As a momentous year in Malaysian sports nears to a close, we look back at some of the biggest sporting stories that happened this year. 



We revisit Sivasangari Subramaniam's historic win at the London Squash Classic that marked the first time a Malaysian had won a gold-level PSA tournament since Datuk Nicol David in 2015, the horrific attacks on footballers Faisal Halim and Akhyar Rashid that shook Malaysian football, Malaysia's bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games that drew mixed reactions and heated debates, the thrilling bronze medal matches fought by national shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Lee Zii Jia at the Paris Olympics, and the performance report card of the Malaysian contingent at the world's biggest games.



Click to listen to the full podcasts.

As a momentous year in Malaysian sports nears to a close, we look back at some of the biggest sporting stories that happened this year. We revisit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bfm.my/podcast/night-shift/bar-none/sivasangari-stuns-in-london">Sivasangari Subramaniam's historic win</a> at the London Squash Classic that marked the first time a Malaysian had won a gold-level PSA tournament since Datuk Nicol David in 2015, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bfm.my/podcast/night-shift/bar-none/ugly-side-of-the-beautiful-game">horrific attacks on footballers Faisal Halim and Akhyar Rashid</a> that shook Malaysian football, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bfm.my/podcast/night-shift/bar-none/2026-commonwealth-games-waste-of-money-or-worth-it">Malaysia's bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games</a> that drew mixed reactions and heated debates, the thrilling bronze medal matches fought by national shuttlers <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bfm.my/podcast/night-shift/bar-none/aaron-wooi-yik-retain-lzj-wins-first-olympic-medal">Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Lee Zii Jia at the Paris Olympics</a>, and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bfm.my/podcast/night-shift/bar-none/paris-2024-report-card">performance report card</a> of the Malaysian contingent at the world's biggest games.Click to listen to the full podcasts.

2024: Year in Review

In this episode of That's A Sport, we shine a spotlight on World Chase Tag, the first and only global league for competitive parkour tag- an exhilarating fusion of skill, strategy, and athleticism inspired by the game of cops and robbers. Drawing some of the world's best parkour athletes, the sport sees two teams battling it out in an obstacle-filled arena called The Quad in an intense game of speed and agility where athletes race against the clock with one goal in mind: Don't get caught!



We speak to one of the founding members of the sport, Christian Devaux, to discover how World Chase Tag has transformed one of the oldest games in the world into the fast-paced, high-octane viral worldwide phenomenon it is today.



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



Photo credit: World Chase Tag

In this episode of That's A Sport, we&nbsp;shine a spotlight on World Chase Tag, the first and only global league for competitive parkour tag- an exhilarating fusion of skill, strategy, and athleticism inspired by the game of cops and robbers. Drawing some of the world's best parkour athletes, the sport sees two teams battling it out in an obstacle-filled arena called The Quad in an intense game of speed and agility where athletes race against the clock with one goal in mind: Don't get caught!We speak to one of the founding members of the sport, Christian Devaux, to discover how World Chase Tag has transformed one of the oldest games in the world into the fast-paced, high-octane viral worldwide phenomenon it is today.That's A Sport is a monthly series where we look to explore and discover some lesser known sports from around the globe.Photo credit: World Chase Tag

Ep11: World Chase Tag, That's A Sport?

This week, we're joined by young dance-sport athlete Cherry Yeo, who recently made history as Malaysia's first champion at the World DanceSport Federation’s World Cup Solo Latin. The 19 year old shares her inspiring journey as a hobbyist to competitive dancer, highlighting her recent victories in Serbia and Spain. She also breaks down the challenges she faces and her dedication to mentoring younger dancers in the future.

Photo Credit: Cherry Yeo on Facebook

This week, we're joined by young dance-sport athlete Cherry Yeo, who recently made history as Malaysia's first champion at the World DanceSport Federation’s World Cup Solo Latin. The 19 year old shares her inspiring journey as a hobbyist to competitive dancer, highlighting her recent victories in Serbia and Spain. She also breaks down the challenges she faces and her dedication to mentoring younger dancers in the future. Photo Credit: Cherry Yeo on Facebook

Cherry's Historic Twist 

The fast-growing global padel phenomenon has hit Malaysia in full force as the racket sport ramps up in the region. With a team headed by former national squash player Delia Arnold, team manager and Joy Divison Padel’s Rajay Singh and Maurice Noone have set their sights on a Malaysian team taking the sport by storm on the world stage as it's on track to be included in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. We get a look behind the scenes into Malaysia's first competitive padel team – fresh off finishing fourth at their first outing at the inaugural Asia Pacific Padel Cup 2024 – to find out what it's taking to develop the sport locally, padel in the region, and where they hope to take the team in the future.

The fast-growing global padel phenomenon has hit Malaysia in full force as the racket sport ramps up in the region. With a team headed by former national squash player Delia Arnold, team manager and Joy Divison Padel’s Rajay Singh and Maurice Noone&nbsp;have set their sights on a Malaysian team taking the sport by storm on the world stage as it's on track to be included in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. We get a look behind the scenes into Malaysia's first competitive padel team – fresh off finishing fourth at their first outing at the inaugural Asia Pacific Padel Cup 2024 – to find out what it's taking to develop the sport locally, padel in the region, and where they hope to take the team in the future.

From Squash to Padel: Delia Arnold Leads the Revolution

The LPGA Maybank Championship is set to take place this week, running from October 24th to 27th at the prestigious Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC). Defending champion Celine Boutier, who triumphed in a thrilling nine-hole playoff last year, leads the field. She'll be joined by top contenders like Lilia Vu and Yin Ruoning, all vying for the $3 million purse.

One of the golfers representing Malaysia is 23-year-old Liyana Durisic, a newly-minted professional golfer eager to make her mark. After qualifying through the inaugural ASEAN Qualifier, this will be her second LPGA Tour appearance, following her debut as an amateur at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in 2017. Liyana joins us on the program this week as we dive into her journey from amateur to professional, and discuss her role in growing women’s golf in Malaysia and the region.



Photo Credit: Iowa State University Athletics

The LPGA Maybank Championship is set to take place this week, running from October 24th to 27th at the prestigious Kuala Lumpur Golf &amp; Country Club (KLGCC). Defending champion Celine Boutier, who triumphed in a thrilling nine-hole playoff last year, leads the field. She'll be joined by top contenders like Lilia Vu and Yin Ruoning, all vying for the $3 million purse. One of the golfers representing Malaysia is 23-year-old Liyana Durisic, a newly-minted professional golfer eager to make her mark. After qualifying through the inaugural ASEAN Qualifier, this will be her second LPGA Tour appearance, following her debut as an amateur at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in 2017. Liyana joins us on the program this week as we dive into her journey from amateur to professional, and discuss her role in growing women’s golf in Malaysia and the region.Photo Credit: Iowa State University Athletics

Liyana's Big Swing Yet To Come

Dutch wingback Mats Deijl's eligibility for the Malaysian national football team sparked considerable excitement among local football authorities and fans, especially after the FAM president hinted at Go Ahead Eagles captain’s potential as the latest naturalised player. Despite FIFA’s strict and well-defined regulations, FAM pressed forward with their pursuit of Deijl, raising concerns about the association’s recruitment strategy and its impact on future player naturalisation efforts. In the end, their attempt fell short, leaving FAM facing criticism. We dissected the issue with T.Avinesh.

Dutch wingback Mats Deijl's eligibility for the Malaysian national football team sparked considerable excitement among local football authorities and fans, especially after the FAM president hinted at Go Ahead Eagles captain’s potential as the latest naturalised player. Despite FIFA’s strict and well-defined regulations, FAM pressed forward with their pursuit of Deijl, raising concerns about the association’s recruitment strategy and its impact on future player naturalisation efforts. In the end, their attempt fell short, leaving FAM facing criticism. We dissected the issue with T.Avinesh.

The Curious Case Of Mats Deijl

In this episode of That's A Sport, we dive into the world of Competitive Excel, where spreadsheet enthusiasts showcase their creativity, speed, and problem-solving skills through nail-biting timed challenges of complex data problems - all using the world's best puzzle-solving tool.



Today, the Microsoft Excel World Championships is quickly becoming the next big thing in esports, bringing together the world's foremost Excel experts to battle it out head-to-head in spectator-friendly showdowns in packed arenas and watched by millions online. Andrew Grigolyunovich, founder and CEO of the Financial Modelling World Cup, takes us behind the scenes of the spreadsheet spectacle.



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


Photo credit: Robert McMillan/The Wall Street Journal

In this episode of That's A Sport, we dive into the world of Competitive Excel, where spreadsheet&nbsp;enthusiasts showcase their creativity, speed, and problem-solving skills through nail-biting timed challenges of complex data problems - all using the world's best puzzle-solving tool.Today, the Microsoft Excel World Championships is quickly becoming the next big thing in esports, bringing together the world's foremost Excel experts to battle it out head-to-head in spectator-friendly showdowns in packed arenas and watched by millions online. Andrew Grigolyunovich, founder and CEO of the Financial Modelling World Cup, takes us behind the scenes of the spreadsheet spectacle.That's A Sport is a monthly series where we look to explore and discover some lesser known sport around the globe.&nbsp; Photo credit: Robert McMillan/The Wall Street Journal

Ep10: Competitive Excel, That's A Sport?

National women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan celebrated Malaysia Day as they made history with their win at last weekend's Hong Kong Open as the first Malaysian women's pair to win the Super 500 tournament in its 42-year history. Their 37-minute defeat of world No. 3 pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning ended their two-year title drought and four-match losing streak to the Chinese opponents, and secured the duo their first title since the 2022 French Open - the third World Tour title under their belt since pairing up in 2021.



Journalist Fabian Mark Peter breaks down their spectacular performance, examines their careers so far and post-Olympics, and what we can expect from the pair at this week's China Open and on their road to the finals.



Photo credit: Badmintonphoto

National women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan celebrated Malaysia Day as they made history with their win at last weekend's Hong Kong Open as the first Malaysian women's pair to win the Super 500 tournament in its 42-year history. Their 37-minute defeat of world No. 3 pair&nbsp;Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning ended their two-year title drought and four-match losing streak to the Chinese opponents, and secured the duo their first title since the 2022 French Open - the third World Tour title under their belt since pairing up in 2021.Journalist Fabian Mark Peter breaks down their spectacular performance, examines their careers so far and post-Olympics, and what we can expect from the pair at this week's China Open and on their road to the finals.Photo credit: Badmintonphoto

Pearly and Thinaah Make History in Hong Kong

This episode, we shine the spotlight on an innovative martial art created in 2020. Car-Jitsu combines Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) with the unique constraints of a car’s interior, where fighters use seats, steering wheels, seat belts, and mirrors as tools for submission. Designed as a fun experiment to push BJJ’s boundaries, it has since gained viral attention online for its unorthodox and exciting nature. We dive into the sport’s origins with its founder, Vik Mikheev.

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



Photo Credit: CarJitsu Championship

This episode, we shine the spotlight on an innovative martial art created in 2020. Car-Jitsu combines Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) with the unique constraints of a car’s interior, where fighters use seats, steering wheels, seat belts, and mirrors as tools for submission. Designed as a fun experiment to push BJJ’s boundaries, it has since gained viral attention online for its unorthodox and exciting nature. We dive into the sport’s origins with its founder, Vik Mikheev. That's A Sport is a brand new monthly series where we look to explore and discover some lesser known sport around the globe.Photo Credit: CarJitsu Championship

EP 9: CarJitsu, That's A Sport?

As the dust settles on Paris 2024, Malaysia is celebrating the two bronze medals under our belt and lamenting the near misses at the podium, in what has been a tumultuous Olympics journey for our athletes and the nation. In our post-Games report card, we review the performance of the Malaysian contingent at the world's biggest games and get into what the failed gold medal target will mean for our athletes now and looking forward at Los Angeles 2028.



Photo credit: BERNAMA

As the dust settles on Paris 2024, Malaysia is celebrating the two bronze medals under our belt and lamenting the near misses at the podium, in what has been a tumultuous&nbsp;Olympics journey for our athletes and the nation. In our post-Games report card, we review the performance of the Malaysian contingent at the world's biggest games and get into what the failed gold medal target will mean for our athletes now and looking forward at Los Angeles 2028.Photo credit: BERNAMA

Paris 2024: Report Card

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