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Sports

Newly Minted Pair Tang Jie-Clarissa March Into Second Round of China Open

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 2026– Newly minted national mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Clarissa Tan made their first advance to the second round when they defeated German pair Marvin Seidel-Thuc .... read more

Hankook Supports Formula E as Tokyo Hosts its First-Ever Night Races

TOKYO, July 23, 2026 – Formula E will stage its first night races in Japan at the 2026 TDK Tokyo E-Prix, with both races scheduled to begin at 20:00 local .... read more

Messi admits defeat in the World Cup final was hard to accept

Messi admits defeat in the World Cup final was hard to accept

NEW YORK, JULY 21 — Lionel Messi admitted Argentina’s 0-1 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final left a deep hurt that will take time to heal. Ferran Torres’ .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Unseeded mixed doubles pair Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin and fifth-seeded men’s doubles duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani kept the Malaysian flag flying high at the Japan Open 2026 by charging into the semifinals in Tokyo, today. In the quarter-final match, Jimmy-Su Yin emerged as giant-killers after staging a major upset against the tournament's third seeds, Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje of Denmark. The Malaysians delivered a spirited display to secure a 21-17, 21-17 victory in 39 minutes and level their career head-to-head record against the Danes to 1-1. Awaiting them in the last four is another daunting task as they are scheduled to face Hong Kong’s seventh seeds, Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet for the first time. Meanwhile, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin were forced to dig deep into their reserves for 50 minutes before confirming their semifinal berth and winning 21-18, 15-21, 21-13 against the USA duo Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith to mark their fourth consecutive victory over the pair. However, a formidable challenge awaits Sze Fei-Izzuddin in the semifinals as they are set to clash with the tournament’s top seeds, Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea. The head-to-head record between the two pairs currently stands at 2-2 with the Malaysians recent victory over the world number one pair at the Indonesia Open 2026. Earlier, the Korean top seeds, Won Ho-Seung Jae ended the run of another Malaysian pair, Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai, beating them 21-13, 21-10 in straight sets. -- BERNAMA

Japan Open 2026: Jimmy-Su Yin, Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Storm Into Semifinals

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Unseeded mixed doubles pair Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin and fifth-seeded men’s doubles duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani kept the Malaysian flag flying high at .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian contingent has set a target of five gold medals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which is scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2. Malaysia's Head of Contingent (CDM) to Glasgow 2026, Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz, said that apart from five gold medals, the national contingent is also targeting two silver medals and four bronze medals. He said the target was based on an assessment of the preparation and potential of the athletes who will take on the national challenge in Scotland. "The training camp for athletes who will compete in Glasgow has been underway and we have made a decision on the contingent's target, which we call the 5-2-4 target, which is five gold medals, two silver and four bronze medals this time." "Of the four gold medals that were lost (in Birmingham 2022), our target should be only three golds left. However, perhaps the medals can be obtained through other events, God willing. As a contingent and a team, we are confident in setting that target," he said. He said this at a press conference after the Jalur Gemilang Handover Ceremony for the Malaysian Contingent to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games at the National Sports Council (MSN), Bukit Jalil here today. However, Awalan refused to detail the sports or athletes that were specifically targeted to win gold, instead admitting that weightlifting, track cycling, field bowling, judo, powerlifting and para-athletes were among the sports identified as having the potential to contribute medals. He said each sport has its own targets, but overall achievement must be seen as a team effort and not placed entirely on specific athletes or events. A total of 59 athletes, including national para athletes, will participate in eight of the 10 sports to be competed in Glasgow 2026, including swimming, track cycling, athletics, weightlifting and field bowls, in addition to six integrated para sports. For the record, Malaysia won seven gold medals, eight silver medals and eight bronze medals in the 2022 edition in Birmingham, England, but four of the seven gold medals were contributed through sports that were no longer being contested this time. Earlier, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari officiated the Jalur Gemilang Handover Ceremony to national long jump champion Datuk Abdul Latif Romly who was honoured as the national contingent's Jalur Gemilang bearer. Also present were Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Mordi Bimol, President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, President of the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (MPM) Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin and Director-General of MSN Jefri Ngadirin. -- BERNAMA

Malaysia targets five gold medals at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian contingent has set a target of five gold medals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which is scheduled to take place from July 23 to August .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 – Lautaro Martinez struck deep into stoppage time as Argentina came from behind to defeat England 2-1 and secure a place in their second consecutive FIFA World Cup final at Atlanta Stadium in the United States on Wednesday. The dramatic semi-final appeared to be slipping away from the defending champions after Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 54th minute. However, Argentina mounted a late comeback, with Enzo Fernandez levelling the score in the 85th minute before Martinez rose highest to head home the winner in added time, sealing a memorable victory for Lionel Scaloni's side. The win sends La Albiceleste into Sunday's World Cup final at New York/New Jersey Stadium, where they will face 2010 champions Spain in a blockbuster clash for football's biggest prize. Argentina will now be aiming to successfully defend the World Cup title, while Spain will be seeking to lift the trophy for the second time in the nation's history. -- MINUTESMY

Late Martinez Header Sends Argentina Into World Cup Final

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 – Lautaro Martinez struck deep into stoppage time as Argentina came from behind to defeat England 2-1 and secure a place in their second consecutive FIFA .... read more

ARLINGTON, Texas, July 15 — Spain secured a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after producing a composed 2-0 victory over France in their semi-final clash at Dallas Stadium. La Roja delivered a disciplined display to halt France's bid for a third straight World Cup final appearance, controlling the match from start to finish. Spain took the lead in the 22nd minute when Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted a penalty after teenage star Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the box. The opening goal allowed Luis de la Fuente's men to dictate the tempo, limiting France's attacking opportunities with an organised and resilient defensive performance. France attempted to respond through captain Kylian Mbappe and several attacks from the flanks, but Didier Deschamps' side struggled to break down Spain's well-drilled backline. Spain doubled their advantage in the 58th minute as Pedro Porro finished off a well-worked move following an incisive pass from Dani Olmo. Lamine Yamal thought he had added a third goal moments later, but his effort was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Despite introducing fresh attacking options, France failed to find a way back into the contest. Mbappe came closest for Les Bleus on several occasions, but Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon produced a series of crucial saves to preserve his clean sheet. The victory sends Spain into their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010 and keeps alive their hopes of becoming world champions for the second time. Spain will now face the winner of the second semi-final between England and Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. -- ASTRO AWANI

Spain Beat France 2-0 to Reach 2026 FIFA World Cup Final

ARLINGTON, Texas, July 15 — Spain secured a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after producing a composed 2-0 victory over France in their semi-final clash at Dallas .... read more

LONDON: Lionel Messi has the chance to add another glorious milestone to his incredible World Cup journey when Argentina face England in Atlanta on Wednesday, reported PA Media/dpa. The Press Association traces Messi's contribution to world football's most prestigious stage. Repeat success? Messi led Argentina to victory in 2022 in Qatar, scoring seven goals, including two in the final, before they beat France on penalties. The success was seen as partly driven by the Argentine squad's determination to win the championship before Messi retired. However, not only did he return almost four years later, but he was once again a mainstay of the team. The 39-year-old has scored eight goals in this summer's tournament, equalling France forward Kylian Mbappé as the top scorer, and is now chasing a second World Cup title before almost certainly ending his career on the stage. Respect for the individual The World Cup Golden Shoe is one of the few major awards that Messi has yet to win after Mbappé surpassed him in the race for the award in the last edition. The French striker scored a hat-trick in the final even though his team ultimately lost. The same two players once again lead the competition this time, with Mbappé having the advantage through the separating criteria of number of assists and fewest minutes played. Two English players, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, are also close behind with six goals each, while closest challenger Erling Haaland has already been eliminated. Messi is a two-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, the award for the tournament's best player, and in this edition adds two more all-time records to his collection. However, Mbappé is just one goal shy of Messi's record of 21 World Cup goals and looks set to become the long-term record holder. Both surpassed Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16 goals in this tournament. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also became the first two male players to play in six World Cups, with both surpassing Lothar Matthaus' record of 25 appearances. Messi is expected to make his 33rd World Cup appearance on Wednesday, six appearances ahead of Ronaldo. A scoring record – and one weakness? Messi scored one goal on his World Cup debut in 2006 and failed to find the target in the 2010 tournament, before making an impact with four goals in the 2014 edition hosted by Argentina's arch-rivals Brazil. He scored one goal in 2018 before showing an extraordinary performance in 2022 when, at the age of 35, his number of goals in one edition surpassed the total goals he had scored in the previous four tournaments. Messi has surpassed that number in this tournament. His total goals in 2022 were aided by four goals from penalty kicks, but he also failed to convert one and the problem returned to haunt him in North America. Messi missed a penalty kick as Argentina beat Austria in the group stage and had another saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir in the last 16, meaning he has now converted just four of his eight penalties at the World Cup, excluding shootouts. He successfully completed his kicks in all three World Cup penalty shootouts he participated in, against the Netherlands in 2014 and 2022, and France in the 2022 final. Messi, who was 19 at the time, was only a substitute and was not used when Argentina lost to Germany on penalties in 2006. -- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa

Messi and the World Cup: The numbers behind the legend

LONDON: Lionel Messi has the chance to add another glorious milestone to his incredible World Cup journey when Argentina face England in Atlanta on Wednesday, reported PA Media/dpa. The Press .... read more

LOS ANGELES, July 11 – Substitute Mikel Merino once again emerged as Spain's hero, scoring the decisive goal to secure a 2-1 victory over Belgium and send the 2010 world champions into the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Merino, who netted the winner in Spain's 1-0 Round of 16 triumph over Portugal earlier this week, delivered another match-winning performance by scoring the decisive second-half goal at Los Angeles Stadium in California on Friday. Spain made a bright start and dominated much of the contest, coming close to opening the scoring in the 21st minute when 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal unleashed an effort that narrowly sailed over the crossbar. Following the cooling break, midfielder Fabián Ruiz gave Luis de la Fuente's side the lead in the 30th minute, reacting quickest to a rebound after Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois parried an initial attempt from winger Dani Olmo. Merino's match-winning strike later sealed Spain's place in the last four, keeping alive La Roja's hopes of lifting their second FIFA World Cup title after their historic triumph in 2010. -- MINUTESMY

Merino Strikes Again as Spain Reach World Cup Semi-finals for First Time in 16 Years

LOS ANGELES, July 11 – Substitute Mikel Merino once again emerged as Spain’s hero, scoring the decisive goal to secure a 2-1 victory over Belgium and send the 2010 world .... read more

MEXICO CITY, July 6 -- The kick-off in the World Cup match between England and Mexico at the Azteca Stadium has been delayed by an hour due to severe weather in Mexico City, FIFA has announced, reported Xinhua. The match was due to kick-off at 6 pm (0000 GMT), but with the threat of lightning in the area, the stadium activated its thunderstorm protocol less than an hour before then and the game will now commence at 7 pm. A FIFA statement read: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including risk caused by lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 19:00 local time. “The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.” The delay is another challenge for England to deal with ahead of a crunch match, where they have to battle Mexico’s home advantage and the altitude. The storm has at least cooled the air down, with temperatures at 20 degrees Celsius. -- BERNAMA-XINHUA  

England Vs Mexico Kick-off Delayed Due To Severe Weather Conditions

MEXICO CITY, July 6 — The kick-off in the World Cup match between England and Mexico at the Azteca Stadium has been delayed by an hour due to severe weather .... read more

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