Salam Aidil Adha!!!

Dua emas bukan sasaran sukar

SASARAN melihat sekurang kurangnya dua kilauan pingat emas daripada acara badminton Sukan Sea 2009 di Laos, bulan depan bukan sesuatu yang sukar, apa lagi Malaysia memiliki ramai pemain bertaraf dunia yang mampu merealisasikan impian berkenaan.

Malah, Malaysia dilihat berpeluang mengutip lebih daripada sasaran yang telah digariskan sekiranya mereka mampu untuk mengimbangi tekanan ketika beraksi di gelanggang dan tidak menghadapi masalah berhadapan sorakan padu penonton di gelanggang pertarungan nanti.

Bagi Chef de Mission negara, Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz sudah pasti harapan tinggi diletakkan buat skuad badminton negara yang dilihat antara sukan yang mampu melakukan kejutan apa lagi inilah peluang buat setiap jaguh negara membuktikan kemampuan mereka kepada negara.

“Lakukanlah yang terbaik, dan segalanya akan menjadi lebih mudah sekiranya pemain mampu meredakan tekanan ketika dalam gelanggang.

“Kekuatan pemain yang kita ada tiada yang kurang daripada pasukan lain, cuma yang memberi sedikit kelebihan buat mereka adalah cara mereka mengatasi tekanan sekeliling ketika berlangsungnya perlawanan.’’

Selain daripada itu, Ramlan turut melihat daripada segi positif berkenaan dengan sasaran Indonesia untuk merebut lima pingat emas dalam Sukan Sea kali ini.

“Ia bagus dan satu persaingan yang sihat. Kita tidak perlu gusar dengan sasaran ditetapkan mereka. Jangan harapkan jalan mudah untuk kita meraih kejayaan.

“Dan melalui kesukaran itu setiap kejayaan yang dicapai akan menjadi bertambah manis. Semua pasukan mahukan kemenangan dan begitu juga skuad kebangsaan kita.”BHARIAN

Tennis cast hope to get a shot at the bronze

By SHAMSHUL FITRI

KUALA LUMPUR: A difficult journey awaits the Malaysia tennis players in the Laos SEA Games but a podium finish is still locked in their sights.

Malaysia have never won gold in SEA Games tennis and their best result was a silver in 2001 in Kuala Lumpur. At the last Games in Korat in 2007, Malaysia won the bronze through the women’s team, who were beaten by Thailand in the semi-finals.

National player Adam Jaya said that they were bent on giving their best in the Laos Games and hopefully it will be enough to get them a medal.

Sweating it out: Adam Jaya (left) Si Yew Ming training at the National Tennis Complex in Jalan Duta Wednesday. — MOHD SAHAR MISNI / The Star

“It will be difficult for us because Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines have many good players. But if the draws are favourable to us, we may get a shot at the bronze in the team event,” he said.

On a personal note, the 23-year-old Adam hopes that he will be able to get a repeat of his achievement at the 2001 Games where he bagged the men’s doubles bronze with Mohd Nazreen Fuzi.

“Preparations have been good and I have been playing good tennis lately. I took part in seven tournaments thus far and that should give me a good momentum for the Games,” said Adam, who is in the 1,418th spot on the world list.

For the doubles, Adam will partner Si Yew Ming, who has an impressive resume, having played in the ATP 250 Malaysia Open and the Davis Cup recently.

Yew Ming said that his focus would be to take a match at a time and he agreed with Adam that the tasks would be very difficult for them.

“I don’t want to think too much of our chances (for medals). There are so many good players out there and I will have to go out and play my best,” he said.

The 29-year-old Yew Ming added that he was working on fine-tuning his game under the charge of coach S. Selvarajoo and he hoped that things would work out well for him in Vientiane.

Adam and Yew Ming will be joined in the men’s team by Razlan Rawi and Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaam. For the women’s competitions, Malaysia will be represented by Jawairiah Noordin, T. Neesha, Adelle Boey and Choo Lyn Yee.

With just weeks left before the team leave for Laos, Selvarajoo is now increasing the intensity of training to ensure that the players be at their peak fitness level for the Games.

“It is important that they are physically very fit for the competitions because tennis now is played at a much higher pace than before,” he said.

“With the help of physical trainer S. Selvamuthu from the National Sports Council (NSC), they now have their cardiovascular workouts daily.”

However, Selvarajoo will not put high hopes on the players and a modest target of a bronze medal has been set for the men’s team.

“Now might not be the right time to put such high hopes on the team. But with a development programme in the pipeline, we may target for gold in four to six years from now,” he said. STAR

Hanapiah: Roslinda must retain her SEA Games title

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: Pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu has come under fire for her uninspiring performances in the last few meets.

And national chief coach Hanapiah Nasir said that she had to redeem herself by retaining the SEA Games title in Laos.

The 27-year-old Kedahan has failed miserably in three meets this year.

Roslinda Samsu

She holds the national record of 4.40m but failed to clear the starting height of 3.80m in the Taiwan Open in August. At the Malaysian Open in Bukit Jalil last month, she again failed to clear the starting height of 3.90m.

Two weeks ago at the Asian Track and Field (ATF) meet in Guangzhou, Roslinda failed in the defence of the title, clearing 3.60m for fifth place. She had won the gold medal in the 2007 meet in Jordan with a height of 4.20m.

Hanapiah said that he was disappointed with Roslinda’s performances.

“She was in tears after failing to win a medal in the ATF meet,” said Hanapiah.

“She apologised for her poor form. I warned her to buck up and said that I would not accept any more apologies from her. I want results from her in Laos.”

Hanapiah added that Roslinda was an experienced pole vaulter and should be posting consistently good heights.

“I don’t know why she has performed poorly. I had a heart-to-heart talk with her coach, Mansahar (Abdul Jalil), on her performance and I was told that she would rise to the occasion at the Laos Games,” he said.

Roslinda cleared 4.30m in the Beijing Olympics last year but failed to qualify for the final round. In the world championships in Berlin in August this year, she managed 4.25m for 14th place in a 16-competitor field.

Roslinda will be making her fifth appearance in the SEA Games in Vientiane. She made her debut in the KL Games in 2001 and bagged the silver.

She was the bronze medallist in 2003 (Hanoi) and struck gold in 2005 (Manila) with a Games record of 4.10m. He emerged as the champion again in Korat in 2007 with a height of 4.00m. STAR

Angkat berat tak berani

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ANGKAT berat boleh dianggap sebagai 'penumpang' ke Sukan SEA di Laos, Disember ini.

Istilah 'penumpang' sering digunakan oleh peminat sukan tempatan kepada persatuan yang tidak menjanjikan apa-apa kejayaan kepada negara.

Mungkin itu lebih sesuai diberikan kepada skuad angkat berat negara yang tidak berani meletakkan sebarang sasaran pada temasya di Laos itu.

Mereka hanya menjadikan Sukan SEA Laos sebagai medan menimba pengalaman sedangkan Ketua Kontinjen Malaysia, Datuk Dr. Ramlan Abd. Aziz sudah berulang kali menegaskan bahawa ini bukan masa untuk mencari pengalaman.

DARI kiri, Nurul Farhanah, Mohd. Faiz dan Arisha Farah kini giat berlatih menjelang Sukan SEA di Laos bulan depan.

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Begitupun, 'badang-badang' negara itu tidak mahu dilabel seperti itu kerana mereka juga mempunyai tanggungjawab untuk dibereskan di Laos kelak.

Bukan 'penumpang' tetapi kami tidak mahu terlalu yakin kerana ia sekadar menghadirkan tekanan," kata 'badang-badang' negara itu.

Semalam, pada satu temu bual dengan Kosmo!, skuad angkat berat negara secara terbuka menjelas bahawa mereka tidak berani untuk meletakkan sebarang sasaran.

"Tiada sebarang pingat emas yang disasarkan pada temasya dwi-tahun tersebut, kerana sasaran utama ialah pada Sukan Komanwel di India tahun depan," kata jurulatih, Zakaria Yusup (gambar).

Bagaimanapun katanya, jika berjaya meraih pingat emas, ia adalah satu bonus.

"Namun kami masih yakin atlet angkat berat negara mampu memberi kejutan untuk meraih pingat emas kerana persediaan kami lebih teratur berbanding dua tahun lalu.

"Atlet juga dilihat menjalani latihan dengan penuh bersemangat," katanya ketika ditemui di Majlis Sukan Negara, Bukit Jalil semalam.

Menurutnya lagi, bukan tidak mahu menyandarkan harapan untuk menggondol pingat emas, tetapi beliau lebih selesa berpendirian begitu kerana takut kata-katanya itu kelak boleh memakan diri sendiri.

NURUL FARHANAH akan beraksi dalam kategori 69 kilogram pada Sukan SEA di Laos.

"Kami lebih fokus kepada Sukan Komanwel tahun depan daripada Sukan SEA. Kami tidak sasarkan sebarang pingat, malahan atas kertas, pingat emas memang tidak ada setakat ini.

"Kami sudah tahu untuk sukan angkat berat meraih emas di Sukan SEA memang sukar, namun pingat lain mungkin boleh. Itulah realitinya. Memang susah nak dapat," katanya.

Mengulas pencapaian pada temasya Sukan SEA yang lalu, Zakaria memberitahu, sebanyak satu pingat perak dan dua pingat gangsa berjaya diraih oleh pasukannya.

Skuad angkat berat akan berlepas ke Laos pada 6 Disember depan dan cabaran disandarkan kepada sembilan atlet termasuk lima lelaki dan empat wanita.

Prospek pingat disandarkan kepada Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim yang akan beraksi dalam kategori 56 kilogram. KOSMO

Pemanah negara sasar dua emas

SEJAK bertanding dalam acara memanah di Sukan Sea 1977 di Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tidak pernah memenangi pingat emas sehingga menamatkan kemarau itu di Hanoi pada 2003.

Sejak itu, skuad memanah negara tidak lagi menoleh ke belakang apabila sentiasa meletakkan diri dalam senarai emas dengan meraih tiga emas di Manila 2005 dan kemudian Korat 2007.

Kejayaan itu menunjukkan program pembangunan yang dimulakan Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) membuahkan hasil dan Malaysia mula digeruni di rantau ini dengan memecahkan dominasi pemanah Indonesia dan kali ini di Vientiane, skuad pemanah negara mahu mengulangi pencapaian yang sama.

Di bawah teraju dari Korea Selatan, Lee Jae-hyung, yang menjulang nama pemanah negara di persada antarabangsa, Sukan Sea Vientiane menjadi satu lagi medan untuk ditawan dengan anak buahnya sudah melakukan persiapan yang cukup rapi.

“Sasaran kita ialah untuk mengulangi pencapaian lalu di Korat iaitu dua emas,” kata Jae-hyung. “Kita mempunyai pemanah berpengalaman dan juga beberapa pemanah muda dan saya pasti mereka sudah bersedia untuk berdepan dengan cabaran di Vientiane.”

Sudah tentu sekali harapan negara disandarkan kepada pemenang berpengalaman Cheng Chu Sian dan Wan Mohd Khalmizam Wan Abdul Aziz bagi meneruskan kecemerlangan Malaysia dalam di temasya ini.

Selain itu dalam acara wanita, S Anbarasi turut menjadi taruhan pada ketika temasya kali ini hanya menyumbangkan empat emas dalam recurve berpasukan dan individu lelaki dan wanita. BHARIAN

Mencari pukulan emas di Laos

SKUAD golf negara sudah bersedia untuk merealisasikan impian meraih pingat emas di Laos bulan depan.

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SKUAD golf negara berada pada landasan terbaik untuk merangkul pingat emas pada Sukan SEA 2009 di Laos bulan depan.

Prestasi empat pemain lelaki, Nicholas Fung Chee Yung, Gavin Kyle Green, Mohamad Iszaimi Ismail dan Mohamad Iylia Jamil serta tiga pemain wanita, Ainil Johani Abu Bakar, Kelly Tan Guet Chen dan Michelle Koh Lay Sia berada pada tahap yang sangat memuaskan.

Naib Presiden Persatuan Golf Malaysia (MGA), Mohd. Yaacob Mohd. Kassim yang merupakan pengurus skuad negara ke Sukan SEA berkata, pemain negara mampu melakukan kejutan dalam misi meraih emas.

Kali terakhir Malaysia merangkul pingat emas acara golf ialah pada Sukan SEA 2001 di Kuala Lumpur.

"Prestasi tujuh pemain negara kini berada pada landasan terbaik. Kita yakin untuk mencipta kejutan dengan memenangi pingat emas acara berpasukan lelaki dan pingat perak atau gangsa acara berpasukan wanita.

"Selain itu, bagi acara individu, Nicholas, Gavin dan Iszaimi juga berupaya untuk meraih pingat emas manakala Iylia juga jika mendapat rentak pada hari permainan, mampu mencipta kejutan.

"Bagi kategori individu wanita pula, sasaran pingat kita disandarkan kepada Ainil yang meraih gangsa pada Sukan SEA 2007 di Korat dan Michelle yang kini belajar dan menjalani latihan di Amerika Syarikat," katanya kepada Kosmo! semalam.

Skuad golf negara ditemui pada sesi latihan di Saujana Golf & Country Club, Subang petang semalam yang dikendalikan ketua jurulatih, Duncan Moodie dan jurulatih lelaki, Faridil Atras. Jurulatih wanita, V. Gunalen pula berada di Lumut atas urusan kerja.

Namun Mohd. Yaacob menegaskan bahawa sesi latihan skuad negara ketika ini lebih menumpukan kepada aspek kecergasan kerana ia boleh menjadi penghalang kepada hasrat untuk membawa pulang pingat emas dari Laos nanti.

"Pemain-pemain ini kita telah bawa menyertai beberapa kejohanan seperti di Korea dan Thailand. Mereka ini cemerlang pada hari pertama dan kedua tetapi mula ketinggalan pada hari ketiga dan keempat.

"Masalah kecergasan ini yang perlu kita atasi segera dan sebab itulah selepas latihan setiap hari, mereka akan ke gimnasium pula untuk menjalani latihan kecergasan," jelasnya.

Mohd. Yaacob memberitahu, skuad golf negara akan terbang ke Vientiane pada 8 Disember depan dan berpeluang menguji lapangan Booyoung Golf Club selama dua hari (9 dan 10 Disember) sebelum acara tersebut berlangsung pada 11 hingga 14 Disember depan.

"Kami tidak tahu lagi bagaimana keadaan lapangan di sana. Tapi dikatakan ia mirip dengan lapangan di Royal Selangor Golf Club. Sebab itu kami berlatih di Royal Selangor untuk latihan layout dan Saujana untuk latihan green.

"Bagi kedua-dua acara lelaki dan wanita, saingan utama pastinya hadir daripada Thailand dan Filipina. Tapi kita yakin untuk mencipta kejutan jika prestasi pemain sepanjang pertandingan berlangsung berada pada tahap terbaik," ujar Mohd. Yaacob. KOSMO

Skuad badminton ada ‘rahsia’

SANDARAN MALAYSIA... Barisan pemain lelaki badminton negara yang akan
beraksi pada temasya Sukan SEA
di Laos bulan depan.

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"KAMI ada 'strategi rahsia' untuk memburu pingat emas pada Sukan SEA di Laos bulan depan."

Demikian kata Pengurus Besar Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM), Kenny Goh mengenai strategi mereka menghadapi cabaran pada temasya dwitahunan itu.

Menurutnya, mereka tidak meletakkan pemain mana yang bakal menyerlah kerana ia boleh menghadirkan tekanan.

"Kami mempertaruhkan pingat kepada semua pemain dan tidak memberi fokus kepada seseorang pemain sahaja.

"Kalau kita meletakkan seorang pemain dengan prospek emas, sudah pasti negara lain (lawan) akan memberi tumpuan kepada pemain tersebut.

"Biarlah kami simpan strategi rahsia ini dalam misi memburu pingat emas untuk negara," katanya.

Kenny berkata, pihaknya tetap mensasarkan dua pingat emas meskipun ada yang membuat andaian skuad badminton mampu mendapat lebih daripada itu.

"Setakat ini, kami hanya meletakkan sasaran dua pingat emas. Kalau mendapat lebih ia satu bonus kepada kami," ujarnnya.

KETUA jurulatih perseorangan negara, Datuk Misbun Sidek memberi arahan kepada Wong Mew Cho pada sesi latihan di Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara semalam.

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Melihat kekuatan di atas kertas, peluang terbaik untuk membawa pulang emas ialah menerusi acara perseorangan lelaki (Chong Wei), beregu lelaki (Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong) dan beregu wanita yang akan digalas oleh Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui.

Kali terakhir Malaysia membawa pulang emas ialah menerusi acara berpasukan pada Sukan SEA 2005 di Manila.

"Pada temasya 2007 di Korat, kita gagal melayakkan diri ke perlawanan akhir selepas menurunkan pasukan kedua."

Cabaran negara pada Sukan SEA Laos akan diketuai Chong Wei, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, Kuang Beng Hong dan Liew Daren, manakala acara beregu pula dianggotai Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Mohd. Fairuzizuan Tazari-Zakry Latif dan Lim Khim Wah-Chan Peng Soon. KOSMO

Chong Wei akan beri terbaik di Laos

Dr. Ramlan Aziz (kanan) berbincang dengan pemain-pemain badminton negara semasa meninjau latihan mereka di Bukit Kiara, semalam.

KUALA LUMPUR - Ketika ada pihak mula mempersoalkan sejauh mana komitmen Datuk Lee Chong Wei apabila beraksi pada Sukan SEA bulan depan, jurulatih perseorangan negara, Datuk Misbun Sidek tidak mahu perkara itu dijadikan isu.

Ada yang menganggap pemain No. 1 dunia itu beraksi di Laos dalam keadaan terpaksa selepas hajat untuk berehat tidak mendapat restu Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM).

Tegas Misbun, Chong Wei bukan jenis pemain yang mengambil mudah apa saja kejohanan yang disertai, tidak kira ia besar atau kecil, apatah lagi temasya yang melibatkan maruah negara seperti Sukan SEA.

Malah, jelas beliau, pemain itu juga sebenarnya tidak berniat hendak menarik diri, cuma dia meluahkan keletihan dalam bentuk yang mungkin disalah tafsir.

"Chong Wei akan memberikan yang terbaik pada Sukan SEA kerana dia sedar akan komitmennya terhadap negara selain menjaga statusnya sendiri sebagai pemain No. 1 dunia.

"Dia sedar untuk menjadi pemain yang unggul, dia kena berada di depan pemain-pemain lain, baik dalam Siri Super Masters Akhir mahu pun Sukan SEA. Saya tidak meragui komitmennya apabila dia berada di atas gelanggang,'' kata Misbun pada sesi latihan di Stadium Juara Bukit Kiara, semalam.

Bagaimanapun, tegas Misbun, dia tidak setuju dengan tanggapan bahawa pingat emas sudahpun berada dalam genggaman dengan adanya Chong Wei di Laos.

Katanya, cabaran Sukan SEA walaupun tanpa penampilan jaguh dunia dari China atau Eropah tetapi masih disertai barisan jaguh Indonesia seperti Sony Dwi Kuncoro dan Simon Santoso.

Malah, pemain Thailand, Boonsak Posana dan jaguh Vietnam, Nguyen Tien Minh juga mampu memberikan cabaran yang tidak diduga.

"Jangan lupa Chong Wei pernah kalah kepada semua pemain-pemain ini, jadi anda tidak boleh kata laluannya mudah.

"Bagaimanapun dia akan berjuang dan memberikan yang terbaik untuk cuba memenangi semua perlawanannya dan menyumbang pingat emas seperti yang diharapkan oleh negara,'' ujar Misbun.

Menurut Misbun lagi, Chong Wei juga akan berusaha memberikan yang terbaik pada kejohanan Siri Super Masters Akhir untuk tidak menghampakan peminat tempatan yang meletakkan harapan tinggi kepadanya.

Malaysia meletakkan sasaran dua emas pada temasya 9-18 Disember itu dengan sandaran utama adalah dalam acara individu.

Walaupun BAM tidak menyatakan secara spesifik acara yang menjadi prospek emas, namun acara beregu dan perseorangan lelaki dilihat sebagai peluang terbaik mereka.

Malah, Malaysia juga memiliki kelebihan dalam beregu wanita menerusi Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui.

Sementara itu, skuad badminton negara semalam menerima kunjungan Ketua Kontinjen Sukan SEA, Datuk Dr. Ramlan Aziz.

Menurut Dr. Ramlan, beliau gembira dengan persiapan yang ditunjukkan oleh pemain negara, dan gembira dengan khabar bahawa Chong Wei sah akan beraksi di Laos.

"Kehadiran Chong Wei mampu menjadi penyuntik semangat kepada rakan-rakan sepasukan tetapi di masa yang sama, harap dia tidak diberi tekanan yang keterlaluan,'' kata Dr. Ramlan.

Skuad badminton negara akan berlepas ke Laos pada 8 Disember ini dan memulakan saingan berpasukan pada 10-13 Disember, diikuti acara individu dari 15-17 Disember ini. UTUSAN

BATA MAX !!!

*BATA - The official shoes sponsors for TEAM MALAYSIA at Sea Games, Vientiane 2009

Terjun lubuk emas

SEPERTI biasa, skuad penerjun negara sentiasa diberi perhatian sebagai antara sukan penyumbang emas Sukan Sea.

Usaha mengulangi kejayaan seperti di Korat dua tahun lalu terus menjadi taruhan, lantaran itu, pemilihan China sebagai lokasi menjalani latihan dilihat sebagai platform terbaik bagi mengekalkan status sebagai sukan paling mencuri tumpuan.

Ketika ini, kebanyakan penerjun yang bakal bertanding ke Laos berada di negara itu sejak bulan lalu dan mereka dijangka pulang ke tanah air hujung bulan ini.

Pemilihan China oleh Kesatuan Renang Amatur Malaysia (Asum) boleh disifatkan ‘pengeras’ kerana negara itu lubuk melahirkan ramai penerjun bertaraf dunia.

Jika dilihat dari sudut pencapaian, sejak menjadikan China lokasi latihan, prestasi penerjun negara sentiasa meningkat dan tidak hairanlah apabila dua penerjun negara, Leong Mung Yee dan Pandelela Rinong mencipta sejarah meraih pingat gangsa pertama ketika Kejohanan Dunia di Rome, Itali beberapa bulan lalu.

Kewajaran Asum meletakkan sasaran lima emas di Laos dilihat tepat dengan mengambil kira beberapa faktor termasuk ketiadaan beberapa penerjun yang mengumumkan persaraan.

Pun begitu, penyertaan kali ini menarik perhatian dengan kehadiran penerjun Olimpik, Bryan Lomas yang bakal menyertai acara 3m papan anjal individu.

Jika sebelum ini, acara itu disertai Rossharisham Roslan tapi, dia sekadar menyertai satu acara iaitu 3m papan anjal serentak, digandingkan bersama Yeoh Ken Nee.

Selain itu, pemenang gangsa di Kejohanan Dunia, Mun Yee/Pandelela miliki peluang cerah mengulangi kejayaan dalam acara 10m platform terjun serentak wanita.

Pandelela diberi tugas getir kali ini khususnya dalam acara 3m papan anjal serentak wanita selepas ketiadaan Elizabeth Jimie yang bersara April lalu.

Beberapa acara yang menyumbang emas di Korat menyaksikan berlaku pertukaran penerjun dan keadaan ini dilihat sebagai ‘percubaan’ untuk penerjun baru mempertahankan emas dimenangi negara.

Malah tidak ketinggalan dengan skuad terjun terpaksa berputih mata selepas dua acara yang menyumbang emas - 1m papan anjal lelaki dan wanita - digugurkan.

Ken Nee menyumbang emas bagi acara lelaki sementara Mu Yee, bagi wanita - ketika itu, skuad terjun negara meraih tujuh emas keseluruhan - tersenarai sebagai sukan ketiga terbaik. HMETRO

Chong Wei committed to Masters Finals and SEA Games

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: It will be another major test of world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei’s resolve when he makes the attempts to retain the Super Series Masters Finals title and to win the SEA Games individual gold medal for the first time.

Chong Wei has committed to play in the back-to-back competitions after discussions with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) management on his return from the China Open in Shanghai on Monday.

A worried player: Chong Wei, who fears his knee will act up again, will be playing the Super Series Masters Finals and days later at the Laos SEA Games.

National singles coach Rashid Sidek said that Chong Wei would travel with the badminton squad to Vientiane for the SEA Games as scheduled on Dec 8 after competing in the Masters Finals in Johor Baru.

Chong Wei had expressed concerns as the SEA Games competitions (Dec 10-17) will be held four days after the completion of the Masters Finals (Dec 2-6). Having recovered fully from a left knee injury recently, Chong Wei feared it would act up again and was in two minds over competing in Laos.

Chong Wei skipped the Opens in Denmark and French Opens last month and made a successful comeback by bagging his first Hong Kong Open title two weeks ago. But he suffered a first-round defeat by Dane Jan Jorgensen in the China Open.

“We discussed with his coach (Misbun Sidek) that he will play in the team and individual events in the SEA Games,” said Rashid.

“He will be okay as he is not carrying any injury. Besides, we will only play our first tie in the team competition on Dec 12 as we have a direct entry into the semi-finals as the top seeds.

“Moreover, the chances are that we need Chong Wei more for the final the following day when we will should be meeting Indonesia.

“It is the individual competition where we hope Chong Wei will secure his first individual SEA Games gold medal as the draw looks good for him,”

Chong Wei should have no problem clearing the first two rounds to reach the semi-finals where he will play against either Simon Santoso of Indonesia or Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand.

If Chong Wei makes the final, he will be up against Vietnamese dangerman Nguyen Tien Minh or top Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who has a first-round match against Malaysia’s Mohd Hafiz Hashim.

Chong Wei led Malaysia to claim the team gold medal in the 2005 Manila Games but only managed to win the individual bronze.

Rashid added there is also no choice but for Chong Wei to feature in the Masters Finals to fulfil the obligations to the sponsors and also the home fans.

“We are hosting the tournament and the fans will want to see him in action in Johor Baru,” he added.

Chong Wei is the top men’s singles qualifier for the Masters Finals, which feature eight players. STAR

'Bukan masa cari pengalaman'

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JANGAN ada istilah sekadar ingin menimba pengalaman apabila pada Sukan SEA ke-25 di Laos bulan depan.

Itu amaran Ketua Kontinjen negara, Datuk Dr. Ramlan Abd. Aziz kepada semua wakil negara yang akan beraksi pada temasya terbesar di Asia Tenggara itu bermula 9 hingga 18 Disember ini.

Menurut Ramlan, Sukan SEA bukan lagi medan untuk menimba pengalaman sama ada seseorang itu atlet muda yang membuat penampilan pertama.

Dr. Ramlan yang juga Ketua Pengarah Institut Sukan Negara (ISN) mendesak agar setiap atlet yang diberi peluang beraksi di Laos memberikan yang terbaik dan cuba untuk meraih keputusan yang paling memuaskan.

"Bagi saya, istilah menimba pengalaman atau medan pendedahan bukanlah istilah yang sesuai digunakan pada temasya Sukan SEA ketika ini," katanya ketika melawat skuad petangue negara menjalani latihan di Kompleks Sukan Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) Taman Keramat semalam.

"Meskipun terdapat ramai atlet muda yang baru pertama kali mewakili negara ke Sukan SEA, namun mereka harus menggunakan peluang ini sebaik mungkin.

"Mereka tidak boleh menganggap bahawa penampilan mereka di Laos hanyalah untuk menimba pengalaman. Mereka tidak harus mempersiakan peluang yang ada.

"Mereka sepatutnya menjadikan Sukan SEA ini sebagai permulaan untuk mencatat kejayaan. Apa yang paling penting, mereka harus berikan aksi terbaik kerana hanya dengan itu sahajalah, mereka akan mempunyai peluang untuk membuat kejutan."

Sementara itu, Ramlan turut berharap setiap atlet yang akan beraksi pada Sukan SEA tahun ini mengamalkan gaya hidup yang positif selain cuba untuk menyelesaikan sebarang masalah yang boleh mengganggu tumpuan ketika beraksi di Laos.

"Sebagai atlet, mereka seharusnya mempunyai tanggungjawab terhadap diri sendiri dan juga kepada negara," tambah Dr. Ramlan.

"Saya bukan ingin mencampur urusan peribadi tetapi selaku atlet yang bakal membawa nama negara di pentas antarabangsa, kehidupan mereka sudah tidak menjadi hal peribadi.

"Mereka harus bijak menjalani kehidupan sesuai dengan taraf mereka selaku atlet berprestasi tinggi. Jangan jalani gaya hidup yang berisiko seperti meminum arak, berkunjung ke kelab malam ataupun merokok.

"Saya juga harap setiap atlet menyelesaikan semua masalah yang ada sebelum berlepas ke Laos kerana saya tidak mahu tumpuan mereka terjejas ketika beraksi." KOSMO

Sukan SEA bukan temasya kelas kedua

Dr. Ramlan Aziz memberikan amanat kepada atlet-atlet pentanque di Kompleks Sukan MSN, Kuala Lumpur, semalam. - UTUSAN/Mohd. Naim Aziz

KUALA LUMPUR - Sukan SEA bukan temasya kelas rendah dan ia tidak sepatutnya dianggap sebagai medan pendedahan, tegas Ketua Kontinjen negara, Datuk Dr. Ramlan Aziz.

Dr. Ramlan yang juga Ketua Pengarah Institut Sukan Negara (ISN) turut menegur persatuan-persatuan sukan yang sering menggunakan alasan pendedahan apabila menghantar atlet muda atau muka baru pada temasya dwi tahunan itu.

Katanya, mereka sepatutnya berfikiran positif dengan melihat ia sebagai langkah pertama untuk menuju ke peringkat lebih tinggi seperti Sukan Komanwel, Sukan Asia atau Sukan Olimpik.

"Saya tidak terima kalau ada yang menganggap Sukan SEA sebagai temasya kelas rendah dan bila persatuan menghantar atlet muda atau muka baru, mereka selalu kata.. tiada sasaran ia cuma pendedahan.

"Soal pendedahan tidak timbul di sini. Kalau hendak pendedahan mereka boleh dapat dalam Kejohanan MSSM (Majlis Sekolah-Sekolah Malaysia) atau Sukma.

"Sukan SEA adalah kejohanan antarabangsa, bila sampai peringkat ini setiap atlet patut ada sasaran. Sekalipun tidak mampu menang pingat, mereka kena letak sasaran tinggi seperti pecah rekod peribadi atau rekod terbaik musim ini,'' kata Dr. Ramlan selepas melawat skuad petanque kebangsaan di Kompleks Sukan Majlis Sukan Negara dekat Keramat, semalam.

Tegas Dr. Ramlan lagi, bagi sesetengah acara pula, Sukan SEA merupakan kemuncak mereka dan peluang untuk menaiki podium kerana standard mereka untuk bersaing di peringkat Asia atau dunia terlalu jauh.

"Tidak semua atlet negara yang berjaya melayakkan diri ke Sukan Olimpik bermakna standard mereka cukup tinggi. Ada yang layak, tetapi dari awal lagi kita tahu dia cuma boleh jadi peserta bukan pencabar utama untuk naik podium.

"Jadi Sukan SEA merupakan peluang terbaik mereka untuk menaiki podium, mengharumkan nama negara dan mendengar lagu kebangsaan berkumandang,'' kata Dr. Ramlan lagi.

Ujar Dr. Ramlan, beliau menuntut persembahan terbaik daripada setiap atlet negara yang bakal beraksi di Sukan SEA, malah beliau mahu setiap mereka menetapkan sasaran di Laos dan berusaha memenuhinya.

Dalam perkembangan lain, Dr. Ramlan mengakui, beliau mungkin tidak sempat untuk melawat baki 11 lagi sukan yang belum dilawati tetapi berjanji akan meninjau latihan mereka sebaik tiba di Laos nanti.

Sehingga hari ini, Dr. Ramlan sudah melawat 10 sukan, badminton, pingpong, biliard & snuker, olahraga, memanah, wusyu, bola sepak, sepak takraw, petanque dan karate.

"Sebenarnya saya selalu mengadakan lawatan dan meninjau latihan atlet Sukan SEA negara, cuma ia bukan lawatan rasmi. Saya sentiasa mengikut perkembangan mereka.

"Ada juga beberapa sukan yang tiada di sini, mereka menjalani latihan di luar negara, sebab itu tak sempat hendak lawat. Tetapi kalau mereka balik untuk kem atlet (29 November - 4 Disember) aya boleh lawat, malah saya juga akan lawat mereka di Laos nanti,'' kata Dr. Ramlan. UTUSAN

Malaysia must stand and deliver in Laos

IT has been two decades since Malaysia won the football gold medal at the biennial Sea Games with the calamitous campaigns since those heady days well documented.

One debacle after another has followed the national team with every Sea Games since Trevor Hartley’s men last mounted the top of the podium in 1989 invariably costing the national coach his job.

Only Allan Harris survived the cull when he guided the Under-23 side to the final in 2001.

So there is no particular reason to think that K. Rajagobal’s Under-23 side will end Thailand’s hegemony at the latest edition in Vientiane, Laos next month, such are the low expectations of the public.

But with the Under-23 squad now virtually the flagbearers of the senior national team, there is much faith placed in this batch of players by the FA of Malaysia (FAM).

They certainly do not lack exposure having played countless international friendly matches and two competitive outings against Uzbekistan in the Asian Cup qualifier s.

They are also not short on experience as eight players in the training squad of 30 went to Korat two years ago where Malaysia were on the early flight home after failing to reach the semi-finals.

After all that they have been given, the Under-23 team cannot afford to fail with plenty riding on their fortunes.

But success is subjective with FAM content with a medal of any colour whereas Sea Games chef-de-mission Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz believing the team might aswell stay home if they do not set their sights on gold.

Rajagobal, since the draw pitched Malaysia with eightin- a-row champions Thailand and Vietnam in the same group, was more circumspect.

“When everyone were asking about targets months ago, I always said we must wait for the draw before saying anything.

Now we know who we have to face, so everyone can draw their own conclusions,” said Rajagobal in a recent inter view.

“The way I look at it is that we must take each game at it comes. No team must be taken lightly, even Timor Leste or Cambodia, as we simply do not know what they have in store for us.

“But my personal aim is to reach the knock-out round (semi-finals) and then we will take it from there.” Malaysia have faltered against the minnows before with Philippines and Laos ending the national team’s campaign in 1991 and 1997 r e s p e c t i ve l y.

Ramlan, who visited the Sea Gams-bound men’s and women’s teams in Petaling Jaya on Monday,was in no doubt what the national team’s aim should be.

“This is the best chance for them to redeem themselves and make us proud. To me it is simple, everyone going there must have the desire to win gold which translates into putting in 100 per cent effor t.

“The Sea Games is a first step towards aspiring anything higher, be it qualifying for the World Cup or the Olympics or mounting the Asian Games podium.

“I know other countries have achieved success without winning their regional tournament but if there is anyone going there notwanting to win gold, then they may as well stay home,” said Ramlan.

On the playing side, Rajagobal’s squad have been compromised by long-term injuries to midfielders Bunyamin Umar and Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, two more players who turned out in Kor at .

Rajagobal must also decide which of the six strikers in training to select with places limited in his 20-man squad.

“When deciding on strikers I have to take many things into account. It would be better if I could take a utility player, one who can player forward and on the flanks.

“Different strikers offer different options and I need one who can sit on the bench and turn the game around when he comes on,” said Rajagobal.

Zaquan Adha Radzak is one striker who is expected to be named while the battle is on for the remaining places between Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Farderin Kadir, Ahmad Fakri Saarani, Ahmad Shakir Ali and Razali Umar Kand a s a my.

Rajagobal will name his squad for Vientiane following a friendly match against Maldives later this week.

Goalkeeper Farizal Marlias is the undisputed No 1 while the defence virtually picks itself from Aidil Zafuan Radzak, Muslim Ahmad, Sabre Mat Abu and Azmi Muslim.

The midfield engine room will be manned by Safiq Rahim and Amar Rohidan while the flanks will likely be filled according to the strength of the opposition. NST

Arif aims to make quick rebound in Games debut after Bali failure

By RAJES PAUL

PETALING JAYA: Arif Farhan Ibrahim Putra’s first outing with the senior archers in a recurve team event got off to a miserable start in the Asian Cham­pionships in Bali last week.

And the 18-year-old hopes to make a quick rebound in his SEA Games debut in Laos.

Good guidance: Coach Lee Jae-hyung (left) giving pointers to Arif Farhan during a training session at the Bukit Jalil archery centre yesterday. — GLENN GUAN / The Star

The Asian Championships was the first major international for Arif and he was in the team who were sent packing by Bangladesh in the opening round.

The other members of the team were Cheng Chu Sian, Mohd Zulkifli Tahil and Wan Mohd Khalmizam Wan Mohd Aziz. Arif was picked to feature in the team event in favour of Olympian Khalmizam.

Currently all the four archers are working hard to get their game going for the defence of the SEA Games team title.

“The outing in Bali was a great exposure for me. The first-round defeat was hard to swallow but I will benefit from the experience,” said Arif.

“It was my first outing with the seniors and I was happy to be able to blend in well with the team. We are more determined to get our act right in the SEA Games.”

The selection of Johor-born Arif, who has yet to win a major title, came as a big surprise.

A spot in the team for the SEA Games was left vacant two months ago after Olympian Mohd Marbawi Sulaiman was dropped from the elite squad because of poor form.

“I was really surprised when I was named in the squad. It all happened so fast. I was moved to train under coach Lee (Jae-hyung) last month,” said Arif.

“To me, this is a chance of a life time. It is an opportunity to prove myself and justify the selection.”

Arif was considered a good choice for the challenges in the Laos Games after having played prominent roles in several team events this year.

He won team gold in two local circuit meets in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. He was also the member of the national back-up squad, who finished fourth in the European Grand Prix Bulgaria in June.

The fourth placing was considered a big achievement for Malaysia as no other team have achieved a better result in the Europe circuit.

“So far, I have been able to handle myself well in tense situations. I hope I will be able to repeat the same if I am fielded in the SEA Games,” said Arif, who took up the sport only four years ago.

“I have learnt a lot since training with the national elite squad and given a little more time, I think I will be able to fulfil my dream to become a top archer in the country.”

For the individual event of the Vientiane Games, all eyes will be on Chu Sian’s defence of the gold medal.

The women’s recurve team of S. Anbarasi, Noor Aziera Taip, Nur Amirah Mohd and Fepriyenita Anuar have a mission to step out of the shadows of the Indonesians and also fend off the challenges of the Singaporeans.

At the Asian Championships, they were beaten by Singapore in the opening round by just one point.

In the compound events, Malaysia will be hoping to break the duck after returning without a medal at the 2007 Games in Korat. STAR

Menembak yakin lepasi sasaran

(dari kiri) Bibiana Ng, Joseline Cheah dan Nur Masitah Badrin yang akan bertarung di Sukan SEA Laos, bulan depan.

KUALA LUMPUR - Persatuan Menembak Kebangsaan Malaysia (NSAM) memilih kualiti berbanding kuantiti apabila hanya menyenaraikan 14 penembak untuk Sukan SEA bulan depan.

Walaupun jumlah penembak kali ini lebih kecil daripada skuad di Korat 2007, namun NSAM yakin untuk membawa pulang empat pingat emas daripada 10 acara yang akan disertai Malaysia - sekali ganda dari kutipan dua emas yang dimenangi dua tahun lalu.

Kehadiran semula trio pistol wanita, Bibiana Ng, Joseline Cheah dan Nur Masitah Badrin dari penggantungan dua tahun banyak mempengaruhi sasaran tinggi badan menembak kebangsaan itu.

Malah, NSAM turut mengakui kebanyakan sasaran mereka diletakkan kepada penembak wanita termasuk skuad raifal yang diketuai Nur Suryani Taibi.

Suryani tidak pernah gagal menghadiahkan emas buat Malaysia pada setiap Sukan SEA yang disertai sejak 2001, malah turut meraih satu daripada dua emas negara di Korat dalam acara 50m rifle prone.

Bibiana pula memiliki reputasi tinggi untuk menghadiahkan emas dalam 10m air pistol individu, malah kombinasi bersama Joseline dan Nur Masitah membentuk pasukan paling mantap di Laos.

Selain itu Malaysia juga mempunyai peluang yang baik dalam acara standard pistol lelaki menerusi Hasli Izwan Amir Hassan.

Persiapan Hasli untuk menghadapi Sukan SEA cukup sempurna apabila dia memecahkan rekod kebangsaan berusia 22 tahun dalam acara 25m di Kejohanan Trofi Tun Haniff, bulan lalu.

Penembak berusia 32 tahun itu mencatat 570 mata untuk mengatasi rekod lama milik Sabiamad Ahmad - 566 mata. Pencapaian itu memberi keyakinan kepadanya untuk mencari lebih dari sebutir emas di Laos.

"Sebenarnya sasaran utama saya adalah dalam acara 25m rapid fire pistol individu tetapi kejayaan memecah rekod kebangsaan dalam standard pistol memberi keyakinan kepada saya untuk mencari emas acara tersebut,'' akui Hasli. UTUSAN

The enemy within keeps Fong Ying on her toes

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Wushu exponent Chai Fong Ying (pic) not only has to watch out for the foreign challengers but she also has to look out for the enemy within in her defence of the SEA Games title in Laos.

Fong Ying returned home empty-handed from her third world championship campaign in Toronto last month.

The 23-year-old not only failed to retain the women’s taijiquan title but she suffered the humiliation of being placed outside the top 10 in the event won by Indonesian Lindswell. Fellow Malaysian Ng Shin Yii just missed out on the bronze medal by 0.1 point in fourth place.

However, Shin Yii was not to be denied a medal, taking the silver in the taijijian (taiji sword) discipline. Lindswell, who had already created history as the first Indonesian world wushu champion, took the bronze ahead of Fong Ying.

Shin Yii was forced to switch to the taiji disciplines after a serious ankle injury three years ago and has certainly made big progress since then.

She was the bronze medallist in the 2006 Doha Asian Games in the combined taijiquan and taijijian events won by Fong Ying.

The two disciplines will also be combined to offer a single gold medal in the Laos Games and Fong Ying reckons the competition will be much tougher compared to the 2007 Korat Games.

“Unlike previously, I don’t see myself as the clear favourite. The Indonesian girl will be a very strong contender for the gold medal. She has improved a lot this year and also won gold in the World Juniors. I also have to look out for my team-mate as she has showed her ability as well,” said the University Putra Malaysia accounting undergraduate.

Fong Ying has not won a major competition this year and it has only made her more determined to practise harder for the Laos Games. She also finished out of the medals in the World Games in Kaohsiung in July.

“I will try my best to put up better performances and hope they will be good enough,” said Fong Ying, who was one of the two Malaysian gold medallists at the 2007 Korat Games.

The other gold medallist was Diana Bong Siong Lin in the nanquan combined events.

Malaysia have a team of 14 exponents for the Laos Games and they are hopeful of repeating a two-gold haul. STAR

Petanque bersemangat walau berlatih dalam negara

ATLET paling senior dalam skuad pentanque, Normadiah Abdullah (tiga dari kiri) beramah mesra dengan rakan sepasukan selepas menjalani latihan persiapan Sukan SEA Laos di Kompleks Majlis Sukan Negara, Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

KUALA LUMPUR - Walaupun lebih separuh daripada kontinjen negara bertanding atas kategori B dan hanya membuat penampilan pertama, namun petanque tetap menyasarkan dua pingat untuk dibawa pulang pada sukan SEA Laos, bulan depan.

Persekutuan Petanque Malaysia (PPM) semalam menyenaraikan 27 atlet ke temasya 9-18 Disember itu, 14 daripadanya adalah muka baru yang ditanggung sendiri oleh persatuan.

Malah, persiapan mereka juga tidak semewah kebanyakan sukan lain yang berpeluang beraksi dan berlatih di luar negara.

Petanque, sebaliknya sekadar mengambil bahagian dalam satu kejohanan antarabangsa sepanjang tahun ini, dan selebihnya hanya berlatih dan bertanding dalam negara.

"Saya boleh katakan, barisan atlet yang kita ada sekarang adalah yang terbaik sejak Malaysia menyertai acara petanque pada Sukan SEA 2001 di Kuala Lumpur tetapi dari segi persediaan, nasib kita tidaklah sebaik sukan-sukan lain.

"Kami cuma menyertai satu kejohanan antarabangsa sepanjang 2009 iaitu Sukan Dalam Dewan Asia di Vietnam pada awal bulan ini, dan itu bukan berita baik buat atlet negara.

"Kalau dilihat persiapan kami, memang banyak kekurangan kalau hendak dibandingkan dengan kuasa petanque Asia Tenggara lain seperti Thailand, Vietnam, Laos atau Kemboja tetapi kami tidak akan menjadikan ia alasan untuk menyerah kalah,'' tegas ketua jurulatih kebangsaan, Zulkifli Salim.

Menurut Zulkifli, sekalipun beraksi dengan serba kekurangan, namun atlet negara tetap memasang sasaran untuk membawa pulang sekurang-kurangnya dua pingat perak.

Ujarnya, adalah lebih manis sekiranya kilauan pingat itu dapat ditukar kepada emas tetapi beliau lebih senang bersikap realistik, selain tidak mahu memberi tekanan kepada atlet.

Ketika ditanya apakah relevannya PPM menghantar 14 atlet daripada kategori B, Zulkifli berkata, setiap peserta hanya dibenarkan untuk bertanding dalam satu acara, justeru jika mahu menyertai semua 11 acara, ia memerlukan kontinjen yang lebih besar.

Katanya lagi, daripada 11 acara yang disertai, lima daripadanya diletakkan sebagai prospek, termasuk acara perseorangan lelaki.

Pencapaian terbaik Malaysia pada Sukan SEA adalah membawa pulang satu perak pada Temasya Kuala Lumpur 2001 dan Manila 2005.

Bagaimanapun di Temasya Korat dua tahun lalu, pasukan negara sekadar membawa pulang tiga gangsa, begitu juga di Vietnam 2003.

Mohd. Firdaus Adli Bakri merupakan antara pertaruhan terbaik Malaysia selepas memenangi perak pada Sukan SEA 2005, malah tumpuan juga diberikan kepada Mohd. Syafiq Abdul Razak yang membawa pulang gangsa di Sukan Dalam Dewan Asia.

"Saya tidak mahu sebut secara spesifik atlet yang disasarkan pingat tetapi apa yang boleh saya katakan, kami meletakkan harapan besar dalam acara lelaki berbanding wanita,'' ujarnya. UTUSAN

Walker Norliana rules out her chances of getting on the podium

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: Walker Norliana Mohd Rusni is not putting any hopes on winning a medal when she makes her maiden appearance in an international meet – at the Laos SEA Games.

Norliana, who has a personal best of 1’52:14 for the 20km event, is just delighted to be in the team for the Games. The 19-year-old comes in as a replacement for five-time SEA Games champion Yuan Yufang, who is pregnant.

“I have no experience in international competitions. I don’t stand a chance to get on the podium in the Laos Games,” she said.

“But it will be a good experience for me to find out where I stand against walkers in the region. I will be more than happy if I can improve on my personal best.”

Norliana is in the team as a Category B athlete as she did not meet the qualifying mark of 1’43:91, which was the silver medal-winning effort of the last Games in Korat in 2007. She has a personal best of 1’52:14 clocked at the Perlis Open in July.

Coach Jagjit Singh said that Norliana was a dedicated walker with a bright future.

“She was trained by former international G. Saravanan (the 1998 KL Commonwealth Games gold medallist) and I only took charge two months ago,” he said.

“She has showed progress in training and I am confident that she will improve on her personal best in Laos.” STAR

Beng Hong may be out of Games squad due to injury

PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Kuan Beng Hong (pic) is nursing a hamstring injury and may have to give up his place in the team for the Laos SEA Games.

Beng Hong sustained the injury on the left leg during training earlier this month and he had to skip the Super Series Open tournaments in Hong Kong and China.

National singles chief coach Rashid Sidek has put Chong Wei Feng on standby for SEA Games duty if Beng Hong fails to last the pace in training.

Last week, Wei Feng won his first international Open title at the Malaysia International Challenge in Ipoh.

“We will see how is his condition when he returns to training later this week,” said Rashid.

“Wei Feng will be the replacement if Beng Hong cannot make the trip to Vientiane for the Games. Changes to the team can be made for medical reasons during the team managers’ meeting.”

Besides Beng Hong, the other men’s singles players named in the team for the SEA Games are Lee Chong Wei, Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Liew Daren. And the two players named for the individual competition are Chong Wei and Hafiz.

The Malaysian badminton squad will leave for Laos on Dec 8. Competitions begin with the team event from Dec 10 and the individual events will be held from Dec 14-17.

Malaysia are the top seeds ahead of defending champions Indonesia and they have a bye into the semi-finals against third seeds Thailand. STAR

Petanque bukan prospek

KETUA Kontinjen Malaysia ke Sukan SEA Laos, Datuk Dr. Ramlan Abd. Aziz (kiri) menyampaikan kata-kata semangat kepada atlet petanque negara
di Kompleks Sukan MSN, Taman Keramat, Kuala Lumpur semalam.

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SANDARAN NEGARA... Syafiq Abd. Razak (kanan) dan Firdaus Adli Bakri gigih menjalani latihan menjelang Sukan SEA bulan depan.

SUKAN petanque bukanlah acara pilihan untuk menyumbang pingat emas buat kontinjen negara pada Sukan SEA ke-25 di Laos bulan depan.

Begitupun, jurulatih negara, Zulkifli Salim mengakui ia sama sekali tidak mematahkan semangat juang anak buahnya untuk memberikan aksi terbaik apabila mula turun gelanggang pada 10 hingga 18 Disember ini.

Malah Zulkifli juga mengakui, barisan skuad petanque negara tahun ini merupakan skuad terbaik yang pernah dimiliki sejak kali pertama Malaysia menyertai acara tersebut pada Sukan SEA 2001 di Kuala Lumpur.

"Sememangnya kita tidak meletakkan harapan yang tinggi pada Sukan SEA di Laos tahun ini kerana kita sedar, kita berada pada ranking kelima di Asia Tenggara di belakang Thailand, Kemboja, Vietnam dan tuan rumah, Laos," kata Zulkifli.

"Namun, kita sebenarnya memiliki barisan pemain terbaik tahun ini berbanding pada edisi-edisi Sukan SEA sebelum ini.

"Meskipun kurang mendapat pendedahan di luar negara, namun semua pemain cukup bersemangat untuk menyahut cabaran pasukan lawan.

"Saya percaya, kita mampu memberikan saingan sengit di Laos nanti."

Begitupun, Zulkifli sekadar meletakkan sasaran sekurang-kurangnya dua pingat perak daripada 11 acara yang dipertandingkan di Laos.

Menurutnya, meskipun terdapat lima acara yang mempunyai potensi untuk ke peringkat akhir, namun dia yakin sekurang-kurangnya dua acara dilihat mampu meraih pingat emas.

Pada temasya Sukan SEA 2007 di Korat, Thailand skuad petanque menghadiahkan tiga pingat gangsa melalui Sairful Bahri Musmin, Rabi'ah Abd. Rahman dan Roslina Abd. Rashid.

Ketiga-tiga atlet negara ini akan sekali lagi beraksi mewakili negara di Laos di samping 19 lagi pemain negara yang lain. KOSMO

Tiada alasan gagal rangkul emas

ELAINE (kiri) dan Chew Chan antara prospek emas dalam acara taekwondo pada Sukan SEA di Laos bulan depan.

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SKUAD teakwondo tidak ada sebab untuk gagal meraih pingat emas pada Sukan SEA Ke-25 di Laos, Disember ini.

Meskipun badan induk sukan tersebut melalui pelbagai masalah dalaman kebelakangan ini, namun atlet yang diberi amanah menggalas cabaran negara tetap mendapat perhatian yang sewajarnya.

Sebagai persediaan mencari emas di bumi Laos, atletnya di hantar menimba pengalaman di Korea Selatan.

Pengurus pasukan, K.M. Rajendran berkata, atlet taekwondo sudah ebrada di Seoul sejak 13 November lalu dan sedang giat menjalani latihan di Universiti Nasional Seoul.

Latihan pendedahan itu akan berakhir 3 Disember ini.

Menurutnya, dia yakin atlet taekwondo negara akan lebih bersedia menghadapi cabaran di Laos kelak selepas menimba pengalaman beraksi dengan atlet atlet dari negara yang menguasai sukan taekwondo itu.

"Kami memilih Korea Selatan kerana negara berkenaan telah terbukti berjaya melahirkan ramai jaguh yang hebat.

"Walaupun atlet negara tidak banyak didedahkan pada kejohanan peringkat antarabangsa sepanjang tahun ini namun, latihan di Korea Selatan itu mungkin mampu membantu meningkatkan prestasi mereka," katanya.

Rajendran berkata, pihaknya juga yakin bahawa atlet negara mampu mengatasi kutipan dua pingat emas yang diraih pada Sukan SEA di Korat, Thailand dua tahun lalu.

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Seramai 10 atlet telah disenaraikan dalam skuad negara bagi memburu seberapa banyak pingat emas pada temasya di Laos kelak.

Pad atemasya kali ini, acara taekwondo menawarkan 16 emas.

Antara atlet yang akan menggalas cabaran negara pada Sukan SEA Laos ialah Mohd. Afifuddin Omar Sidek, Rusfredy Tokan Petrus, Arif Faizal, Darrel Josie, Ryan Chong Wy Lunn, Elaine Teo Shueh Fhern, Nurul Nadia Mahamat, Nur Asyfalina, Che Chew Chan dan Lee Wan Yuen.

Menurutnya, atlet berpengalaman seperti Elaine Teo dan Che Chew Chan adalah prospek pingat emas pada temasya dwitahunan itu.

"Saya yakin kedua-dua atlet ini mampu merealisasikan hasrat meraih pingat emas.

"Dari segi sasaran, kami masih belum membuat ketetapan. Ia akan ditentukan sebaik skuad taekwondo pulang dari Korea Selatan."

Seperti biasa, Thailand, Vietnam dan Filipina tetap menjadi halangan negara untuk menguasai gelanggang taekwondo. KOSMO

Athletics Squad Sending Most Back Up Athletes To Laos SEA Games

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- The athletics squad is sending the most number of back up athletes out of the 43 second echelon athletes who will be competing in the SEA Games in Laos next month.

The National Sports Council's Back Up Athletes branch director Jefri Ngadirin of the said out of the 14 back up athletes the squad was sending, two were in category A and the rest in Category B.

"Overall the national contingent to the Laos SEA Games will feature 43 back up athletes, 18 under Category A and 25 under Category B," he told Bernama here Tuesday.

Malaysia's contingent to the Laos Games is 370-strong which is one of the smallest in the history of the biennial Games.

Category A athletes are fully sponsored by the Olympic Council of Malaysia while athletes in Category B have to pay their own way but will get full refunds if they at leat win a silver.

The karate squad is sending seven athletes all under Category A, weightlifting (two athletes under Category B), badminton (2-A), cycling (3-B), judo (2-B), table tennis (2-B), shooting (3-A), silat (1-A), boxing (2-B), wushu (4-A), taekwondo (1-B).

Of the 43 back up athletes, 37 are national juniors, three state-level athletes and three from the district level.

The branch is also sending seven back up coaches to Laos, four in athletics, and one each in judo, shooting and taekwondo.

At the last SEA Games in Korat, Thailand, at total of 42 back up athletes participated, 19 of them contributing medals.

Of the 19 medals, four were gold and were won by bowlers Zatil Iman Abd Ghani (three ) and Mohd Syafiq Ridhuan (one) while Mohd Farkhan Mohd Harun bagged a silver in boxing. The rest were bronze medal winners.

-- BERNAMA

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Favourable Draw For Chong Wei In The Laos Sea Games

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Datuk Lee Chong Wei, the world's number one shuttler, is expected to cruise easily to the semifinals when he was drawn against minnows in the first and quarterfinal rounds of the 25th SEA Games in Laos in December.

At the draw held in Vientiane, Laos, Chong Wei, the top seed in the biennial event, is expected to overcome Vietnamese Nguyen Hoang Hai before facing either Phakomkham Fongmalayseng from Laos or Patricque Francisco De Jesus Magnete from the Philippines in the quarterfinals.

His rival in the semifinals is either third seed Boonsak Ponsana from Thailand or unseeded Simon Santoso from Indonesia.

While in the bottom-half of the draw, 2003 All-England champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim will battle against Indonesian Sony Dwo Kuncoro, seeded fourth.

If Muhammad Hafiz succeeds in beating Kuncoro, the Malaysian will square off against second seed Nguyen Tien Minh from Vietnam.

For the record, the Vietnamese defeated Chong Wei in a rubber-set in the second round of Singapore Super Series in June.

Chong Wei's fate in the SEA Games however will be decided later this week as he was reported to be exhausted after back-to-back tournaments for the past two months.

According to SEA Games regulation, the Malaysian can only be replaced if he produces a medical certificate on his injury.

For the record, Chong Wei never won a gold in the men's singles event of the biennial event.

In the women's singles, Malaysia's badminton queen, Wong Mew Choo, seeded third, received a "bye" in Round 1 before facing either Indonesian Maria Kristin Yulianti or Xing Aiying from Singapore in the quarterfinals.

If Mew Choo gets through the quarterfinals, she will face top seed Salakjit Ponsana from Thailand in the semifinals.

Another Malaysian, Lydia Cheah, drawn in the bottom-half, will face an uphill task when facing the fourth seed, Zhang Beiwen of Singapore in the quarterfinals.

In the men's doubles, world number one pair and second seed in the SEA Games, Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong are expected to book a ticket in the finals if they can beat the young Indonesian pair of Bona Septano/Mohammad Ahsan in the semifinals.

Another Malaysian pair, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari/Mohd Zakry Abd Latif, who were drawn in the top-half, will face an acid test when facing the Olympic champion from Indonesia who are also the top seed, Hendra Setiawan/Markis Kido in the semifinals.

Malaysia's top women's pair, Chin Eei Hui/Wong Pei Tty also have a favourable draw against minnows and are expected to face either the third seed Meiliane Jauhari/Shendy Puspa Irawati from Indonesia or unseeded Duanganong Arronkesorn/Kunchala Voravichitchaikul from Thailand in the semifinals.

The badminton events of the 25th SEA Games will be held from Dec 10-17 at Gymnasium 1, National Sports Complex, 20 km from the Vientiane city centre.

-- BERNAMA

Mudah bagi Chong Wei di Laos

CHONG WEI menjadi pertaruhan Malaysia untuk meraih pingat emas dalam acara perseorangan lelaki.

PEMAIN badminton No. 1 dunia, Datuk Lee Chong Wei dijangka menghadapi laluan mudah ke peringkat separuh akhir apabila beliau diundi menentang pemain bukan pilihan pada pusingan pertama dan suku akhir di Sukan SEA Laos bulan depan.

Pada undian yang dilakukan di Vientiane, Laos itu, Chong Wei, pemain pilihan utama temasya dwi tahunan itu diramal mudah mengatasi pemain Vietnam, Nguyen Hoang Hai sebelum berhadapan sama ada Phakomkham Fongmalayseng dari Laos atau Patricque Francisco De Jesus Magnete dari Filipina pada peringkat suku akhir.

Jika menang, Chong Wei akan berhadapan sama ada pemain pilihan ketiga Boonsak Ponsana dari Thailand atau pemain bukan pilihan Simon Santoso dari Indonesia pada perlawanan separuh akhir.

Bagi undian lain, juara Seluruh England 2003 Muhammad Hafiz Hashim akan berhadapan dengan pemain pilihan keempat, Sony Dwo Kuncoro dari Indonesia.

Jika Muhammad Hafiz berjaya menewaskan Kuncoro, pemain Malaysia itu terpaksa menentang pemain pilihan kedua Nguyen Tien Minh dari Vietnam.

Pemain Vietnam itu pernah menewaskan Chong Wei dalam permainan rubber set pada pusingan kedua Terbuka Singapura, Jun lepas.

Nasib Chong Wei sama ada akan bertanding pada Sukan SEA atau tidak akan ditentukan minggu ini kerana beliau dilaporkan keletihan selepas mengharungi satu demi satu kejohanan dalam tempoh dua bulan lepas.

Menurut peraturan Sukan SEA, pemain utama Malaysia itu hanya boleh digantikan jika beliau mengemukakan sijil perubatan mengenai kecederaannya.

Chong Wei tidak pernah memenangi pingat emas dalam acara perseorangan lelaki dalam temasya sukan serantau itu.

Bagi perseorangan wanita, ratu badminton Malaysia, Wong Mew Choo, yang menjadi pilihan ketiga memperoleh bye dalam pusingan pertama sebelum berhadapan sama ada pemain Indonesia, Maria Kristin Yulianti atau pemain Singapura Xing Aiying pada peringkat suku akhir.

Bagi acara beregu lelaki, pasangan No.1 dunia dan pilihan kedua Sukan SEA, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong dijangka menempah tiket ke perlawanan akhir jika mereka berjaya menewaskan pasangan muda dari Indonesia, Bona Septano-Mohammad Ahsan di peringkat suku akhir.

Satu lagi beregu Malaysia, Mohd. Fairuzizuan Mohd. Tazar-/Mohd. Zakry Abd Latif akan menghadapi juara Olimpik dari Indonesia yang juga pilihan utama, Hendra Setiawan-Markis Kido pada separuh akhir.

Beregu wanita utama Malaysia, Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty juga mempunyai undian yang memihak mereka apabila bertemu pasangan bukan pilihan dan dijangka berhadapan sama ada pilihan ketiga Meiliane Jauhari-Shendy Puspa Irawati dari Indonesia atau bukan pilihan Duanganong Arronkesorn-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul dari Thailand pada separuh akhir. -KOSMO

Peluang tamatkan kemarau

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TIDAK keterlaluan jika dikatakan bahawa inilah barisan terbaik skuad bola sepak bawah 23 tahun (B-23) kebangsaan untuk menamatkan kemarau 20 tahun tanpa kilauan pingat emas dalam acara bola sepak pada temasya Sukan SEA.

Kali terakhir skuad bola sepak meraih pingat emas ialah pada Sukan SEA 1989 yang berlangsung di Kuala Lumpur dan mereka hampir menamatkan kemarau itu pada Sukan SEA 2001 di Kuala Lumpur tetapi tewas kepada Thailand pada perlawanan akhir.

Dua edisi berikutnya pada 2003 dan 2005, Malaysia sekadar meraih pingat gangsa tetapi pencapaian lebih teruk dialami selepas itu apabila skuad B-23 negara pulang tanpa sebarang pingat pada temasya di Korat, Thailand pada 2007.

Kini Vientiane, Laos bakal menjadi medan buat skuad B-23 negara menamatkan kemarau 20 tahun itu atau sekurang-kurangnya membawa pulang sebutir pingat seperti dititahkan Presiden Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM), Sultan Ahmad Shah kelmarin.

Jurulatih kebangsaan, K. Rajagobal berkata, sasaran awal ialah memastikan skuad kendaliannya itu berjaya melepasi saingan peringkat kumpulan untuk muncul dua pasukan teratas layak ke separuh akhir.

"Kami diletak dalam Kumpulan A. Thailand dan Vietnam saya anggap sebagai pasukan yang bakal memberi rintangan kuat manakala dua lagi pasukan, Timor Leste dan Kemboja juga kita tidak boleh pandang mudah.

"Tapi perlawanan pertama bertemu Timor Leste pada 2 Disember depan cukup penting untuk kita mendapat keyakinan dan saya mahu tiga mata penuh diraih pada perlawanan itu," katanya ketika ditemui pada sesi latihan di Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya petang semalam.

SKUAD B-23 yang dipertanggungjawabkan untuk membawa pulang pingat dari Laos.

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Hanya 20 pemain B-23 negara bakal terbang ke Vientiane Isnin depan dengan menaiki pesawat Charlie milik Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) dan Rajagobal mempunyai empat lagi kekosongan yang akan menjadi perebutan barisan pelatihnya itu.

"Daripada 25 pelatih ketika ini, saya sudah ada bayangan untuk slot 16 pemain. Baki empat lagi slot, saya akan umumkan selepas aksi persahabatan menentang Maldives pada Khamis ini.

"Perlawanan ujian itu medan terbaik untuk saya menilai beberapa pemain yang baru pulih daripada kecederaan seperti Asraruddin Putra Omar, Azmi Muslim, Farderin Kadir dan Abd. Manaf Mamat," jelas Rajagobal.

Sementara itu, Ketua Kontinjen Malaysia ke Sukan SEA Laos, Datuk Dr. Ramlan Abd. Aziz berkata, secara peribadinya dia tetap berharap skuad bola sepak negara itu dapat membawa pulang pingat emas daripada Vientiane nanti.

"Sesiapa pun mampu untuk meraih pingat emas. Sikap itu yang saya mahukan. Jika 100 peratus usaha diberikan, peluang untuk menjadi juara tetap ada. Semua pemain kena ada sikap untuk menang.

"Kita anggap Sukan SEA ini sebagai langkah pertama untuk skuad bola sepak negara kembali mencapai kecemerlangan di peringkat antarabangsa. Saya yakin dengan barisan muda negara ini," katanya ketika melawat latihan skuad B-23 negara petang semalam sambil ditemani Setiausaha Agung FAM, Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad.

Skuad bola sepak mampu gegar Laos

Azmi Muslim

KEGAGALAN skuad bola sepak kebangsaan melayakkan diri ke Piala Asia 2011 tidak harus dijadikan kayu pengukur kepada cabaran mereka di Sukan Sea Laos bulan depan.

Sebaliknya, bagi jurulatih kebangsaan, K Rajagobal, masa yang singkat sebelum kempen Sukan Sea bermula, akan lebih terarah kepada aspek teknikal dan persefahaman di antara setiap pemain selain cara mengatasi tekanan ketika beraksi di padang nanti.

“Untuk itu, satu lagi perlawanan persahabatan akan diadakan kemungkinan pada 25 atau 26 November ini, namun dengan pasukan mana saya masih belum dapat pastikan” katanya.

Menurut Rajagobal, kecergasan Mohd Asaruddin Putra dan Azmi Muslim yang masih belum pulih sepenuhnya daripada kecederaan, akan dilihat pada perlawanan persahabatan itu nanti sebelum senarai 20 pemain utama diumumkan.

“Saya tetap bimbang dengan kemungkinan kecederaan yang bakal dialami setiap pemain dalam perlawanan persahabatan nanti, tapi pada masa sama, saya harus membuat percaturan untuk memilih yang terbaik apa lagi kami sudah kehilangan pemain pertahanan Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zamri, dan Mohd Bunyamin Omar,” katanya.

Skuad bimbingan Rajagobal itu akan berlepas ke Laos 30 November ini.-BHARIAN

Too many passengers, too few prospects

COULD Malaysian athletics herald in a new dawn at the Laos Sea Games after spending years in the doldrums?

Has the Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU) turned the corner and finally made good its pledge to develop athletes?

That MAAU has somehow managed to find 45 athletes to send to the Sea Games must surely come across as a remarkable feat given the brickbats it has faced over the years.

With RM500,000 per annum for the next decade guaranteed by sponsors Octagon Asia, maybe it has finally wisened up and spent the money rightly. Or has it?

Nearly all of the 45 athletes heading for Vientiane are being cared for by the National Sports Council (NSC), which provides the coaches, equipment, training facilities, accommodation, sports science and medical assistance, food and allowances.

Even the junior programme is under the auspices of NSC.

So where does that leave MAAU? What is it that it really does? Now that is the million ringgit, sorry, half-a-million ringgit question.

When MAAU and Octagon first announced their partnership at the end of last year, there were many sceptics.

Then it emerged that MAAU had mortgaged an event belonging to one of its affiliates in return for RM5 million but till this day nobody really knows what the deal entails.

Be that is it may, of greater concern now, is who, if anyone, is accountable for the money MAAU is receiving.

MAAU president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said at the sponsorship signing ceremony a committee would be set up to monitor the funds, but no such committee has been formed.

Even the state affiliates have gone quiet, presumably because some of the funds are filtering down to them, but to what end, who knows?

Now, let's return to those 45 athletes named for the Sea Games.

With that many competitors going, theoretically Malaysia can field one athlete in each event in Vientiane, so why is it that MAAU has only set an eight-gold target?

The answer is simple: outside of 10 athletes, the rest will just be making up the numbers. Of the 10, six are good for gold, the others maybe silver or bronze.

So it is ironic that MAAU deputy president Karim Ibrahim was quoted as saying recently that there won't be any passengers in the squad. Go figure.

With only 13 athletes actually qualifying on merit, MAAU will have to source its own funds to send the rest under the self-funded Category B to the Games.

And where is this money going to come from? Well from the RM500,000 ear-marked for development, of course.

So much for a new dawn rising. -NST

SEA Games Golf Club an uncharted ground for Malaysians

MALAYSIAN golfers will tread on unfamiliar ground when they compete at the newly-built SEA Games Golf Club in Vientiane.

The club was built by a Korea-based company, Booyoung, in exchange for a 50-year lease before it is handed back to the Laos government and it has the first championship course in the country.

And none of the teams will be allowed to train on the course other than the allotted prac­tice sessions before competition begins on Dec 11.

Coach Faridil Atras, who is in charge of the Malaysian women’s team, said that they would not be making any pre-SEA Games visit to check out the course.

“They have just opened the course on Oct 27 and none of the team can make bookings for practice rounds,” he said.

“All teams will be on a level playing field but Thailand will definitely start as favourites as they won the Putra Cup (for men) and Santi Cup (for women) in Chiang Rai a few months back. If we can competitive against the Thais, we have a good chance to challenge even for the gold.”

Knowledge of the set-up of the course was gained through a Malaysian connection in local official A.S. Khamis, who was the advisor to the Laos Golf Association in the organising of the SEA Games competition.

The information gleaned is that the course is quite challenging as the fairways are lined up with trees. It is not surprising as jungle land was cleared to construct the course.

“The golfers spent more time at the Royal Selangor Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur as it has a similar course set-up,” said Faridil, who added the team also train at the Seri Selangor Golf Club in Petaling Jaya.

Both the men’s and women’s squad have been undergoing centralised training since Nov 2.

For the women’s team, comprising Ainil Johani Bakar, Michelle Koh and Kelly Tan, the Malaysian Golf Association want them to win a silver in the team and bronze in the individual. The target for the men is a bronze in both the team and individual events.

At the last Games in Korat, Malaysia bagged two bronze medals through Akhmal Tarmizee and Ainil in the individual competitions. STAR

Coach unperturbed by jaded form of shooters

By RAJES PAUL

PETALING JAYA: None of the SEA Games-bound shooters broke national records in the national cham­­­­pionships in Subang last week.

But it did not get national rifle coach Saidou Israel all worked out. He is more concerned with the well-being of the shooters, who have been on their toes for the last two weeks.

Prior to the national meet, the team competed in the South-East Asian Shooting Association (SEASA) championships and returned with a glorious medal haul of 8-4-15.

Israel said he would take it easy with the shooters in centralised training in Langkawi, which began on Tuesday.

“They looked jaded and tired during the national meet. In fact, the bulk of the shooters were either sick or recovering from it,” said Israel.

“I will let them take it easy over the next few days. The training will be geared towards relaxing their muscles. I will probably let them have some time in the pool and conduct light physical training. The shooters need this if they are to be fresh in Laos.”

Israel also hoped that the team would be supported with a full-time doctor for local and international assignments, beginning with the SEA Games.

“Most of the top shooting teams in the world, among them Russia, Ukraine and the United States, have their own team doctor,” he said.

“These doctors are not only mere physicians but they also has the knowledge of doping matters. Everyday, there is something new about sports medicine and this form of support (engaging a full-time doctor) will be of a great help to the athletes and coaches.”

“Hopefully, the NSAM (National Shooting Association of Malaysia) and NSI (National Sports Institute) will look into this.

“We are happy with the other professional support that we currently get – physical trainer, psychologist and nutritionist.”

At the national meet, several Vientiane-bound shooters showed they are on the right track. Among them are Hasli Izwan Amir Hasan (pistol); Bibiana Ng and Joseline Cheah (pistol); Nur Ayuni Farhana Abdul Hamid, Shahera Rahim Raja and Nur Suryanu Taibi (rifle). STAR

Iszaimi hopes to extend hot streak in Vientiane

LIM TEIK HUAT

YOUNG golfer Mohamad Iszaimi Ismail has been riding a hot putter for the last three months and will want to carry his form to the Laos SEA Games.

The 19-year-old made a big impression when he finished seventh in the Asian amateur championships in Shenzhen early this month. Iszaimi was the best-placed Asean golfer with only South Koreans and Australians ranked above him.

His performance came just a week after bagging the Faldo Series Malaysia championships in Penang.

Iszaimi was also the best Malaysian finisher in fourth spot in the Putra Cup individual competition in Chiang Rai in September.

Although he was only promoted to the national elite squad in January this year, his performances in the second half of the season must have swayed the selectors to include him in the squad for the SEA Games.

The others selected are Gavin Kyle Green, Nicholas Fung and Mohd Iylia Jamil and all of them will be making their Games debut.

The stocky Iszaimi, who lists his short game as his strongest area, is hoping to close the year on a high note by ending the country’s eight-year-old gold medal drought at the Games.

Malaysia last struck gold in the 2001 edition in Kuala Lumpur when the men’s quartet of Airil Rizman Zahari, S. Sivachandhran, Mohd Shaaban Hussin and Sahal Saedin won the team competition at the Sungai Long Golf and Country Club.

“Like everyone else going for the SEA Games, we are all trying to aim for the gold if the opportunity presents itself,” said Iszaimi, who had a one-year stint at the Heritage Academy in South Carolina last year.

“My performances have been consistent in the last quarter of the year and I hope to continue the momentum. I am confident I have the game to challenge at the SEA Games.”

Iszaimi’s interest in golf picked up after a coach at the club where his father used to play encouraged him to give a shot at the game.

“He noticed that I have the talent and persuaded me to frequent the club more to practise. It was from there that I started to like golf,” said Iszaimi, who felt he still needs to improve on his ball striking and accuracy. STAR

Archers fail to find target in Bali

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s campaign in the individual competition of the Asian archery championships ended when none of the SEA Games-bound representatives made it to the semi-finals in Bali yesterday.

Cheng Chu Sian was Malaysia’s top performer, bowing out in the quarter-finals with a 107-109 defeat by to Kuo Cheng-wei of Taiwan.

And Mohd Zulkifli Tahlil and Ariff Farhan Ibrahim did not even make the top eight.

Zulkifli lost 104-109 to Japanese Kikuchi while Ariff went down 108-111 against Kim Sung-hoon of South Korea in second-round matches.

Malaysia’s three women’s representatives — S. Anbarasi, Noor Aziera Taip and Nur Amirah Mohd — also did not survive the early rounds.

National coach Lee Hae-jyung said that he hoped the Malaysians would bounce back with better performances in the men’s and women’s team competitions in the elimination rounds beginning today. STAR

Dr Ramlan Does Not Need A Deputy - Kok Chi

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Chef-de-Mission (CDM) for the Laos SEA Games, Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz does not need a deputy Chef-de-Mission because the various agencies involved had always given their cooperation said Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi.

Kok Chi said since the CDM's job is just to oversee preparations of the Malaysian contingent to the SEA Games and also head the delegation, the need does not arise.

"Dr Ramlan does not need a deputy. He can handle the job without a deputy CDM, provided all the relevant authorities give their full support and cooperation to him," he told reporters here Thursday.

The last time a deputy CDM was appointed for the SEA Games was for the 2003 SEA Games in Vietnam because the games was hosted at two cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, he said.

That was why OCM appointed Norminshah Sabirin as CDM (Hanoi) and the late Datuk Ho Koh Chye as deputy CDM for Ho Chi Minh.

"The Laos SEA Games from Dec 9-18 is being held in and around the capital city, Vientiane. So, there is no need for a deputy CDM," he said when commenting on concerns raised by Dr Ramlan on the lack of support from various agencies.

Speaking of claims by Dr Ramlan that he was unassisted by officials during his visits to check on the preparations of athletes, Kok Chi said some did their work without seeking publicity while others loved publicity.

Kok Chi added that the job of monitoring preparations and performance of athletes was the duty of the national Sports Council (NSC), team managers and coaches.

"If the CDM visits the preparation of athletes, it will be a good move as a means of providing support but there will be no need to interfere," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Zolkples: Siapa keseorangan?

KETUA Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Datuk Zolkples Embong.

'Kami beri kerjasama sama seperti diberi kepada semua chef-de-mission sebelumnya'

TAFSIRAN luah rasa chef-de-mission kontinjen negara, Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz yang berasakan diri ibarat 'keseorangan' sepanjang tempoh persiapan ke temasya Sukan Sea di Laos, gagal difahami Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN).

“Saya tidak faham bagaimana isu ini boleh timbul. MSN tiada masalah untuk bekerjasama dengannya. Kami beri kerjasama sama seperti diberi kepada semua chef-de-mission sebelumnya,” kata Ketua Pengarah MSN, Datuk Zolkples Embong.

Malah, Zolkples menegaskan betapa MSN tahu tanggungjawab perlu dilaksanakan.

“Program latihan atlit adalah tanggungjawab kami. Lagipun, kebanyakan atlit Sukan Sea juga memikul cabaran pada Sukan Asia dan Sukan Komanwel, tahun depan, selain dalam program Sukan Olimpik 2012.

“Saya juga mempengerusikan banyak mesyuarat dengan persatuan sukan selama ini dan tiada masalah timbul. MSN sentiasa laksanakan tugas kami. Saya tidak nampak langsung bagaimana isu ini boleh timbul,” tegasnya.

Datuk Dr. Ramlan Aziz

Malah, Zolkples turut menegaskan bahawa MSN akan menganjurkan kem latihan fasa terakhir daripada 30 November sehingga 4 Disember nanti.

“Kita juga sudah jemput Timbalan Menteri Belia dan Sukan untuk majlis penyerahan bendera kepada kontinjen negara pada 4 Disember nanti,” katanya.

Dr Ramlan sebelum menyifatkan persediaan ke Laos sebagai ‘agak lesu’ dan mengharapkan kerjasama lebih erat daripada pihak pengurusan, terutamanya daripada MSN dan Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM).

“MSN tidak pernah pandang rendah cabaran atlit negara ke Sukan Sea, biarpun temasya itu bukan lagi keutamaan tertinggi MSN. Kita sudah tetapkan sasaran antara 30 sehingga 35 pingat emas di Laos nanti.

“Malah ada laporan Dr Ramlan mahu kaji semula sasaran pingat emas, itu terpulang kepadanya. Tetapi sasaran dibuat berdasarkan penilaian kemampuan atlit,” katanya.

Oleh Ahmad Khawari Isa
ahmadkhawari@bharian.com.my