03 Mar

For any professional badminton shuttler, winning the prestigious All-England Open title would be the pinnacle of his career.In the world of badminton, there is a saying that "you can win as many international titles as you can but without the All-England, all other titles are nothing."With that in mind, in the quest of becoming the 'best of the best', a national player making waves in the international scene, like Malaysia number one singles player Datuk Lee Chong Wei, knows that winning the All-England would be the peak of his career. Throughout his eight years playing badminton, Chong Wei has won numerous...

09:59 / Local / Sports
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03 Mar

Arsène Wenger believes that Arsenal's rock-solid defence can be their foundation for success. The Frenchman has watched his team rack up six consecutive clean sheets and concede just three times since Boxing Day. Arsenal's lack of goals at the other end continues to frustrate Wenger but, having watched Manchester United reel off a string of 'professional' one-goal victories this season, the manager knows his team can emulate the champions. "Defensive strength is the foundation for success and we want to keep the focus on that strength," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online. "We are in the final sprint of the season and you can...

09:58 / International / Sports
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03 Mar

HAVING grown up in the journalistic world with The Times (of London) long before online newspapers and blogs came on the scene, it was my first read of the morning as a student in England, thanks to a book by its sacked editor, Harold Evans, entitled Good Times, Bad Times, after Rupert Murdoch had taken over the paper. There was an added incentive too – on Mondays, the price wars prompted a 10p (40 sen at that time) cover price when I was there more than 10 years ago. After all these years, its online version and that of The...

09:16 / International / Sports
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03 Mar

REDUAN Abdullah has been relieved of his coaching duties as Premier league side Felda United chief coach following his 12-month ban by the FA of Malaysia (FAM). The club's assistant coach Ahmad Fairuz Yunus, a former Kuala Lumpur player, will be the caretaker coach and his first major task will be to prepare a team for the Premier League away match against Sabah on March 13.Reduan, whose contact with Felda expires on Sept 2010, will be given paid leave for a month pending his appeal against the suspension. The FAM disciplinary board meted out the punishment on Thursday in response to...

08:43 / Local / Sports
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28 Feb

FORMER national coach Allan Harris is willing to help the FA of Malaysia and no, he isn't expecting a big, fat salary. Harris, who handled the various national teams in 2000-2004, has been following Malaysian football's recent developments and just wants to give something back. "Football has been good to me and I just want to give something back to the game. Why not in Malaysia?" said Harris, who contacted Timesport from London yesterday. "I believe we can sit down and work things out. I am not looking at earning a big salary. FAM has been very good to me and...

12:31 / Local / Sports
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28 Feb

HAVING weathered numerous storms before, one gets the impression that the FA of Malaysia feels that it is only a matter of time before the criticism that is being hurled at it goes away. After all, it has happened before as FAM has, somehow, always survived but one gets the feeling that this time, there is no escape. FAM has to change for if it doesn't, then it is staring at the end of Malaysian football. If there was one aspect that always saved FAM before, it was sound governance. Sure, the national team had become a pale shadow of what...

12:22 / Local / Sports
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27 Feb

HE has only been in charge for three matches thus far but Ken Worden could be staring at the exit door should Terengganu get knocked out of the FA Cup by Young Tigers today. That would be a dubious record for a coach who has won the Malaysia Cup and guided the national team before to have but such is the state of Malaysian football. Apparently, if one official is to be believed, there are some in the Terengganu FA who are unhappy with how Worden is managing the team. "We are not very happy with the way he is...

11:43 / Local / Sports
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27 Feb

Talk to any local football fan and you will only hear regret in his or her voice about the standards of Malaysian football today. They will most probably reminisce about the golden days of local football in the 1970s and 1980s. And it is very likely that they would not be able to name any big football stars from the current batch.Long gone are the days when football stadiums across the country and the Causeway - the likes of Stadium Merdeka, Likas Stadium, Stadium Larkin, City Stadium and the National Stadium - were packed with hardcore fans.It is very common now...

11:38 / Local / Sports
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27 Feb

In a decision that is bound to attract criticism, FAM's disciplinary board (DB) meted out the punishment in response to Reduan's assertion that the national body had failed to monitor the fitness tests at the state and club levels.Players have to pass the fitness test in order to get their playing license.The issue blew up after only three players passed a National Sports Institute fitness test prior to Malaysia's Asian Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates last month. "We suspended him one year and fined him RM4,000 for hitting out at FAM openly. He had many channels of communication...

11:30 / Local / Sports
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25 Feb

SOME national referees, fed-up with Lt Col (Rtd) Kamaruddin Sakhari - the head of their department - are seeking an audience with FA of Malaysia president Sultan Ahmad Shah to vent their frustration. The referees department, since last year, has come under fire from the media for the unprofessional way it has dealt with some of its members. This year, some referees whose credentials are questionable, have been assigned to local league matches. Appointments of match commissioners and referees inspectors have also been criticised. "We are sick and tired with FAM (for not looking into the matter). We have complained on...

11:28 / Local / Sports
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