MALAYSIANSKINI | On the other side of the world, a Malaysian athlete is breaking barriers. Sungai Petani-born Dinesvaran Krishnan has just signed up for the US-based rugby union team the Chicago Hounds, making him the first Malaysian to sign with an American rugby team.

The team was founded in 2022 as a Major League Rugby expansion franchise. While the team isn’t exactly a household name, Dinesvaran, a lock forward who goes by the nickname Duke, is used to going where others have not.

Having got his start playing at the Malaysian state level, he went on to enjoy a lengthy career playing nearly nine years for Japanese rugby teams Yamaha Jubilo and Hino Red Dolphins since moving to Japan in 2013.

Soon to be 35, the sometime captain of...