PUTRAJAYA, Nov 19 – The National Sports Council (NSC) and 100PLUS – Malaysia’s number one isotonic beverage have agreed to extend their partnership for a further five years.

The contract runs from this year through to its expiry in 2024.

As part of this substantial cash and product sponsorship, 100PLUS will be named the NSC’s exclusive Official Isotonic sponsor.

Following the partnership, the national athletes under NSC will be able to enjoy the benefits of consuming 100PLUS.

“Our national athletes are committed and train extremely hard, for long hours, to raise the level of their game. During competition, they push themselves to the limit in their quest for success. For these athletes, 100PLUS is the ideal beverage to help them rehydrate and recover,” said F&N Sponsorship and Activation Manager, Engku Isyamuddin Tuan Losin after a simple presentation to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dato’ Sri Reezal Merican Naina Merican today.

He also stressed the importance of NSC’s youth programmes for the long-term development and growth of the national athletes.

“100PLUS has always supported development especially at grassroots and for national athletes, through NSC and KBS.

“NSC has worked tirelessly to churn out world and international standard athletes which is why we have decided to continue supporting them. We hope this partnership continues for many more years to come.”

NSC Director-General, Datuk Ahmad Shapawi commented that it is important for private companies to step up and support NSC’s development efforts.

“At NSC, we try and attract private companies to join us, not just because we want their sponsorship but we also want them to support our cause and get involved.”

Shapawi thanked 100PLUS for their loyal support to NSC over the years.

“100PLUS is our longtime friend and has been our partner. It’s impossible if we leave our partners who have always been loyal to us. And so, we decided to continue (with 100PLUS) with an improvement in the sponsorship package.”

100PLUS, which has been a sponsor of the NSC since 2000, is synonymous with supporting sports in the country.

100PLUS presently sponsors the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). 100PLUS is also the Official Isotonic drink for the Malaysian Football League and the Ministry of Education League (Liga KPM).

In addition, 100PLUS also supports leading athletes including Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei, Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei who are all currently 100PLUS Brand Ambassadors.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 – It was Wyman Goh’s turn to shine on the second day of the 100PLUS National Youth Ranking Challenge Final Round when he defeated first-day leader Ong Ken Yon to surge to the top of the boys singles standings.

Wyman easily overcame Ken Yon 21-11, 21-17 in the morning session to intensify the battle against Justin as the three completed day two with two points each after three matches.

“My attacking play is still weak and these younger players seem to be playing without any pressure whatsoever. It has certainly put the senior players in a spot.

“My position in the group is still not safe and I will need to win my next match if I want to continue to maintain my position,” said Wyman.

Ken Yon remained on second position in the boys singles standings as Justin Hoh moved down to third following his 21-10, 22-20 loss to Jacky Kok Jing Hong.

Lee Shun Yang and Ter Chun Long are on fifth and sixth respectively with a point each.

In the girls singles category, the battle is no less intense as Eoon Qi Xuan and K. Letshaana showed their quality to stay top of the standings.

Qi Xuan scored her second win after two matches with a 21-12, 21-12 victory over Myisha Mohd Khairul as Letshaana kept close to the leader after beating Tan Zhing Yi 21-7, 21-13.

“There are still areas to be improved as I thought that my legs were still not strong enough and my body movements were still lacking,” explained Qi Xuan.

Qi Xuan and Letshaana will square up tomorrow to determine the group champion and runner-up.

“I hope I can play well tomorrow against Qi Xuan. I feel that she is much better player. But I will give my best shot,” said Letshaana.

At the end of the second day at Bukit Kiara, Myisha and Zhing Yi are in third and fourth place.

In the meantime, there was a surprise in the boys doubles when youngsters Muhd Haikal Nazri-Wan Muhd Arif Wan Junaidi bounced back from their first set defeat to record a 15-21, 21-16, 21-19 win over seniors, Choong Hon Jian-Nur Firdaus Azman.

The win saw Muhd Haikal-Wan Muhd Arif occupying the second spot in the standings with one point from one win and one loss – the same as Hon Jian-Nur Firdaus who are third.

“We did not play well yesterday but today we were more confident and focused.

“We just want to enjoy the match as best we can and also prove to coaches that we can beat the more senior players,” said Wan Muhd Arif.

Haikal and Arif will need to beat the pair of Beh Chun Meng-Goh Boon Zhe if they want to secure their position in the group further.

The classification in the girls doubles will be decided tomorrow when Pearly Tan-Toh Ee Wei square up against Yap Ling-Teoh Mei Xing.

RESULTS

Boys singles

Lee Shun Yang – Ter Chun Long (21-11, 21-6)

Wyman Goh – Ong Ken Yon (21-11, 21-17)

Jacky Kok Jing Hong – Justin Hoh (21-10, 22-20)

Girls Singles

Eoon Qi Xuan – Myisha Mohd Khairul (21-12, 21-12)

K. Letshaana – Tan Zhing Yi (21-7, 21-13)

Boys Doubles

Muhd Haikal Nazri / Wan Muhd Arif Wan Junaidi- Choong Hon Jian / Nur Firdaus Azman (15-21, 21-16, 21-19)

Lwi Sheng Hao / Yap Roy King – Beh Chun Meng / Goh Boon Zhe (21-7, 21-19)

Girls Doubles

Pearly Tan / Toh Ee Wei – Cheng Su Yin / Goh Pei Kee (walked over)

Teoh Mei Xing / Yap Ling – Low Yeen Yuan / Valeree Siow (21-10 21-17)

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Nov – Ong Ken Yon and Justin Hoh sprang a surprised on the opening day of the 100PLUS National Youth Ranking Challenge Final Round when they won all their matches to dominate the boys singles chart.

Ken Yon tamed Lee Shun Yang 21-19, 21-16 in the morning session before scoring a second victory over Ter Chun Long 21-16, 21-13.

“I’m not thinking of anything else other than on the game. Of course, I take this opportunity to show my quality to the coaching staff.

“Personally, I think the senior players will be under pressure in this competition, so I just focused on my own game,” said Ken Yon.

Justin also displayed his form when he bounced back from a first set defeat to beat Wyman Goh 13-21, 21-17, 21-17 in the morning before closing the first day of competition with a 100 percent record with another three-set 13-21, 21-16 21-11 win over Lee Shun Yang.

“My opponent is three years older than me but I overlooked that and just played my own game. I wanted to prove to the coaches that I can beat the senior players. It is not easy to beat them but I will give my very best in the next few days,” added the 16-year-old Justin.

Ken Yon and Justin are on the same two points while Ter Chun Long and Wyman are ranked third and fourth respectively with 1 point each.

On the other hand, there were no upsets in the girls singles category as the senior players showed their prowess to subdue their respective opponents to control the standings.

Qi Xuan had no problem defeating Tan Zhing Yi in straight set 21-10, 21-8 while K. Letshaana also recorded a straight set 21-18, 21-17 victory over Myisha Mohd Khairul.

“My opponent is younger and she (Zhi Ying) lacked strength. I was determined to control the pressure in the game because I know that should I fail to take control, it will affect my momentum,” said Qi Xuan.

In the boys doubles, the pair of Choong Hon Jian-Nur Firdaus Azman and also Lwi Sheng Hao-Yap Roy King set the pace when they each won their matches.

Choong Hon-Nurfirdaus were fully stretched by young doubles pair of Beh Chun Meng-Goh Boon Zhe who forced them to three sets before winning 16-21, 21-15, 21-16.

Sheng Hao-Roy King were also forced to play three sets before beating Muhd Haikal-Wan Muhd Arif 21-17, 18-21, 21-18.

RESULTS

Morning session

Boys singles

Ong Ken Yon – Lee Shun Yang (21-19, 21-16)

Justin Hoh – Wyman Goh (13-21, 21-17, 21-17)

Ter Chun Long – Jacky Kok Jing Hong (21-18, 11-21, 21-19)

Girls singles

Eoon Qi Xuan – Tan Zhing Yi (21-10, 21-8)

K. Letshaana – Myisha Mohd Khairul (21-18, 21-17)

Evening session

Boys singles

Justin Hoh – Lee Shun Yang (13-21, 21-16,21-11)

Wyman Goh – Jacky Kok Jing Hong (21-19, 18-21,21-11)

Ong Ken Yon – Ter Chun Long (21-16, 21-13)

Boys Doubles

Choong Hon Jian / Nur Firdaus Azman – Beh Chun Meng / Goh Boon Zhe (16-21, 21-15, 21-16)

Lwi Sheng Hao / Yap Roy King – Muhd Haikal / Wan Muhd Arif (21-17, 18-21, 21-18)

Girls Doubles

Pearly Tan / Toh Ee Wei – Low Yeen Yuan / Valeree Siow (21-13, 18-21, 21-9)

Teoh Mei Xing / Yap Ling – Cheng Su Yin / Goh Pei Kee (21-12, 21-10)

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 – Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Coaching Director, Wong Choong Hann has thrown down the challenge to 13 of the best youth players in the country who will be taking part in the 100PLUS National Junior Ranking Challenge Final Round which starts tomorrow.

Choong Hann said, this is the right time for the youngsters to prove that they are ready to step up into the elite group of the national badminton squad.

“This event will give players the opportunity to show their quality in terms of skills, wisdom and tactics,” said Choong Hann.

“Through this competition, it will allow us the chance to assess potential talent that can be absorbed into the senior team.”

On the same note, Choong Hann also gave a reminder to the seniors that they will have to give nothing less than 100 percent effort and show their ability to handle pressure playing against the up and coming players.

This competition is also an important platform for these players to assess their shortcomings especially in the absence of a competitive atmosphere following the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The line-up of teenagers that will be on display will be impressive as they have been groomed by Datuk Misbun Sidek, BAM’s Youth Development Director and where they will be eager to prove their worth after being camped at the ABM for more than five months.

“When the competition steps up, the pressure gets higher. Will they be able to perform and rise to the occasion? This is what we want to see – how they handle stress,” added Choong Hann.

The 100PLUS Final National Junior Ranking Challenge starts from November 18 to 21 and will take place at the Malaysian Badminton Academy (ABM) Bukit Kiara involving singles and doubles in the boys’ and girls’ singles categories.

The 13 selected youth players consist of players who had played during the 100PLUS Group Level Competition National Youth Ranking Challenge 2020 which took place at Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara on 12 to 16 October.

The three best boys’ singles in Group A are Justin Hoh, Jacky Kok Jing Hong and Ong Ken Yon while the two best players in Group A for the girls’ singles, Myisha Mohd Khairul and Tan Zhing Yi are as well as two boys’ doubles, Wan Arif Junaidi and Muhd Haikal Nazri and Beh Chun Meng and Goh Boon Zhe.

The two girls’ doubles are Cheng Su Yin and Goh Pei Kee as well as Low Yeen Yuan and Valerie Siow.

The reserve players in action are Lee Shun Yang, Ter Chun Long and Wyman Goh while Eoon Qi Xuan and K. Letshaana will play in the girls’ singles.

Choong Hon Jian-Nur Firdaus Azman and Lwi Sheng Hao-Yap Roy King will compete in the boy’s doubles while Pearly Tan-Toh Ee Wei and Yap Ling and Teoh Mei Xing will play in the girls’ doubles category.

MELAKA, 17 Nov – Teka-teki tentang nasib Le Tour de Langkawi 2021 (LTdL 2021) kini terjawab apabila Persekutuan Kebangsaan Berbasikal Malaysia (PKBM) mengesahkan perlumbaan elit di Asia itu dibatalkan penganjurannya dan akan dianjurkan semula pada 2022.

Presiden PKBM, Datuk Abu Samah Wahab mengesahkan perkhabaran tersebut dan menjelaskan keputusan berkenaan dicapai secara bulat suara ketika mesyuarat khas semalam melibatkan pelbagai pihak khususnya Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS).

Abu Samah menjelaskan PKBM selaku pemegang hak penganjuran LTdL akan memberi penjelasan terperinci kepada Kesatuan Berbasikal Antarabangsa (UCI) dengan kadar segera bagi memudahkan semua pasukan yang telah menerima jemputan untuk membuat tindakan susulan.

“Saya ingin mengesahkan bahawa keputusan untuk membatalkan Le Tour de Langkawi 2021 telah dicapai secara bulat suara semalam (kelmarin). PKBM bersetuju dengan keputusan ini. Begitu juga KBS. Saya berpendapat inilah keputusan terbaik untuk semua pihak,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan rasmi dikeluarkan semalam.

Abu Samah (gambar kecil) yang juga Naib Presiden Kehormat Konfederasi Berbasikal Asia (ACC) menjelaskan keputusan tersebut dicapai memandangkan masa sangat suntuk buat semua pihak melakukan persiapan rapi rentetan pandemik Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) yang melanda dunia sejak awal tahun ini.

“Apatah lagi keputusan untuk membatalkan Sukma 2021 juga telah dibuat. Jadi, adalah lebih baik kalau keputusan untuk membatalkan Le Tour de Langkawi 2021 turut dilakukan. Saya harap keputusan ini baik untuk semua pihak,” katanya.

Beliau turut mendedahkan ada percubaan oleh pihak tertentu untuk menganjurkan LTdL 2021 pada September 2021 namun ia berdepan jalan berliku termasuk kesukaran bagi mendapatkan tarikh penganjuran daripada UCI.

“Secara kebetulan, Jelajah Malaysia 2021 juga akan diadakan pada September. Jadi agak sukar untuk mendapatkan tarikh sesuai untuk Le Tour de Langkawi 2021. Apabila ini timbul, pengurus acara memang sukar untuk mendapatkan penyertaan pasukan elit dunia,” katanya lagi.

Sebelum ini ramai pihak termasuk kelab benua terkenal negara ini dan Asia menyuarakan keresahan tentang penganjuran LTdL 2021.

Ada yang mencadangkan ia ditunda demi kebaikan bersama.

Abu Samah percaya keputusan untuk membatalkan LTdL 2021 dan menganjurkannya pada 2022 satu tindakan pragmatik, bersesuaian dengan suasana terkini di Malaysia dan di seluruh dunia.

“Ada banyak perkara yang mesti difikirkan oleh semua pihak termasuk PKBM dan KBS. Saya percaya UCI akan menerima penjelasan kami kerana ia dicapai dan diputuskan berdasarkan suasana yang sangat mendesak,” katanya.

Le Tour de Langkawi merupakan perlumbaan berbasikal paling elit di benua Asia dan ia sering melahirkan pelbagai nama baharu yang kemudiannya menjadi bintang dalam kancah berbasikal dunia.