PSM to focus on just two major events this year
PETALING JAYA: The Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia (PSM) will focus on just two of the four major events lined up by the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) this year.
PSM co-ordinator Tengku Adnan Tengku Burhanuddin said the national team would concentrate on the Thai King’s Cup in Bangkok in July and the Laos SEA Games in December.
“Our priority is the SEA Games and we will concentrate on the team, double and inter-regu events only,” said Tengku Adnan yesterday.
Besides the King’s Cup (July 2-7) and the SEA Games (Dec 9-10), the other two major events on the ISTAF calendar are the World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan (July 15-22) and the 3rd Indoor Asian Games in Vietnam (Oct 30-Nov 4).
Tengku Adnan said the World Games would feature the inter-regu and doubles events.
The World Games is an exhibition event while the Indoor Asian Games will feature the hoop competition.
Tengku Adnan said the first test for their full-time trainees of 24 men and 18 women would be the King’s Cup.
Mahendran tasked with grooming back-up exponents
By RAJES PAUL
KUALA LUMPUR: Former international kumite exponent S. Mahendran has received a big boost as far as his coaching career is concerned.
He has been promoted as national coach of the back-up team.
His presence is expected to complement the great effort put in by chief coach P. Arivalagan to strengthen the national karate team in a bid to maintain their supremacy at the junior and senior levels in the Asian region.
Arivalagan said that Mahendran, who was the gold medal winner at the 2003 Vietnam SEA Games and the 2007 Korat SEA Games in the below 75kg category, was the ideal candidate for the post.
“He has been assisting me and even played a crucial role in helping the team at the last Asian Junior meet. He has done a good job and I am confident he will be able to work with me,” said Arivalagan.
Malaysia had a 2-3-6 medal haul in the three-day Asian Junior Championships in Kota Kinabalu last September and were fourth in the standings.
Mahendran’s job this year will be to prepare a solid team for the World Junior Championships in Monaco in October.
“I have drawn up the training programme. He has about 18 back-up exponents under his care. All these exponents have gone through a stringent selection process,” said Arivalagan.
“Besides their skills, these youngsters were also selected based on their good physical condition.
“Their major tournament is the world junior meet. I am confident, that under the guidance of Mahendran, this batch of youngsters will be able to achieve good results for the country,” he said.
Arivalagan named three back-up exponents — R. Loganeshaa, P. Pavithran and C. Maalani — as having the potential to be drafted into the elite team.
“Ideally, this back-up exponents should make it to the elite squad. And their first international outing should be the SEA Games. Loganeshaa, Pavithran and Maalani are on the right track,” he said.
Arivalagan also said that his 11-member elite squad, led by R. Puvaneswaren, were shaping up well for their main assignments this year — the Asian Championships and the Laos SEA Games.
“We won eight gold medals at the last SEA Games and our goal is to maintain that at this year’s Laos Games,” he said.
The Star
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