Foul!

Who cares if Ong Kim Swee has taken the Olympic team to the final stage after a really long time? Fact remains, Kim Swee will certainly feel the heat if he fails to defend the Sea Games title in Jakarta next month. Kim Swee's dilemma was written here. But nothing was done to help him in his cause. The stakeholders, who excel well in hogging the limelight and stamping their faces in front of the cameras, demand Kim Swee's lads win the gold medal. Realistically, going beyond the Group stage will be a bonus as we are roped with Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. Indonesia are playing host and have every reason to hunger for the title. Thailand would like to show to the region they are back while Singapore had recently defeated Malaysia and would like to prove their youngsters can do the same. Cambodia, meanwhile, are no pushovers. Kim Swee's lads managed a 4-1 win against Laos in a friendly match yesterday. But Laos were leading 1-0 at half time. Nevertheless, all ...

Negeri Sembilan won the Malaysia Cup 2011 final after edging Terengganu 2-1 in the final at the Shah Alam Stadium last night. Here are the highlights. Abdul Manaf Mamat (Tganu): Despite being closely monitored by the Negeri Sembilan defenders, Abdul Manaf managed to show his brilliance not once but twice in both halves. He managed to dribble past three players before trying a shot a goal only for the top post to come. In the second half, Manaf dribbled against several players before passing to Ashaari Samsudin who then scored the goal. S.Kunalan (Negeri Sembilan): He was nippy as always but his passes and shots at goal were disappointing. Yet Kunalan had plenty of reason to celebrate when Teregganu goalkeeper Sharbinee Allawee fumbled to catch an easy free kick shot by Kunalan. It was a perfect Deepavali gift for Kunalan. Hairuddin Omar (Negeri Sembilan): The seasoned hitman has appeared in three Malaysia Cup finals and scores in all three. Scoring against the Turtles was not easy for ...

Latest (11.02pm): Negri Sembilan staged a come back to edge Terengganu 2-1 in the Malaysia Cup final at the Shah Alam Stadium. ----- Let's study the scenarios below. 1) Bukan sengaja mahu mencipta alasan, sebaliknya kos membaiki permukaan padang menjadi punca utama Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) terpaksa meletakkan harga tiket kepada RM 50 bagi semua tempat duduk untuk aksi final Piala Malaysia esok. - Utusan Malaysia 2) Kutipan tiket bukan 100 peratus milik FAM sebaliknya akan diagihkan kepada Persatuan Bola Sepak Negeri Sembilan dan Terengganu yang beraksi pada perlawanan akhir itu selain pelbagai perbelanjaan lain. - Harian Metro 3) He (FAM general secretary Azzudin Ahmad) said the issue on the ticket price being too high did not arise as it has been agreed to by the football associations of both states. - Bernama Now let's look into these details 1) FAM will first collect between RM450,000 to RM500,000 as levy followed by 30 percent of the remaining money from...

LATEST (9.23am): The FAM website cannot be viewed. ---- LATEST (1.53am): Got this from twitter - PhilipGolingai Philip Golingai @ pearllee22 they also splashed red paint outside fam office. if targets were different it could have caused race riot. 14 minutes ago ------ It looks like the fans have taken matters into their own hands. Unhappy with the pricing of the Malaysia Cup final ticket (RM50 each), the FA of Malaysia website has been hacked. It remains unclear when the website was altered. The FAM logo has been changed while the words posted on the website are as below; "So hang ckp ni negara demokrasi eh? So kami tak puas kami godam ja.. Don`t blame us sh*thead u ask for it dlm suratkhabar ni. Penyokong bebas buat apex2 je Wahai FAM si kapitalis anjink!! Anda sentuh jiwa, kami hancurkan poket anda. Kami mampu buat lebih lagi daripada ini. Kami mahu ranking naik dan harga tiket turun, bukan ranking t...

As I was munching on some muruku while watching Enthiran on RTM2, I received not one but a handful of phone calls regarding the SEA Games flag handing ceremony next week. After exchanging Diwali greetings, I was told Mesuma Sdn Bhd will not be invited to hand out mementos to the VIPs during the ceremony. The ceremony is hosted by the National Sports Council (NSC). FYI, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) -the main body when it comes to major multi-event Games including the SEA Games - used to host such events. We all know about the soured relationship between Mesuma and NSC. To refresh one's memory, read here . Note that Mesuma remains as the official attire for OCM. All athletes - especially the national bowlers - will don Mesuma's attire during the SEA Games. Yet they aren't invited? But I guess you don't invite the baker of your cake to your birthday party eh? The picture above shows Mesuma's Maya Heng - flanked by the respective officials donning Mesuma atti...

UPDATE (1.26pm): This was twitted to me some 20mins ago. slickryck azryck @ HareshDeol mmg la mahal, tp skali skala, x masuk final bising, dah masuk bagi alasan, kata penyokong tegar, setahun skali jang oi!! 20 minutes ago --------- DEKLARASI PIALA MALAYSIA 2011 Salam 1 Malaysia , Satu ketetapan telah disepakati oleh kami Kelab E-Penyokong Bolasepak Negeri Sembilan (N9FUTBOL.COM) sebagai peneraju kelab penyokong bolasepak di Negeri Sembilan bahawa kami akan melancarkan kempen : “ SOKONGAN PADU TIDAK BERBELAH BAHAGI DARI LUAR STADIUM KEPADA SKUAD HOBIN JANG HOBIN ” Ketetapan ini terpaksa diambil oleh kami kerana komitmen kami yang tinggi dalam menyokong pasukan kesayangan kami yang akan bermain pada perlawanan akhir Piala Malaysia 2011 pada 29 Oktober 2011 ini seolah-olah telah diragut dengan ketetapan pihak FAM sebagai bad...

May the festival of lights bring joy and happiness to all those celebrating Diwali. Have a blessed day ahead.

Official Statement from Dato’ Mokhzani Mahathir, Chairman of Sepang International Circuit On behalf of Sepang International Circuit (SIC), I wish to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Marco Simoncelli’s family members, teammates, fellow riders and the whole MotoGP family. We share the pain and shock of the tragic and heartbreaking loss of Marco Simoncelli ( pic ) on 23 October 2011. Marco will be remembered as a talented rider and a flamboyant character who never failed to put a smile on the faces of the racing fraternity and his fans with his cheerful demeanour. Above all, he was a great man and a competitor who was destined for even greater things both on and off the track. MotoGP and the racing world is now a lesser place without him. SIC would like to state that the decision to cancel the race was taken after considering the severity of the accident. The decision was agreed upon by SIC and Dorna Sports SL, the commercial rights holder of MotoGP. SIC made public a...

LATEST (Oct 27): We goofed, says Ahmad Shabery. Read more here . ------ Everyone is suppose to adhere what the National Sports Council (NSC) says. But what happens when the NSC horses around with tax payers money? In 2008, Rizal Hashim called it a Malay Mail scoop after it was revealed NSC spent RM22.4 million on professional services, celebrations and hospitality. Then we had NSC purchasing two premier chalets in Port Dickson worth RM850,000 . Yesterday, the Auditor General Report 2010 revealed millions of Ringgit were spent on horses that could not perform and advertisement campaigns from money allocated for sports development. Mailsport called it a National Horse Show . The Olympic Council of Malaysia has demanded for transparency. But don't two key OCM personnel supposedly sit within the NSC Board? Don't they know what NSC spends on? Shouldn't the NSC notify the Board of such spending? Most importantly, is anyone bothered? Note: National Sports Institute was tasked to...

TERKINI (Okt 25; 9.34pm): Menteri Belia dan Sukan Ahmad Shabery Cheek meminta FAM menurunkan harga tiket perlawanan akhir Piala Malaysia 2011. Baca laporan penuh disini. ----- Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia telah membuat keputusan untuk meletakkan harga tiket perlawanan akhir Piala Malaysia di Stadium Shah Alam sebanyak RM50. Ini sudah pasti mengundang kritikan dari peminat setia khususnya dari Terengganu dan Negeri Sembilan. Mereka yang berkeluarga besar sudah tentu merasa keperitan mengeluarkan duit dari kocek. Bayangkan jika enam sekeluarga hendak menonton. Harga tiket sudah lah RM 300, belum tambah lagi duit minyak dengan duit tol. Tapi seperti timbalan presiden Hamidin Mohd Amin berkata, hasil jualan tiket akan disalurkan kepada persatuan bolasepak negeri masing-masing. Jadi yang untungnya pasukan kegemaran anda. Ada juga yang menyatakan jika anda boleh mengeluarkan lebih daripada RM100 untuk melihat pasukan EPL beraksi di KL, apa salahnya RM50 untuk melihat pasukan tempatan. Dan s...

It was an emotional weekend in the world of sports. New Zealand edged France 8-7 to win the Rugby World Cup at home , Manchester United suffered a horrible 6-1 defeat to Manchester City while world No 1 shuttler Lee Chong Wei failed to win the Denmark Open after losing 21-15, 21-18 to Chen Long of China in the men's singles final . It also marked a black spot in the Sepang International Circuit's (SIC) history of hosting the MotoGP after rising star Italian Marco Simoncelli ( pic ) died at Turn 11 in Lap 2. Those who managed to see the final moments of Simoncelli negotiating the lap, especially the visual from Colin Edward's bike before Dorna pulled if off from Youtube, could see how Simoncelli somehow lost control with his left leg raised too high in the air, slipping off his bike into the paths of Edwards and Valentino Rossi. SIC CEO Ahmad Razlan Razali stressed it was an accidental death. HD says: R.I.P Marco. You'll be missed.

UPDATE (Oct 24, 9am): MSL Sdn Bhd are aware of this problem and will added security features in the sales of tickets next season. Read more in today's Mailsport . ----- Isu tiket lagi. I remember writing about the 'over-printing of tickets' during the FA Cup final this year as seen here . A month prior the FA Cup, I mentioned in my column there were past year's tickets sold at the venues this season as written here . Hours ago, I received this email. You be the judge. Assalamualaikum Dan Salam 1Malaysia. Saya disini mewakali ribuan penyokong Pasukan Terengganu ingin meluahkan rasa kesal dan tidak puas hati kepada Persatuan Bola Sepak Negeri Terengganu (PBSNT) mengenai penjualan tiket Separuh Akhir Semi Final 2 antara Terengganu vs Selangor di Stadium Sultan Ismail Nasaruddin Shah. Untuk pengetahuan saudara media yang dihormati, PBSNT telah memaklumkan bahawa penjualan tiket separuh akhir ke 2 hanya akan mula dijual pada hari sabtu 22/10/2011 jam 9.00 pagi. Oleh...

UPDATE: Terengganu edge Selangor 2-1 (agg: 4-1), Negri Sembilan defeated T-Team 2-1 (agg: 6-3). Terengganu play Negri Sembilan in the final. ------ Irfan Bakti seems bullish of Terengganu entering into the final. However, P.Maniam's Selangor could find their Mission 33 campaign come to an end in the return leg semi final tonight. Terengganu secured a 2-0 win in the first leg at the Shah Alam Stadium. Selangor's biggest problem is finding the goals. The Red Giants simply lack sting up front. Negri Sembilan, meanwhile, beat T-Team 4-2 in their first leg semi final clash and are hoping to extend their lead in Paroi when both teams meet in the second leg. So could it be a Terengganu-Negri final after all? The Star seems to think so. NST believe it is do or die for Selangor and T-Team. Berita Harian says it is ' detik penentu ' while Utusan said this is Selangor and T-Team's final chance. Here's a question, had it been another team instead of Selangor suffering f...

The Education Ministry (MoE) issued a statement pertaining the bashing of a Form Two school boy by several fifth formers. The statement by sports division director Ee Hong read: Dear Haresh, Thank you for your concern. We are aware of this case. As the matter has been reported to the police we are leaving it to the police for further investigation. The school has taken action according to procedures instituted. The boy, son of a Malaysian Hockey Federation officer, suffered bruises on his face and lost four of his front teeth. He was whacked pretty bad. It's a police matter now, as reported in today's Mailsport . Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong replied my SMS saying he was flying off to London from Switzerland and will only be back on Sunday. Some officials are on the ball. They can be in Timbuktu and are still able to answer our queries through the phone, SMS or even email. Deputy health minister Rosnah Rashid Shirlin was at the Asean Inter Parliamentary Assembly in...

What would you do if your son came home with a badly bruised face and missing four of his front teeth? That was the situation faced by a Malaysian Hockey Federation office bearer after his son, who turned 14 a day earlier, had allege he was ganged up by several fifth formers for they had thought he had snitched on them. The police report lodged by the Form 2 lad stated he was whacked because: "...he was suspected of leading the school warden (in this case a school teacher) to raid their hostel rooms to find syabu and the warden had referred the matter to the Malaysian Anti-Drug Agency." Drugs among school athletes? Read the full report in today's Mailsport . HD says: Sigh!

Some say Selangor were on the take right after the Red Giants lost 2-0 in the Malaysia Cup first leg semi final last night. My take, Selangor are no longer the Giants but they have the services of Lady Luck thus far. Even coach P.Maniam admitted their attack lack sting. Read more here. That aside, state FAs are eager to know why aren't they getting more funds from the FA of Malaysia despite the national body having secured a good sponsorship deal early this year. But why should FAM give states more money? Shouldn't states scout for their own money? Wouldn't the surplus be better spent on the youths? Splurge on the youths is the headline for From the Sidelines today. Pic courtesy of The Malay Mail. HD says: Sore throat, fever...what's next! Argh!

Irfan Bakti ( pic ) has never won the Malaysia Cup title as a coach. And he believes this is his best opportunity to do so through Terengganu. But Irfan is not getting carried away as he still respects the might of Selangor - despite the Red Giants having shown an unimpressive record in the number of shots at goals. Ask former Merah Kuning defender K.Gunalan and he will be able to give you the exact figures. Read of Irfan's goal and the "satisfied" feeling he felt after defeating Kelantan in Kota Bharu in the quarterfinals match in today's Mailsport . T-Team, meanwhile, are eager to brush aside Negri Sembilan. Tonight's Malaysia Cup semifinal (1st leg) fixtures: Selangor v Terengganu (Shah Alam Stadium, 8.45pm) T-Team v Negri Sembilan (Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, 8.45pm) HD says: An all Terengganu final?

The KL Football Association (KLFA) are hoping to realise their dream of turning school fields into sporting hubs for the community. KLFA president Astaman Abdul Aziz watched last week's edition of Bola@Mamak and immediately called me when I spoke about the lack of playing spaces in KL. "Are you on air now?" was his first question. Astaman then went on to explain; "By laying artificial turfs on school fields, we can address the problem of lack of playing fields in KL and we will be able to see more youngsters take up the sport on a proper surface." I do hope KLFA's ambition will be supported by the powers-that-be and corporate bodies. After all this is in line with the RM50 million allocation made by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the 2012 Budget recently. Read of KLFA's aspiration in today's Mailsport. HD says: At least this will ensure KL will continue to have fields.

"Terbaik dari estate" That was headline of Rizal Hashim's post today. It was about K.Reuben tackling the referee during the Australia-Malaysia international friendly recently. Read more here . Former international Shebby Singh also spoke about the incident in his column here . If reading ain't your thing, just watch the incident here . And just like Rizal, I rather not comment further. HD says: Must be a 'painful' incident for all involved.

UPDATE 5.40pm: It seemed like yesterday when I spoke to National Sports Institute CEO Dr Ramlan Aziz about the fitness levels of athletes and he did mention a particular team sport. In fact it was in 2009 when Ramlan shared some statistics with me and this was a line from the story then Smoking was also said to be one of the reasons why our hockey team failed at the pre-Olympic tournament last year. Read the full report here . --- I always have a soft spot for hockey. I started writing about schools hockey during my early days. R.Vivekananda was a school teacher and coach for Royal Military College back then and I remember writing about Kevinder Singh who was only 15 back then. I remember coaches like Saiful Munir Mansor, who was also my former school teacher in Methodist Boys School Sentul, and Minarwan Nawawi and Maninderjit Singh's stint coaching SMK Sri Hartamas. The support for hockey then was rather good as you would fellow school mates and family members showing their suppor...

The Malaysian MotoGP has been part of the World Grand Prix calendar since 1991. It started at the famous Batu Tiga Circuit before the race was held at the Pasir Gudang circuit in 1998. Among the big names then were Mike Doohan , Wayne Rainey and Kevin Shwantz. Those who grew up in the 80s would remember the likes of Eddie Lawson and Freddie Spencer while the legends of the scene are Kenny Roberts Sr ( pic ) and Giacomo Agostini. The GP then made its way to the Sepang International Circuit since 1999. My association with the MotoGP started when my late dad took me for an outing at the Shah Alam circuit when I was rather young. As a journalist, I managed to interview the likes of Kenny Roberts Sr, who was then the team principal of the now defunct Team KR, Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi. My name, alongside many others, was placed on the right side of the bike just below the seat as Team KR raced for the final time at the Valencia GP in 2007. It was Team KR's way of sayin...

UPDATE (Oct 14, 9.50am): Youth bowler Aris Ardila speaks to Mailsport's Vijhay Vick of his final moments with Beng Khai as seen here . National Sports Institute CEO Dr Ramlan Aziz, meanwhile, said his institute is capable of emergencies as seen here . UPDATE (3.00pm): Ambulance arrived at the scene within 15 minutes and not 1 hour as widely rumored. I was informed that national youth bowler Khoo Beng Khai ( pic ) passed away early this morning. Beng Khai was 20. According to Pelapis Future Champions , Beng Khai was found in his car in front of Casa 1 before he was rushed to the Serdang Hospital. Beng Khai was a rising star, as seen here . HD says: Our condolences to all at home.

The Red Warriors are eager to draw first blood as that could motivate them to win the battle. So says Kelantan coach M.Karathu would is gearing up his lads as they host Terengganu in the return leg of the Malaysia Cup quarter finals tomorrow. Terengganu won the earlier leg 3-1. Read more here . Terengganu fans too ought to be careful when visiting Kota Baru. They have already been warned that things could get ugly as seen here . Scare tactics? Then again, remember their fans burning down a Black Maria? With five red and 10 yellow cards flashed in the earlier clash, the return leg would be another exciting adventure. All the best to both teams. HD says: Won't be surprised if Kelantan wins. What say you?

If you'd still be around, we'd be celebrating your 62nd birthday today. Fluffy has grown pretty big, almost 3 years old, and I'm still convinced you would have enjoyed having him around. Mum is still missing you but she's a strong lady. And there's another addition to the family too :) So yeah, here's a toast to your 62nd birthday. We will catch up for a beer or two someday Pa. Cheers!

I was a guest on Bola@Mamak (Astro channel 811) earlier. The others involved in the show were BFM's Ross Yusof , Anand - or better known as the Orangeman - of HooHa!, concert organiser Leonard Chua who is also a loyal Tottenhan Hotspur fan since 1979 and host Adrian Jalaludin . ( pic right ) It is supposed to be more of an EPL programme but the producer Nicholas John was bold enough to incorporate a handful of topics surrounding our national team. Prior the show I was 'forced' to sign up with the Malaysian Tottenham Hotspur Fan Club. Spurs fans Syahizan Amir Abdul Wahab - a legal eagle - and Andrew Lim came armed with forms and I was left no choice but to part ways with RM100. During the show we spoke about Australia-Malaysia clash, the dilemma faced by Olympic coach Ong Kim Swee and the lack of pitches in the country. There was also a debate surrounding USA goalkeeper Hope Solo's (pic left) decision to strip for the camera. Last but not least we had Prema Yin - sis...

The Young Lions will feature in the M-League next year. Now another foreign team could be part of the action as Cambodia club Preah Khan Reach FC have stated their interest to play in Malaysia. An announcement will only be made after officials from the FA of Malaysia and the Cambodian club during the AFF Council meeting in Laos on Saturday. Read Harian Metro's Kemboja minat Piala FA 2012 and Borneo Post's Cambodian Club to play in M-league next season . PKR FC (no affiliation to Parti Keadilan Rakyat) were placed third in the league as hitman Phany Irath ( pic ) scored 10 goals throughout the season. HD says: One thing for sure there will be plenty of Cambodians at the stands - reminding one of the days when Indonesians Bambang Pamungkas and Elie Aiboy played for Selangor.

I pity Sports Commissioner Datuk Yassin Salleh. Many seem to disregard the existence of the Sports Commissioner's Office. This can be frustrating indeed. The LPGA Malaysia 2011 will start tomorrow. Among the world class players include Cristie Kerr ( pic ) and Natalie Gulbis . But the organisers only obtained the SC's approval yesterday evening - that too after several phone calls were made. The SC's approval is required as per the Sports Development Act 1997 . Now imagine if those phone calls were not made... So is the SC's Office relevant? Or is it high time for the SC to stamp its authority? Read more in today's From the Sidelines . HD says: Laws are meant to be followed.

The nation mourns the passing of athletics legend Ghenda Singh s/o Amar Singh. Genda passed away on Sunday, at the age of 89. The former national hammer thrower represented the country until the age of 55. His legacy continued through his son Semret Singh who was a two time Sea Games gold medallist. The Malay Mail, had on Nov 22 1977 published an article about Ghenda's final throw at the Sea Games before calling it quits. Despite page constraints, it was only fitting to write a tribute to Ghenda in today's Mailsport . To the uninitiated, this is what The Malay Mail is all about. HD says: RIP Ghenda and our deepest condolences to all at home.

UPDATE: Selangor 3 Perak 1 The Seladangs are eager to stop the Red Giants on home soil - even if it means parking the bus right in front of the goal. Seasoned defender Chan Wing Hoong ( pic ) is bullish Perak will be able to frustrate the Selangor strikers in Shah Alam tonight - as published in today's Mailsport . The Klang Valley team have not enjoyed a good start to their Malaysian Cup campaign but somehow managed a spot in the quarter finals. Will P.Maniam's magic allow the Merah Kuning squad to go further? Let's see how it goes in the first leg of the quarter finals at the Shah Alam Stadium tonight (kick off 8.45pm). Malaysia Cup Quarter finals (1st leg) fixtures Selangor v Perak (Shah Alam Stadium, 8.45pm) Felda United v Negri Sembilan (PJ Stadium, 8.45pm) Terengganu v Kelantan (Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, 8.45pm) Sabah v T-Team (Likas Stadium, 8.15pm) HD says: Kejar Yob Kejar!

Several state hockey associations were "unhappy" about the new Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) constitution. Some questioned the need of appointing a bus load of office bearers, the number of voting rights per state and the appointments of key positions. So I expected these state HAs to actually voice their opinions during the extra-ordinary general (EGM) meeting yesterday. Q: So MHC meeting how? A: Only 1 person bangkang, the rest kept quiet. Q: So 12 VPs? Boleh join liga next year la. A: I guess so, sigh. Perhaps I was wrong. None of the state HAs were "unhappy". Judging by what transpired at the MHC EGM, it is safe to say all the state HAs LOVE the new constitution. I suppose the new constitution is "FLAWLESS". Perhaps too many cooks will not spoil the chutney after all! SS Dhaliwal called it The Con Job even before the meeting started while Jugjet Singh's A new beginning spoke about the highlights of the meeting. HD says: Well done state H...

The Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) will not be able to see what transpires at the much anticipated Malaysian Paralympic Council annual general meeting tomorrow. That has left a handful of MTBC members disappointed as they are eager to hear MPC's explanation of the RM4 million "investment". Read about the RM4 million poser here . This is MPC's first AGM in five years. MTBC secretary Sidney Tung admitted he was given "verbal assurance" by MPC president Zainal Abu Zarin two weeks ago. "We spoke over the phone and he told me MTBC can attend the AGM but I insisted we should have something in black and white," said Sidney. "Then we got a letter MPC telling us our application will only be processed by the new Council and Exco." MTBC submitted their registration fees on Sept 20, 2011. However, they have been promoting blind bowling for a long time. MTBC are also involved in the 4th ISBA World Bowling Championships which will begin on Mo...

Socceroos slay Malaysia said the Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, meanwhile, said Socceroos put five on Malaysia . The Aussies obtained their goals from Luke Wilkshire (3rd minute), Josh Kennedy (34th, 45th) and Alex Brosque (39th, 69th). The match was during the announcement of the 2012 Budget by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak - which sees the allocation of RM15mil to build an additional 150 futsal courts and RM50mil to build football fields with artificial turfs, equipped with floodlights at 30 selected locations nationwide. Joesph Kalang Tie failed to live up to expectations in the engine room while the back four were disappointing - yet again - leaving goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat to do most of the work. We could have played way better. The chilly weather of about 13 degree Celsius didn't help either. Kudos to the 300-odd Malaysian supporters - largely comprising of students armed with banners and drums - who turned up to cheer on the national t...

A lot has been said about the Sea Games and Olympic qualifiers' fixtures next month as seen here . But time is running out for coach Ong Kim Swee ( pic ) . And he is certainly feeling the pressure. The Sports Ministry - having much aspirations and dreams - is determined to see Malaysia defend their Sea Games title. The Sea Games final is usually held on the final day of the regional meet (Nov 22 in this case). But Malaysia is scheduled to play Syria in Bukit Jalil on Nov 23. That's hardly 24 hours of rest when Fifa stipulates players need 48 hours to rest. Any coach in Kim Swee's position will "ditch" the Sea Games campaign and focus on the Olympic qualifiers instead. But will Kim Swee be allowed to do so? Will the stakeholders and the fans understand? Don't expect Kim Swee to coach both teams while Syria will not be fooled to reschedule their meet to the convenience of Malaysia. Read Kim Swee's predicament in today's Mailsport . HD says: Kim Swee is ...

UPDATE (5.50pm): Azlan Shah Kamaruzan claims he did not issue any statement for an apparent outburst over the selection criteria for the Moto2 wildcard as seen here . Below is the full statement that was just sent to members of the Press I refer to the e-mailed press release sent out to the media on October 5, 2011, which had subsequently been published in several national newspapers, television and radio stations. I wish to clarify that the press release was never authorized by either myself or team Boon Siew Honda Malaysia Racing, nor had we been contacted by anyone representing the media on that matter. This incident has tarnished my name and reputation as a professional rider. Towards that end, my team views this matter seriously and we will be making a police report as this could affect my future with my team and my sponsors. With this statement, I appeal to the Malaysian media to help me clear my name. Disseminated by Global PR Sdn Bhd, on behalf of Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and ...

UPDATE (6.39pm): Here's a message from lawyer Tan Kim Soon who is representing the 33 hirers. The Court of Appeal decision currently affects the 16th to 33rd hirers only (who signed an agreement with Hock Hua prior the merger with Public Bank). The fate of the 1st to 15 hirers will be determined next Tuesday when the High Court will decide whether the dismissal of a somewhat similar claim by another hirer by another judge is binding on the 1st to 15th hirers. Note: 1st-15th hirer signed agreements with Public Bank while 16th-33rd hirer signed with Hock Hua. Public Bank and Hock Hua merged in 2001 . Would you keep your prized possessions in the safe deposit box of a bank? Ask the 33 safe box hirers who were given an extra lifeline after the Court of Appeal had set aside the decision by the High Court pertaining the case involving a robbery at Public Bank in Seri Kembangan during the Hari Raya holidays in 2006. The COA, had last week, stated; 1. Rayuan dibenarkan 2. Perintah Mahkama...

12 Vice Presidents. For what? Just to please everyone? Lu ingat sports association utk bodek org ka? The Malaysian Hockey Confederation's new constitution will see two senior vice presidents and 10 vice presidents. Relevance? Perlis Hockey Association is not even registered with the Sports Commissioner's Office. Then how can it, including its affiliates, play in local tournaments? Tolong explain sikit? From the Sidelines believe the new MHC constitution is a Recipe for disaster . HD says: Is it really necessary to have so many officials? Seriously?

The new healthcare system - 1Care for 1Malaysia - will be managed by a single body. Many had earlier assumed that if it is run by a single company, it would spell monopoly as seen here . There are those who believe there is nothing wrong with the current system as written here . Several GPs spoke to the author claiming the whole project "is rushed". It was reported in the NST last year that it will take at least 10 years for the scheme to be implemented but the ministry have broken the time line into several phrases with a bulk of the project being introduced by 2015 with full implementation in 2020. This was confirmed by deputy health minister Rosnah Rashid Shirlin ( pic ) who told the author the funds of the 1Care system will be managed by "a single not-for-profit government autonomous agency that will be supervised by the Health Ministry (MoH)". "The universal coverage already exists in Malaysia whereby people have access to health care and nobody is d...

Whoa, now that's a huge accusation eh. Talk on the street has it that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) "has been fed with altered documents by the Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC)". Betul kah? Well someone, who obviously did not leave his or her name, left a comment on my posting RM4 million poser which read: Anonymous said... Hi! I over heard that some document that submmited to MACC were made up or fake. Also heard for this upcoming election some non member become member to allow them to vote. Top management in MPM also seem gearing up with a lot of altering document to suit the CEO interest especially Finance and Account reports before the EXCO review. Won't be surprise if Dato Zainal will be elect again even everyone know that he do nothing for Paralimpic Sport. October 3, 2011 6:32 PM I hope MACC investigating director Mustafar Ali will be able to shed some light and confirm if MACC had indeed visited MPC. I, like many others, would like ...

National Sports Institute (NSI) Dr Ramlan Aziz ( pic ) stressed officials from National Sports Associations and coaches can do more in educating their athletes when it comes to dealing with prohibited drugs. Ramlan lambasted certain officials for their lackadaisical attitude adding the NSI can only do so much. In his own words: "Some don't care while there are those who are ever willing to sweep things under a musty old carpet that stinks of fish!" Read more in today's Mailsport . HD says: Some officials will also protect their athletes when they miss anti-doping tests. Sigh!