The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Woods seeks to put Garcia spat behind him
- Bryan calls it quits
- Kedah Open: Yee Han steals the show to book a spot in quarter-finals
| Woods seeks to put Garcia spat behind him Posted: 29 May 2013 07:02 PM PDT DUBLIN (Ohio): Tiger Woods said Wednesday he has not spoken to Sergio Garcia and has no plans to do so after the golfers got into a spat that was sparked by racially-tinged comments from the Spaniard. Speaking at the Memorial Tournament on Wednesday, Woods said he does not expect to broach the subject when the two compete at the US Open in two weeks. "That's already done with," said Woods, the day before he tees it up to try and defend his title at the Muirfield Village Golf Club. Last week in England, Garcia misfired when making a joke about spending time with Woods at the US Open. "We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken," Garcia said. The Spaniard apologised the next day but his remarks harked back to a controversy in the late 1990s involving former PGA golfer Fuzzy Zoeller who referred to Woods serving "fried chicken" at the Masters champions dinner. Garcia's comments followed a clash with Woods in the third round of the Players Championship earlier this month when the two were grouped together and Garcia said he was distracted by crowd noise after the American pulled a club out of his bag. Garcia tried to explain his position last week in England. "I mean, you can't like everybody," he said. "He doesn't need me in his life and I don't need him in mine. Let's move on and keep doing what we are doing." Woods tweeted in response to the "fried chicken" comment, "The comment that was made wasn't silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate ... it's long past time to move on and talk about golf." Jack Nicklaus, host of the Memorial Tournament, weighed in on the topic on Wednesday, calling the controversy "stupid". "Nobody needs that. And I think both finally said it's enough. Let's move on," Nicklaus said. Dealing with racial stereotypes is nothing new to Woods. "Well I live with it," he said Wednesday. "It's happened my entire career. It exists all around the world, not just in the sport of golf. It exists everywhere. I know a lot of people are trying to make a difference and trying to make it more fair for all of us." Woods, who has already won four times this year, returns to defend his title at Muirfield Village which he will use as a tuneup for the US Open. The 14-time major winner is off to one of his best starts to a season in his career and is hoping that some of his past success at the Memorial propels him another victory. Woods is aiming for his third win at the Memorial in the past five years and his sixth victory overall in the event. Last year, he birdied three of his last four holes, including a memorable 50-foot chip shot at the 16th, to claim a two-shot victory. Defending the title, however, will not be easy as 17 of the world's top 25 players are in the field this week. - AFP |
| Posted: 29 May 2013 06:49 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: Sarawakian Bryan Nickson Lomas is leaving the national diving team after a decade of service. Bryan, who was the country's first world junior champion in diving, tendered his resignation to the National Sports Council (NSC) a few days ago in what will be a big loss to the country's sporting scene. The 22-year-old platform specialist, who is a three-time Olympian, went on study leave at the beginning of the year. He is now in the second year of his sports science degree course at Universiti Malaya. "I've no regret in ending my career. At this moment, I need to focus on my studies. I do not want to think of anything else," said Bryan. "I have discussed this with my parents and I think this is the best decision at this point of my life. "I don't want to be like the other athletes. Some of them are still pursuing their studies late into their 20s. "There is no way anyone can get a kick-start to their career without getting a degree. "If I were still in the national team, I would still be in training and I would have to delay my studies each time there's a major competition. I've been doing that for many years," said Bryan, who first burst into prominence after becoming the youngest athlete to compete in the Athens Olympics in 2004. Bryan then went on to win a historic gold medal in springboard at the World Junior Championships in Brazil in 2004. He also competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. At SEA Games level, Bryan was always a winner – contributing gold all the time since he made his debut in Manila in 2005. Bryan also won multiple medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2010 Asian Games. His many firsts also include becoming the first Malaysian diver to qualify for a World Championships final when he competed in the 10m platform in Melbourne in 2007. Bryan also made history by bagging a bronze in his 3m springboard synchro with Huang Qiang at the London World Cup last year. |
| Kedah Open: Yee Han steals the show to book a spot in quarter-finals Posted: 29 May 2013 06:53 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: The second round of the Kedah Open badminton championships proved to be a breeze for top seeds Liew Daren and Chong Wei Feng as they easily booked their quarter-final spots at the Kedah BA Hall in Alor Setar yesterday. But it was 19-year-old back-up shuttler Chong Yee Han who stole the show with a gritty performance in beating eighth seed Loh Wei Sheng 21-15,18-21, 21-15. Malaccan Yee Han is one of the newer faces in the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) set-up, having only joined the senior ranks this year. Previously, the soft-spoken Yee Han was part of the Bukit Jalil Sports School set-up and competed in the Asian and World Juniors last year. The world No. 251 has yet to make any significant impact since joining the BAM. Naturally, he was pleased to score a win over world No. 98 Wei Sheng. "This is quite an unexpected result for me and I'm happy that I managed to score a win over my senior," said Yee Han. "I did not have any pressure playing Wei Sheng as he was the favourite. I just went out there and played without fear," he added. Yee Han's reward is a quarter-final clash against top seed Daren. The world No. 12 was just too strong for Sabah's Beryno Wong, winning 21-12, 21-13. "Daren is a good player but I train with him and I think I know what to do," said Yee Han. "I just want to go out there and show people what I'm capable of. Even if I lose to Daren, I will give him a fight." Second seed Wei Feng also had it easy, packing off Selangor's Wong Kin Yik 21-18, 21-19 in front of his home crowd. The world No. 13 will take on former world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkifli in the quarter-finals. Third seed Mohd Arif Abdul Latif and fourth seed Tan Chun Seang, however, were given a massive fright before checking into the last eight. Arif struggled to beat Sabah's Lim Yu Fu 21-12, 18-21, 21-14 while Chun Seang toiled for a 17-21, 21-11, 21-18 win over Goh Giap Chin. In the women's singles, budding junior Lim Yin Fun scored an upset by beating veteran Julia Wong of Armed Forces 19-21, 21-15, 21-15 in the first round. Results *BAM unless stated First round Men's doubles: Ong Jian Guo-Teo Kok Siang bt Mohd Hanafi Rosni-Mohd Shahdan Mat Desa (Ter) 21-14, 21-13; Mohd Razif Latif- Mohd Hafiz Hashim (Nse-Sel) bt Goh Jian Hao-Yew Hong Kheng 21-17, 21-16; Pang Zheng Lin-Tan Chun Seang (Ked) bt Mohd Adib Haiqal-Wong Fai Yin 18-21, 21-18, 21-13; Tai An Khang-Tan Chee Tean (BAM-Mal) bt Mohd Hafifi Hashim-Mohd Hafizi Hashim (Kel) 21-14, 21-16; Chong Kein Hiung-Lim Yu Fu (Sab) bt Ho Khek Mong- Yeoh Choong Yee (Pen-Kul) 21-14, 21-17. Women's singles: Lim Yin Fun bt Julia Wong (For) 19-21, 21-15, 21-15; Lim Chiew Sien bt Chew Huay Han (Pen) 21-7, 21-16. Mixed doubles: Tan Chee Tean-Chow Mei Kuan (Ked-BAM) bt Wong Fai Yin-Lim Yin Loo 21-16, 11-21, 21-19; Chooi Kah Ming-Lee Meng Yean bt Ooi Swee Khoon-Chew Huay Han (Pen) 21-9, 19-21, 21-17; Vountus Indra Mawan-Sannatasah Saniru (Sab) bt Ong Jian Guo-Shevon Lai Jemie 11-21, 25-23, 21-16. Second round Men's singles: Liew Daren bt Beryno Wong (Sab) 21-12, 21-13; Chong Yee Han bt Loh Wei Sheng 21-15, 18-21, 21-15; Goh Soon Huat bt Tan Kian Meng 21-13,21-16; Iskandar Zulkarnian Zainuddin bt Chan Kwong Beng (Prk) 18-21, 21-17,21-19; Mohd Arif Abdul Latif bt Lim Yu Fu (Sab) 21-12, 18-21, 21-14; Zulfadli Zulkiffli (Kul) bt Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayup 21-19, 21-6; Chong Wei Feng bt Wong Kin Yik (Sel) 21-18, 21-19; Tan Chun Seang (Ked) bt Goh Giap Chin 17-21, 21-11, 21-18. |
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