Malaysia's sports highlights of 2015

JANUARY

Jan 20 - Former national heptathlete, Datuk Zaiton Othman makes history after being named as the first female Sports Commissioner of Malaysia, effective Feb 1.

Jan 23 - FAM signs a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a leading international media rights company, Media Partners & Silva (MP & Silva) ahead of the privatisation of the Malaysian League (M-League) in 2016.

Jan 24 - National Paralympic athlete and triple gold medalist at the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea, Mohammad Azlan Mat Lazim, dies in a road accident in Serdang Raya.

Jan 31 - The Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) football team wins the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup 2015, after defeating Pahang 2-0 at the charity match held at the Tan Sri Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin, Johor Bahru. The match was the curtain raiser for the M-League.

FEBRUARY

Feb 1 - Malaysia achieves its target of winning both the men's and women's categories at the 17th Asian Junior Team Squash Championship held at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil.

Feb 2 - Datuk Nicol David sets a new world record by retaining the world number one spot in the Women's Squash Association (WAS) rankings for 106 consecutive months, overcoming Susan Devoy's record of 105 consecutive months.

Feb 4 - Nicol David bags the Cleveland Classic Championship title for the third straight time in Ohio, United States, bagging her first win for 2015.

Feb 8 - Malaysia hold off arch-rivals Thailand 2-0 (21-7, 21-19) in a gruelling one-hour match in the men's finals of the Sepak Takraw ISTAF Super Series Malaysia 2015 championships in Malacca.

Feb 8 - The national Under-22 football squad (Harimau Muda) wins the 2015 Bangabandhu Cup after beating Bangladesh 3-2 in the final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Bangladesh.

Feb 12 - Sports commentator Datuk Hasbullah Awang passes away at the National Heart Institute (IJN).

March 3 - BAM receives a six-year sponsorship deal totaling RM60 million from Taiwanese sports equipment supplier, Victor.

March 29 - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announces a three-year contract extension for the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) to host the Formula One (F1) Malaysian Grand Prix until 2018.

APRIL

April 16 - Malaysia's elite bowlers show their mastery by winning the men's and women's categories in the Thailand International Open 2015 stepladder championship held at the Blu-O Rhythm & Bowl Ratchayothin in Bangkok, Thailand.

April 28 - Nicol David creates new record after she is named as the National Sportswoman for the 10th time, while Sazali Abd Samad emerged as the National Sportsman for fourth time at the 2014 National Sports Awards ceremony.

MAY

May 1 - FAM president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah creates history in the local football arena after being selected as one of the three executive committee members representing Asia in FIFA, for the 2015-2019 term.

May 6 - Nicol David is crowned Asian champion for the ninth time at the 18th Asian Squash Championship in Kuwait.

May 9 - The women's compound archery team makes history, winning Malaysia's first gold medal at the 2015 Archery World Cup first-leg held in Shanghai, China. May 14 - Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announces Perak and Johor as the hosts of the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in 2018 and 2020, respectively.

JUNE

June 9 - Athlete Muhammad Hakimi Ismail marks history after successfully ending the country's 18-year gold medal drought in the triple jump event at the 28th SEA Games in Singapore, effectively setting a new SEA Games record with a 16.76m leap.

June 14 - Malaysia wins the Crescent Cup Rugby Championship after defeating favorites Algeria 19-11 in the finals at Politeknik Merlimau.

June 22 - Datuk Lee Chong Wei wins his first title of the year at the US Open Grand Prix Gold championships after coming back from an eight-month suspension due to a drug offence.

JULY

July 29 - Pandelela Rinong Pamg becomes the first Malaysian athlete to earn a ticket to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after advancing to the women's 10m Platform final in the 16th FINA World Aquatic Championships.

Aug 21 - Kedah win the 2015 Malaysian Premier League trophy after an impressive 5-1 win over DRB Hicom FC in their final match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil and gained promotion to the 2016 Super League.

SEPTEMBER

Sept 1 - National squash queen Nicol David loses her world number one spot to Raneem El Welily after 112 months as the world number one.

Sept 5 - National diver Ooi Tze Liang qualifies for the men's 3m springboard individual event of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, at the 2015 Asian Diving Cup held at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil.

OCTOBER

Oct 11 - Veteran badminton pair, Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong prove they are still lethal by winning the men's doubles event at the Dutch Open Grand Prix Gold at the Topsportcentrum Almere Arena in Netherlands.

Oct 12 - Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team wins the world constructors' category at the 2015 FIA F1 Grand Prix in Russia. The title was the second in a row for the team and Petronas.

NOVEMBER

Nov 8 - National archer Khairul Anuar Mohamad books a ticket to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after winning the Olympic round at the Asian Archery Championship in Bangkok.

Nov 8 - Chong Wei wins the China Open, while Goh Jin Wei picks up the World Junior Championship title in Brazil, for the women's singles category.

Nov 23 - Badrul Hisham Abdul Manap breaks the 17-year-old national record of 10.30s in the 100m sprint event held by former national sprinter Watson Nyambek after clocking 10.29s on the first day of the ASEAN School Games in Brunei.

DECEMBER