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As published in today's Mailsport By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — The recent exploits of Khairul Hafiz Jantan prove the country has amazing talents and coaches who are capable of turning our youngsters into champions. Olympic Council of Malaysia assistant secretary-general Datuk Sieh Kok Chi also credited schools for having nurtured talented athletes. Khairul Hafiz Jantan broke the 100m national record of 10.30s after clocking 10.18s to win the gold medal at the Malaysia Games on Wednesday. He also registered a new 200m Games record after he bettered his timing from 21.14s to 21.03s — all within 24 hours. He smashed the 14-year-old Games record of 21.33s held by Nazmizan Muhammad. “We are our worst enemies. We have plenty of talents but instead of saying nice things, we often doubt their capabilities,” said Kok Chi. “The country has plenty of talents, our local coaches are capable of moulding champions. Why can’t we accept that fact and help them?” H

As published in Sunday Mail By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — Datuk Lee Chong Wei has never attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. On Friday, he will not only be in Rio de Janeiro for the curtain-raiser but will lead the national contingent of 32 athletes as the flag bearer.   He is the 15th athlete, starting with weightlifter Tan Kim Bee leading Malaya at the Melbourne Games in 1956, to be bestowed the honour.   The Penangnite, who turns 34 on Oct 21, said: “Being the flag bearer means so much to me. This is my last Olympics and to be given such an honour … it’s something words cannot describe.   “I am very proud that I’ve been named the flag bearer, to lead our contingent of 32 excellent athletes during the opening ceremony. To hold the flag up high in front of a large crowd, it will be a memorable and emotional affair. “This will motivate me and I hope to raise the Jalur Gemilang once again when I win the gold medal.”     This will be his fourth

Our national contingent Archery Haziq Kamaruddin , Khairul Anuar Mohamad, Mohd Akmal Nor Hasrin Athletics Nauraj Singh , Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli  Badminton Datuk Lee Chong We i, Goh V Shem, Tan Wee Kiong, Chan Peng Soon, Goh Liu Ying, Tee Jing Yi, Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei  Cycling Azizulhasni Awang , Fatehah Mustapa Diving Pandelela Rinong , Ooi Tze Liang, Ahmad Amsyar Azman, Cheong Jun Hoong, Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Wendy Ng Yan Yee Golf Danny Chia, Gavin Kyle Green, Kelly Tan , Michelle Koh  Sailing Khairulnizam Affendy , Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif Shooting Jonathan Wong Swimming Welson Sim , Phee Jing En, Heidi Gan  Weightlifting Mohd Hafifi Mansor

Our national contingent Archery Haziq Kamaruddin , Khairul Anuar Mohamad, Mohd Akmal Nor Hasrin Athletics Nauraj Singh , Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli  Badminton Datuk Lee Chong We i, Goh V Shem, Tan Wee Kiong, Chan Peng Soon, Goh Liu Ying, Tee Jing Yi, Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei  Cycling Azizulhasni Awang , Fatehah Mustapa Diving Pandelela Rinong , Ooi Tze Liang, Ahmad Amsyar Azman, Cheong Jun Hoong, Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Wendy Ng Yan Yee Golf Danny Chia, Gavin Kyle Green, Kelly Tan , Michelle Koh  Sailing Khairulnizam Affendy , Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif Shooting Jonathan Wong Swimming Welson Sim , Phee Jing En, Heidi Gan  Weightlifting Mohd Hafifi Mansor

As published in Malay Mail today By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my HE has been going for additional classes over the weekends, hoping to make his parents proud as he sits for his first major examinations — UPSR — in September. Twelve-year-old Rashid hopes to score straight As in the Year 6 national examinations which would then allow him to gain entry into the elite Maktab Rendah Sains Mara to fulfill his parents’ dreams. I pity Rashid as boys his age should be running about kicking a football in the evenings. Sadly, his parents insist what he and his classmates learn in school is inadequate and that times have changed. But I would sympathise with Rashid even more if his planned vacation with his family at Legoland after the examinations will be dashed if he is forced to re-sit the examination. The 2014 UPSR fiasco continues to haunt pupils, teachers and parents as they continue to wonder who was (or were) the culprit(s)? Two years ago, close to half a m

As published in Malay Mail today Malay Mail's July 19, 2006 front page. Nothing has changed since. By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my STILL reeling from the 10-0 drubbing suffered by the national team in a World Cup qualifying match against United Arab Emirates 10 months ago, football fans fear their hearts will be broken — yet again — when Harimau Malaysia play in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup in November. After all, the national team’s goals have always been to win the SEA Games or AFF Cup and nothing beyond. Why so, one may ask? That is the standard of the team despite the millions spent over decades. Plans of making an impact in the coming AFF Cup have been impaired after four Johor Darul Ta’zim players — Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak, Safiq Rahim, S. Kunalan and Amirulhadi Zainal — decided to walk out from Datuk Ong Kim Swee’s squad. There are talks of “disagreements” between the national coach and his players. Ong refuted such claims on Monday. How di