
Teacher scores big with locker room makeover
Compiled by JUNAID IBRAHIM, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
TO motivate and inspire his students, a teacher in Selangor spent his own money and free time to turn his school's sports room into a professional football 'locker room'.
Utusan Malaysia reported that Muhamad Tarmizi Awang @ Yaacob, a teacher at SK Bandar Baru Batang Kali, did this soon after being transferred from another school in Sarawak.
The aim was to create a more comfortable, student-friendly space that could be beneficial in the long run.
'I saw the potential of turning this space into something more interesting and beneficial to the school community, so I proceeded even though it required a relatively high cost,' he stated.
'I used my free time when there were no classes and after school hours to gradually transform the room.'
He added that a similar attempt in Sarawak was hampered by logistical issues.
Muhamad Tarmizi explained that he personally funded the project and creatively repurposed second-hand items.
His choice of a football theme stemmed from his lifelong love for the sport and his desire to inspire his students.
The newly revamped room, adorned in the national team's Harimau Malaya colours and featuring portraits of late legend Datuk Mokhtar Dahari, has not only impacted students but also garnered significant attention on social media.
Muhamad Tarmizi observed positive changes in his students after the renovation.
(The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Vondrousova ousts top seed Sabalenka to reach Berlin final
MARKETA VONDROUSOVA powered past world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 6-4 at the Berlin Open on Saturday to book a place in her first final since she won Wimbledon in 2023. Czech Vondrousova controlled the tempo from the outset with big serving on the grass as she wrapped up the win in one hour and 20 minutes. She broke the Belarusian twice in the first set while saving both break points she faced. The second set saw the players trade early breaks and Sabalenka saved two break points to stay in touch at 3-2, before the match settled into a rhythm at 4-4. Sabalenka, who saved four match points against Elena Rybakina on Friday, could not repeat that escape as Vondrousova broke for 5-4 and served it out on her first match point with an ace. "I feel like on grass you have to take risks, you know, and that was the point; I was like, okay, let's try. The match would continue otherwise, so you have to go for it. I was feeling really well today so, yeah, I'm just very happy," Vondrousova said. "I didn't play for a long time, so I'm just so happy to be back healthy and so grateful to play these matches. When I saw the field, I was like, okay, let's try to win the first round, and now this is happening. So thank you guys for the support." While Sabalenka struggled to find consistency, racking up 30 unforced errors, Vondrousova stayed measured and composed throughout, limiting her own tally to 12. Despite previous wins over Sabalenka, this was Vondrousova's first career victory against a reigning number one. Currently ranked 164, the Czech has battled injuries since July 2024 and entered Berlin unseeded after missing three months this season with a shoulder injury. Vondrousova will play qualifier Wang Xinyu in Sunday's final, after the Chinese player beat Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-4 6-1 in an hour and 15 minutes to reach the first final of her career. After securing the first break of the match, Wang built up a 5-2 lead before Samsonova hit back to narrow the gap. But Wang held firm, converting her fourth set point to break again and close out the set. Wang dominated the second set, breaking for 3-1 and saving two break points to hold for 4-1. She broke again for 5-1 on her fourth chance and calmly served out the match. The 23-year-old Wang, ranked 49th in the world, has enjoyed a breakout week in the German capital, beating second seed Coco Gauff in the round of 16. "This week has been a dream for me. I've been playing unbelievable tennis here. I don't know, it's something with Berlin I guess," Wang said. "Coming to every match here, I wasn't expecting anything, you know. For me, it was really just to enjoy the stage... We're always saying that (you should) celebrate before the final because if you lose that, you don't celebrate anything for this incredible week."


The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
China's Wang Xinyu stuns French Open champion Gauff in Berlin
BERLIN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Wang Xinyu advanced to her first grass court quarterfinal at the WTA 500 Berlin Open on Thursday, defeating French Open champion and second seed Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3. The win also served as a measure of revenge for Wang, who lost to Gauff 6-0, 6-4 in their only previous meeting at the same event in 2022. "It was a tough match, I am happy that I hang in there on all these tough moments," said Wang, who will face Paula Badosa in the next match. "She [Badosa] is playing great tennis now. For me, I am just really happy to get a chance to play another match here in front of you guys, especially lots of Chinese fans."


The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
FAM introduces ‘Elite Games' project to scout future Harimau Malaya talents
THE Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has introduced the 'Elite Games' project aimed at scouting talented young players with the potential to don the Harimau Malaya jersey in the future. National Under-23 (U-23) head coach Mohd Nafuzi Zain said an initial group of 26 players from across the country will be called up for the project's first camp, scheduled from June 23 to 26. He said the inaugural camp also formed part of preparations to shortlist 30 players for centralised training ahead of the ASEAN U-23 Championship 2025, to be held in Jakarta from July 15 to 29. 'We have many young players with potential, so the Elite Games initiative is to monitor them in preparation for the ASEAN U-23 Championship. 'We'll bring in players from June 23 to 25 for a short stint, during which we'll conduct sparring games where players compete against each other. If they perform well, they stand a chance of being included in the 30-man squad for the ASEAN U-23 central training camp,' he told reporters today. He said the centralised training for the ASEAN U-23 tournament will run from July 1 to 12 before the team departs for Jakarta on July 13. Malaysia have been drawn into Group A alongside host nation Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei for the ASEAN U-23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29 in Jakarta. The national U-23 side will kick off their campaign against the Philippines on July 15, followed by matches against Brunei on July 18 and Indonesia on July 21. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals scheduled for July 25, with the third-place playoff and final set for July 29. Meanwhile, Harimau Malaya technical director Tan Cheng Hoe said the 'Elite Games' project was the result of discussions with national team head coach Peter Cklamovski and Mohd Nafuzi. He said beyond the ASEAN U-23 tournament, the initiative will also help Mohd Nafuzi prepare for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026 from Sept 3–9 and the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, scheduled from Dec 9-20. Cheng Hoe also expressed hope that the programme could be held monthly, with a focus on identifying emerging talent from U-20 and U-18 players nationwide, who could later be included in the Harimau Malaya squad.