Bar None

Last weekend saw a historic moment in tennis as the prestigious Wimbledon tournament saw the young 20-year-old Spaniard & world number one Carlos Alcaraz, securing his maiden title. Despite facing the formidable seven-time champion and world number two, Novak Djokovic in the finals, Alcaraz emerged victorious after a gruelling five-set match that lasted nearly five hours, a battle now regarded a classic.

For the past two decades, the men's singles at Wimbledon had been dominated by the renowned "Big 4" in the sport - Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafa Nadal. However, Carlos Alcaraz's triumph has broken this pattern, with the last non-Big 4 winner being Lleyton Hewitt in 2002. To shed light on how Alcaraz claimed his first Wimbledon championship and second Grand Slam title, we have ex-national tennis player Adam Jaya joining us this week as we explore the dawning of a new era in professional tennis.

photo credit - AP Photo/Alastair Grant

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In light of the recent statement by Scott O'Donell, the technical director of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), who expressed his view that the NFDP (National Football Development Program) and AMD (Akademi Mokhtar Dahari) should be solely managed by FAM, rather than being under the authority of the National Sports Council and dependent on government funding, this week we discuss the possible implications of granting FAM complete autonomy over these programs & on underlying issues concerning the welfare of the trainees. Twentytwo13’s Haresh Deol joins us.

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It's been more than a decade since fencing was dropped from NSC's development program with private clubs and gyms playing a huge factor in keeping the sport alive at the grassroots. At the recent SEA Games in Cambodia, the national contingent brought home four bronze medals, and while meeting the target set - it's a far-cry from the glory days of the 2011 Indonesian SEA Games where a 22 year wait came to an end with two gold medals. Apart from one-off financial aids, can the sport relieve its glory days with more support & attention? We explore.

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Founded in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera, Padel is a unique racket sport played on a smaller court surrounded by walls. It combines elements of tennis and squash, offering a thrilling and fast-paced experience. Today, Padel has gained significant popularity worldwide, attracting both professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Notable athletes such as Andy Murray, David Beckham, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have even invested in the sport, showcasing its growing prominence. Joining us is Daniel Liljekvist, Managing Director of ASCARO Padel Malaysia - the first and only padel club in the country, as he shares with us about the sport, the padel community in Malaysia as well as plans to bring the sport to the masses.

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

image credit: ALAIN JOCARD / AFP

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This episode, we focus on the recent Asean Para Games held in Cambodia. The national team, consisting of 144 athletes, had an outstanding performance, with 62 athletes making their debut at the Games. Surpassing their initial goal of 33 gold medals, they brought home nearly double that number, achieving 50 gold, 38 silver, and 28 bronze medals. This remarkable achievement positioned them fourth overall in the final standings.

Among the standout performers in the team was a young woman who exceeded expectations at the Asean Para Games. Despite being born with a rare birth defect called amelia, which results in the complete absence of one or more limbs, para swimmer Carmen Lim won the admiration of many and earned three gold and one bronze breaking yet another record (100m breaststroke SB8 category) with a time of 1:41.32s.

Image Credit: Bernama

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In a recent parliament session, Youth & Sports minister Hannah Yeoh revealed that the federal government has decided to cancel its plans to construct dedicated drag racing circuits in each state. Instead, the ministry will prioritise the improvement and renovation of existing sports facilities.

This move, which was initially introduced by the previous administration under ex-Prime Minister Ismail Sabri during the presentation of this year's budget in August, received significant criticism. The proposal aimed to bolster the development of motorsports in the country, facilitate the discovery of new talents for participation in motor racing at the state and national levels while addressing the issue of illegal street racing. We explore what could have been.

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For the third time in Sudirman Cup history, the Malaysian contingent came home with a bronze medal finishing in a commendable third place. Despite not being able to reach the historic final, there were plenty of positives to take away from the campaign in Suzhou, China where the squad cruised into the knockout rounds after advancing in what's been dubbed as the 'Group of Death' with India & Chinese Taipei. In the quarterfinals, Denmark twere the next opponents & the national squad came away with a 3-1 win (Axelson's retirement notwithstanding) before putting up a fight, eventually going out against a dominating South Korean side. This week, we review individual performances from our shuttlers & key moments from the tournament - as well as some talk on a disastrous SEA Games campaign in Cambodia.
Image Credit: BAM

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Founded by three Hungarians in 2012, Teqball is a sport that combines elements of table tennis, football...and to a certain extent, sepak takraw. One that has been regarded as the 'fastest growing sport on the globe with footballing icons such as Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé, and Roberto Carlos among the current and former players who have their own customized teq tables. At the recent SEA Games in Cambodia, teqball made its debut as an exhibition sport with the Malaysian contingent taking home two bronzes in both the men's & women's singles category. Helmed by the Malaysian Teqball Association who has plans to further introduce teqball to the Malaysian mass with a goal of making the country a powerhouse in the region - and then, the world. MTA president KJ Siva joins us this week as we explore more.

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

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Regarded as one of the great football minds & the most decorated football manager of all-time, this week marks the tenth year since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped away from the beautiful game. A historic 26-year reign at the helm of Manchester United saw him win 38 trophies with the club while fulfilling his ultimate goal of knocking Liverpool off their perch. He made the decision to retire at 71 years old after securing United’s 20th league title at the end of the 2012/2013 campaign on the 8th May 2013. To celebrate the iconic coach, we take a look back at his leadership style and the different facets that made him a living legend not just for the club, but for modern football as a whole.

(Image: 2013 AFP)

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A little more than a year out to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Youth & Sports ministry had recently come out with a blueprint as the nation chases the elusive Olympic gold medal. The new and improved 'Road To Gold' project is described as a “long-term roadmap” which would cover not just next year’s Paris Olympics but looks beyond as well to Los Angeles 2028. A top-up to the Podium Programme, a total of 15 athletes joined the programme so far with national shuttlers making up the majority of the list. With long-time servant Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz roped in as technical advisor to the committee, he joins us on the programme as we uncover the plan & ambitions for at least the next two olympic cycles.

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