Foul!

PRESS RELEASE Ukraine’s sudden emergence in the waterski world is due to a passionate lover of the sport – Alexy Martynov. A former water skier and a successful businessman, Martynov has virtually put Ukraine on the world map of waterski from his efforts that started 12 years ago when he formed the Sentosa waterski club and school in Dnepropetrovsk. Danylo Fil’Chenko, a pioneer product of the club, is competing in the on-going International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) World Waterski Championship in Putrajaya. He sees action in three events – Slalom, Tricks and Jumps. Fil' Chenko said he owes his rise in the sport to Martynov and the club. “Martynov not only set up the club but has been sponsoring the Ukrainian team to all the competitions,” said the 20-year-old who is studying construction management at the University of Louisiana Monroe in USA. “The Ukrainian national team is virtually the Sentosa club team. It was only recently, when our team started getti...

As published in Malay Mail (newspaper) today. Comment by Wong Sai Wan I AM angry and I am sure that I am not alone.   I want justice and, again, I am sure I am not alone.   We cannot allow MH17 to be forgotten or swept away in lieu of political and economic needs. Those responsible — no matter who directly or indirectly — for the murder of the 298 people on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam on that fateful Thursday must be brought to justice.   The special Parliament meeting on Wednesday to debate and condemn the downing of MH17 must not be about just speeches.   Malaysians expect —  no, demand —  more than just empty talk.   Our leaders must react with the anger that all of us feel.   I suggest Parliament orders the attorney-general to initiate a criminal investigation into this matter and to bring the perpetrators to justice here in Malaysia, if not at the International Court of Justic...

President Barack Obama spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at the Kremlin’s request, a conversation in which they briefly  discussed  reports that a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane carrying nearly 300 people had been reportedly shot down near the Ukrainian border.  “ President Putin near the end of the call with Obama noted the early reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russia-Ukraine border,” a White House pool report said, reading out comments from  White House press secretary Josh Earnest aboard Air Force One.  The Kremlin also provided a readout on its website: “ The Russian leader informed the U.S. president of the report from air traffic controllers that the Malaysian plane had crashed on Ukrainian territory, which had arrived immediately before the phone call.” There were no survivors of the crash. An adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Minister has said  23 U.S. citizens were among those on board who were kil...

Tension mounts in Crimea as troops from Ukraine and Russia are mobilised to prepare for a possible war. In the centre of this episode are Malaysians who most are fulfilling their dreams of graduating to becoming doctors. It is a worrying state for their families feel helpless and can only worry about their fate. Despite the uncertainty, political unrest and depressing news hogging the first few pages of the local dailies, the back pages offer a glimmer of hope. Just like every global episode, sports — or in Ukraine, football to be exact — has turned out to be the nation’s unifying factor. The Ukraine football team were supposed to host USA in a friendly match in Kharkiv last Wednesday but the match was instead moved to Larnaca, Cyprus due to security concerns. Prior the match, Ukraine skipper Anatoliy Tymoshchuk was quoted as saying: “National team is a symbol of unity because players come from all over Ukraine.” “We’re all one big family, we’re all united.” Ukraine went on to defeat U...

FIFA has ordered Ukraine to play its next World Cup qualifier in an empty stadium after its fans hurled racist abuse during its match against San Marino. FIFA said in a statement Friday that "several racist and discriminatory incidents were apparently perpetrated by local supporters during the match, in particular by displaying neo-Nazi banners and by making 'monkey noises and gestures' as well as Nazi salutes." Read more here . Pic: Ukrainian supporters of Karpaty Lviv hold a Nazi flag at a match in 2007, as published here . HD says: No place for racism and politics in sports.