KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian professional golfer Anis Helmy Hassan received a boost, thanks to Universal Fitness and Leisure (UFL) and The Golf Club KL City Centre (GCKLCC).

Anis received two Power Plate Machines — a technology to enhance fitness and endurance and attested by Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomery, Lee Westwood, and Darren Clarke — in order to improve his performance.

KUALA LUMPUR: Age has taken its toll. Shahrom Abdullah, who has competed in six Powerman World Duathlon series in Zolfingen, Switzerland, has decided to give it a miss this year.

He will instead focus his attention to the less gruelling but still popular World Duathlon Championship in Edinburgh, Scotland in September.

SERDANG: Wushu exponent Loh Jack Chang earned the highest cash prize of RM9,000 and a notebook worth RM3,000 at the Ministry of Higher Education Sports Incentive Award 2009 held at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Inconsistency is national women’s singles player Lydia Cheah’s Achilles heels. However, Lydia is now taking steps to shed this negative attribute beginning with the German Open in Mulheim from March 2-7.

Currently ranked second behind Wong Mew Choo, she has promised to stay focussed and not let her emotions take control when playing in competitions. Lydia faces an uphill task in the German Open as she is down to meet the hosts country's Juliane Schenk who is the second seed.

KUALA LUMPUR: Athletes from institutions of higher learning who had podium finishes at the Laos Sea Games last December will be rewarded during a ceremony at Universiti Putra Malaysia on Feb 25.

The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) have allocated RM130,000 under their incentive scheme to appreciate the effort made by the undergraduates.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sepaktakraw Association Malaysia (STAM) have included "tekong" Saravanan Kanesan in the 24-man national squad for the Asian Games in Guongzhou.

Saravanan, along with Azman Nasarudin, Mohd Futra Abdul Ghani and Mohd Dzulkarnain Ariff are among four "old" faces recalled after their impressive performances in the recent two-day carnival for Datuk Ahmad Ismail Trophy.

Saravanan, 33, from Bukit Selambau, Sungei Petani said: “Never in my wildest dream did I think of making it to the national squad again. Actually, I am in disbelief but delighted.

KUALA LUMPUR: Last year, Malaysian Schools’ (MSSM) champion pole-vaulter Mohd Fahme Zam Zam Mohamed qualified on two occasions to represent Malaysia at the World Youth Athletics Championships in Rome and Asian Junior Championships in Singapore.

However, his joy turned to disappointment at the 11th hour as the trips were cancelled by the Ministry of Education due to the H1NI outbreak.

KUALA LUMPUR: Siblings Mohd Nafzahizam Mohd Adnan and Mohd Nafiizwan will be setting up a squash academy to develop the sport at grassroots level.

The academy, which caters for beginners and established players, will have five centres — Bukit Jalil, Jalan Duta, Bukit Bintang Boys’ School, 3K Subang Jaya and Bangsar Sports Complex. Nafzahizam, 25, said squash’s popularity is on the rise.

The academy hopes to contribute a steady supply of excellent players.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Taekwondo Association (STA) "spilled the beans" on the shortcomings of the ad-hoc committee tasked with the formation of a new taekwondo national association at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur Sentral yesterday.

The meeting, attended by MTA's former president Raja Taharudin Raja Nong Chik, STA president Datuk Dr Yusof Hashim, vice-president Tony Wong and deputy president Eddie Tuan touched on major issues.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former national coach Haris Abdul Rahman is very sore at being made the convenient scapegoat for Malaysia's pathetic showing at last year's Laos Sea Games. Haris, who was roundly blamed for Malaysia winning just a silver and a bronze medal in Laos, claimed that he had no full control in the training or selection of the players or in deciding on team tactics.

PUTRAJAYA: The Higher Education Ministry will introduce a new national football league involving institutions of higher learning. The league is open to public universities, polytechnics, community colleges, private universities and colleges.

To be held from February to August, the teams will be divided into eight zones and the champions of each zone will advance to the grand finals.

BANGI: FAM Cup champions Pos Malaysia, making their debut, have targeted a top four finish in the Premier League starting on Saturday. The squad of 25 players include 10 professionals signed from other teams like T-Team, UPB MyTeam, Police and Malacca.

The rest of the players are employees of Pos Malaysia. Pos Malaysia, who received RM60,000 for emerging champions last year, kick off their campaign against Universiti Sains Malaysia FC.

PETALING JAYA: National midfielder Mohd Safiq Rahim is on song. He wants to put his best foot forward against United Arab Emirates in the second leg match of the 2011 Asian Cup qualifier in Dubai on Wednesday.

Safiq hopes to start his 2010 campaign with a bang as there are many factors to his advantage. The national team left for Dubai this morning. The 22-year-old from Kuala Selangor was yesterday given a cheque for RM30,000 by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for winning the gold medal with the national team in the recent Laos Sea Games.

KUALA LUMPUR: Azlan Abdul Mubin is in a hurry to resurrect his service to the national sepaktakraw team. He was out of the team that was humbled at the recent Laos Sea Games with a knee injury.

An apit kanan, Azlan, however, was not surprised with the performance of the national team in Laos that won silver at regu and the team bronze. He has been a regular in the national team since 2003.

“Our target was gold in regu but the defeat to Laos was a disgrace. The players must accept responsibility for their poor outing.

KUALA LUMPUR: National player Wong Choong Hann is keen to play for the nation in the Thomas Cup when Malaysia host the prestigious event from May 9-16 next year.

Ranked 14th in the world, Choong Hann would love to play in a big championship like the Thomas Cup in front of the home crowd before hanging up his racket.

He represented Malaysia in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and this year’s world championship in India. Based on his recent performances, he looks a good bet to book one of the three Malaysian singles slots.

VIENTIANE: Top Malaysian women's beach volleyball pair – Beh Shun Thing and Luk Teck Eng – runnersup of Group B will meet hosts Laos B who were third in Group A today to decide a semifinal spot.

KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Noer Said and Kristel Oh Shao Jin emerged champions in the men's and women's individual tenpin bowling in the 4th Annual Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) International Sports Fiesta at Sunway Pyramid yesterday.

UiTM’s Noer, a Sabahan and national bowler, topped the men’s winners' list followed by three other colleagues– Mohd Zakwan, Radin Rafeeudin and Raja Muhammad Rezza – in that order of merit.

KUALA LUMPUR: For Tan Wan Nee, aka Kathryn to friends and relatives, "one" is not a lonely number. She is the only female going to the Laos Sea Games in the 12-member team of the Malaysian Supporters Club (Famemas) — a non-government organisation.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malays ian Amateur Volleyball Association (Mava) are banking on the women's volleyball team winning at Laos. Surprisingly, after a long absence from the Games, Mava are also sending their indoor men's team to accompany the men and women's beach players.