Bar None

2025 was a remarkable year for Malaysian wushu. At the World Wushu Championships in Brazil, the team brought home 8 medals, and a fantastic showing at the SEA Games rounded off the year in style — putting the sport firmly back in the spotlight. One of its rising stars, SEA Games gold medalist Mandy Cebelle Chen, joins the show to lift the curtain on this athletic and graceful sport and share her j...

BWF recently announced some sweeping changes to their tournaments, set to take effect in 2027. Among the changes is the addition of another Super 1000 tournament, with the Denmark Open joining the Malaysia Open, All England Open, China Open, and Indonesia Open. Team events - the Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, and Sudirman Cup - will also see an expansion, growing from 16 to 24 participating teams. A group-...

Retired bowler Esther Cheah joins us again on the show to talk about her fitness routine during her bowling days. She shares her training routine, balancing work in the gym and on the bowling lanes, as well as what her fitness routine will look like now that she's retired. Image Credit: Aiman Khair / Shutterstock.com

After more than 20 years on the bowling lanes, Esther Cheah has recently decided to call it a day, retiring with numerous accolades safely tucked under her belt. Despite already achieving so much, it was not an easy decision to make as she passes her mantle to the younger generation of bowlers in the country. She joins us in the studio to candidly talk about her decision to retire and look back at...

A comment by our shuttler, Aaron Chia, about having to play the Malaysia Open, a Super 1000 tournament, just two weeks after the previous year's final tournament has sparked a larger conversation about the BWF's tournament schedule and how packed it is. Sports Editor at the New Straits Times, Ajitpal Singh, who wrote an article on this issue, joins us on the show to discuss the topic. Before we ge...

Mirabel Ting has gone through a lot in her short career as a golfer so far, and yet that has not stopped her from reaching greater heights at every turn. Despite losing her dad unexpectedly, she turned pro earlier than expected, after performing exceptionally well at the amateur level, winning the prestigious Annika Award along the way. She joins us on the show to share her journey in golf so far...

It was a case of “so near, and yet so far” again for our shuttlers, as Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik came so close to ending our barren spell at the recent Malaysia Open. They fought valiantly, but didn’t manage to stop the reigning world champions from South Korea, Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae. Aaron and Wooi Yik aside, our other shuttlers once again flattered to deceive, with Pearly Tan and M. Thina...

2025 was the year of pickleball, a relatively new sport that's a hybrid of tennis and ping pong, played at a less intense pace than other racquet sports. Pickleball has enjoyed tremendous growth in popularity, with people from all walks of life picking up the paddle to not only have fun, but also socialize with friends, family, and strangers. With pickleball courts now THE place to be for active p...

Hockey is a sport that has a strong foundation and roots in Malaysia, with the Speedy Tigers remaining relatively competitive on the global stage. And yet, despite the sport still being played at the grassroots level in schools, hockey might be facing problems that threaten its future existence in the country. A lack of high-quality next-generation players succeeding our current aging star players...

Malaysia will be sending its biggest contingent to the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand this month. 1,142 athletes will be representing Malaysia in 50 sports, hoping to better our record at the previous SEA Games, when we finished 7th overall and were unable to meet our gold target. Now, with the target set at 200 medals of any colour - gold, silver, or bronze, can our athletes get us back on track? Spo...

The technical director of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation, John Beasley joins us again on Bar None ahead of the SEA Games to discuss how our athletes are preparing for the competition. He also talks about the differences between track cycling and road cycling and why mental preparation is as important, if not more important than physical preparation when athletes head to major competitio...

Referees are not technically athletes, but as the people responsible for managing football matches, they need to be fit too. So, what's their fitness routine like? Retired Malaysian referee Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh joins us one last time to share how he trained as a referee and kept himself fit amidst his busy schedule. Image Credit: Dmitriy Prayzel / Shutterstock.com

Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh, a retired Malaysian referee who's now working as a technical instructor with FIFA and others, joins us again for the second half of our chat. He lifts the lid on his trade as a referee, including managing players with big personalities, as well as his thoughts on VAR and whether it's a good addition to the beautiful game. Image Credit: Mikolaj Barbanell / Shutterstock.com

Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh, a former Malaysian referee who, at one point, represented the country as a fourth official at the 2010 World Cup, joins the show to talk about the path he took to become a referee and the nuances of being the man with the whistle—from learning about the tactical side of the game to better manage it, to the cultural differences that need to be taken into account when officia...

We’ve shone the spotlight on sport climbing from a recreational point of view recently, and in this episode, we’re going to look at it from a more competitive angle. Joining us in this episode is Safwan Zainal, the head coach of the national team. He'll discuss our national athletes and where Malaysia stands in the sport, while lifting the curtain on what it’s like to coach at that level and what...

In conjunction with the upcoming MotoGP at Sepang this weekend, we take a look at the world of two-wheel racing here in Malaysia, from the grassroots community all the way to the top. How big is the fanbase, and what makes them so passionate about the sport, from the Malaysian Cub Prix all the way to MotoGP? Where are we in terms of producing new riders who can compete at the highest level? Joinin...

Budget 2026's allocation for sports saw an increase of more than 150%, with the government putting aside RM580 million. Part of the allocation will be for our elite athletes, as well as our para and deaf sportspeople; some of the funds will be used for preparations ahead of Malaysia hosting the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games in 2027, while the remainder will be used to improve and refurbish our sp...

Our periodic “How Athletes Train” episode returns, featuring representatives from the world of sport climbing and skateboarding. Safwan Zainal, national coach of Malaysia’s sport climbing team joins us to share how he trains his athletes, and the kinds of routines they go through. Later on the show, we also hear from skateboarding coach Joseph Romey Dures on how he personally trains to support his...

Despite its "extreme" and athletic nature, skateboarding is seen more as a subculture, especially with the kind of symbiotic influence it has on various urban lifestyle elements. But because it's still a sport, there are skaters out there who pursue the sport for what it is. In this episode of Bar None, we look at how far skateboarding as a sporting endeavour has grown here in the country and the...

Rock climbing has been around for quite a while, but it has now enjoyed a resurgence in popularity among urban dwellers, especially for people looking to challenge themselves not only physically, but mentally as well. What’s the appeal of the sport that makes it exciting and challenging on various fronts? Founder of BHub Bouldering, Jeremy Ho joins us to trace his own journey and relationship with...

This episode of Bar None features two dedicated athletes sharing their training insights. Professional golfer Genevieve Ling discusses her training routine and areas of focus, while Ewegene Tan, Race Director of the Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB, explains how he trains as a trail running athlete and offers tips for runners looking to explore nature and start trail running. Image Credit: Kampus Prod...

Trail running might not have the same popularity as road running or track and field, but the different challenges that it provides do appeal to a niche group looking for a different kind of exhilaration. What is the trail running scene like, especially in a biodiverse country like Malaysia, with varied trails across the nation? Trail runner and race director Ewegene Tan joins us to share what the...

Legendary American soccer player, World Cup winner and Olympic medallist Brandi Chastain is known for her iconic celebration after scoring the winning penalty that led to the USA lifting their second World Cup in 1999. But her contributions to the women’s game go far deeper than that. Brandi, and her former teammate, Maren McCrary, join the show on the back of their visit to Malaysia recently, to...

Lauren Hoh Ruyi has tasted different facets of life as an athlete at such a young age. She started her journey as a footballer playing with the boys' team, before leaving Malaysia to study in Thailand and hone her football skills there. Now, she’s in the US, taking the next step in her fledgling football career. She joins us on the show to share what it's been like so far, and chart the progress t...

Tower running champion Soh Wai Ching joins us again in this episode to talk about his training routine. He breaks it all down for us, including his nutrition and how he mixes things up. He also gives some pointers for beginners looking to start tower running. T. Avineshwaran, Sports Journalist from The Star also joins us for a quick preview of the new season of the Malaysian Super League. Image Cr...