Foul!

Players have their ups and downs. National coach K.Rajagobal ( pic ) can attest to that. He credited Gary Steven Robbat for putting up a good show and praised defender S.Subramaniam, among others. But he placed his faith in national striker Safee Sali. "I think he is professional enough. He tried (to score). I believe he played better (against Manchester City) than the Arsenal match," said Rajagobal. "Playing with strong teams..there are more positives. We can see the improvement. At the South East Asia region, we should be able to be competitive. "But we need to work on our strike force...which can improve." Malaysia lost 3-1 to Manchester City at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night. The match was played on a poor pitch. Two Manchester United banners made their way to the stands only to be removed and there was a Red Devils fan among the sea of blue who was eager to hog the limelight as he was interviewed by numerous TV stations. Eve...

UPDATE: Aug 1 (8.38am): Having seen and heard enough with regards to the issue of the contingent's attire at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, OCM President Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar said that it had been OCM's domain in the past but the government had taken over over two decades. "Having given serious consideration and looking at the issue with regards to the attire in London, we have decided that it will be OCM that will determine the attire for multi sports events from now on, " said Imran when met at the sidelines of the Olympics.   Read the full article at Malaysian Sports .  ------ UPDATE 1.50pm: Former Mailsport journo Graig Nunis alerted me of this on my Facebook page -     Olympic Uniform #18 – Malaysia Someone pulled a shifty on the Malaysian team and told them the opening ceremony was team fancy dress. That was the take of fashion website Dmarge.com as seen here . ------ What do you think of th...

It wasn't the start the national contingent had hoped for. Despite all the pomp and fare, national shooter Nur Suryani Taibi failed to qualify for the 10m women's air rifle event. But she treasures the experience as seen here . Mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying lost 12-21, 21-6, 15-21 to Taiwanese duo Chen HL-Cheng WH in their first group match. Earlier,  women's singles shuttler Tee Ying Ji put up a gritty display before losing 16-21, 21-15, 21-12 to South Korean Bae Yeon-Ju in a Group B match. The archery team failed to make the cut while national cyclists Amir Mustafa Rusli and Adiq Husainie Othman failed to complete (DNF) the men's road race event. On the bright side, men's doubles duo of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong managed a 21-12, 21-14 win over Naoki Kawamae-Shoji Sato of Japan in a group match. That pretty much sums up Day 1 for the Malaysian contingent at the Summer Games. Here's hoping for good news in days to come. As for t...

By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY LONDON – To the beat of two hearts, a Malaysian woman eight months pregnant competed in Olympic air rifle shooting Saturday morning. Though 29-year-old Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi ( pic ) did not make the final, she treasured the moment. "A pregnant woman can do whatever they think they can do. The most important thing is how they think," Taibi said. Taibi, who said her daughter is due to be born in 3-4 weeks, came here prepared to compete while aware the birth could come at any time. "I just prayed to God that if anything happened during my competition, I want to go the labor room. … I just accept it with an open heart," she said. She didn't see herself as limited. "I don't feel like there's a challenge during pregnancy. I just feel like ordinary, normal people, as if I am not pregnant. I still can do whatever a normal person can do," she said. Over a span of 75 minutes in the quali...

Hari ini 28hb Julai. 14 hari selapas KL bermain perlawanan terakhir Liga Super musim 2012. Tiga hari sebelum akhir bulan. 22 hari sebelum Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Tapi dengar khabar pemain-pemain bolasepak KL masih belum dibayar gaji mereka - tiga bulan rasanya. Betul ke KLFA? Kalau benar, bila nak bayar? Malang sekali isu tunggakan gaji pemain pernah disentuh penulis sebelum ini - KLFA to be banned? , KL tidak akan tarik diri , Pemain bolasepak kita 'bodoh' dan Liga Profesional? Tolong lah...' Janji-janji mains telah dibuat....tapi macam tu jugak. Haih. HD kata: Sedih...memang sedih.

There will not only be officials and athletes in London - but parents too! The Terengganu government went a step further by sposoring the parents of their athletes to London. They include cyclists Adiq Husaini Othman, Amir Mustafa Rosli, Fatihah Mustafa dan Azizul Hasni Awang and archers Khairul Anuar Mohamad and Nurul Syafiqah Hashim. This will certainly provide an additional boost for the athletes who will want to make their families proud. There are officials there who - and I hope - to "learn" and "support" our Malaysian athletes. For latest results and updates, visit the official website here . And here's a preview of the Games by national news agency Bernama; As the 2012 London Olympics raises its curtains tomorrow, Malaysia will take off the starting block in its hunt for the elusive first gold medal from the world's biggest sporting event since its maiden participation in the 1956 Melbourne Games in Australia. Since 1956, only shuttlers...

Hockey players obtaining stints abroad is nothing new. In 2010, Noor Faeez Ibrahim and  Izzat Sumantri featured in the Dutch league. Faizal Saari and Sukri Abdul Mutalib played for Australian club Adelaide Southern Hotshots last year. Now Faizal is torn between returning to Adelaide or traveling across the world to play for Spanish outfit Athletic Terrassa Club. According to The Star's report today, Malaysian Hockey Confederation secretary Johari Aziz  revealed Faizal is the only national player to have received offers to play in the Australian and Spanish leagues.   It looks like Faisal seems keen playing in the land of tapas, magaritas, beautiful architecture and laid back society - despite the bad economy.   "I prefer to play in the Spanish League as I will be up against top players from Europe. The league in Spain is also much more challenging than the one in Australia."   It's good that we are finally having more players eager to pl...

UPDATE 9.50am: National coach K.Rajagobal is concerned over Aidil Zafuan Abdul Razak, as revealed to the author earlier this morning. Aidil suffered major cramps on the pitch after dishing out a solid performance against the Gunners. "I really don't know how and why it (the cramps) happened but I'm really concerned about it," Rajagobal said . "I will need to speak to our doctor to find out more about Aidil's situation. I'm not a doctor but based on my understanding there could be several factors that lead to Aidil such bad cramps...it could be because of dehydration." "It's the fasting month and it's difficult to play such a high intensity match. Aidil knows this better and the turning point of the game was when several of our players started getting cramps including Aidil. "Aidil played really well and I need to know more of his condition and hope it will not happen again." ---- During the post match Press Confe...

A former graphic designer has filed a suit for RM776,000 against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), claiming that its negligence caused him to lose his right eye and his income. Ahmad Jazimin Mohd Jalaludin ( pic) was at the football match between Malaysia and Singapore football at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, organised by FAM on July 28 last year. He said that at about 8.45pm, a firecracker from the spectator seats had fallen and exploded by his right eye, causing him to suffer serious injury. Read more in The Star today . Read my previous articles on the incident as seen on Yahoo! Malaysia , lowyat.net and a posting on this blog FAM risks sanctions? HD says : Here's hoping no more fans will be injured while watching football. Let's respect each other at the stands.

The badminton draw for the London Olympics is out as seen here . Top national shuttler Lee Chong Wei ( pic ), who is said to be the nation's best hope to net the elusive Olympic gold medal, could face China's Chen Long in the semi finals. NST calls it an Acid test , Harian Metro reads Laluan getir Chong Wei while The Star says Chen Long hurdle for Chong Wei . Men's doubles pair Koo Kean Keat and Tan Boon Heong were placed in a rather tough draw. However, Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek was more optimistic judging by Bernama's report. Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the mission to win the country's first Olympic gold medal for badminton seemed promising as the national ace had an easy path in the round robin format. "Playing in the round robin format will be a warm up exercise for Chong Wei and I hope that will help him to gain the rhythm for the real game. "It is also an advantage for Koo/Tan when they wer...

Article and pictures courtesy of Olympic Council of Malaysia. LONDON : A tiny corner of England was transformed into “Little Malaysia” on Sunday morning when the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s delegation to the London Olympic Games was officially welcomed into the Olympic Village. In a joint ceremony with the Mongolian National Olympic Committee, the Malaysian athletes and officials were welcomed into the Village by Sir Charles Allen, CBE, Olympic Village Mayor, under bright blue skies and in sparkling summer sunshine. Following the ceremony, performed by the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, the Malaysians and their guests visited the offices of the Olympic Council of Malaysia and enjoyed a photo short on the lush green lawn at the back of the office. Talking about the ceremony, Malaysia’s Chef de Mission, Tun Ahmad Sarji (pic below) , said: “It was exquisite, very colourful and somehow, in a very light manner, instilling the Olympic spirit. It was well-orchestrated. I a...

Laporan dibawah diperolehi daripada agensi berita negara Bernama . Pendapat saya tertera dalam ink merah. KANGAR, 22 Julai (Bernama) -- Presiden Persatuan Bola Sepak Perlis (PFA), Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim ( gambar ) hari ini menyatakan hasrat untuk berundur daripada meneraju persatuan itu jika ada pihak lain yang berminat menggantikannya. No, this is not an April Fool's joke. Erm, lepas jawatan dari Persekutuan Olahraga Malaysia sekali ke? Beliau yang menawarkan jawatan itu kepada Menteri Besar Perlis Datuk Seri Md Isa Sabu, berkata PFA memerlukan peruntukan yang besar untuk kembali gah dalam saingan liga. Maksudnye harap duit kerajaan negeri lagi? "Saya tahu beliau (Md Isa) tak minat bola sepak, tetapi beliau mempunyai sumber kewangan untuk meneraju sukan ini," katanya pada sidang media, di sini. Macam perli je.... Shahidan berkata kekangan kewangan menyebabkan PFA gagal menyerlah dalam saingan Liga Perdana musim ini sehingga terpaksa beraksi dalam Liga ...

It has been a rather interesting journey leading to the up-coming London Olympics. As our athletes leave the country in batches for the Summer Games, some of them could return as national heroes. However, it has been an interesting and painful journey for some of the athletes thus far. Top national shuttler Lee Chong Wei injured his ankle and has yet to fully recover but is still touted by officials as being the best bet to net the nation's elusive Olympic gold medal. Azizulhasni Awang is eager to steal the thunder in the cycling event, having laid rather low as he trained diligently in Melbourne . Then we have shooter Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi who is already making headlines worldwide despite having yet to step foot in London as she is eight months pregnant. There are youngsters in the form of Pandelela Rinong who are eager to give it a shot while there are the "experienced few" including cyclist Josiah Ng and shuttlers Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong ...

Ada desas-desus menyatakan KL akan menarik diri daripada beraksi dalam Liga M. Saya pasti ia TIDAK akan berlaku kerana; 1. KL kini mempunyai Datuk Bandar baru iaitu Ahmad Phesal Talib . Ahmad Phesal dikatakan peminat bola sepak dan ingin melihat KL kembali ke zaman kegemilangannya. Ini sudah tentu akan menjanjikan suntikan dana dari Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). 2. Presiden KLFA Astamam Abdul Aziz , seorang pemilik dan waris tanah Kampung Baru, dilantik sebagai Pengerusi Lembaga Pengarah Perbadanan Pembangunan Kampung Baru (PPKB) baru-baru ini. Ini akan menjanjikan 'joint venture' dengan syarikat-syarikat swasta yang mungkin dapat menolong KLFA. 3. Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan dan Kesejahteraan Bandar, Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, yang dikatakan tidak begitu "rapat" dengan Datuk Bandar dulu Ahmad Fuad Ismail, mempunyai hubungan baik dengan Astamam dan mungkin akan memberi sokongan (dari segi moral mahupun wang tunai) melalui DBKL. Oleh yang ...

Selamat berpuasa to those who are fasting throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

Let's start the day by congratulating Pahang for securing a place in the Super League next season. The Elephants edged Kedah 3-2 on sudden death penalties in their final playoff match last night. Read the full report in here . It is also a good day for former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed Hammam ( pic) after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had over ruled the life-ban from all football related activities slapped on the Qatari. Read more here . However, AFC maintains it will still uphold its suspension against Hammam as reported here . Last but certainly not the least, these were the words of Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) secretary general Johary Abdul Aziz as quoted by The Star today; “The (Malaysia Hockey) League will be held over a shorter duration this time and that’s the reason why we have decided to scrap the knockout stage." MHL played over a shorter period? Hmm.. HD says: Oh well..

Winning medals is never a cheap affair. Nations worldwide - including Malaysia - spend millions to ensure our athletes achieve some form of glory at major events especially the Olympics. As the sporting world gears up for an epic encounter at the London Games, the New York Times offers a mathematical calculation to which event has better prospects at winning medals.  How Much for an Olympic Medal? By NATE SILVER It’s been almost a decade since the publication of “Moneyball,” Michael Lewis’s famous book-turned-movie about how the small-market Oakland Athletics used statistical artistry to compete against their (much) richer rivals. Billy Beane is still the A’s general manager, but here’s a modest proposal for his next act. He could become the head of another budget-strapped sports organization like, say, the Olympic Committee of Kyrgyzstan — or another small-market country with limited resources. Bishkek is nice this time of year! How might Beane turn “m...