KUALA LUMPUR: The competition venues for the Malacca Sukma are 95 per cent complete, says Radzi Shaari, the chief executive officer of Sukan Malaysia XIII 2010.

Malacca will host the 13th  edition of the Games from June 10-19.

Radzi said even though there are certain complications with some of the venues considering that several had

COLOMBO: Veteran Sri Lanka batsman Sanath Jayasuriya came under fire for his decision to enter politics while still playing for the national team.

Jayasuriya will contest April 8 parliamentary elections as a candidate for President Mahinda Rajapakse's Freedom Alliance party in his home constituency of Matara.

The 40-year-old retired from Test cricket in 2007 but has vowed to continue his international career in the shorter forms of the game.

BARCELONA: Former champion Lewis Hamilton signed off McLaren’s pre-season testing programme on a high note as the Briton topped the timesheets in Barcelona.

Hamilton racked up a mammoth 134 laps around the 2.875-mile Circuit deCatalunya yesterday as he switched between qualifying and race simulation runs.

His best time of one minute 20.472 seconds was two-hundredths  of a second faster than second-placed man Mark Webber of Red Bull.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Yachting Association (MYA) general manager Mohd Affendy Abdullah appealed to the National Sports Council (NSC) to promote sailing from category B to A.

It would boost the water sport locally and the morale of the athletes. Subsequently, an increase in allocations and allowances would augur well for the sport.

"We made great strides on the international scene the past few years which we are very proud about and held in high-esteem.

KUALA LUMPUR: It was a touching tale of former Negri Sembilan coach Wan Jamak Wan Hassan's undying love for his mother.

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: Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Ja'afar expressed disappointment after Kuala Lumpur failed in their bid to win the 2013 International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting.

Tunku Imran, an avid squash and cricket fan, felt that Buenos Aires won due to “sympathy votes”. Tunku Imran is in Vancouver, Canada to attend the 122nd IOC general assembly and witness the voting where KL lost 58-31 to the Argentinian capital city.

KUALA LUMPUR: It was a confession she had to make. National shooter Siti Nur Masitah Mohd Badrin said she has not fully recovered from the trauma of a two-year suspension for failing a drug test.

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: Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia's (STAM) new head coach, Iskandar Arshad, is giving emphasis on muscles and mental strength.

This was the criteria used when he shortlisted 27 players during a two-day carnival which ended in Bukit Jalil yesterday. The inaugural carnival drew 66 teams and it was a good platform for Iskandar to identify new talents and to assess the strengths of former players who want to don national colours again.

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.

PARIS: Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt will race the 100 metres in the June 12 meet at New York, the fifth leg of the Diamond League, event organisers announced this morning.

The 23-year-old phenomenon will return to the track at the Icahn stadium where he set his first 100m world record of 9.72sec in May 2008.

"The track was lit up by lightning but despite the storm, the supporters stayed seated to watch the 100m. So I know they enjoyed my speed," recalled Bolt, nicknamed 'Lightning Bolt'.

KUALA LUMPUR: After proudly delivering the gold from the keirin event at the World Cup Classic in Beijing last weekend, Azizulhasni Awang insists it was only the beginning of more to come.

The athlete, who will be marrying long-time lover Athiah Ilyana Samat on Saturday, said he has a firm eye on winning Malaysia's first ever Olympic gold.

Over the years, there have been many pretenders vying for that glory. But Azizul believes he's capable of doing it. He's been touted by many as one of the brighter prospect capable of winning an Olympic gold medal.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will field a young team to face the might of Korea, Japan and hosts Kuwait in the 15th Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championship which rolls off at Cozmo Bowl in Salmiya City, Kuwait today.

Newly-crowned national youth champion, Aris Ardilla leads Malaysia's challenge along with Johnathan Chan, Khoo Beng Khai and Syimir Abdul Razak in the boys' division.

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: National swimmer Daniel Bego is tipped to win the prestigious OCM Olympian-of-the-Year award. Daniel gave a spectacular performance in the Laos Sea Games last December by winning five gold medals.

Honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi said Daniel's five-gold achievement in Laos that comes with a new Games and national record puts him as the clear favourite to win the 17th annual award.

“To be declared the best athlete at the Laos Sea Games is a milestone. It is really a big deal and he is only 20-years-old," said Kok Chi.

PETALING JAYA: Selangor underlined their dominance in the 23rd Malaysian Inter-State Bowling Championships with victories in the Women's and Men's Doubles.

Kuala Lumpur won their second gold medal and Sabah their first, in the Girls' and Boys' division at the Sunway Megalanes yesterday.

Singles bronze medallist, Jacqueline Jenelee Sijore partnered her national youth teammate Dayang Khairuniza to give Sarawak the lead in the opening game with 452 pin falls, followed by the Selangor's pair of Zandra Aziela and Siti Safiyah in second.

KUALA LUMPUR: There was something about Noraseela Khalid that made her stand out from the rest of the athletes at the National Sports Council cafeteria.

With her shoulder-length hair tucked behind her ears and looking rather relaxed in a pinkish sporty T-shirt and dark green pants, Noraseela was all smiles and chirpy.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hailed as the best athlete in the 2009 Laos Sea Games, national swimmer Daniel Bego claims that there is "no place like home".

The 20-year-old Daniel from Sarawak said he prefers to train in Malaysia which he feels is the best place to thrive on his swimming career.