M’sian girls settle for World Junior Squash C’ship runner-up spot

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian girls' junior squash team had to settle for

the runner-up spot again after suffering a 0-2 defeat to defending champion Egypt in the final of the World Junior Squash Championships in Tauranga, New Zealand, yesterday.

In the event held at the Devoy Squash and Fitness Centre in Tauranga, the Malaysian girls' team making their third appearance, were bidding for their first world team title.

Egypt's Hania El Hammamy was however, too strong for Malaysia's top junior S. Sivasangari when the former won 11-8, 11-8, 6-11 and 11-9 in 44 minutes before Andrea Lee who faced recently crowned individual world junior champion Rowan Reda was also beaten 411, 4-11, 11-9 and 7-11 in a 37minute match.

The defeat handed the Egyptian girls their sixth team title.

Malaysian coach Andrew Cross felt his players were sluggish early in their matches but had only praise for Egypt and their domination of world squash.

"My girls had done well. We wanted to be in the final so they have done that and I'm proud of how they competed with Egypt, but both Rowan and Hania played better today than they did in the individual final," he said, as quoted in the tournament official website, www.wsfworldjuniors.com. - Bernama LABUAN: The Ministry of Youth and Sports will assist to expedite the implementation of the proposed the RM7 million Labuan International Motorsport Circuit.

The project proposed on a five-acre site in Kiansam in two phases (since the last five years) is scheduled for implementation this year and to be completed in 2018.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the ˜go ahead” from his ministry was needed for the implementation.

“I was told the RM3 million for the first phase of the project had been approved by the Implementation Coordination Unit (under the Prime Minister's Department) and the remaining from the relevant ministry and as it needs to have my ministry's go ahead, I'm now kicking the ball in for the project to go ahead,” he said at the simultaneous launch of Labuan Umno Women, Youth and Puteri Division Delegation Meetings here yesterday.