instead of studying the contents of the detailed report, many seem to be very eager to find out who wrote the report. Sigh! This reminds me of the expose I did on the poor conditions at the Bandar Penawar sports school not too long ago. Apparently teachers are still being hauled up and accused of alerting the Press but none from the ministry is addressing the main problem in the school. I hope the contents will be digested and practised by the stake holders namely the State HAs. I  sincerely hope they will. HD says: Hmm....

His name is Fauja Singh . He is 101-years-old. And he still runs. The UK-based 'veteran' runner has participated in New York City marathon, London Flora marathon, Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the 2012 Hong Kong 10km run. He was also involved in the London Olympic torch run. Dubbed as Turbaned Tornado - as per the name of his biography - Fauja has been an inspiration to many and even appeared on several adidas advertisements.  Fauja will be in Petaling Jaya on Dec 2 as he participates in the Chardikala Run - a 5km charity run. Visit here and here for more information.   HD says: Impossible is nothing indeed...

The landslide at Jalan Hulu Langat that happened on Thursday evening certainly jogged memories. It is also baffling to how landslide issues are - most of time - taken for granted. Together with a fellow editor, I drove to the landslide incident at 6.50am yesterday and the policemen manning the area were kind enough to escort the both of us to the landslide area which has been cordoned off about 1km in both directions. I managed to take several snapshots while the other editor video-recorded the scene through a Blackberry mobile phone and the recording was even used for Astro Awani's tv news bulletin. The landslide occurred very near to the once famous Ampang Lookout Point . The famous eatery - and the best place to catch a glimpse of the city without having to go all the way to Genting - was shut down by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) in January due to "serious soil erosion ". Read ' Ampang Lookout Point illegal ' and Ampang Lookout Point closed indef

" Kita tidak mahu memanjangkan isu ini (perpindahan Norshahrul ke Johor) bagi mengelakkan lebih banyak salah faham antara mana-mana pihak... jadi kita akan membuat keputusan mengenai perkara ini pada mesyuarat khas 19 Nov ini di Johor Baru. " Itu merupakan kata-kata setiausaha terhormat Persatuan Bola Sepak Johor (PBNJ) Suhairi Hashim mengenai penyerang Norshahrul Idlan Talaha ( gambar ) atau lebih dikenali sebagai Mat Yo - yang dipetik Bernama. Ini pula laporan Berita Harian - Mat Yo = RM6 juta     Dan ini pula ulasan Annuar Musa di laman Facebook-nya sebentar tadi; Ada pihak cuba MEMBUAT FITNAH terhadap KAFA kononnya meletakkan HARGA TERLALU TINGGI utk perpindahan MAT YO..mereka cuba menyebarkan gambaran harga kononnya RM5-6j...INI ADALAH PEMBOHONGAN..tawaran kita adalah ATAS DASAR FRIENDLY ....dan untuk membantu MAT YO menyelesaikan kamelutnya SETELAH DI UMPAN PIHAK TERTENTU..INILAH AKIBAT APABILA PEMAIN YG MASIH DLM KONTREK TERLEBIH DAHULU DI HUBUNGI DA

"Ranking tidak penting" - So it doesn't matter that Malaysia, ranked 163 in the Fifa standings , were held to a 1-1 draw against a lower ranked Hong Kong (172) in a friendly match at the Shah Alam Stadium last night. An " experiment " perhaps? - That could have been running through the mind of defender Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak after his unexplainable back pass to goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat was intercepted by a Hong Kong player that resulted the equaliser in the dying minutes of the match. It was a mistake indeed but certainly one would not expect such a child-like error from an experienced defender like Aidil. For the record, Malaysia's goal was scored by Safee Sali ( pic ) in the 58th minute. Third time lucky? - We lost 1-0 to Vietnam, 2-0 to Thailand and managed a 1-1 draw against Hong Kong. Then again, why be so judgmental now when the real test awaits the team once the AFF Cup starts proper. Oh, if you like romantic movies, do watch the 1

“Education in Malaysia is an on going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, in order to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically , balanced and harmoniously, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving a high level of personal well being to contribute to the betterment of the nation, family and society." That is the National Philosophy of Education. Note that physical activity plays an important role in the development of a child in Malaysia. Is this translated in the recently announced Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 ?  A quick read of the preliminary blueprint executive summary sees;    Page 8 - speaks about every student picking up 1sport, 1club and 1uniformed body Page 13

Guess re-elected US President Barack Obama will just need to re-use his old Diwali greeting eh. Here's wishing each and every one of you - regardless of race, religion, creed or background - a blessed Diwali. As the Times of India sums it up; Regardless of the mythological explanation one prefers, what the festival of lights really stands for today is a reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to friendship and goodwill, and a religiously sanctioned celebration of the simple - and some not so simple - joys of life. HD says: Cheers!

Let's take a look at some of the teams participating in the AFF Cup; SINGAPORE Harris Harun is eager to make his mark in the AFF Cup. The midfielder was quoted by Singapore's The New Paper as saying; "It is a very important tournament because we have a realistic chance of winning it for the fourth time, even though the likes of Vietnam and the Philippines have become stronger." INDONESIA Indonesia's coach Nil Maizar is trying out various formations ahead of the AFF Cup. Nil told Antara news agency;  “We will still focus on using the 4-4-2 formation. But in anticipation of a lack of players, we’re also trying the 3-5-2 formation.” THE PHILIPPINES The Philippines team manager Dan Palami  believes the Azkals, who recently enjoyed training camps in US and the Middle East, are no longer considered as 'underdogs' by the other teams. Palami told AFF Cup website;  "We caught them by surprise in 2010, but I doubt they will get surp

  Press Release The Malaysian Waterski & Wakeboard International to be held in Putrajaya's Presint 6 Water Sports Complex this weekend has drawn some of the best skiers in the world to compete with Malaysia's top skiers.   Sara Vesterlund, the Swedish U21 slalom champion and Singapore's Kalya Kee will be the main challengers for Malaysia's SEA Games double gold medallist and Asian slalom champion Phillipa Yoong in the women's slalom event. Thailand has entered Asian wakeboard champion and SEA Games gold medallist  Padiwat "Bomb" Jaemjan, who is not a stranger to Putrajaya as he had graced the competition here two years ago to thrill the spectators with his fantastic air tricks. Guy Tanaka at 13 years of age and touted the boy wonder of wakeboard from  Singapore will give "Bomb" a tough fight in the open men's event. Malaysia's own wonder girl, nine-year-old Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah (pic ) and destined for world rankings, will fi