Bar None

What do you get when you combine football, volleyball, gymnastics, sepak takraw, a trampoline, and Bossa nova music? 

Invented by Filip Eyckmans in Spain in 2005, Bossaball is a one-of-a-kind sport that aims to combine sports, music, and positive vibrations. Played on an inflatable court with a trampoline on each side of the net, two teams of four players aim to ground the ball on the opponent's field using either volleyball or soccer touches, all while keeping creativity and changes in gravity in mind. With players striking the ball from extreme heights, overhead kicks, and dramatic dives, Bossaball games are a unique balance of athletic competition and performance sport where body movements flow harmoniously to the rhythm set by the game's samba referee- a referee, MC, DJ, and percussionist all at once.

We speak to Filip about developing the unique sport into an international phenomenon, taking it worldwide, its presence in the region, and the sport's future.

Photo credit: Bossaball International

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The spotlight has fallen on Malaysia's shuttlers following their failure to clinch the Badminton Asia Team Championship (BATC) titles earlier this month. With criticisms of the players' performances mounting up from the likes of Rexy Maniaky, coaching director of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), and Malaysian badminton great Lee Chong Wei, who claimed "drastic changes have to be made" so the sport doesn't get "left far behind", the aftermath of the competition has left concerns over the Malaysian team, especially with the Paris Olympics drawing nearer.

Sports journalist Fabian Mark Peter gives us a lay of the land on and off the court, whether or not it really is time to "give up on Malaysian badminton", and gives us a look ahead at the upcoming Thomas Cup and Paris Olympics.

Photo credit: Amir Khalid

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For the first time in its 34-year history, The Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship 2023 was held in Malaysia on 10th-18th December 2023. With over 453 athletes from 27 countries across the Asian continent participating, the event saw the Malaysian men's team come in third, with the women's team in fourth place.

We take a look behind the curtain of the inaugural event, the overall performance of the Malaysian team, and what we can look forward to in the country's powerlifting scene in 2024 and beyond. Dato' Dayalan Jeevan, President of the Malaysian Association For Powerlifting, tells us.

Photo credit: Facebook | Asian Powerlifting Federation - APF

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Harimau Malaya may have been knocked out from the Asian Cup in Qatar, but Kim Pan Gon’s men made it a memorable exit by securing a thrilling 3-3 draw against football giants South Korea. This marked Malaysia's first point in the tournament since the 1980 edition with Faisal Halim's goal in this tie ended the country's 39-year goal drought against the Koreans, who are ranked over 100 spots higher than Malaysia in the FIFA rankings. In this episode, we are joined by Keeshanan Sunderasan to discuss this weekend's result, a draw that felt like a win.

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With the appointment of Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar as Malaysia's new king, our second story in this week focuses on the rise of Johor Darul Takzim, the most dominant club in the super league for over a decade.The Southern Tigers have not only left a significant impact domestically but have also emerged as a formidable presence in the region. One of the biggest milestones was becoming the first Southeast Asian team to lift the AFC Cup in 2015. Joining us in this episode is Keeshaanan Sundaresan, as we start by delving into the early origins of the club.

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This week on the program, we are joined by R Sharmendran who holds the record as the most successful karate practitioner in the SEA Games, securing the gold medal four times consecutively, with the latest triumph occurring in Phnom Penh last year. After a 12-year career at the pinnacle of this martial art, R Sharmendran, aged 31, decided to retire from active competition last month.

The possibility of Sharmendran taking on a coaching role in the national setup remains uncertain, however over the course of nine years,he underwent six major surgeries, with the most recent being an ACL surgery on his left knee. This injury was sustained during a training camp in Egypt in June last year, compelling him to miss major competitions & world meets.

Image Credit: Berita Harian

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After a 42-year long years, Harimau Malaya has finally qualified for the Asian Cup based on merit, with all attention being on Qatar in the coming weeks as the national squad aims to make a significant impact in the competition for football supremacy in the region. As the third-lowest-ranked nation, just behind Hong Kong and Indonesia, the national squad enters the tournament as underdogs. In the groups, Kim Pan Gon will lead the team against difficult opposition in the form of Jordan, Bahrain, and two-time champions South Korea.

Since taking over in 2022, head coach Kim Pan Gon has played a central role in the revitalization of Malaysian football. The team's FIFA rankings have surged, climbing 15 places in the calendar year to 130th in the world, making Malaysia the most improved Asian country in 2023. With anticipation brewing, this week on the program we are joined by sports journalist T Avinesh as we preview & predict Malaysia’s chances in Doha.

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Conceived by Dutch artist Iepe Rubingh in 2003, chessboxing, as its name implies, is an improbable fusion of chess and boxing. This unique sport challenges participants to alternate between rounds of chess and boxing, putting both their mental acuity and physical endurance to the test. While strategically manoeuvring chess pieces on the board, players must simultaneously muster the strength and agility needed to engage in boxing matches. With its groundbreaking blend of intellect and athleticism, chessboxing has evolved into a captivating spectacle, drawing enthusiasts from the chess and boxing communities and pushing the boundaries of traditional sports.

Joining us to shed more light on this intriguing sport is Montu Das, the current president of the World Chess Boxing Organisation and the founder of Chessboxing India.

That's A Sport is a monthly series where we look to explore and discover some lesser known sport around the globe.

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This episode, we’re joined by our new bowling world champion 27-year-old Natasha Roslan who she recently etched her name in bowling history by securing her first-ever singles world championship and an individual gold at the IBF World Championships in Kuwait. In a thrilling best-of-three format, Natasha emerged victorious over her compatriot Sin Li Jane with a 2-1 score.

This triumph in the Middle East brings an end to Malaysia's 12-year title drought, dating back to 2011. The last time a Malaysian claimed victory in the singles category was in 2011 when Jacqueline Sijore won the women's singles gold medal in Hong Kong, after Esther Cheah's win in 2005.N atasha now joins the ranks of elite Malaysian women who have seized the global championship, marking her second gold at the world meet. Previously, she was a crucial part of the team that secured the team gold in Las Vegas in 2017.

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A cause for concern arising from the Hangzhou Asian Games centered around the disappointing performance and outcomes of the national men's hockey team. The speedy tigers concluded the competition in sixth place, suffering three consecutive losses to lower-ranked teams during the tournament.

Expectations for at least a medal were not met, and securing a positive result would have automatically qualified the speedy tigers for the upcoming Paris Olympics. The Asian Games campaign also resulted in the national team's world rankings dropping from 10th to 12th, leading to the Olympic Council of Malaysia removing the sport from the Road to Gold program.

I.Vikneswaran, the president of Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association and manager of the U21 national hockey team, joins us on the line to analyse the Hangzhou performance and discuss the challenges on the path to qualifying for the Paris Olympics.

image credit: Malaysian Hockey Confederation

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