IF there is a country that can take badminton to greater heights, it’s India. Former Denmark international Mathias Boe believes India has the potential to be the front runner in moving things for the sport, given the size of its population and huge following in recent times. Earlier this year, Boe was re-hired by the BA of India (BAI) to spearhead the doubles department, and it proved to be a masterstroke as the Dane inspired the national men’s team to a historic maiden Thomas Cup crown in Bangkok (in May).…
Read MoreWatford cancel Qatar friendly after fans voice concerns over human rights
Watford have cancelled a friendly match against the Qatar national team, the English club said on Monday after two supporters’ groups voiced concerns about the country’s human rights record. The two groups – Women of Watford (WOW) and Proud Hornets – had urged the club to display its support for “all human rights, the LGBT+ community and women’s rights” at the game but the fixture will no longer take place. “The game was never finalised and it became abundantly clear this was a game not to play; as such, the…
Read More‘All I want is to focus on playing’
LEE Zii Jia is unperturbed by negative comments from critics, who questioned him for skipping the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The world No 5 cited fatigue and injury for deciding not to play in Birmingham next month. He also wants to use the break after the Malaysia Masters to prepare for the World Championships in August. When met today at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil ahead of this week’s Malaysia Open, Zii Jia made it clear that he does not want to get drawn into a spat with his critics.…
Read MoreJustin captures second badminton title in Europe
Seventeen matches and 736 minutes of gruelling action in just nine days. Two titles. What a trip it was for national junior shuttler Justin Hoh as he capped a superb back-to-back European stint by triumphing in the Croatia Open yesterday. In the final, Justin, 18, outlasted Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang, who’s four years older, 21-15, 16-21, 21-18 in an 80-minute thriller. It was Justin’s second senior title in as many weeks following his victory at the Bonn International in Germany last Saturday. What is even more remarkable was the fact…
Read MorePenang record first win of the season
Penang finally notched their first win of the season by edging Terengganu 2-1 at the City Stadium in Georgetown today. The Panthers were expected to struggle against the Turtles in the absence of Brazilian striker Casagrande, who is recovering from a cheekbone fracture. However, Penang, under new coach Zainal Abidin Hassan, showed they were made of sterner stuff as they took the lead through Hilal El Helwe in the 23rd minute. Terengganu bounced back three minutes into the second half with an equaliser through Faisal Halim. The east coast side’s…
Read MoreEnter ‘Viktor Axelsen’ era
FORGET about Lin Dan, this is the “Viktor Axelsen era”, this is what the fans around the world are saying. And few would disagree. He has dominated world badminton in the last three years. The statistics is imposing. The world No 1 captured 13 titles from 17 finals since 2020, including the Tokyo Olympics gold. And the 28-year-old has already won three tournaments this year, two of which came in Jakarta, the Indonesia Open and Indonesia Masters in the past two weeks after his All England triumph in March. The…
Read MoreAmbitious Justin aiming high
Shuttler Justin Hoh has two missions this year. The 18-year-old not only wants to become a world junior champion but also crack the top 200 of the senior men’s singles world rankings. Justin hopes to succeed as he wants to impress selectors from the BA of Malaysia for a spot in the national senior team next year. On Sunday, Justin, the World No 727, took his first baby steps towards that goal by winning the eighth-tier Bonn International in Germany for his first senior title. He completed his remarkable run…
Read MoreMbappe accuses French federation boss of ignoring racist abuse
France international Kylian Mbappe on Sunday accused the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) of ignoring racist abuse after his penalty miss at Euro 2020. The Paris Saint-Germain star’s decisive spot-kick against Switzerland was saved in the last-16 shootout, resulting in the world champions exiting the tournament. The 23-year-old was vilified on social media by furious fans, and even considered quitting the national team as a result. In an interview with a Sunday newspaper, FFF president Noel Le Graet spoke of the lack of support Mbappe had felt after…
Read MoreEpic face-off in Causeway clash
THE Causeway battle between Asian champion Lee Zii Jia and world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore is expected to be a titanic affair in the men’s singles quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open tomorrow. Zii Jia believes he is ready to face his childhood rival, Kean Yew, following his impressive 21-10, 21-13 win over India’s world No 30 Sameer Verma in the last 16 today. The 24-year-old feels his game has improved after each match in the tournament. On Tuesday, the Malaysian recovered from a 10-6 deficit in the first…
Read MoreAlves confirms Barcelona departure
Barcelona right back Dani Alves will leave the LaLiga club when his contract expires at the end of this month, bringing the curtain down on his second stint with the Catalan giants a little more than six months after his arrival as a free agent. The 39-year-old Brazilian won six LaLiga titles and three Champions League crowns in his first spell with Barca from 2008-16. “After more than eight years dedicated to these colours, the time has come to say goodbye,” Alves wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. “Many more years…
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