Bar None

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 kind of work that's being done to formalise the sport as we look to compete on a regional and global level. Image Credit: Paman Aheri / Shutterstock.com

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 bouldering that led him from casually climbing to opening his own gym.Image Credit: BHub Bouldering

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 Production & RUN 4 FFWPU / pexels.com

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 Malaysian scene is like, ahead of the upcoming Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB at the end of September.Image Credit: Ewegene Tan

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 talk about what the women’s game was like back then, and how much it has grown, not only in America, but across the world. They also share what it’s like for women’s soccer to not only compete with other sports in America, but also learn from them. Image Credit: @SvSabahRepresent_ (Instagram) & U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur

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 that Malaysia has made in uplifting the women’s game. Image Credit: flashsukan.com.my

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 Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com

For tower running champion Soh Wai Ching, the climb to the top is more than just about beating his nearest competitors. It's about being the best version of himself. Despite already accomplishing a lot since he first started in 2017, there's still more to be done. He joins us on the show after breaking a few more personal records and another world record as well (“Farthest Simulated Distance Climbed On A Stair Machine in One Hour” - pending confirmation from Guinness World Records) to share the story of his latest triumph, as well as how he kept the momentum going despite losing a bit of motivation at one point. Image Credit: Soh Wai Ching

Fitness racing and fitness games are becoming more popular lately, and while Hyrox is the rage among the fitness community globally, Malaysia has its own alternative in the form of Redline Fitness Games. What is it exactly, and how does it differ from Hyrox and other fitness games out there? Jeffrey Ross, General Manager of Fresh Events Asia, the organisation responsible for creating Redline, joins us to share more about it, as well as talk about why fitness games are the go-to activities for some fitness enthusiasts these days. Image Credit: Redline Fitness Games

Ahead of the new football season, one of the things that are dominating football fans’ conversations are transfers. Central to the news and rumors that we hear daily are football agents. In the European games especially, they’re painted as having glamorous lives, engineering blockbuster deals for their clients all the time. But what’s the reality like for a football agent here in Malaysia? Joining us to share his side of the story is Faidauz Azhar, FIFA-registered football agent with close to 20 players under him. He paints life as a football agent in Malaysia and the ins and outs of the job. Image Credit: cunaplus / Shutterstock.com

A month on from Harimau Malaya's historic win against Vietnam, sports journalist T. Avineshwaran joins us to reflect on the victory and the conversations that emerged from the match, including the team's tactical approach and composition, with many new players making their debut, as well as the fallout from the match, including claims made by rival fans. Avinesh also gives us a quick preview of the Malaysian Super League, one month before the start of the new 2025/2026 season - from teams that have left the league to the newcomers in the form of both clubs and new players. Image Credit: Supakit Wisetanuphong / Shutterstock.com

Enhanced Games is a proposed multi-sport event that allows the use of performance-enhancing substances. Despite backlash from a lot of different stakeholders, arguing that this move is extremely dangerous and highly unethical, the founder, Aron D’Souza is optimistic that the event will take place in 2026. Former CEO of National Sports Institute, Datuk Dr. Ramlan Abdul Aziz joins us on the show to argue against this proposal and to reiterate the importance of keeping sporting events clean. Photo Credit: ADragan / Shutterstock.com

SRG.OG created history earlier this week by becoming the first team to win the MPL Malaysia three times in a row, after their dominant 4-0 victory against Homebois in the Grand Final. We speak to the team’s co-founder Simon Lim to learn more about their latest success, their collaboration with European esports giant, OG, and whether they’re ready to defend their title at the upcoming Esports World Cup in Riyadh next month. Former professional racing driver, Weiron Tan later joins us in our Peak Performance segment to talk about his training routine, honing his racecraft and how race drivers cope with the pressure. Photo Credit: MOONTON Games

“Go-karting is racing in its purest form”. That’s what Weiron Tan, founder and CEO of Evolt Karting, Malaysia’s indoor electric karting center, and a former professional racing driver concluded, after sampling a bit of everything in his career. He shares what he means by that and also talks about the joy of karting, whether leisurely or professionally, and why it’s still relevant and important in creating future racers, here and everywhere. Photo Source: Tima Miroshnichenko / pexels.com

Former national tennis player Adam Jaya joins us on the show to talk about what it’s like to be a professional tennis player, and the challenges that he had to go through in order to be competitive in the scene. He also addresses the elephant in the room - the rising popularity of pickleball and padel and whether it’ll affect tennis’ long-standing legacy. In our Peak Performance segment, he walks us through his training routine back when he was competing, and shares some tips for beginners looking to start playing tennis. Photo Source: Igor Link / Shutterstock.com

In this episode of Bar None, we look at how athletes train in the field of track cycling and powerlifting. John Beasley, the technical director of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation breaks down how our track cyclists train, including the different phases and modalities they go through. Then, Kenneth Kaden Chin the deputy president of the Malaysian Association for Powerlifting shares his own routine and the kind of lifts that he does beyond his main lifts. Photo Source: Abdul Razak Latif / Shutterstock.com & Dusan Petkovic / Shutterstock.com

Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) is a sport that challenges you on all fronts and one that’s pretty popular among those who seek variety in their fitness endeavor. Reality TV shows like Ninja Warrior and Sasuke have increased its visibility to a wider audience, while organisations like Spartan Race and Viper Challenge have elevated OCR’s visibility and participation here. Joining us on the show to unpack the appeal of the sport is Andrew Chiu, the Secretary General of the Malaysia Obstacle Race Sports Association (MORSA). He also shares MORSA’s attempt at creating a more accessible IP called Pahlawan Malaysia for the Malaysian audience, as well as how OCR is different from fitness races, despite being governed under the same association. Photo Source: hurricanehank / Shutterstock.com

Despite being an active person, Kenneth Kaden Chin has never thought to lift heavy weights competitively until he stumbled upon a powerlifting competition at a local mall. Buoyed by the positivity shown by the crowd that’s very supportive to all the participants, he decided to give the sport a try. Now, he’s a powerlifting champion and the deputy president of the Malaysian Association for Powerlifting. Kenneth shares his journey in the sport and talks about the powerlifting scene in Malaysia, their trajectory moving forward and how the sport is not all about setting your best personal records. Photo Source: Kenneth Kaden Chin

Cheri-Lee Atkinson, an Executive Committee member of New Zealand Football, joins Bar None to share how her country is planning to develop football, a sport that has a high participation rate among the community members, to one that can rival the All Blacks in its competitiveness and international stature. She also shares how New Zealand manages football at the grassroots level and the pathways available for young athletes to grow there. Photo Source: Photos BrianScantlebury / Shutterstock.com

John Beasley, dubbed the “Father of Malaysian Track Cycling”, is a name that’s pretty synonymous with the cycling world here in Malaysia, producing talents such as Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, Fatehah Mustapa, Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati. After coaching the track cycling team for 18 years, he has now moved upstairs to become the technical director of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation, tasked with the job to not only oversee other disciplines, but to also propel the Malaysian cycling scene to greater heights. He joins us to respond to the news of Datuk Azizulhasni’s plan to continue cycling, as well as share what his plans are for the local cycling fraternity moving forward. Photo Source: Hafiz Johari / Shutterstock.com