Malaysian Tigers @ Guangzhou2010 Asian Games

2011-08-25T10:15:00.001+08:00

‘Peluang pertahan emas’

2010-12-17T10:07:00.000+08:00

Skuasy, bowling, wushu dapat ‘lampu hijau’ ke Incheon

MALAYSIA menerima khabar gembira dari Oman apabila tiga sukan - skuasy, bowling dan wushu - yang menyumbang enam daripada sembilan pingat emas kepada kontinjen negara di Sukan Asia Guangzhou 2010 kekal dipertandingkan di Incheon 2014.

Keputusan itu diputuskan dalam mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Majlis Olimpik Asia (OCA) dengan Jawatankuasa Penganjur Sukan Asia Incheon (IAGOC) di Muscat, baru-baru ini yang menyaksikan bola lisut digugurkan.

Ini bagi membolehkan dua sukan - kriket dan karate - yang tidak disenaraikan dalam senarai tujuh sukan bukan Olimpik pada peringkat awal oleh IAGOC, dimasukkan dan dipertandingkan pada temasya itu.

Setiausaha Kehormat Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM), Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, berkata keputusan itu bermakna 36 sukan akan dipertandingkan pada temasya edisi ke-17 itu - 28 sukan yang dipertandingkan di Olimpik dan lapan sukan bukan Olimpik.

“Kita mengalu-alukan keputusan OCA dan IAGOC itu kerana ketiga-tiga acara berkenaan (wushu, bowling dan skuasy) adalah sumber kekuatan kontinjen negara kerana konsisten dalam menyumbang emas,” katanya semalam selepas majlis penyampaian Skim Persaraan Atlit MOM-Carlsberg kepada pemenang emas Sukan Komanwel New Delhi 2010 dan Sukan Asia Guangzhou 2010 di Wisma MOM yang turut dihadiri Presiden MOM, Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar.

Oleh Hussain Said

Sad state of athletics

2010-12-10T12:26:00.000+08:00

BRUSHING shoulders with the ‘Flying Doc’ Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan at the recent Asian Games in Guangzhou evoked mixed feelings about Malaysian sports.

It felt good standing beside the man who sprinted to the country’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal – in the 200m – at the 1962 Jakarta Asiad. (In the 1966 Bangkok Asiad, he won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold medals.)

It was also a thrill to be in his company to witness Malaysia’s current generation of athletes achieve their best-ever outing of nine gold medals in Guangzhou.

Below the bar: Pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu is one of the Malaysian athletes who failed to shine at the recent Asian Games in Guangzhou.

But his presence also exposed a harsh reality – Malaysian athletics is down in the doldrums.
In his day, Malaysian athletics was the pride of the nation, as were many other sports like football and badminton.

There were other track and field gems too, like Datuk M. Rajamani, Rabuan Pit, Ishtiaq Mubarak and Zaiton Othman, just to mention a few.

Malaysian athletics then was able to replace fading and aging stars with young and bright talent.
While Jegathesan has gone on to earn the status of a respected sports figure in the Asian region, the current athletics scene in the country has only gone downhill.

At the Aoti Main Stadium in Guangzhou, where China’s icon Liu Xiang ran an explosive race to win the 110m hurdles to the thunderous cheers of his adoring home fans, Malaysia’s Jalur Gemilang was sadly nowhere to be seen.

There were only red-faced Malaysian officials, dashed hopes and another piece of evidence of the country’s waning prowess in the blue ribband sport for the world to see.

The athletes, who are showered with all kinds of grants and assistance, are not the only one to blame.
The Malaysian Amateur Athletic Association (MAAU) need to share the blame, having failed to get their act right despite repeated meetings and brain-storming sessions in search of solutions.
And why the MAAU’s official are not doing anything concrete to restore the bruised, battered and tattered image of athletics is beyond comprehension.

Athletics is no longer as popular in schools, colleges and universities as it used to be. The only noises coming from the MAAU are ones of bitterness, bickerings and back-stabbings.

Enough said of the sad state of athletics.

Another aspect of the Guangzhou Asiad that really stood out was the presence of their volunteers.
A total of 6,000 students, ages ranging from 18-22, went out of their way to make the Asian Games a memorable one.

They endured long hours – and without pay, mind you – but their lovely faces never failed to flash the most genuine of smiles.

“It is our pleasure to help you,” was always their heartfelt and humble answer.
If only we could find such enthusiastic bunch of youngsters willing to work for free when we hold such sporting events.

Come to think of it, most of our Nationals Sports Associations (NSAs) are manned by volunteers as well.
Take Jegathesan for example. He is the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) deputy president and he was in Guangzhou heading the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) medical committee.

Volunteers like Jegathesan are a dying breed in Malaysia, where we have an aging and seriously depleting numbers of volunteers.

And those who do come to help are mostly driven by monetary returns – and not for love of the game.
Old dinosaurs still warm the seats of most NSAs while youngsters are too busy with everything else except sports, thus our dependancy on people like Jegathesan to continue managing the associations.

The National Sports Council (NSC) are expected to receive a bigger budget from the government following the success of meeting their nine-gold target in Guangzhou.

In fact, some lobbying is already taking place for Malaysia to host the 2023 Asian Games.

But rather than devoting all of the budget to the small number of elite athletes and investing on unworthy sports projects – like hosting the 2023 Asiad – the money should be pumped into unearthing new talents through grassroots development programmes.

Malaysia needs new blood – both athletes and sports officials – for a better future. The kinds that will make Jegathesan proud to pass the baton on to.

COMMENT BY RAJES PAUL

Karate: Puvaneswaran Retires, Plans Coaching Career

2010-11-30T16:51:00.000+08:00

SEPANG, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- National karate exponent R. Puvaneswaran announced his retirement from the sport today after achieving his dream of winning the gold at the just-concluded 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Puvaneswaran, who won the gold in the men's under-55kg kumite, said he would take a long rest with his family prior to starting a career as a coach.

He said he had worked very hard during the last four years with the sole aim of winning the gold in Guangzhou after failing to do so in Doha, Qatar in 2005.

"I need sufficient rest to recover from the mental exhaustion since the past four years. I also need to spend more time with the family," he told reporters at KL International Airport on arrival from Guangzhou where family members awaited his home-coming.

Puvaneswaran, 36, had voiced out intention to retire from the sport while taking part at the Laos SEA Games last year.

He hoped to be able to help train more karate athletes for international competitions when he became a coach.

Puvaneswaran had taken part in five consecutive Asian Games since 1994.

He won the bronze in Hiroshima in 1994, gold in Busan in 2002 and silver in Doha.

He was disqualified in the second round at the Bangkok 1998 Games after committing a foul.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia tak boleh dabik dada

2010-11-29T10:12:00.000+08:00

JUTAAN ringgit sudah dibelanjakan dan banyak lagi bakal dibelanjakan. Sukan Asia Guangzhou mungkin pencapaian terbaik kontinjen negara tapi Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS), Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) dan semua pihak terbabit perlu menganalisis apakah pencapaian 9 emas, 18 perak, 14 gangsa setimpal dengan pelaburan yang dilakukan. Hakikatnya, kecuali hoki, skuasy, bola sepak, berbasikal, terjun, majoriti sukan Malaysia terlalu bergantung kepada mereka yang digelar kelompok senior.

BOLA SEPAK

JIKA mengambil kira krisis kecederaan pemain melanda skuad bola sepak negara sebelum dan ketika bertanding di Sukan Asia, kejayaan melangkah ke pusingan kedua dalam tempoh 32 tahun wajar mendapat pujian

Tanpa enam tonggak utama diketepikan sebelum ke Guangzhou, jurulatih kebangsaan, K Rajagobal bertambah pening apabila kapten Norhafiz Zamani Misbah dan Ahmad Fakri Saarani pula mengalami kecederaan ketika Malaysia mencatat kemenangan 2-1 ke atas Kyrgyzstan dalam perlawanan pertama kumpulan A.

Walaupun kekalahan Iran 1-3 pada pusingan kedua paling mengecewakan namun aksi menentang tuan rumah, China mungkin menjadi detik paling menarik untuk dikenang peminat negara apabila pengadil perlawanan Ben Williams dari Australia melayangkan tiga kad merah kepada pemain Malaysia.

Skuad negara yang dibarisi ramai pemain kurang berpengalaman termasuk tujuh pemain Harimau Muda tumpas 0-3 pada perlawanan itu dan kalah 0-2 kepada Jepun yang muncul juara kejohanan dalam satu lagi perlawanan peringkat kumpulan.

Dengan aksi yang dipamerkan di Sukan Asia sememangnya tidak keterlaluan jika mengatakan skuad yang dibentuk K Rajagobal selepas memenangi Sukan Sea tahun lalu semakin menampakkan peningkatan namun mereka tidak boleh leka kerana pentas Piala AFF bulan depan menjadi ukuran sebenar kemampuan.

OLAHRAGA

TANPA sasaran diletakkan, atlet olahraga negara pulang dari Guangzhou dengan tangan kosong. Harapan terbaik merangkul pingat disandarkan kepada jaguh lompat tinggi, Lee Hup Wei (gambar) namun dia hanya berupaya melakukan lompatan 2.15 meter di final untuk menduduki tempat kesembilan daripada 12 peserta.

Ia pencapaian lebih buruk dicatat pemegang rekod kebangsaan 2.27m itu yang meraih tempat ketujuh di Doha pada 2006.

Satu lagi harapan musnah selepas ratu lompat bergalah, Roslinda Samsu gagal mengulangi pencapaian pingat perak empat tahun lalu apabila hanya menduduki tangga keempat dengan melepasi ketinggian 4m. sedangkan rekod kebangsaan miliknya 4.40m.

Sementara pelari senior, Noraseela Mohd Khalid yang menghabiskan hampir sepanjang masanya tahun ini untuk pulih daripada kecederaan nyata tidak berdaya dan berjaya ke peringkat akhir adalah yang terbaik boleh dilakukan.

Bagaimanapun pencapaian buruk atlet olahraga di Sukan Asia berbanding satu perak dan satu gangsa pada edisi sebelum ini bukanlah menghairankan memandangkan sukan ini lebih terkenal dengan kontroversi yang sering melanda Kesatuan Olahraga Amatur Malaysia (KOAM).

EKUESTRIAN

PENAMPILAN Quzandria Nur Mahamad Fathil di Sukan Asia kali ini berjaya merangkul satu pingat perak acara ekuestrian dressage individu serta membantu pasukan dressage campuran meraih gangsa.

Malah dia yang menunggang kuda diberi nama 'Handsome' berjaya mengatasi kehebatan abangnya, Qabil Ambak yang meraih gangsa dalam acara ekuestrian dressage individu.

Sekalipun skuad ekuestrian negara gagal meraih emas, pencapaian satu perak dan dua gangsa skuad sekurang-kurangnya dapat mengulangi rekod empat tahun lalu di Doha.

BOLA TAMPAR PANTAI

GANDINGAN Luk Teck Hua dan Beh Shun Thing tetap boleh berbangga apabila berjaya melakar sejarah menjadi pasangan pertama bola tampar pantai wanita mara ke separuh akhir buat julung kali di pentas Sukan Asia namun dihalang gandingan tuan rumah China, Huang Ying-Yue Yuan dengan keputusan 7-21, 13-21.

Aksi Teck Hua dan Shun Ting kemudian longlai dalam penentuan gangsa selepas tumpas kepada wakil Thailand namun sekurang-kurangnya keputusan yang mereka capai lebih bagus berbanding pasangan lelaki, Rafi Asruki Nordin dan Khoo Chong Long yang kecundang di pusingan suku akhir.

MEMANAH

NASIB skuad memanah kebangsaan di dalam Program Road To London 2012 kini bagaikan 'telur di hujung tanduk' selepas kegagalan meraih sebagai pingat dan mempamerkan persembahan membanggakan sama ada di dalam acara individu mahupun berpasukan.

Acara berpasukan yang disasarkan Persatuan Kebangsaan Memanah Malaysia (NAAM) untuk meraih sekurang-kurangnya satu kilauan pingat gagal direalisasikan apabila trio recurve yang dibarisi oleh Cheng Chu Sian, Izuddin Abd Rahim dan Arif Farhan Ibrahim Putra terkandas di suku akhir kepada China.

Kegagalan itu menyebabkan hanya memanah di kalangan empat sukan di dalam program yang bernilai jutaan ringgit itu gagal memberikan sebarang pingat ke kontinjen negara kerana tiga acara lain iaitu berbasikal, badminton dan terjun berjaya meraih pingat sekurang-kurangnya gangsa.

RAGBI

SELEPAS diaibkan pada Sukan Komanwel pada Oktober lalu, skuad ragbi kebangsaan berjaya mengubat sedikit kemaluan itu apabila mara sehingga ke peringkat suku akhir sebelum cabaran mereka ditamatkan oleh Korea Selatan.

Namun mereka menebus kehampaan apabila menjadi pasukan kelima terbaik Asia selepas menewaskan Sri Lanka, 27-7 dan India, 38-5 dalam perebutan posisi kelima hingga kelapan.

Skuad ragbi kebangsaan yang dibarisi pemain berumur dari 18 hingga 21 tahun jelas mempunyai mempunyai masa depan cerah berdasarkan kejayaan menewaskan Thailand yang memenangi pingat emas di Sukan Sea di Korat pada 2007.

TINJU

BAK kata pepatah 'ukur baju di badan sendiri'. Perkara itulah dilakukan Persatuan Tinju Amatur Malaysia (PTAM) yang tidak meletakkan sebarang sasaran meraih pingat kerana sedar saingan bertaraf dunia yang terpaksa diharungi.

Barisan peninju muda negara diketuai pemenang pingat emas Sukan SEA Laos, Mohd Farkhan Haron nyata memerlukan lebih banyak pendedahan dengan menyertai pelbagai pertandingan di peringkat antarabangsa.

Kali terakhir skuad tinju memenangi pingat melalui Adnan Jusoh pada 2002 dngan meraih gangsa. dan pencapaian itu nampaknya sukar untuk diulangi jika langkah drastik tidak diambil oleh PTAM dengan kerjasama Majlis Sukan Negara.

SEPAK TAKRAW

SEPERTI diramalkan Malaysia masih lagi pasukan kedua terbaik Asia di belakang musuh tradisi, Thailand apabila meraih dua pingat perak dalam acara berpasukan dan antara regu sekali gus mengesahkan kita masih setapak di belakang mereka.

Revolusi diharapkan dengan penubuhan skuad kebangsaan yang baru selepas kegagalan Sukan SEA nyata tidak menjadi malah Presiden Persatuan Sepak Takraw Malaysia (PSM) Datuk Ahmad Ismail kini menanti detik sesuai mengotakan janji meletak jawatan selepas gagal meraih emas.

Corak permainan dan pendekatan yang berbeza perlu dikaji dengan mendalam bagi memastikan kita tidak kecewa pada Sukan SEA di Indonesia tahun depan berdepan Thailand, Vietnam dan Myanmar.

MENEMBAK

SELEPAS meraih dua emas di Sukan Komanwel pada Oktober lalu, skuad menembak hambar di Guangzhou apabila hanya meraih satu gangsa melalui Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi dalam acara 10 meter air raifal individu wanita dan Persatuan Menembak Kebangsaan Malaysia (NSAM) perlu lebih gigih menggilap potensi dimiliki atlet mereka.

Namun berdasarkan kepada aksi mereka pada dua temasya itu.

Mungkin sistem latihan, barisan jurulatih, pendedahan pertandingan, program pendedahan, peralatan dan pentadbiran memerlukan transformasi agar dapat melahirkan atlet yang benar-benar dapat bersaing di peringkat antarabangsa terutamanya menjelang Sukan Olimpik London.

BASIKAL
1 Emas 1 Perak

TAKTIK kotor digunakan oleh penganjur Sukan Asia Guangzhou merencatkan rencana skuad basikal negara untuk membawa pulang lebih banyak pingat.

Perubahan jadual saat akhir mengakibatkan pelumba harapan negara, Azizulhasni Awang terpaksa menarik diri daripada menyertai acara pecut berpasukan kerana perlu memberi tumpuan kepada acara kegemarannya keirin dan pecut 200m.

Namun apa dilakarkan Azizul bersama Josiah Ng membuktikan pelaburan negara dengan menghantar atlet berbasikal berkampung di Melbourne bukan sia-sia selepas cemerlang di Sukan Komanwel.

Aksi profesional Azizul yang berjaya mengatasi kekecewaan kegagalan di Komanwel apabila merangkul emas dalam keirin disamping Josiah untuk perak.

Azizul dan Josiah kini menjadi taruhan terbaik melakarkan sejarah meraih emas pertama di Sukan Olimpik yang berbaki kurang dua tahun.

TERJUN
4 Perak 5 Gangsa

MUNGKIN jika China tidak menjadi tuan rumah, skuad terjun negara berpeluang membawa pulang sekurang-kurang satu pingat emas.

Skuad terjun beraksi cemerlang kali ini memperbaiki pencapaian di Doha dengan empat perak, lima gangsa berbanding satu perak tiga gangsa empat tahun lalu.

Justeru memang wajar sukan ini tersenarai ke dalam program 'Road to London' berdasarkan kemampuan atlet menghasilkan pingat di temasya utama termasuk Kejohanan Dunia yang berlangsung di Itali selain keupayaan Pandalela Rinong menghadiahkan emas pertama di Sukan Komanwel, bulan lalu.

Pencapaian barisan penerjun seperti Pandelela Rinong, Leong Mun Yee, Bryan Nickson Lomas, Oii tze Liang, Ng Yan Kee, Yoeh Ken Nee dan Jun Hoong Cheong adalah yang terbaik pernah dilakar penerjun negara di Sukan Asia.

Misi seterusnya barisan penerjun negara adalah di Kejohanan Akuatik Dunia FINA ke-14 di Shanghai, China, Julai tahun depan.

RENANG

KONTINJEN renang terdiri daripada 12 atlet negara pulang dengan tangan kosong tanpa ada sebarang pencapaian yang boleh dibanggakan.

Acara ini terus ketandusan perenang handalan selepas tamatnya era Alex Lim Keng Liat apabila hanya Danial Bego dan Chui Lai Kwan mampu mara ke saingan akhir sementara 10 lagi terkandas pada saingan awal.

Kali terakhir acara renang membuahkan pingat ketika di Busan, Korea pada 2002 menerusi Keng Liat dalam acara 100m kuak lentang.

Justeru Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) perlu merancang strategi lebih utuh jika ingin menghasilkan perenang lebih berwibawa di masa hadapan kerana sudah pasti kita tidak mahu bergelar juara rantau Asia Tenggara.

HOKI

BUKAN tidak mahu menghamburkan pujian melangit kepada skuad hoki lelaki negara namun penamat yang mengecewakan pada pentas final mencacatkan segala cerita indah di Guangzhou.

Jika semangat juang tinggi ditunjukkan seperti menewaskan India di separuh akhir, pasti aksi final anak buah Stephen Van Huizen akan diingati selama-lamanya walaupun meraih pingat perak.

Bagaimanapun, hajat mahu meraih kilauan emas selain tiket automatik ke Sukan Olimpik dimusnahkan dengan aksi mengecewakan pemain negara pada aksi final sedangkan kedua-dua 'hadiah' itu sudah hampir terhidang di depan mata.

Apapun, dengan tidak diberi sebarang harapan untuk meraih pingat apatah lagi mara ke perlawanan akhir, Pencapaian anak buah Stephen itu sekurang-kurangnya dapat menebus aksi longlai pada Sukan Komanwel lalu.

Sementara untuk skuad wanita, ternyata mereka masih jauh ketinggalan dengan gergasi Asia lain seperti China dan Korea Selatan. Tewas empat kali berturut-turut menghancurkan sasaran untuk mara ke separuh akhir.

KARATE

KETIKA kem negara resah kemungkinan besar tidak mampu mencapai sasaran meraih sembilan pingat emas, Ku Jin Keat dan R Puvaneswaran menyelamatkan keadaan apabila masing-masing meraih emas ketujuh dan kelapan negara menerusi acara kata serta kumite.

Jin keat pastinya paling mengejutkan kerana dia berjaya menamatkan dominasi Jepun sementara Puvansewaran menggunakan segala pengalamannya ketika menewaskan lawan pada aksi final sekali gus melakar cerita indah sebelum mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada dunia karate.

Jamaliah Jamaluddin dan G Yamini pula ternyata sudah mempamerkan aksi terbaik sebelum tumbang di pentas final dan terpaksa berpuas hati dengan perak.

Tidak lupa Lim Lee Lee yang menyumbang gangsa menerusi acara kata sementara mereka yang gagal meraih sebarang pingat sebenarnya cuma kurang daripada segi pengalaman saja.

Jika dihitung, dua emas, dua perak dan satu gangsa yang dikutip di Guangzhou adalah pencapaian terbaik skuad karate negara sepanjang menyertai Sukan Asia. Itu juga yang dirumuskan jurulatih negara, P Arivalagan.

WUSHU

SEPERTI diramal, wushu tidak pernah mengecewakan apabila sekali lagi berjaya menyumbang sebutir pingat emas menerusi Chai Fong Ying yang beraksi pada acara taijiquan-taijijian seterusnya menyemarakkan semangat barisan atlet lain pada awal-awal saingan di Guangzhou.

Sejak dari awal, jurulatih kebangsaan, Yoong Thong Foong menyatakan Fong Ying adalah sandaran terbaik negara untuk meraih emas dan akhirnya atlet itu berjaya membuktikannya sekali gus mempertahankan pingat emas yang diraih empat tahun lalu di Doha.

Sementara Tai Cheau Xuen menyumbang gangsa menerusi acara nanquan-nandao. Bagaimanapun pencapaian di Guangzhou sebenarnya tidak dapat mengatasi kutipan pingat empat tahun lalu di Doha di mana ketika itu wushu menyumbang satu emas dan dua gangsa.

Apapun, pencapaian sukan wushu masih boleh dibanggakan.

PERAHU LAYAR

HADIR dengan barisan pelayar lebih ramai berbanding empat tahun lalu di Doha selain tiba lebih awal untuk menyesuaikan diri dengan keadaan di perairan Shanwei belum cukup untuk skuad perahu layar menuai emas di Guangzhou.

Mereka hanya meraih dua perak sumbangan Ahmad Khan dalam acara layar dinghy optimist lelaki serta gandingan Khairunnisa Afendy dan Norashikin Sayed (layar double handed dinghy 420 wanita) sementara Ku Zamil dan Mohamad Mazelan meraih gangsa menerusi acara layar double handed dinghy 420-lelaki.

Walaupun gagal menjelmakan kilauan emas, sekurang-kurangnya dua perak dan satu gangsa adalah pungutan pingat terbanyak di Sukan Asia yang pernah diraih oleh mereka berbanding masing-masing satu emas serta gangsa ketika empat tahun lalu di Doha.

TAEKWANDO

GAGAL mengutip sebarang pingat di Guangzhou apa lagi yang boleh diperkatakan mengenai skuad taekwando negara selain kegagalan mutlak.

Sandaran terbaik yang diletakkan dibahu atlit berpengalaman, Elaine Teo berkecai apabila dia kecundang dalam pertembungan suku akhir kepada Chanapa Sonkham dari Thailand dalam kategori 49 kilogram.

SKUASY
3 emas 1 perak 2 gangsa

SASARAN sembilan emas di Sukan Asia ke-16 di Guangzhou, China diselamatkan skuad skuasy negara selepas pasukan wanita yang diketuai Datuk Nicol David meraih pingat emas ke-sembilan Khamis lalu.

Sukan Asia 2010 buat kali pertama menawarkan empat pingat emas dalam sukan Skuasy, menyaksikan pasukan negara menang tiga daripadanya sekali gus menepati sasaran Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) dan Persatuan Skuasy Malaysia (SRAM).

Paling cemerlang pastinya pemain wanita negara yang menepati ramalan dengan merangkul dua emas dalam acara perseorangan wanita menerusi pemain nombor satu dunia, Nicol dan acara berpasukan yang cemerlang mengatasi Hong Kong biarpun diberi tentangan sengit.

Kecemerlangan Nicol yang diberi tentangan sengit oleh Annie Au, ditambah kegigihan Low Wee Wern pada perlawanan kedua berpasukan membolehkan skuad wanita membalas dendam ke atas Hong Kong yang menewaskan pemain negara di separuh akhir Kejohanan Berpasukan Asia di Chennai, India Mei lalu.

Begitupun, pemain lelaki hanya mampu meraih satu emas menerusi Azlan Iskandar dalam perseorangan lelaki selepas pemain nombor satu lelaki negara itu gagal mengatasi lawan sama, Aamir Atlas Khan di final berpasukan.

BOWLING
2 emas 1 perak 1 gangsa

UMPAMA harapan kecundang, skuad bowling negara yang diharap menyumbang emas terbanyak di Sukan Asia 2010 berakhir dengan episod kegagalan.

Biarpun hanya tiga emas disasarkan kepada skuad bowling negara iaitu menyamai pencapaian di Doha empat tahun lalu, mereka ternyata gagal terutamanya skuad wanita yang hanya menyumbang satu gangsa.

Skuad lelaki menebus kehampaan empat tahun lalu yang hanya menang satu emas, dengan membawa pulang dua pingat emas kali ini menerusi Alex Liew dalam All Events dan beregu bersama Adrian Ang.

BADMINTON
2 perak

TIADA kekecewaan paling menghampakan apabila badminton gagal menyumbang sebarang emas di Sukan Asia ke-16, di Guangzhou, China.

Selepas satu emas di bawa pulang pada 2006 di Doha, badminton mula mendapat perhatian kerajaan dan disandarkan harapan membawa pulang pingat emas pertama Olimpik sejak 2008 lagi menerusi dua permata, Datuk Lee Chong Wei dalam perseorangan dan Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong dalam beregu lelaki.

Namun satu emas yang disasarkan gagal direalisasi. Chong Wei yang dihimpit pelbagai masalah kecederaan menjelang temasya kedua terbesar dunia itu ternyata tidak mampu menyaingi musuh tradisi, Lin Dan yang kebal di tempat sendiri biarpun juara Olimpik itu tidak berada di tahap terbaik.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong pula gagal mengulangi pencapaian empat tahun lalu apa tewas kepada pemenang pingat perak Doha, Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan dari Indonesia.

Namun lebih mengecewakan apabila skuad berpasukan lelaki tumpas awal kepada Thailand di peringkat suku akhir iaitu perlawanan pertama negara.

Jelas sekali kudrat Chong Wei yang dikatakan demam ketika itu ditagih, sambil pemain seperti Liew Darren dan Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong belum boleh diharapkan ketika berdepan pasukan tidak ternama seperti Thailand.

Mungkin Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) perlu bertindak lebih agresif menaikkan nama pemain muda ketika 'Road to London 2012' hanya tinggal kurang dua tahun saja lagi.

GIMNASTIK

Sukar untuk menggambarkan kegembiraan walaupun gimnas senior negara, Elaine Koon dan Nur Hidayah Abdul Wahid berjaya meraih markah yang lebih baik berbanding peserta negara Asean yang lain dalam acara gimrama, dengan masing-masing berada di kedudukan ke-11 dan ke-12 saingan individu all-arounds pada penampilan pertama mereka di Sukan Asia.

Ini berikutan acara gimnastik artistik dilihat semakin tenggelam, apabila wakil tunggal lelaki dan wanita negara, Lum Wan Foong dan Tracie Ang hanya sekadar melangkah ke pusingan aparatus individu, berbanding pingat perak yang diraih bekas gimnas negara, Ng Shu Wai, di Doha empat tahun lalu.

Wan Fong, bagaimanapun tidak dapat meneruskan saingan akibat kecederaan, manakala Tracie pula menduduki tempat ketujuh dalam acara aparatus titian imbangan.

Di Sukan Komanwel, gimnastik artistik turut gagal menyumbang sebarang pingat, sebaliknya gimrama membuat kejutan menerusi Elaine yang muncul sebagai atlet terbaik sukan itu. Prestasi skuad gimrama di Sukan Asia membuka laungan awal Elaine dan Hidayah untuk ke Sukan Sea, di Indonesia tahun depan.

BILIARD

Pemain veteran Ibrahim Amir muncul sebagai bintang apabila menyumbang pingat perak dalam acara individu 8 bola pool.

Pencapaian Ibrahim dilabel sebagai yang terbaik disumbang kategori veteran memandangkan sukan ini tidak begitu didedahkan di kejohanan antarabangsa.

Empat tahun lalu, di Doha, Esther Kwan menyumbang satu perak dari acara individu 9 bola pool, tetapi di saingan kali ini dia gagal mengulang kejayaan sama.

Susulan itu, Persekutuan Snuker dan Biliard Malaysia (MSBF), seharusnya memartabatkan lagi sukan ini dengan mengetengahkan lagi arena biliard dan snuker ke kejohanan peringkat dunia.

KRIKET

Skuad wanita dan lelaki seakan sekadar mengambil bahagian di Sukan Asia apabila masing-masing hanya mampu beraksi di dua saingan sebelum kecundang.

Susulan itu, prestasi hambar mereka seakan menepati sasaran yang tidak mengintai sebarang pingat berikutan sedia maklum cabaran hebat di Sukan Asia.

Skuad wanita tersingkir selepas tewas di tangan China dan Thailand yang dikatakan berpunca daripada saingan pasukan lawan jauh lebih muda serta bertenaga.

Berita gembira kemudian dibawa dari skuad lelaki, yang berjaya melangkah ke suku akhir selepas menumpaskan China. Namun, tuah lebih memihak kepada Bangladesh yang mendominasi saingan seterusnya.

Harian MEtro

Sukan Asia juga penting: Zolkples

2010-11-29T10:09:00.000+08:00

Tumpuan pasti pada Olimpik tapi pencapaian atlit di pentas lain tak diabai

PERDEBATAN hangat kini ialah hanya satu acara yang menyumbang pingat emas dalam Sukan Asia di Guangzhou - berbasikal trek - tersenarai sebagai disiplin dipertandingkan di Sukan Olimpik manakala baki lapan bukan dalam kategori berkenaan.

Daripada jumlah sembilan dikutip kontinjen negara, hanya acara berkenaan akan dipertandingkan di Olimpik dan pengkritik sudah mula menyoal apakah ia sehaluan dengan matlamat mengejar program ‘Road To London 2012’.

Chef de Mission, Datuk Zolkples Embong bagaimanapun pantas mempertahankan apabila berhujah 18 pingat perak dimenangi di Guangzhou juga bermakna kejayaan itu hanya memerlukan usaha yang lebih sedikit saja lagi untuk diperbaikinya pada masa akan datang.

“Sudah tentu kita memberi tumpuan kepada Olimpik, tetapi kita juga tidak boleh mengabaikan pencapaian atlit di peringkat antarabangsa yang lain. Selepas Olimpik, ada sukan lain termasuk Sukan Asia yang sama pentingnya,” katanya mengenai prestasi kontinjen negara sejurus tiba di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA), semalam.

Bagi program ‘Road To London 2012’ yang akan dikaji semula, Zolkples yang juga Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) berkata, mereka akan memilih acara sukan yang berpotensi seperti menembak dan terjun untuk ditambah ke dalam program berkenaan.

“Terlalu awal untuk saya komen tetapi kami akan pertimbangkan sukan lain yang berpotensi menghasilkan pingat untuk masuk dalam program,” katanya yang tidak menolak kemungkinan menyenaraikan hoki berdasarkan prestasi semasa skuad negara yang memenangi perak.
“Kita akan siapkan skuad hoki bagi persiapan ke kelayakan Olimpik selepas dua kali kita gagal layak iaitu semasa di Athens dan Beijing. Kita akan bantu semua aspek yang mereka perlukan.”

Daripada segi peruntukan kewangan, Zolkples berkata, peruntukan bagi persediaan negara masih rendah berbanding kuasa besar sukan seperti China, Thailand dan Iran

B.Harian

Pro & Kontra: Syabas, sekalung tahniah buat kontinjen negara

2010-11-29T10:08:00.000+08:00

SEBAGAI rakyat Malaysia, saya turut bangga dan mengucapkan tahniah atas pencapaian kontinjen negara di Sukan Asia yang pulang membawa pungutan sembilan emas, 18 perak dan 14 gangsa dari Guangzhou.

Saya turut berada di sana ketika berlangsung sukan terbesar benua itu dan melihat sendiri keriangan rakyat di bandaraya berkenaan, menyambut ketibaan pengunjung asing.

Justeru, sebagai rakyat Malaysia dan penggiat sukan, saya menyokong penuh sebarang usaha kerajaan menjadi tuan rumah Sukan Asia 2023.

Pada firasat saya penganjuran sukan bertaraf antarabangsa ini banyak mendatangkan keuntungan daripada segi pendapatan ekonomi dan sebab itu banyak negara bukan setakat berebut dan bersaing malah sanggup berbelanja besar mendapatkan hak penganjuran sukan.

Justeru, tidak hairan, mantan perdana menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed sendiri mahu Malaysia menjadi tuan rumah Sukan Komanwel pada 1998.

Penganjuran perlumbaan Formula Satu di Litar Sepang juga berjaya menarik ramai pelancong ke Malaysia. Industri sukan, kini memberi pulangan besar, seperti hak siaran langsung stesen televisyen.

Ketika di Guangzhou, saya melihat sendiri peniaga dan penjaja mengambil kesempatan menambahkan pendapatan mereka dengan kehadiran ramai pegawai dan atlit yang membeli belah.

Bayangkan jagung rebus dan buah berangan goreng yang dijual di tepi-tepi jalan juga laris, manusia penuh sesak di pasaraya, ditambah dengan kehadiran ramai rakyat asing yang berbelanja

Oleh Raja Ahmad Zainuddin

Surprise, surprise

2010-11-29T10:06:00.002+08:00

MALAYSIA recorded their best-ever showing in the Asian Games in the 16th edition in Guangzhou with a haul of 9-18-14. There were thrills and spills.
Some made heads turn in team events. There were outstanding individuals while some were just a big letdown. STARSPORT play back some of those moments in Guangzhou.

> MEN’S TEAM HOCKEY
NO one gave the team a ghost of a chance after their failures in the Commonwealth Games last month. At the Delhi Games, Malaysia finished eighth in the 10-team competition with just one win in five matches.
But Malaysia, who are ranked fifth in Asia, defied the odds and made it to the final for the first time since the inaugural Asiad in New Delhi in 1951.
They scored a famous win over India in the semi-finals.
Malaysia were 2-3 down with three minutes left on the clock but salvaged the match and went on to score a golden goal.
They settled for the silver with a tame display in the final against Pakistan.
In the group matches, Malaysia drew 2-2 with defending champions South Korea and eliminated China from the medal playoffs.

> MEN’S EIGHT-BALL POOL
THERE was little hope placed on the unknown set of Malaysian players from getting on the rostrum in the company of a star-studded cast, including Ding Junhui (China) and Marco Fu (Hong Kong) in snooker; the “Magician” Effren Reyes of the Philippines in pool; and Pankaj Advani of India in English billiards.
But one bubbly Malaysian, Ibrahim Amir ,made a name for himself by taking silver in the eight-ball pool event.
He made good on his third appearance in the Asian Games series.
Ibrahim crashed out in the second round in Busan (2002) and was a quarter-finalist in Doha (2006).

> MEN’S FOOTBALL
MALAYSIA didn’t get among the medals but earned some measure of respect by qualifying for the second round for the first time in 32 years.
With a depleted side because of injuries, they were expected to take the early flight home. After all, they had to deal with powerhouse Japan, who eventually won the gold medal, and China in a group which also had Kyrgyzstan.

But Malaysia advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams in a six-group preliminary competition. They edged Kyrgyzstan (2-1), lost to Japan (0-2) and China (0-3) and bowed out from the competition after going down to Iran (1-3) in the round of 16.
In the match against China, Malaysia were reduced to eight men due to some questionable decisions by referee Ben Williams of Australia.

Despite injury and suspension woes, Malaysia held on well for a goalless first half against Iran before losing out to their physically stronger opponents.

Kecewa olahraga pulang tangan kosong

2010-11-29T10:04:00.001+08:00

Ahmad Shabery melihat pingat emas yang dimenangi oleh dua atlet negara dalam acara karate pada Sukan Asia XVI, Puvaneswaran (kanan) dan Ku Jin Keat ketika kedua-dua atlet negara itu tiba di KLIA, Sepang, semalam.

SEPANG - Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek menyeru satu pemulihan besar-besaran terhadap olahraga negara selepas melahirkan rasa kecewanya dengan kegagalan atlet olahraga membawa pulang sebarang pingat Sukan Asia XVI Guangzhou, yang berakhir kelmarin.

Katanya, hanya disebabkan kegagalan itu, kontinjen negara terpaksa berpuas hati untuk berada di belakang Thailand, yang lebih menyerlah dengan atlet olahraga mereka memintas Malaysia untuk bergelar yang terbaik di kalangan negara Asia Tenggara di Guangzhou.

"Prestasi olahraga kita mengecewakan dan satu pendekatan baru, rombakan, bedah siasat mahupun pemulihan segera perlu dibuat kerana maruah kita tercabar apabila Thailand memintas kita dalam pungutan pingat Sukan Asia menerusi sukan itu. Sepatutnya kitalah yang terbaik Asia Tenggara," katanya.

Beliau ditemui setibanya kontinjen negara yang diketuai Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Datuk Zolkples Embong dan skuad karate di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) di sini daripada Sukan Asia Guangzhou, semalam.

Ahmad Shabery berkata, beliau juga akan mengarahkan satu pembentangan keseluruhan laporan prestasi kontinjen negara dalam satu mesyuarat pengurusan MSN dalam masa terdekat bukan sahaja bagi Sukan Asia bahkan Sukan Komanwel Delhi, Oktober lalu.

"Umumnya saya berpuas hati dengan pencapaian mereka, tetapi kita perlu memikirkan bagaimana untuk menyiapkan atlet kita selepas ini malah sudah boleh melihat Sukan Asia 2014 apatah lagi mungkin ada sukan prospek pingat kita, tidak akan dipertandingkan lagi di Incheon.

"Kita juga mesti melihat bahawa kita tidak boleh bergantung kepada satu dua sukan kerana Sukan Asia dan Komanwel Delhi lalu membuktikan bahawa kita cukup bertuah apabila sukan yang bukan dalam sasaran besar, berjaya membantu menampung kegagalan yang lain.

"Masih ada sukan yang tidak menjadi contohnya memanah kerana dulu disandarkan harapan besar, tetapi gagal ketika Komanwel dan Sukan SEA 2009.

''Kita akan kaji sama ada gugurkannya terus atau salurkan sahaja peruntukannya yang terhad itu kepada sukan menembak yang mampu bersaing dengan China di Guangzhou.
"Terjun juga membuahkan prestasi yang luar biasa walaupun ia banyak mengutip perak kerana pada temasya ini, sebarang pingat berkenaan masih seolah-olah sudah mencapai taraf Olimpik malah memandangkan kita dulu asyik bergantung kepada badminton sahaja," katanya.

Oleh ABDUL HAFIZ AHMAD
hafiz.ahmad@utusan.com.my

Kita mungkin hilang banyak emas di Incheon

2010-11-29T10:03:00.001+08:00

MENTERI Belia dan Sukan Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek (tengah) dan Zolkples (dua dari kanan) menadah tangan mengaminkan doa di atas kejayaan kontinjen Malaysia pada Sukan Asia XVI sejurus tiba di KLIA, Sepang semalam.

SEPANG - Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Datuk Zolkples Embong khuatir dengan kemungkinan dua sukan penyumbang lima pingat emas Malaysia pada Sukan Asia Guangzhou, skuasy dan boling tidak dipertandingkan dalam temasya itu di Incheon, empat tahun lagi.

"Di Incheon tugas kita mempertahankan sembilan emas yang dicapai di Guangzhou, lebih berat (bukan sahaja bagi sukan yang gagal menang emas), kerana ada desus-desas Incheon hanya mempertandingkan 28 jenis sukan, dengan tujuh sukan bukan Olimpik. Mungkin boling dan skuasy, jadi kita mungkin kehilangan lima emas.

"Walaupun keutamaan kita kepada sukan bertaraf Olimpik, kita tidak boleh abaikan sukan lain yang menunjukkan prestasi baik di peringkat antarabangsa.

"Malah bagi sukan bertaraf Olimpik sahaja di antara 18 perak Malaysia di Guangzhou, kita begitu hampir memenangi emas atau tewas tipis seperti dalam badminton, pelayaran dan ekuestrian," katanya.
Zolkples, ketua kontinjen negara ke Guangzhou yang tiba di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA), semalam menambah: "Program Road To London 2012, bagi sukan berpotensi pingat akan diteruskan tetapi dengan beberapa kajian semula manakala sukan lain, kita akan sasarkan bagi jangka panjang iaitu 2016 dan 2020 dan seterusnya.

"Kita kini perlu jadi selektif, tidak boleh tumpu kesemua 28 jenis sukan Olimpik, kerana bakat sukan kita terhad, tetapi mana yang tidak menyerlah di Guangzhou, bakal menjejaskan kedudukannya dalam London 2012. Namun terjun dan menembak berpotensi untuk dibantu lagi," katanya.
Jelasnya, masih terlalu awal untuk menamakan hoki dan bola sepak ke program berkenaan, biarpun kedua-dua sukan berpasukan itu menunjukkan pencapaian membanggakan, dengan meraih pingat perak dan mara ke pusingan kedua Sukan Asia Guangzhou dalam tempoh 32 tahun.

"Kalau kedua-duanya dipertimbangkan, mungkin ada sukan lain yang turut perlu dilihat. Bagi Program Road To London 2012, kita hanya tumpukan sukan yang berpotensi pingat Olimpik. Selepas ini kita kaji jika ada tanda bahawa skuad hoki negara mampu bersaing dengan negara bakal pemenang pingat, mungkin boleh.
"Bagi bola sepak, kalau mereka juara Piala Suzuki AFF (dengan sebahagian besar pemain skuad Sukan Asia), mungkin kita juga akan cuba tengok. Malah sejak menjuarai Sukan SEA, pasukan ini menunjukkan banyak peningkatan seperti mana di Guangzhou malah tanpa 10 pemain utama, masih boleh bersaing dengan pasukan handalan Asia," katanya.

Mengenai prestasi skuad sepak takraw di Guangzhou yang memanjangkan kemarau emas kepada dua dekad sehingga Incheon 2014, katanya: "Saya tidak salahkan sesiapa kerana saya juga bertanggungjawab dengan apa yang berlaku di Guangzhou.

"Kami tetap bersama PSM, cuma kita perlu fikirkan apa yang lebih baik yang boleh dilakukan untuk pasukan negara. Kalau setakat kita buat seperti sekarang dengan latihan biasa, saya tidak fikir kita tidak boleh menandingi Thailand, mereka sudah banyak tahap ke depan.
"Selain mahu mengatasi Thailand, kita harus berhati-hati agar jangan ditewaskan pasukan seperti Jepun, Korea dan China atau Myanmar yang terbukti meningkat di Guangzhou," katanya.

Oleh ABDUL HAFIZ AHMAD
hafiz.ahmad@utusan.com.my

Athletics: Mazlan: Shahidan must get serious

2010-11-29T10:02:00.000+08:00

FORMER National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Mazlan Ahmad has urged Malaysian AAU (MAAU) president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim to get serious and focus on development of athletics as the failure in the Asian Games has underlined the horrendous state of the sport in the country. Mazlan said quality young athletes are hardly forthcoming to take over from the seniors and this shows that almost every programme at school and State levels are failing and, it is about time Shahidan and his administrators started taking some drastic measures to save athletics in the country.

Malaysia failed to win a single athletics medal in Guangzhou and Mazlan warned that if MAAU is not careful there will come a time when no athlete will be able qualify for the Asian Games and may even fail to win gold at Sea Games level.

"The main reason is no junior athletes are coming through the ranks to take over from the seniors. The failure in Guangzhou is a clear indication for Datuk Shahidan to start looking seriously at development and act fast before the situation gets out of hand," said Mazlan.
"Shahidan must stop listening to people who say that everything is okay (in athletics) as he has had enough proof in the last few years to know that the sport is suffering and he must initiate the changes.

"If nothing is done, there will come a time when Malaysia will not have any qualifiers in athletics for the Asian Games and even fail to win gold in the Sea Games.

"If that happens, I feel it will be too late to do anything.

"At the moment, we are unable to produce quality young athletes. "Shahidan must sit with his officers and start working out a plan to rescue the sport."

South East Asian rivals Thailand won a gold in the women's 4x100m while Vietnam and Indonesia did better and the current scenario will put Malaysia under tremendous pressure to perform in next year's Sea Games in Indonesia.

If MAAU refuses to look into development, Mazlan's fears will become reality sooner than later as several more senior athletes are expected to quit after next year's the Sea Games.

Read more: NST /

2010 tahun cemerlang

2010-11-29T09:56:00.001+08:00

ZOLKPLES (kanan) berpuas hati dengan pencapaian atlet negara pada temasya Sukan Komanwel dan Sukan Asia tahun ini.

PRESTASI sukan negara sepanjang tahun 2010 boleh dianggap yang terbaik berdasarkan pencapaian cemerlang kontinjen Malaysia pada Sukan Komanwel dan Sukan Asia.
Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Datuk Zolkples Embong berkata, skuad negara berjaya menepati indeks petunjuk prestasi (KPI) serta bidang keberhasilan utama (KRA) pada kedua-dua temasya itu.

"KPI kita adalah meraih 10 pingat emas di Sukan Komanwel dan sembi- lan pingat emas di Sukan Asia, kedua- duanya berjaya dicapai.
"KRA kita pula ialah mencatat pungutan pingat terbaik dalam sejarah penyertaan kedua-dua temasya itu. Ia juga berjaya," katanya pada sidang media di Guangzhou, China pagi semalam.

Zolkples yang juga ketua kontinjen negara ke Sukan Asia 2010 turut mendedahkan lima faktor yang menyumbang kepada kejayaan atlet-atlet negara.

"Pertama, program pembangunan jangka panjang yang diatur. Kedua, hubungan baik kita (MSN) dengan persatuan sukan kebangsaan kecuali satu atau dua persatuan tertentu.

"Ketiga, sistem sokongan kebajikan kepada atlet bagi memastikan mereka tidak ada masalah. Keempat, penggunaan jurulatih asing terutama dalam sukan teknikal seperti terjun, menembak dan gimnastik.
"Akhir sekali, yang kelima ialah khidmat sokongan sains sukan yang diusahakan Institut Sukan Negara (ISN)," jelas Zolkples.

Tambahnya, faktor kewangan tetap menjadi kekangan terbesar dalam usaha meningkatkan prestasi sukan negara di peringkat antarabangsa.

"Kita jangan banding dengan China, cukuplah kita banding dulu pela- buran yang dibuat oleh Thailand.
"Apa pun, Menteri Belia dan Sukan (Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek) masih cuba meminta Kabinet menambah bajet untuk pembangunan sukan negara," ujarnya.

Kosmo

Jumpa lagi di Incheon 2014

2010-11-29T09:55:00.002+08:00

PRESIDEN Jawatankuasa Penganjur Sukan Asia 2014, Dr. Lee Yun Taek mengibarkan bendera Majlis Olimpik Asia pada majlis penutup Sukan Asia 2010 di Guangzhou, China malam tadi.

TERIMA kasih Guangzhou, jumpa lagi di Incheon 2014. Itulah slogan yang menutup tirai temasya Sukan Asia 2010 di Guangzhou, China.
Malam tadi, upacara penutup temasya sukan terbesar di Asia itu diadakan penuh gilang-gemilang di Pulau Haixinsha yang dikelilingi Sungai Pearl (Mutiara) di selatan wilayah Tianhe dalam bandar Guangzhou.

Biarpun diselubungi masalah komunikasi dan kekangan dari segi masa dan tenaga, semua itu boleh dikatakan berbaloi setelah melihat kesungguhan Guangzhou dalam mempromosi bandar mereka kepada mata dunia.
Senyuman dan sikap peramah para sukarelawan Guangzhou yang tidak pernah putus asa dalam membantu tetamu juga telah berjaya menyejukkan hati yang bergelora, sekali gus mengesahkan lagi kemampuan mereka untuk membayangi Beijing yang menjadi tuan rumah Sukan Olimpik 2008.

Sukan Asia 2010 Guangzhou ini mencatat sejarah sebagai temasya sukan terbaik pernah dianjurkan di Asia seperti diakui sendiri oleh Presiden Majlis Olimpik Asia (OCA), Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah.
Temasya edisi ke-16 ini juga adalah yang terbesar pernah dianjurkan dari segi jumlah penyertaan dan acara yang dipertandingkan sejak kali pertama diperkenalkan 59 tahun lalu.

Lebih 10,156 atlet dari 45 buah negara dari segenap rantau menyertainya dalam 42 acara sukan berbanding Sukan Olimpik yang hanya mempertandingkan 28 acara sahaja.
Acara bola sepak telah diada- kan sebelum upacara pembukaan rasmi manakala kriket pula diperkenalkan buat pertama kali bersama sukan tarian, perlumbaan bot naga, weiqi dan sukan beroda.
"Bandar raya Guangzhou telah berjaya menjalankan tugas mereka dengan hebat bagi perjalanan Sukan Asia dan juga kepada seluruh keluarga dalam OCA.

"Ini adalah antara temasya sukan terbaik pernah diadakan dalam sejarah pergerakan OCA.
"Misi kita ialah menjadikan setiap temaysa Asia berlangsung dengan lebih baik, itu tugas kita. Setiap Sukan Asia mempunyai misi dan situasi yang berbeza, itulah keunikannya," kata Sheikh Ahmad.
Tiga rekod dunia berjaya dipecahkan iaitu dalam acara memanah dan angkat berat manakala 12 rekod Asia juga berjaya diperbaharui dalam acara renang dan basikal.

Pada majlis penutup yang penuh warna-warni semalam, kontinjen Malaysia menjadi negara ke-21 yang berjalan masuk dalam upacara perbarisan di Pulau Haixinsha.
Malaysia berjaya merealisasi- kan misi sembilan pingat emas dengan menduduki tangga ke- 10 keseluruhan pungutan pingat di belakang tuan rumah, China, Korea Selatan, Jepun, Iran, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, India, Uzbekistan dan Thailand.

Kejayaan mengutip sembilan pingat emas, 18 pingat perak dan 14 pingat gangsa ini adalah yang terbaik pernah dicatat dalam sejarah Sukan Asia, sekali gus mengatasi pencapaian pada Sukan Asia 2006 di Doha, Qatar dengan lapan emas, 17 perak dan 17 gangsa.

9-18-14 dari bumi Guangzhou

2010-11-29T09:54:00.002+08:00

BIARPUN temasya Sukan Asia 2010 di Guangzhou, China hanya akan melabuhkan tirainya secara rasmi hari ini, kontinjen Malaysia sudah pun menamatkan misi mereka malam tadi.

Setakat malam tadi, Malaysia menduduki tangga ke-10 dalam senarai kese- luruhan pungutan pingat di bela- kang tuan rumah, China, Korea Selatan, Jepun, Iran, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, India, Uzbekistan dan Thailand.
Ia hasil kutipan sembilan pingat emas, 18 pingat perak dan 14 pingat gangsa, sekali gus mengatasi pencapai- an pada Sukan Asia 2006 di Doha, Qatar dengan lapan emas, 17 perak dan 17 gangsa.

Skuasy menjadi penyumbang terbanyak kali ini dengan tiga pingat emas menerusi acara individu lelaki (Azlan Iskandar), indi- vidu wanita (Datuk Nicol Ann David) dan berpasukan wanita.
Satu pingat perak turut disumbang skuad skuasy negara mene- rusi acara berpasukan lelaki.
Karate pula memberikan dua pingat emas iaitu menerusi acara Kata individu lelaki (Ku Jin Keat) dan 55 kilogram lelaki (R. Puvaneswaran) serta dua perak dan satu gangsa.

Boling turut menyumbang dua pingat emas menerusi acara berpasangan lelaki (Alex Liew dan Adrian Ang) dan lelaki All Events (Alex Liew), satu perak (berpasu- kan lelaki) dan satu gangsa (berpasukan wanita).
Manakala dua lagi pingat emas negara diperoleh menerusi berbasikal trek dalam acara keirin individu lelaki (Azizulhasni Awang) dan wusyu dalam acara taijiquan/taijijian individu wanita (Chai Fong Ying).
Fong Ying turut melakar seja- rah sebagai pemenang pingat emas pertama negara di Sukan Asia 2010 apabila memenanginya pada hari ketiga temasya, 15 November lalu.

Pingat pertama keseluruhan bagi kontinjen Malaysia di Guangzhou pula diraih penembak, Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi yang memenangi pingat gangsa acara 10m Air Rifle wanita individu pada hari pertama temasya, 13 November lalu.

Acara terjun pula terpaksa akur dengan kehebatan penerjun tuan rumah, China apabila Malaysia sekadar berjaya membawa pulang empat pingat perak dan lima pingat gangsa.

Guangzhou Asian Games Analysis Of Performances By Athletes

2010-11-29T09:53:00.002+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Following an analysis of how athletes who took part in the Asian Games fared:

ATHLETICS

One of the worst results as Roslinda Samsu (pole vault) and Noraseela Khalid (400m hurdles) failed to maintain or better their 2006 Doha Asian Games performances.

Roslinda failed to match her silver medal feat four years ago in Guangzhou, after managing just a height of 4.00m compared with 4.35m in Doha while Noraseela who has been training overseas for almost a decade, finished fifth in her 400m hurdles race and failed to emulate her bronze achievement.

National high jump ace Lee Hup Wei was another flop as he could only manage to clear 2.15m and finish in ninth place although he has a personal best of 2.27m which was incidentally the gold medal winning height.

The women's 4x100m quartet comprising Yee Yi Leng, Nurul Sarah Abdul Kadir, Norjannah Hafiszah Jamaludin and Siti Zubaidah Adabi finished sixth with a time of 45.54s despite clocking 45.33s to set a new National record recently.

BADMINTON

Shuttlers failed to match their one gold, three bronze medal feat in Doha by finishing with two silver medals through the men's doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Datuk Lee Chong Wei from the men's singles.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong lost to Indonesia's Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan in the final while Chong Wei lost to Lin Dan of China.

The women shuttlers were a complete whitewash.

Badminton have been included in the '2012 Road to London' programme, an ambitious target of winning the country's first ever gold medal in the Olympics. CYCLING

Much was expected of the track cyclists to deliver but only a gold and silver from Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Josiah Ng through the Keirin event to show while Mohd Azizulhasni failed to make the podium in his 200m sprint which was his pet event.

Track cyclists are currently training in Melbourne, Australia and are also under the '2012 Road to London' programme. BILLIARD SPORT

Equalled the silver medal performance in Doha, albeit in contrasting events.

In Doha, the silver came from the women's event through Esther Kwan in the 9-ball pool while veteran Ibrahim Amir clinched the silver in Guangzhou from the 8-ball pool.

KARATE

Karate, the trusted medal contributor in any major sporting event, lived up to their billing by delivering two gold, two silver and a bronze.

Ku Jin Keat (men's Kata) and R. Puvaneswaran (men's Kumite Under-55kg) kicked their way to gold medals while Jamalliah Jamaluddin (women's Kumite Above-68kg), G. Yamini (women's Kumite Under-61kg) won silver and Lim Lee Lee (women's Kata) added the bronze.

In Doha, the karate squad contributed four silver and three bronze.

SEPAK TAKRAW

The gold medal continued to elude the sepaktakraw squad as they came home with two silver medals and equalled their two silver medal feat in Doha.

Overall performance was below par compared with the Thais who were simply a class above.

WUSHU

Wushu achieved their target of one gold medal when defending champion Chai Fong Ying retained her gold medal in the women's combined Taijijian/Taijiquan event Taijijian.

Tai Cheau Xuen contributed a bronze from Nanquan/Nandao but the overall medals won fell one bronze short of the Doha haul.

SHOOTERS

Shooters continued to fire blanks in the Asian Games and the hunt for gold medals continued.

The only contribution from the shooting squad was a bronze by Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi from the women's 10m Air Rifle.

SQUASH

Squash was the highest contributor of gold medals with three, from the men's and women's individual events and the women's team event.

The three gold medals came from Datuk Nicol Ann David (women's singles), Mohd Azlan Iskandar (men's singles) and the women's team of Nicol, Low Wee Wern, Delia Arnold and Sharon Wee.

The men's team picked up a silver after losing to Pakistan in the final while Ong Beng Hee (men's singles) and Low Wee Wern (women's singles) picked a bronze respectively.

SAILING

Malaysian sailors failed to match the one gold medal feat achieved in Doha by Ruffina Tan in the women's Optimist but the sailors sailed home from Guangzhou with two silver and a bronze.

TENPIN BOWLING

Bitter sweet performance by keglers as the men were in splendid form while the women failed miserably.

Alex Liew was the toast of the bowling team as he won the men's All-Events and later partnered Adrian Ang to win the men's doubles gold.

The bowling team came home with three gold medals from Doha through the men's trio, women's singles and women's team.

EQUESTRIAN

Equestrian managed to equal their one silver, two bronze medal achievement in Doha, although the medals came from different events.

Quzandria Nur Mahamad Fathil stepped out her brother Qabil Ambak's shadows to clinch the silver from the individual Dressage while Qabil had to be contended with the bronze.

Another bronze came from the team Dressage.

DIVING

By far the best performance in the history of the games as divers put up a splashing performance although there were no gold medals to show since the Chinese swept all the 10 gold medals at stake with their array of world class divers.

It was a far superior medal haul when compared with the one silver and three bronze in Doha as divers in Guangzhou fished out four silver and five bronze medals from the pool. GYMNASTICS

No medals to show but young gymnasts put on a heart warming performance to top the list among Asean countries on the points list.

HOCKEY

Achieved a historic feat by making it to the final for the first time since the country's participation in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games in Japan.

Beat pre-match favourite India but lost 0-2 to Pakistan in the final and lost out on an automatic place for the 2012 London Olympics.

FOOTBALL

Bogged by injuries and suspension but managed to made it to the second round of the competition for the first time in 32 years.

Coach K. Rajagobal's boys however, lost to defending champion Iran, 3-1 .

-- BERNAMA

Asian Games: Guangzhou Bids Zaijian In Another Spectacular Showcase

2010-11-29T09:52:00.005+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- After 16 days of competition, the second biggest sporting event in the world, the 16th Asian Games drew its curtains at Haixinsha Island, here Saturday night.

The ceremony started with a 47-minute cultural performance showcasing the local Lingnan culture and also Asia's diverse cultures from India, Lebanon, Japan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia while fireworks lighted up the Guangzhou skyline once again.

After the cultural performances, it was followed by the parade of flag bearers from participating countries and Malaysia was represented by Guangzhou Asian Games karate gold medallist, R. Puvaneswaran.

The Malaysian contingent, clad in the "Harimau Malaya" sports attire entered the venue, led by chief-de-mission Datuk Zolkples Embong.

The Malaysian contingent improved its position in the medal standings among the 45 countries competing here when it settled in 10th place compared with 11th place in Doha, four years ago.

Malaysia bagged 9 gold, 18 silver and 14 bronze here as compared with 8 gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze in Doha.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Chairman Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah who hailed the Guangzhou Games "the best ever Asian Games" in history, during his speech, declared the games closed in front of nearly 30,000 spectators.

The OCA flag, and the Asian Games flag and torch were later handed over to Song Young-Gil, the mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, the next host city of the Asian Games in 2014.

This marked the start of a dazzling 10-minute spectacle by the South Korean cultural performers and martial art display to showcase their welcoming performance of the 17th Asian Games.

The highlight of the show was the appearance of Korean pop sensation, Rain, who rendered three songs tonight. A minute later, the city of Guangdong was once again lighted up a spectacular and colourful fireworks extravaganza and the cauldron that has been burning for the last 16-days, was extinguished.

As the meet ended today, it witnessed the host nation athletes comfortably perched at the top of the list with 199 gold medals, 119 silver and 98 bronze and their last gold medal came from their women's volleyball team.

South Korea finished second overall with 76 gold, 65 silver, 91 bronze and Japan finished third with a 48-74-94 tally.

More than 10,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions participated in 42 sports contested in the Games with 36 countries making it to the medal standings and 28 winning at least one gold medal.

In the two weeks of glory and agony, thrills and spills, three world records were shattered -- two in weightlifting and one in archery while 103 new Asian records were set.

-- BERNAMA

Ahmad Shabery Hails National Squad's Achievement At Guongzhou Asian Games

2010-11-29T09:52:00.002+08:00

KEMAMAN, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said today that he is very proud of the national squad's achievement at the just-concluded Guongzhou Asian Games, which is Malaysia best ever outing at the Asiad.

He said the gold medals (at the Guongzhou Games) came from diverse sports which augured well for sports development in the country.

"There were new sports where we made major inroads like diving where our athletes showed they were as good as the best in the world," he told reporters when met at a community function here Saturday.

Ahmad Shabery is also the Member of Parliament for Kemaman.

However, he said the archery team might be dropped from the ministry's "Road to the London Olympics" programme following its poor showing at three major meets - the Lao SEA Games, the Delhi Commonwealth Games and the Guongzhou Asian Games.

Instead, he said, the shooting and men's hockey teams showed vast improvement in performance.

"We will be doing a post-mortem on the national squad's performance in Guongzhou and decide from there which sports should be given more attention and the ones that need less (attention).

"Take for example athletics, the national athletics squad hardly made an impact in Guongzhou. Previously, we used to hear the name of Rabuan Pit, but now our track and field athletes are not living up to expectations and this is very disappointing," he said.

Malaysia won nine gold, 18 silver and 14 bronze at the Guongzhou Games. Wushu contributed one, bowling two, squash three, karate two and cycling one.

At the last Asiad in Doha four years ago, Malaysia won eight gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze.

-- BERNAMA

Asian Games: Malaysia Must Start Preparing For 2014 And Not Celebrate Nine-Gold Target

2010-11-29T09:51:00.001+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia must not start celebrating prematurely for winning nine gold medals at the 16th Asian Games campaign although it was the highest in the history of the Games, and one better than the eight won at the Doha Asian Games in 2006.

The 9 gold, 18 silver, 14 bronze won in Guangzhou was in actual fact a slight improvement from the 8 gold, 17 silver, 17 bronze won in the Doha edition four years ago.

The overall standing in Guangzhou was 10th placing while the nation finished 11th in Doha.

Malaysia's achievement however, pales in contrast to what host country China had achieved since Doha and the 199 gold, 119 silver, 98 bronze medals won here underlined its dominance and superiority as a sports powerhouse in the region.

In Doha, China accumulated 166 gold, 87 silver, 63 bronze and the total in Guangzhou was a 33-gold increase, compared with just one for Malaysia.

South Korea who finished second with 76 gold, 65 silver, 91 bronze also showed a marked improvement in the overall results compared with the 58 gold, 53 silver and 82 bronze in Doha.

Japan, although retaining third place in the overall medal tally, registered a slight drop in their overall performance when compared with Doha as the 48 gold, 74 silver, 94 bronze was two short of the 50 gold medals won in 2006.

Malaysia's gold medals came from squash (3), tenpin bowling (2), karate (2), wushu and cycling while a number of sure gold medals slipped away, especially in badminton, which is among sports targeted to win the country's first Olympic gold medal.

Lee Chong Wei and company, namely the men's doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, failed to live up to expectations and ended up with two silver medals to show.

But while the men shuttlers failed to live up to expectations, the women shuttlers were a total flop as none of them even reached the crucial stages.

Some sports like athletics, sepaktakraw, archery, shooting, cricket, boxing, golf, fencing, chess and women's hockey, fared even worst.

In athletics, Noraseela Khalid who has been training abroad for almost a decade, failed to justify the money or time spent for training abroad when she could on finish fifth in the women's 400m hurdles.

High jumper Lee Hup Wei and women's pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu were also major disappointments while the NSC must look at the lack of prominent runners in a number of events that the country had dominated in the past.

There were no sprinters, middle distance runners and long distance runners, let alone field events like discus, shot put, javelin, long jump, triple jump and hammer throw.

The NSC must now work extra hard to prepare a set of back up athletes to replace veteran athletes who have sounded a warning that they might be retiring after the Games, with two names from karate, R. Puvaneswaran and Ku Jin Keat, as certain candidates to retire.

Winning nine gold medals should not trigger any gala celebrations as four years from now, the country cannot expect just another one gold medal increase when South Korea hosts the 2014 edition in Incheon.

-- BERNAMA

National Hockey Squad Gets Cracking For London Olympics

2010-11-29T09:50:00.003+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Though missing out on an automatic qualification for the 2012 London Olympics, the national hockey squad are in overdrive mode to make the cut for the London Games.

National coach Stephen Van Huizen said a post-mortem would be done shortly on the team's performance at the Guongzhou Asian Games which concludes today before strategies are put in place for the "Road to London 2012".

"Right now the team will be suspended to allow the players to play in the National League (which will kick off on Dec 3) and will gather again in March next year," he told Bernama when asked to comment on the Youth and Sports Ministry including the hockey squad in its "Road to London 2012" programme.

The national hockey squad, which returned home yesterday, won the silver medal at the Guongzhou Games after losing to Pakistan 0-2 in the final on Thursday.

Following the achievement, a first for Malaysia in Asiad hockey, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Chik announced that the Malaysian men's hockey team would be included in the programme, aimed at winning medals at the pinnacle of world sports.

Meanwhile, George Koshi, the team manager of the men's hockey team, said Stephen Van Huizen, who was only appointed coach in February, had made a positive impact on the team.

"Malaysian hockey is performing very well. In the short period of less than one year, we can see the performance has increased significantly.

"Everybody, coaches, players had worked hard to achieve success. Although we did not win at the Asian Games, the players have performed above expectation," he said.

He added that the momentum needed to be continued so as to ensure the national squad continued to remain winners on the international scene.

-- BERNAMA

Back Up Programme To Replace Icons Puvaneswaran, Jin Keat, Chong Wei - NSC

2010-11-29T09:50:00.000+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- The National Sports Council (NSC) will put in place a back up plan to replace icons like R. Puvaneswaran, Ku Jin Keat (karate) and shuttler Lee Chong Wei who may call it day after the Guangzhou Asian Games.

Except for Chong Wei, Puvaneswaran and Jin Keat, both winners of gold medals in Guangzhou, had announced their retirement from competitive competitions.

Puvaneswaran who heads the list of icons, won the men's Kumite Under-55kg which was Malaysia's eighth gold medal for Malaysia while Jin Keat gave the country the seventh gold.

Both Puvaneswaran and Jin Keat are 35 this, and Puvaneswaran especially, had featured in the Asian Games since the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games in Japan, winning gold in the 2002 Busan Asian Games in Korea and Guangzhou plus silver medals in Hiroshima and the Doha Asian Games in 2006.

NSC director-general Datuk Zolkples Embong who was full of praise for Puvaneswaran said at the age of 35, he should have retired from competitive competitions but he has shown tremendous courage, commitment and dedication to contribute a gold medal.

"For someone who had already set up a family, it was a great sacrifice. NSC will now concentrate on back athletes to fill the vacuum when the icons exit," he said.

Jin Keat was another karate exponent who earned accolades from Zolkples since he had not given up his chase for a gold medal since first making his debut in the 2002 edition in Busan.

"I think I've had enough after three Asian Games. I am 35 now and it will not be possible for me to compete in another Asian Games when I am 39," said Jin Keat.

There was also special mention for Ibrahim Amir who picked up a silver medal from the men's 8-ball Pool at the age of 49.

"Despite being 49, Ibrahim showed a high level of commitment to reach the final before bowing out to Taiwan's world number two," said Zolkples.

-- BERNAMA

OCA President Praises Guangzhou For Excellent Job

2010-11-29T09:49:00.002+08:00

From Farhanah Azmi GUANGZHOU, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has praised Guangzhou for hosting a successful 16th Asian Games.

"I can now officially announce that the Guangzhou Asian Games is a success and one of the best among all Asian Games," OCA president Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad Al Sabah told a press conference at the Games' Main Press Centre here Saturday.

He added that the southern Chinese city had to demonstrate that the two -week Games would not be a poor relation to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

"To make the Games better is our job. Some of the OCA off

icials told me the Guangzhou Asian Games opening ceremony may be even better than that of the Beijing Olympics. The athletes' village and facilities are better than Beijing.

"Each Games has different aims and conditions and Guangzhou is a great success," said Sheikh Ahmad.

More than 10,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions participated in 42 sports offered at the Games with 36 countries making it to the medal standings and 28 winning at least one gold medal.

Thus far, only two athletes failed anti-doping tests. Both were from Uzbekistan -- wrestler Jakhongir Muminov and judoka Shokir Muminov, who are not believed to be related.

In these two weeks, three world records were shattered -- two in weightlifting and one in archery while 103 new Asian records were set.

On the final day today, five gold medals were up for grabs, in marathon, volleyball and sepak takraw.

-- BERNAMA

Nine Gold Met KPI, NKRA Targets, Says Malaysia's Chef-de-Mission

2010-11-29T09:49:00.000+08:00

From Zulhilmi Supaat GUANGZHOU, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- The success of the Malaysian contingent in achieving its nine-gold target at the 16th edition of the Asian Games here has met the key performance indicator (KPI) target set by the Youth and Sports Ministry, said Datuk Zolkples Embong, Malaysia's chef-de-mission to Games.

He said the assessment for National Key Result Areas (NKRA) for the ministry was also translated through the contingent's best achievement in bagging the highest number of gold medals since competing in the games in the Melbourne edition in 1956.

"The KPI, NKRA set by the ministry for the National Sports Council (NSC) were met in Guangzhou when the national contingent achieved the nine-gold target," he told a press conference after the conclusion of competition at the Guongzhou Asian Games, which began on Nov 12, on Saturday.

After 15 days of competition, the Malaysian contingent also improved its position in the medal collection among the 45 countries competing here when it settled in the 10th place in the overall standings compared to 11th place in Doha, four years ago.

Malaysia bagged nine gold, 18 silver and 14 bronze here as compared to eight gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze in Doha.

Zolkples said of the 28 types of sports contested by Malaysian athletes, the target of nine gold and 14 bronze fulfilled 100 per cent of the contingent's expectation while the 18 silver exceeded expectations, at 105.8 per cent.

"The target was not set after Malaysia had bagged all the medals, but were set several months before we even got here, based on certain factors like the current performance of the athletes and their rivals here," he said.

Zolkples, who is also NSC director-general, said the contingent was actually capable of winning more than nine gold medals but some potential athletes failed to clinch the gold in the finals.

He said national badminton doubles pair, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, for example, failed to defend the gold medal they won in Doha and had to settle for silver while in squash, the national men's team also missed the gold medal when they lost to Pakistan.

He also categorised the sports contested by Malaysia according to their level of performance.

The sports categorised as outstanding performance were bowling with two gold medals, track cycling (one), karate (two) squash (three) and wushu (one).

In the excellent performance category were diving (four silver, five bronze), men's hockey (silver), badminton (two silver) and equestrian (one silver, two bronze).

Sepaktakraw (two silver), billiards (one silver) sailing (three silver, one bronze), shooting (one bronze), women's beach volleyball (one bronze), soccer and rugby came under the satisfactory category.

Zolkples said there were also sports that did not achieve their expected performance like athletics, archery, women's hockey and boxing.

"There are also some sports that our athletes should not have contested at the Asian Games like fencing, golf, cricket and chess, including Chinese chess.

"These kinds of sports should be contested at other tournaments, not at the world's second largest games after the Olympics," he said.

Terjunan terakhir bawa Bryan raih gangsa

2010-11-29T09:47:00.002+08:00

AKSI Bryan dalam acara 10 meter platform individu lelaki di Pusat Akuatik Aoti, Guangdong semalam.

PENERJUN lelaki negara, Bryan Nickson Lomas menutup cabaran kontinjen Malay- sia pada Sukan Asia 2010 dengan kilauan pingat gangsa acara 10 meter platform individu lelaki di Pusat Akuatik Aoti, Guangdong semalam.

Ini adalah pingat ketiga Bryan pada temasya kali ini selepas penerjun berusia 20 tahun itu menghadiahkan dua pingat perak dalam acara 10m platform serentak lelaki (berpasangan dengan Ooi Tze Liang) dan 3m papan anjal serentak lelaki (berpasa- ngan dengan Yeoh Ken Nee).

Dalam acara penutup tirai itu semalam, Bryan hampir sahaja terlepas pingat gangsa tersebut kepada penerjun Korea Utara, Kim Chon Man.

Namun, terjunan terakhir Bryan berjaya memberi kelebihan mata kepadanya untuk memenangi gangsa dengan 478.60 mata keseluruhan manakala Chon Man (459.40 mata).
"Sudah pasti saya gembira kerana memenangi pingat gangsa ini," kata Bryan semalam.
"Memang saya sudah jangka hanya akan bersaing dalam perebutan pingat gangsa sahaja dalam acara ini kerana penerjun China sukar digugat.

"Saya ada melakukan beberapa kesila- pan sikit, sebab itu penerjun Korea Utara itu berjaya memberi saingan di tempat ketiga.

"Namun, nasib baik saya menggunakan darjah kesukaran (difficulty) baru dalam terjunan keempat dan kelima, jadi lebih ba- nyak mata dikutip dari pusingan tersebut."

Penerjun China sekali lagi mendominasi acara terjun apabila Cao Yuan memenangi pingat emas dengan mengumpul 557.15 mata manakala rakan senegaranya, Huo Liang memenangi perak dengan 552.50 mata.
Selepas menghadiahkan tiga pingat kepada Malaysia pada Sukan Asia 2010 yang melabuhkan tirainya hari ini, Bryan memberitahu, dia akan menumpukan perhatian kepada kelayakan Sukan Olimpik 2012 pada tahun depan.

"Selepas ini saya akan meneruskan latihan di China dan memberi tumpuan untuk layak ke Sukan Olimpik 2012 pula.

"Malah saya juga mahu memperbaiki pencapaian saya dalam Kejohanan Dunia 2011 di sini (China)," ujar penerjun berasal dari Sarawak itu lagi.

Kosmo

Jaguh karate negara terima ganjaran

2010-11-29T09:46:00.001+08:00

JIN KEAT (kiri) dan Puvaneswaran
menyumbang emas dalam acara karate pada Sukan Asia 2010.

PEMENANG pingat emas acara karate Sukan Asia 2010, Ku Jin Keat dan R. Puvaneswaran mendapat khabar gembira semalam.
Ini kerana mereka bakal menerima RM3,000 setiap seorang daripada Persekutuan Karate Malaysia (MAKAF) atas kejayaan memenangi pingat emas pada temasya tersebut.
Jin Keat menyumbang emas menerusi acara Kata individu lelaki manakala Puvaneswaran tampil bergaya dengan menjuarai kategori Kumite bawah 55 kilogram lelaki.

Dua lagi atlet karate negara, Jamal- liah Jamaluddin yang memperoleh pingat perak turut diberi ganjaran RM2,000 manakala Lim Lee Lee yang meraih pingat gangsa mendapat RM1,000.
Jamalliah memenangi pingat perak dalam acara Kumite lebih 68 kilogram wanita manakala Lee Lee menyumbang gangsa bagi saingan Kata individu wanita.

Presiden MAKAF, Datuk Seri Mohd. Ali Rustam berkata, ganjaran itu sebagai tanda terima kasih dan penghargaan atas kejayaan atlet karate negara yang menyumbang pingat kepada kontinjen Malaysia.
Menurutnya, pencapaian dua emas, satu perak serta satu gangsa yang disumbangkan oleh skuad karate pada temasya di Guangzhou kali ini adalah kejayaan paling memberangsangkan kerana berjaya melepa- si sasaran satu emas.

"Kejayaan dua emas yang dicapai oleh skuad karate ini berjaya mene- bus kekecewaan tanpa sebarang pingat tersebut pada temasya yang sama di Doha, Qatar empat tahun lalu.

"Lebih penting, kejayaan ini turut menebus kehampaan setelah skuad karate negara tidak memperoleh sebarang pingat pada Kejohanan Dunia di Serbia bulan lalu.

"Sekurang-kurangnya dua emas, satu perak satu satu gangsa berjaya mengubat kekecewaan skuad karate tahun ini," katanya ketika ditemui pada program Larian Keamanan di Dataran Pahlawan, Melaka semalam.
Mengenai keputusan yang diambil oleh Jin Keat dan Puvaneswaran untuk bersara selepas Sukan Asia 2010, Mohd. Ali berkata, beliau akan mengadakan pertemuan dengan kedua- dua jaguh karate negara itu apabila mereka pulang ke tanah air nanti.

"Sebenarnya, skuad karate masih memerlukan tenaga mereka. Apa pun, MAKAF akan berbincang dengan kedua-dua atlet ini mengenai hasrat mereka untuk bersara," kata- nya yang juga Ketua Menteri Melaka.

Oleh ROSLI HASSAN
rosli.hassan@kosmo.com.my

Skuad terjun 'korban' satu pingat

2010-11-29T09:45:00.005+08:00

MUN YEE (kiri) dan Yan Yee tidak dapat beraksi dalam acara 3 meter papan anjal individu semalam ekoran kecederaan.

SKUAD terjun negara terpaksa 'mengorbankan' prospek satu pingat dalam acara 3 meter papan anjal indi- vidu wanita semalam apabila Leong Mun Yee dan Ng Yan Yee menarik diri ekoran masalah kecederaan.
Situasi tersebut menyaksikan skuad terjun negara terpaksa mere- hatkan Mun Yee dan Yan Yee bagi me- ngelakkan sebarang kecederaan serius dialami dua penerjun ini.

Selasa lalu, Mun Yee dan Yan Yee menghadiahkan pingat perak dalam acara 3m papan anjal serentak.
Malah, Mun Yee turut memenangi perak keduanya di Guangzhou dalam acara 10m platform serentak wanita apabila berpasangan dengan Pandelela Rinong.

"Mereka (Mun Yee dan Yan Yee) mengalami kecederaan pinggul ketika beraksi sepanjang saingan tema- sya di Guangzhou ini," kata pengurus skuad renang negara, Siow Kian Wah semalam.
"Jadi kita terpaksa merehatkan mereka kerana tidak mahu kecederaan itu bertambah teruk lagi.
"Tambahan pula, hari ini (semalam) ialah hari terakhir saingan terjun dan kita telah pun memenangi beberapa pingat sebelumnya.

"Peluang mereka untuk menang emas acara ini pun agak sukar kerana terpaksa bersaing dengan penerjun China, jadi kita terpaksa korbankan acara ini."

Mun Yee, 26 dan Yan Yee, 17, tidak diturunkan pada pusingan kelayakan acara tersebut pagi semalam, sekali gus gagal menempatkan diri pada pusingan akhir yang berlangsung di sebelah petang.
Pingat emas dan perak acara tersebut dimenangi dua penerjun China, He Zi dan Shi Tingmao manakala pingat gangsa menjadi milik penerjun Macau, Choi Sut Ian.

Kosmo

Yamini silap langkah

2010-11-29T09:45:00.002+08:00

REAKSI kecewa Yamini pada majlis penyampaian pingat di Gimnasium Guangdong, Guangzhou semalam.

SILAP percaturan akhirnya menyebabkan atlet karate negara, G. Yamini terlepas pingat emas pada hari terakhir acara karate semalam.
Yamini beraksi dengan cemerlang dengan mengalahkan Chang Ting dari Taiwan 5-4 pada saingan separuh akhir, sekali gus melangkah ke final acara Kumite bawah 61 kilogram wanita untuk bertemu atlet Jepun, Yu Miyamoto.

Begitupun, atlet berusia 30 tahun itu terpaksa berpuas hati dengan pingat perak setelah kesilapan taktiknya menyebabkan dia tewas 0-7 kepada Miyamoto.
"Sudah pasti saya kecewa kerana ini adalah pelu- ang terbaik saya untuk menyumbang pingat emas kepada negara," kata Yamini semalam.

"Saya telah berusaha sehabis upaya. Selepas berjaya mengalahkan atlet Taiwan pada separuh akhir, semangat dan keyakinan saya mula melonjak- lonjak. Saya yakin saya mampu mencatat kemenangan ke atas atlet Jepun itu dalam final.

"Tetapi dia (Miyamoto) bermain secara bertahan dan tidak banyak menyerang. Jadi ia memaksa saya melakukan serangan ke atasnya sehingga membuka ruang kepadanya untuk menyerang balas. Itulah yang menyebabkan dia berjaya mencuri banyak mata ke atas saya."

Begitupun Yamini menjelaskan, kekalahan itu tidak akan mematahkan semangatnya untuk terus berkecimpung dalam sukan karate pada masa depan meskipun ada terlintas di hatinya untuk bersara.
"Memang ada terlintas juga untuk bersara tetapi entahlah, saya akan fikirkan lagi selepas ini.
"Sayang juga mahu meninggalkan sukan ini setelah lama berkecimpung dan banyak menyumbang kejayaan kepada negara.

"Bagaimanapun, saya akan mula memikirkannya semula sebaik pulang ke Malaysia nanti," kata Yamini lagi.
Seorang lagi atlet karate negara, Mohd. Hatta Maha- mut gagal menghadiahkan sebarang pingat kepada negara setelah terkandas pada suku akhir kategori Bawah 84kg lelaki semalam.
Hatta tewas 1-2 kepada atlet Iran, Jasem Vishkaei Modami yang memenangi emas acara tersebut.
Atlet berusia 26 tahun itu juga gagal beraksi pada penentuan pingat gangsa apabila tewas kepada seorang lagi atlet Jordan, Khair Mutasambellah 0-6 dalam saingan repecharge.

Kosmo

Olahraga pulang tangan kosong

2010-11-29T09:44:00.002+08:00

DARI kiri, Norjannah, Siti Zubaidah, Nurul Sarah dan Yi Leng gagal menghadirkan pingat dalam acara 4x100m semalam.

TIADA sebarang pingat.
Itulah hakikat yang perlu ditelan Kesatuan Olahraga Amatur Malaysia (KOAM) setelah melihat keempat- empat acara yang disertai atlet mereka pada temasya Sukan Asia 2010 menemui kegagalan.
Ia turut menjadi pencapaian terburuk KOAM berbanding Sukan Asia 2006 di Doha, Qatar yang menyaksi- kan atlet olahraga negara pulang dengan dua pingat iaitu perak daripada Roslinda Samsu dan gangsa menerusi Noraseela Khalid.

Namun pada temasya di Guangzhou, China kali ini, Roslinda dan Noraseela gagal mengulangi kejayaan menaiki podium sebagaimana yang dilakukan mereka empat tahun lalu di Doha.
Rabu lalu, Roslinda, 28, sekadar menduduki tempat kelima dalam saingan final acara lompat bergalah wanita dengan hanya mencatat ketinggian 4.00 meter.

"Tiada apa masalah berlaku. Saya sudah cuba beri yang terbaik tetapi dengan tidak banyak diberi peluang menyertai kejohanan sepanjang tahun, ini saya yang termampu," kata Roslinda.
Noraseela, 31, pula pada saingan final acara 400 meter lari berpagar wanita kelmarin sekadar menduduki tempat kelima biarpun membuat catatan terbaiknya tahun ini iaitu 57.22 saat.
"Saya tahu MSN (Majlis Sukan Negara) sentiasa beri sokongan kepada saya tetapi KOAM, mungkin mereka ada agenda sendiri," kata Noraseela.

Pada Selasa lalu, jaguh lompat tinggi lelaki negara, Lee Hup Wei gagal melaku- kan lompatan terbaik apabila sekadar melakukan 2.15 meter untuk menduduki tempat kesembilan.
"Lompatan saya cukup teruk pada saingan final ini. Saya tak tahu kenapa tetapi saya rasa tak dapat nak fokus dan beri tumpuan ketika membuat lompatan," jelas Hup Wei.

Kemalapan skuad olahraga negara ditutup dengan kegagalan kuartet 4x100 meter wanita memperbaharui rekod kebangsaan apabila mereka sekadar menamatkan saingan final di tempat keenam dengan 45.54 saat semalam.

Buat KOAM, 'strategi' menghantar terus atlet ke kejohanan besar seperti Sukan Asia tanpa memberi peluang kepada mereka mera- sai suasana kejohanan dengan menyertai pelbagai kejohanan antarabangsa sepanjang tahun perlu diubah.

Itupun jika badan induk itu berasa bertanggungjawab untuk memastikan sukan olahraga negara kembali bersinar.

Pingat: Tiada syarat letak jawatan jika gagal

2010-11-29T09:44:00.000+08:00

GEORGETOWN – Kerajaan tidak pernah meletak syarat kepada pemimpin persatuan sukan untuk melepaskan jawatan sekiranya mereka gagal menunaikan janji menyumbang pingat untuk negara melalui acara tertentu, kata Timbalan Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Razali Ibrahim.

"Kita tidak pernah kenakan syarat kepada pemegang jawatan (persatuan) jika mereka tidak dapat menunaikan janji. Perkara ini kita serah kepada persatuan untuk membuat keputusan,” kata beliau kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Acara Paintball dan Autoshow di sini, hari ini.

Razali diminta mengulas kenyataan Datuk Ahmad Ismail yang menyatakan kesediaannya untuk meletak jawatan sebagai Presiden Persatuan Sepak Takraw Malaysia (PSM) sekiranya pasukan kebangsaan gagal membawa pulang sekurang-kurangnya satu pingat emas di Sukan Asia 2010 di Guangzhou, China.
Razali berkata, kerajaan berterima kasih kepada pasukan sepak takraw negara kerana menyumbang dua pingat perak pada temasya itu.

Mengenai prestasi kontinjen negara di Sukan Asia yang berakhir hari ini, Razali berkata, kerajaan berpuas hati dengan sembilan pingat emas yang diperolehi. – Bernama

Hoki Wanita Berjaya Ke Pusingan Kelayakan Sukan Olimpik

2010-11-26T15:44:00.002+08:00

SEPANG, 26 Nov (Bernama) -- Pasukan hoki wanita negara berjaya melayakkan diri ke pusingan kelayakan BAGI merebut tiket ke temasya Sukan Olimpik 2012 di London, England.

Setiausaha Kehormat Persatuan Hoki Wanita Malaysia (PHWM), Dr S.Shamala berkata pertandingan kelayakan itu dijadual bermula awal 2012.

Malaysia layak ke pusingan kelayakan Olimpik selepas menduduki tempat kelima pada Sukan Asia ke-16 di Guangzhou, China, selepas menewaskan Thailand 3-0 dalam perlawanan menentukan kedudukan.

Juara dan naib juara Sukan Asia layak secara automatik ke Sukan Olimpik 2012 manakala pasukan di tempat ketiga hingga keenam akan bersaing dalam pusingan kelayakan zon Asia, kata Shamala kepada Bernama ketika menunggu kepulangan skuad itu dari Guangzhou di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa KL (KLIA) Khamis.

Katanya sebagai langkah persediaan menghadapi pusingan kelayakan, PHWM bercadang menganjurkan pertandingan persahabatan empat negara di antaranya negara India dan China.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysians in action today

2010-11-26T11:46:00.002+08:00

ATHLETICS

Women’s 4x100m (final): Norjannah Jamaluddin, Nurul Sarah, Yee Yi Leng, Siti Zubaidah (5.45pm).

AQUATICS (Diving)

Women’s 3m springboard: Ng Yan Yee, Leong Mun Yee (10am).
Men’s 10m platform: Ooi Tze Liang, Bryan Nickson (12.20pm).

KARATE

Men’s below 84kg: Mohd Hatta Mahamut (2.35pm).
Women’s below 61kg: G. Yamini (2.45pm).

Zolkples lega sasaran buru 9 emas tercapai

2010-11-26T11:14:00.000+08:00

TEPAT jam 11.47 pagi semalam, akhirnya kontinjen negara mencapai sasaran sembilan emas yang disasarkan menerusi Nicol David dan rakan sepasukan yang menundukkan Hong Kong 2-0 dalam final acara berpasukan skuasy di Gymnasium Bandar Sukan Asia.

Dan, kejayaan menggapai sasaran itu menyebabkan Chef de Mission yang juga Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Datuk Zolkples Embong menghela nafas lega, menandakan bebanan berat yang digalasnya selama ini terlerai.

"Saya akui tidak lalu makan dan tidur bimbang sasaran tidak dapat dicapai. Ini kerana saya hadir ke sini selaku Ketua Pengarah MSN merangkap Chef de Mission dan KPI (indeks petunjuk prestasi) saya bergantung kepada pencapaian atlit di Guangzhou 2010.

"Jadi, saya bersyukur dan lega kerana kontinjen negara akhirnya mampu mencapai sasaran. Terima kasih kepada pasukan skuasy wanita kerana berjaya melengkapkan sasaran sembilan emas yang disasarkan," katanya.

Zolkples mengakui bimbang sasaran itu tidak tercapai selepas jaguh lumba basikal negara, Azizulhasni Awang terpaksa menarik diri daripada acara pecut berpasukan dan kegagalan pemain bowling wanita menyerlah.

"Apapun, saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua atlit, baik yang meraih emas, perak, gangsa atau yang tidak memenangi pingat di atas semangat nasionalisme dan perjuangan tinggi ditunjukkan sepanjang temasya ini," katanya.

B.Harian

Ahmad goes back to square one

2010-11-26T11:12:00.000+08:00

IT'S back to the drawing board for the Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia (STAM) as president Datuk Ahmad Said became evasive over whether he intended to make good on his pledge to resign over their failure to win gold in Guangzhou. Prior to the Asian Games, Ahmad confidently predicted of winning one gold and declared he would quit his post if sepak takraw failed to deliver.

But when quizzed by reporters after Malaysia's regu defeat by Thailand at the Haizhu Sports Centre on Wednesday, Ahmad said he will refer the matter to the STAM council.

"It is not proper for me to resign while still in another country. Let's go home first and discuss it with the council.

"Of greater importance is to ensure we successfully host the World Cup in July," said Ahmad.

It was obvious in Guangzhou that STAM has yet to come to grips with how far Malaysia have fallen behind arch-rivals Thailand.

There was a huge celebration in the Malaysian camp, with hugs going all round, after Malaysia beat South Korea in the team semi-finals, an indication of how other nations have caught up with us.

For as long as the STAM leadership refuses to recognise the need for fresh ideas and fresh blood, Malaysian sepak takraw will remain stagnant.

The decision to bring veteran trio of Normanizam Ahmad, Futra Abdul Ghani and Ariff Ramli of retirement specifically for the Asian Games, showed the desperation and lack of options facing STAM.

The need to develop a new playing style to counter the Thai's spinning serves has never been greater as we played second fiddle again in the team and regu events.

The Malaysian players were bereft of ideas when strategy failed them and had little in reserve to respond to the Thais greater agility and tactics.

For almost two decades, the Thais have out-smarted Malaysia in sepak takraw, it is time we regain the initiative by making changes from top to the bottom of the sport's structure in the country.

Read more: NST

Hoki dijanji Program London 2012

2010-11-26T10:47:00.000+08:00

Para peminat menyaksikan siaran langsung perlawanan akhir hoki Sukan Asia XVI di antara Malaysia dengan Pakistan menerusi skrin yang disediakan di The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, semalam. - UTUSAN/Azrul Edham Aminuddin

PETALING JAYA - Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek menjanjikan penyertaan skuad hoki negara ke Program Road To London 2012, sekalipun skuad Stephen van Huizen itu terlepas tiket awal ke temasya itu setelah sekadar beroleh perak Sukan Asia XVI Guangzhou, semalam.

Malah, beliau bersedia membantu Persekutuan Hoki Malaysia (PHM) membida hak tuan rumah pusingan kelayakan hoki Olimpik tahun depan, bagi mencerahkan peluang mereka menebusnya setelah kecundang 2-0 kepada Pakistan dalam perlawanan akhir di padang hoki Aoti.

Skuad negara yang tidak diberikan harapan pada mulanya, mencipta kejutan mara ke perlawanan akhir, malah bertahan tanpa kalah termasuk nyaris menewaskan juara bertahan Korea Selatan di peringkat kumpulan, sehinggalah terpaksa akur dengan jaringan Sohail Abbas dan Rehan Butt pada minit ke-26 dan 38.

Kata Ahmad Shabery: "Saya akan berbincang dengan MSN (Majlis Sukan Negara) untuk menyenaraikan hoki dalam program London 2012 itu dengan beberapa sukan yang telah sedia ada, kerana kejayaan pasukan sehingga ke tahap yang sebaik ini dan begitu luar biasa, wajar diteruskan.

"Kementerian sanggup menyokong dan membantu pasukan dan PHM termasuk dari segi persediaan ke Sukan Olimpik, selain membolehkan kita menjadi tuan rumah Kelayakan Hoki Olimpik tahun depan," katanya selepas menyaksikan siaran langsung perlawanan akhir itu menerusi layar gergasi di The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, semalam.

Ahmad Shabery bagaimanapun mengakui kecewa dengan kekalahan anak buah Stephen, apatah lagi selepas kegagalan skuad skuasy lelaki negara, juga kepada Pakistan 2-0 beberapa jam sebelumnya, sekali gus terlepas peluang meraih gelaran berganda dengan skuad wanita.

"Walaupun agak kecewa, saya tetap mengambil dan melihatnya dari sudut positif. Mereka sudah berjuang dengan persembahan terbaik dan atas semangat patriotisme yang tinggi dan kita rakyat Malaysia wajar berterima kasih kepada sumbangan mereka walaupun bukan dengan pingat emas," katanya.

Ahmad Shabery turut berpuas hatinya dengan kejayaan kontinjen negara di bawah pimpinan Ketua Pengarah MSN, Datuk Zolkples Embong yang mencapai sasaran awal sembilan emas.

Oleh ABDUL HAFIZ AHMAD
hafiz.ahmad@utusan.com.my

Asian Games: Nine In The Bag, Search For Elusive 10th Gold Medal Continues

2010-11-26T10:45:00.002+08:00

From Zulhilmi Supaat GUANGZHOU, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysia achieved its target of nine gold medals at the Guangzhou Asian Games in China, when the women's squash team defeated Hong Kong 2-0 in the final Thursday.

The women's team, led by world number one Datuk Nicol Ann David, Low Wee Wern, Delia Arnold and Sharon Wee, outclassed Hong Kong 2-0 to win the eagerly awaited gold.

It could have been a perfect 10 if not for the unexpected loss by the men's squash team at the hands of Pakistan while the men's hockey team also missed an opportunity to display a golden performance after losing 0-2 to Pakistan.

Apart from losing the gold, the hockey boys also lost an opportunity to earn an automatic spot to the 2012 London Olympics but consolation was an announcement by the Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek that hockey would become part of the 'Road to 2012 London Olympics' programme.

At the moment there are 21 athletes under the programme, namely from track cycling (5), badminton (8), archery (4), diving (4) and hockey is set to become the first team to make its way into the programme.

With a gold, three silver and two bronze medals won today, Malaysia's current tally rose to 9 gold, 17 silver, 13 bronze to end the day in ninth spot in the overall medal tally.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's poor performance in track and field continued when controversial hurdler Noraseela Khalid who has been training in Germany and South Africa for almost a decade now, managed only a fifth place with a poor time of 57.22s.

The National Sports Council had insisted on sending Noraseela although the Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU) had reservations about sending her when she failed to meet the qualifying mark.

Host China continued to stamp its supremacy in the Games with 180 gold, 103 silver, 91 bronze, while South Korea with 72 gold, 60 silver, 85 bronze remained in second place and Japan maintained third spot with a tally of 39-68-86).

Meanwhile, despite having achieved the target of nine gold medals, Malaysian athletes would be eager to add another gold or two when a number of athletes enter the fray Friday, the penultimate day of the Games, in search of the elusive 10th gold medal.

Gymnasts Elaine Koon and Nur Hidayah Abdul Wahid will see action in rhythmic gymnastics, Mohd Hatta Mahamut and G. Yamini in karate, Yee Yi Leng, Nurul Sarah Abd Kadir, Norjannah Hafiszah Jamaludin, Siti Zubaidah Adabi (women's 4x100m) in athletics and divers Ng Yen Yee, Leong Mun Yee (women's 3m Springboard), Bryan Nickson Lomas and Ooi Tze Liang (men's 10m platform) will all be hoping for a golden performance.

-- BERNAMA

Zol sudah boleh tidur

2010-11-26T10:35:00.001+08:00

"SAYA kini berasa lega. Sejak semalam (kelmarin) saya tak boleh tidur."
Demikian pengakuan Ketua Kontinjen Malaysia, Datuk Zolkples Embong (gambar) ketika mengulas kejayaan pasukan skuasy wanita negara meraih pingat emas kesembilan pagi semalam.

Selepas berlangsungnya hari ke-12 temasya Sukan Asia 2010 kelmarin, kontinjen Malaysia telah mengumpul lapan pingat emas menerusi Chai Fong Ying (wusyu), Mohd. Azizulhasni Awang (lumba basikal), Alex Liew, Adrian Ang (boling), Datuk Nicol Ann David, Azlan Iskandar (skuasy), Ku Jin Keat dan R. Puvaneswaran (karate).

Semalam, sembilan pingat emas yang menjadi sasaran pada Guangzhou 2010 berjaya dicapai menerusi kejayaan pasukan skuasy wanita negara yang membenam Hong Kong pada aksi final.
Menurut Zolkples, beliau merupakan individu paling gembira setelah sasaran yang ditetapkan Majlis Sukan Negara untuk Sukan Komanwel 2010 di New Delhi, India bulan lalu dan Sukan Asia 2010 berjaya dicapai.
Malah 10 pingat emas yang disasarkan pada Sukan Komanwel berjaya diatasi kontinjen Malaysia apabila membawa pulang 12 pingat emas dari New Delhi.

"Alhamdulillah, kita berjaya menghabiskan tahun 2010 ini dengan kejayaan yang begitu membanggakan pada Sukan Komanwel dan Sukan Asia," ujar Zolkples.
Namun, beliau mengakui sedikit tertekan setelah melihat beberapa acara yang menjadi sasaran utama untuk meraih pingat emas pada Sukan Asia Ke-16 di Guangzhou, China ini menemui kegagalan.

"Apabila Azizulhasni dan rakan-rakannya gagal meraih emas acara pecut berpasukan dan boling wanita individu turut gagal, saya sudah mula berasa bimbang.
"Apa pun acara seperti skuasy dan karate berjaya menampung pingat emas untuk kita akhirnya dapat juga menepati sasaran," jelasnya yang juga Ketua Pengarah Majlis MSN.

Terlepas tiket Olimpik 2012

2010-11-26T10:34:00.001+08:00

SKUAD hoki lelaki negara terpaksa berpuas hati dengan pingat perak selepas kecundang 0-2 di tangan Pakistan pada aksi final Sukan Asia 2010 di Stadium Hoki Aoti, Guangzhou semalam.

SKUAD hoki negara terlepas slot secara automatik ke Sukan Olimpik 2012 di London.
Kekalahan 0-2 kepada Pakistan pada aksi final Sukan Asia 2010 petang semalam, sekali gus meranapkan impian skuad kendalian Stephen van Huizen itu mengesahkan tiket ke London lebih awal.
Sebaliknya, Pakistan lebih layak mendapat tiket automatik ke London hasil kejayaan mereka muncul juara pada temasya Sukan Asia kali ini.

Bagaimanapun, kejayaan merangkul pingat perak itu merupakan sejarah buat skuad negara sejak Malaysia mula menyertai acara hoki lelaki pada Sukan Asia 1958 di Tokyo, Jepun.
Pada edisi 2006 di Doha, Qatar, skuad negara sekadar menduduki tangga keenam dan pencapaian terbaik ialah meraih pingat gangsa sebanyak tujuh kali dengan kali terakhir dimenangi pada Sukan Asia 2002 di Busan, Korea Selatan.

Pada aksi final di Stadium Hoki Aoti semalam, rentak barisan pemain negara dilihat serba tidak menjadi sehingga memudahkan tugas Pakistan melakar kemenangan.
Lebih mengecewakan, anak-anak buah Beng Hai turut mensia-siakan peluang tiga pukulan sudut penalti.
Sebaliknya mereka gugup untuk menyempurnakan pukulan tersebut tidak seperti ketika menang 4-3 ke atas India pada aksi separuh akhir Selasa lalu.

"Jelas sekali kekalahan ini amat mengecewakan, bukan sahaja saya, malah seluruh pemain dan pegawai pasukan," kata van Huizen semalam.
"Pemain kelihatan agak gugup di atas padang dan terlalu banyak melakukan kesilapan. Mereka juga banyak mensia-sia peluang jaringan termasuk tiga peluang gol pada sudut penalti.
"Begitupun, saya tetap berbangga dengan pemain kita. Mereka telah mencuba sedaya upaya dan beraksi dengan baik sepanjang kejohanan, jadi kekalahan ini adalah suatu pengajaran berguna kepada mereka."
Kegagalan memenangi pingat emas Sukan Asia 2010 menyaksikan skuad negara kempunan tiket automatik ke Sukan Olimpik 2012 dan terpaksa menempuh pusingan kelayakan yang dijadualkan berlangsung pada Februari 2012 di Kuantan, Pahang.

Begitupun, van Huizen menjelaskan, masih banyak lagi masa untuk pemain negara memperbaiki kualiti dan kemampuan dalam diri mereka sehingga pusingan kelayakan itu dilangsungkan.
"Memang sedih kerana kita bukan saja terlepas pi- ngat emas tetapi juga tiket automatik ke Sukan Olimpik 2012.

"Masih banyak lagi yang perlu kita perbaiki dari segi prestasi dan konsistensi. Selepas ini pemain akan dilepaskan ke kelab masing-masing untuk Liga Hoki Malaysia.
"Jadi kita akan pantau perkembangan semua pemain dalam liga," kata van Huizen.
Biarpun hanya memenangi pingat perak, pencapai- an skuad negara tetap wajar diberi pujian.
"Saya tetap berbangga dengan pemain meskipun hanya memenangi pingat perak. Kejayaan ini kami tujukan kepada semua peminat sukan hoki di Malay- sia," kata van Huizen.
Dalam perlawanan penentuan pingat gangsa, India menewaskan juara bertahan, Korea Selatan 1-0 hasil jaringan Tushar Khandker.

Kosmo

Pakistan halang niat Malaysia sapu bersih

2010-11-26T10:32:00.001+08:00

HAJAT Malaysia menyapu bersih empat pingat emas acara skuasy Sukan Asia 2010 tidak kesampaian apabila pasukan lelaki negara tewas 0-2 kepada Pakistan pada final petang semalam.
Pada aksi di Gimnasium Bandar Sukan Asia, Guangzhou itu, pemain ketiga negara, Nafiiz- wan Adnan tidak berpeluang menentang Danish Atlas Khan setelah Ong Beng Hee dan Azlan Iskandar tumbang kepada lawan masing-masing.

Beng Heng yang turun untuk perlawanan pertama, tewas 4-11, 4-11, 7-11 kepada Farhan Mehboob manakala Azlan pula kecundang di tangan Aamir Atlas Khan 12-14, 13-15, 4-11 pada aksi kedua untuk sekadar memberikan pingat perak.

"Saya sangat kecewa kerana pada dua set awal, peluang untuk menang itu ada tetapi semua sudah berlaku.
"Apa pun ini Sukan Asia terakhir saya. Tidak mungkin saya boleh beraksi lagi kerana empat tahun lagi umur sudah 32 tahun," kata Azlan yang berjaya menewaskan Aamir 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 pada final acara indi- vidu lelaki, Ahad lalu.

Selain Azlan, Beng Hee dan Nafiizwan, seorang lagi anggota skuad negara bagi acara berpasukan lelaki ialah Yuen Chee Wern selaku pemain simpanan.
Sementara itu, Beng Hee yang masih dibelenggu masalah keracunan makanan sejak beberapa hari lalu berkata, dia diletakkan selaku pemain pertama semalam kerana percaturan strategi.

"Memang peluang kami 50-50 kerana saya tak berapa sihat lagi. Seandainya saya tewas, kami mengharapkan Azlan menang perlawanan kedua dan Nafiizwan menang perlawanan ketiga.
"Apa pun ketiadaan saya ketika bertemu India dan Hong Kong telah memberi peluang kepada Nafiizwan dan Chee Wern untuk meraih pengalaman," jelas Beng Hee.

Kosmo

Karate: Jamalliah sumbang perak

2010-11-26T10:31:00.002+08:00

JAMALLIAH mencium pingat perak yang dimenanginya semalam.

HANYA satu pingat perak berjaya dikutip Malaysia pada hari kedua acara karate yang berlangsung di Gimnasium Guangdong, Guangzhou semalam.
Tidak seperti kelmarin apabila dua pingat emas berjaya dimena- ngi, semalam skuad karate negara berpeluang menambah koleksi emas ketiga dalam kategori Kumite lebih 68 kilogram wanita.
Begitupun, atlet negara, Jamalliah Jamludin terpaksa akur dengan kehebatan Manar Shath dari Jordan apabila tewas dengan kiraan mata 2-5 pada peringkat akhir.

Sebelum itu, Jamalliah beraksi cemerlang dengan mengalahkan atlet Macau, Paula Cristina Perei- ra Carion (suku akhir) dan menumbangkan atlet Kazakhstan, Chaikuzova Gaukhar 1-0 pada saingan separuh akhir.
Jamalliah jelas sekali kecewa dengan sistem pemarkahan oleh juri pertandingan semalam.
"Sudah pasti saya kecewa kerana hanya mampu menghadiahkan pingat perak kepada Malaysia," kata Jamalliah semalam.

"Saya akui kesilapan saya kerana tidak mengasak lawan (Manar) habis-habisan ketika ketinggalan tetapi saya agak pelik dengan sistem pemarkahan juri.
"Atlet Jordan itu hanya membuat serangan balas yang tidak mengenai sasaran tetapi juri tetap memberinya mata, itu yang agak menghairankan saya.
"Tetapi apa pun semua ini telah berakhir, jadi mahu atau tidak saya kena juga berpuas hati dengan pingat perak ini."

Sementara itu, seorang lagi atlet negara, G. Vathana terpaksa menamatkan cabaran lebih awal apabila terkandas pada peringkat suku akhir kategori Kumite bawah 55kg wanita selepas juri lebih memihak kepada Ma Pabillore dari Filipina meskipun mata terikat 1-1.
Atlet lelaki negara, Lim Yoke Wai pula tersingkir pada pusingan kedua kategori Kumite bawah 67kg selepas tumpas 0-1 kepada juara dunia dari Jepun, Shinji Nagaki.

Kosmo

Pandelela, Ken Nee tuai pingat gangsa

2010-11-26T10:30:00.002+08:00

DUA lagi pingat gangsa hadir di Pusat Akuatik Aoti, Guangdong semalam menerusi Pandelela Rinong dan Yeoh Ken Nee dalam acara terjun 10 meter platform individu wanita dan lelaki.
Pandelela sekali lagi terpaksa akur kepada kehebatan dua penerjun China, Hu Yadan serta Wang Hao yang masing-masing memenangi emas dan perak dalam acara tersebut.

Skrip yang sama turut dialami penerjun lelaki, Ken Nee yang terpaksa berpuas hati dengan gangsa di belakang atlet tuan rumah, Chong He dan Luo Yutong.

Bagi Pandelela, misinya di Guangzhou telah berakhir dan kini pelajar Sekolah Sukan Bukit Jalil (SSBJ) itu mahu membuktikan bahawa dia juga mampu cemerlang dalam bidang akademik apabila menduduki Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

"Sebagaimana saya bersungguh-sungguh ketika latihan dan kejohanan, saya akan buat buat sehabis baik untuk SPM nanti," kata atlet kelahiran Sarawak itu.

Atlet berusia 17 tahun itu mencatat 351.50 mata manakala seorang lagi penerjun negara, Traisy Vivien sekadar menduduki tangga kesembilan.
Berbanding terjunannya bersama Leong Mun Yee yang berjaya menghadiahkan pingat perak Selasa lalu, kali ini Pandelela lebih yakin meskipun mengakui terjunannya pada sesi kelayakan pagi semalam jauh lebih baik.
Mengenai persediaannya ke Sukan Olimpik 2012 di London, Pandelela berkata, dia masih cuba mempraktikkan tahap kesukaran baru sebelum menyertai Kejohanan Dunia 2011.

"Saya baru saja belajar tetapi tidak menggunakannya dalam terjunan hari ini (semalam)," katanya.
Sementara itu, Ken Nee pula hanya mampu mengumpul 439.45 mata untuk sekadar di tempat ketiga manakala seorang lagi penerjun negara, Bryan Nickson Lomas pula di tempat kelima dengan 412.80 mata.

Kosmo

Asian Games: Pakistan Shave Off Malaysia's Gold Medal Hopes

2010-11-26T10:26:00.000+08:00

From Zulhilmi Supaat GUANGZHOU, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's hopes of earning an automatic spot in the 2012 London Olympics was dashed by 0-2 loss to Pakistan in the final of the men's hockey at the Aoti Hockey Pitch here Thursday.

After having achieved a historic feat by making it to the final of the Asian Games, the Malaysian squad were hoping to add another chapter to the history but Pakistan had other ideas.

However, the silver medal feat was still the best achievement in the Asian Games since the country's first participation at the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games in Japan.

Malaysia who beat India 4-3 to enter the final, had finished sixth at the Doha Asian Games in 2006 while the last medal, a bronze, was won in the 2002 Busan Asian Games hosted by South Korea.

Coach Stephen Van Huizen's boys who shaved off their heads to pay homage for reaching the final after a brilliant performance against India, seemed lethargic, probably due to lost hair, against a more determined Pakistani side that was in control right from the start.

After a number of failed attempts, Pakistan took the lead with a sizzling penalty corner strike by their penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas, in the 24th minute for a 1-0 half time lead.

Three minutes into the second half, Pakistan added the second goal through Rehan Butt who finished off a rebound from Shafqat Rasul's strike which was initially saved by Malaysian goalkeeper S. Kumar who was in his element yet again.

Malaysia too had its chances after earning three penalty corners in the second half against none in the first but the 40th, 44th and 61st minute penalty corners were wasted by skipper Mohd Madzli Ikmar Mohd Nor, Muhammad Razie Abd Rahim and Muhamad Amin Rahim.

Stephen said his boys looked a little tense in the match and made numerous mistakes that proved costly.

"Although I am proud of our achievement, we are a little disappointed for not earning an automatic slot for the Olympics," he said.

The winners of the Asian Games gold medal will earn an automatic spot for the 2012 London Olympics.

Meanwhile, in the match for third place, India beat defending champion South Korea 1-0 to clinch the bronze medal through Tushar Khandker's goal.

-- BERNAMA

Asian Games: Divers Fish Out Two Bronze Medals From The Pool

2010-11-26T10:24:00.002+08:00

From Farhanah Azmi GUANGZHOU, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysian divers fished out two bronze medals from the diving pool of the Aoti Aquatic Centre on the fifth day of diving competitions.

Host China, continued their 100 percent dominance in the diving events by making a clean sweep of all eight gold medals at stake thus far in the men's and women's competition while Malaysia are second overall with four silver and four bronze medals.

Today's first bronze medal came from the women's 10m platform through Pandelela Rinong who collected 344.45 points behind China's Hu Yadan (436.70) and Wang Hao, 426.10 points respectively.

The second bronze of the day was contributed by Yeoh Ken Nee from the men's 3m Springboard after collecting 439.45 points behind eventual winner He Chong of China (525.85) and Luo Yutong (503.15), also from China.

The bronze was Ken Nee's third medal of the Games as he had also won a bronze from the 1m Springboard and a silver from the 3m Synchronized Springboard with partner Bryan Nickson Lomas.

-- BERNAMA

Asian Games: Karate Exponents Add A Silver To Medal Tally

2010-11-26T10:23:00.000+08:00

From Zulhilmi Supaat GUANGZHOU, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Karate who contributed two gold and a bronze medal Wednesday, added a silver Thursday through Jamalliah Jamaludin from women's Kumite above 68kg at the Guangdong gymnasium here.

Jamalliah, 26, from Perak lost 2-5 to Jordan's Manar Shath in the final while Pauline Pereira from Macau and Tang Lingling from China were awarded bronze medals as losing semifinalists.

Coach P. Arivalagan did remind me to be careful of my opponent's strategy as she would always adopt a defensive approach before launching counter-attacks, she said.

"I moved in aggressively during the bout but she just defended most of the time and seized an opportunity to attack me," she told reporters here after her bout here.

Meanwhile, Lim Yoke Wai who competed in the men's Kumite Under-67kg lost to Japan's Shinji Nagaki in the second round while G. Vathana campaign in the women's Under-55kg ended when she lost to Ma Pabillore of the Philippines in the second round.

Malaysia's two gold medal yesterday came from Ku Jin Keat in the men's Kata and R. Puvaneswaran from the men's Kumite under-55kg.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia Achieved Its Nine-Gold Medals Target At The 16th Guangzhou Asian Games

2010-11-25T14:29:00.003+08:00

GUANGZHOU, 25 Nov (Bernama) -- Malaysia achieved its nine-gold medals target at the 16th Guangzhou Asian Games in China on Thursday when the squash women's team defeated Hong Kong 2-0 in the finals.

Women's Squash Team Seals Domination With Malaysia's Ninth Gold

GUANGZHOU, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian women's squash team dominated the squash event at the 16th Asian Games after defeating Hong Kong in the team's final on Thursday.

The team, led by the world number one Datuk Nicol Ann David, Low Wee Wern, Delia Arnold and Sharon Wee, outclassed Hong Kong, 2-0.

The victory enabled the Malaysian contingent to achieve their target of nine gold medals at the Guangzhou Asian Games.

Malaysia's number two, Wee Wern, starts the ball rolling after defeating an experienced Rebecca Chiu, 11-4, 7-11, 11-6 and 11-9 in a 54-minute encounter.

"I know it's going to be tough as we both had nothing to lose. She is an experienced player and played some good shots and I just knew that I had to hang in there.

"Our ranking is about the same and I've not played against her in the past two years and I knew its going to be tough," said the current world number 16th.

At the 2007 NSC Tour and the qualifying round of the 2008 Kuala Lumpur Open, Wee Wern lost to Rebecca -- 0-3 in both competitions.

Women's individual gold medallist Nicol clinched the winning point with 11-8, 11-7 and 11-6 win over Annie Au.

Nicol said the victory against Hong Kong brought back past memories of their encounters.

She added that Wee Wern had done an excellence job to win the first point for Malaysia.

"I am pleased that the team did their best and produced the results. I am so glad that the Malaysian contingent is happy with what we have done so far," said the five-time world champion.

India and South Korea won the bronze as the losing semi-finalists.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysian in action

2010-11-25T10:09:00.000+08:00

ATHLETICS
Women’s 400m (final): Noraseela Khalid (6.50pm).

AQUATICS (diving)
Women’s 10m platform: Pandelela Rinong, Tracy Vivien (10am, 5pm).
Men’s 3m springboard: Bryan Nickson, Yeoh Ken Nee (12pm, 7.30pm).

GYMNASTICS (rhythmic)
All-around (qualifying): Nur Hidayah Wahid, Elaine Koon (9am, 3pm).

HOCKEY
Men’s final: Malaysia vs Pakistan (5pm).

KARATE
Women’s above 68kg: Jamalia Jamaluddin (9.30am).
Women’s 55kg: G. Vathana (2.05pm).
Men’s 67kg: Lim Yoke Wai (2.35pm).

SQUASH
Women’s team final: Malaysia vs Hong Kong (10am).
Men’s team final: Malaysia vs Pakistan (2pm).

Asian Games: Malaysia Just A Step Away From Reaching 9-Gold Target

2010-11-25T10:07:00.000+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia are just one step away from reaching the 9-gold medal target for the Asian Games after karate exponents contributed two gold medals on the opening day of karate competitions here Wednesday.

The two gold medals won today through Ku Jin Keat (men's Kata) and R. Puvaneswaran from the men's Under-55kg Kumite lifted Malaysia's gold medal tally to eight, just one short of the 9-gold target for the Games.

The 8 gold, 14 silver, 11 bronze medals won thus far also saw Malaysia move up two spots in the overall medal tally - from 10th place yesterday to eighth -today.

Apart from the two gold medals, Malaysia also won a silver from the men's sepaktakraw (inter-regu) and three bronze medals, one from women's Kata and two from diving.

Host China continued their dominance by adding another seven gold medals to open up huge gap over the chasing pack with 172 gold, 92 silver, 86 bronze, a good 101 gold medals more than second placed South Korea, who have 71 gold, 59 silver, 81 bronze while Japan remain third with a 36-66-74 tally. Jin Keat's was Malaysia's seventh gold medal of the Games after wushu, cycling, bowling (2) and squash (2) had contributed their share.

Another karate exponent, R. Puvaneswaran, also a seasoned campaigner, later came on court to give Malaysia the eighth gold medal by winning the men's Under-55kg Kumite after beating Emad Mohammed Al Maliki from Saudi Arabia.

Sepaktakraw who had earlier contributed a silver from the team event, added another after losing 0-2 to Thailand in the Inter-regu final.

The three bronze medals won today came from divers Cheong Jun Hoong (women's 1m Springboard) and Yeoh Ken Nee from the men's 1m Springboard while the third one was contributed by Karate exponent Lim Lee Lee from women's Kata.

Tomorrow, Malaysian athletes will continue their gold medal hunt in a number of sports, namely men's hockey, men's and women's squash and karate.

Malaysia take on Pakistan in the men's hockey final while the men's squash team also face Pakistan while the women face Hong Kong in their final match.

-- BERNAMA

Get ready for a golden bonanza

2010-11-25T10:02:00.000+08:00

WE are almost there!

It is no longer a question of "if" we are going to reach our Asian Games nine-gold target but "when".

Following Ku Jin Keat's surprise but well-deserved gold in the men's kata, and R. Puvaneswarn winning the men's kumite below 55kg gold medal, the naysayers are going to be silenced today.

With two squash finals and a hockey final to come today, the national contingent in Guangzhou are well placed to not only match the target but may well surpass it.
It has been slow in coming, but we always knew we needed patience as the gold medals trickled in.

Unlike the gold rush often seen at the Sea Games or even the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games is spread out over 16 days and the medals do not arrive in bulk.

But today could well be a bumper day for Malaysia if the squash players do what is expected of them in the team finals and the hockey lads create another piece of history by beating Pakistan in the final and seal a spot in the 2012 London Olympics.

"It will be the icing on the cake," said chef-de-mission Datuk Zolkples Embong after Jin Keat's victory, in reference to a historic hockey gold.

In fact, the hockey team would be the first to win gold for Malaysia in a team sport at the Asian Games.

So my advice to all Malaysian sports fans would be to clear your calendar today, call in sick if you must, sit back and watch the golden bonanza from Guangzhou.

Read more: NST /

Penalty corner aces may decide outcome of final

2010-11-25T10:01:00.000+08:00

THE outcome of the men’s hockey final between Pakistan and Malaysia at the Aoti Hockey Stadium today may well be decided by their penalty corner specialists.
Pakistan boast of having Sohail Abbas, who is rated as the world’s most lethal executioner of the drag flick stroke with a total of 312 goals. On the Malaysian side is Mohd Amin Rahim, who has 65 goals to his name from 190 international matches.

At the Guangzhou Asian Games, the 33-year-old Sohail has scored six goals in five matches while Amin has five.
The 30-year-old Amin was the toast for Malaysia in the semi-final against India on Tuesday, scoring two goals to take his team to a 4-3 win.

He saved the match for Malaysia by equalising three minutes from regulation time and then went on to score the golden goal to put Malaysia through to their first-ever final in the Asian Games.
Pakistan qualified for the final when they defeated defending champions South Korea 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after both teams were tied at 1-1 after extra time.
Amin is all fired up to deliver the goals against Pakistan.
“Sohail may be the world’s top scorer but I want to prove that I am just as good in the drag flick,” he said yesterday.

“Guangzhou will be my last Asian Games and it will be nice if we can go all the way and win the gold medal. If we make it, we will also get a ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.
“I have represented the national team since 2002 but I have never played in the Olympics or the World Cup (Malaysia last featured in the Olympics in Sydney in 2000).”

Amin made his Asiad debut at the 2002 Games in Busan and Malaysia won the bronze medal, beating Pakistan 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 deadlock in extra time.
He added that Malaysia had beaten Pakistan before in the Asian Games and that they certainly had the ability to do it again.

“We have already created history by reaching the final. It is in our hands to better the record,” said Amin.
“Pakistan beat us 4-1 at the Delhi Commonwealth Games last month. They have skilful forwards in Rehan (Butt) and Shakeel (Abbasi) and we have to play a very tight marking game against them.”
Amin said that the players were in high spirits to spring yet another surprise in the Guangzhou Games.
“No one gave us a chance to reach the final after our dismal outing in the Commonwealth Games.
“But we now have a shot at the gold medal,” said Amin.
Meanwhile, Sohail said that they expected a tough match against Malaysia.

“Malaysia have beaten us a few times in recent years. They also have a good penalty corner flicker in Amin,” he said.

“I was recalled to the team after Pakistan’s poor outing in the Commonwealth Games. I hope to deliver the goals to help Pakistan win the Asian Games gold and a ticket to the London Olympics.”

Star

Alang-alang layak ke final: Madzli

2010-11-25T09:55:00.002+08:00

“KAMI sudah bersedia melakar lagi satu sejarah gemilang,” kata kapten hoki negara, Mohd Madzli Ikmar Mohd Nor yang akan mengetuai barisan negara menentang Pakistan di final, hari ini.

Selepas melakar sejarah mara ke final buat julung kali, Mohd Madzli dan rakan sepasukannya berpeluang mengukir sejarah lebih gemilang, hari ini dengan memenangi emas dan merebut tiket automatik ke Sukan Olimpik London 2012.

Dia menambah: “Alang-alang layak ke final, kami berjanji berjuang berhabis-habisan memenangi emas. Ini adalah peluang terbaik dan kami tidak mahu mensia-siakan.”

Sementara itu, pakar flick negara, Muhammad Amin Rahim yang muncul wira pasukan dengan gol jaringan emas ketika menewaskan India, 4-3 dalam separuh akhir, kelmarin melafazkan janji mahu membolosi gawang Pakistan dengan kepakarannya.

“Saya tidak dapat tidur kerana terlalu gembira selepas pasukan mara ke final. Jadi, kami mahu meneruskan aksi gemilang i dalam final esok (hari ini). Kami ghairah mahu menang,” katanya

B.Harian

Archers' campaign ends meekly

2010-11-25T09:54:00.002+08:00

THE national archers' Asian Games campaign ended like a damp squib when Cheng Chu Sian and Izzuddin Rahim failed to advance past the men's individual third round at the Aoti Archery Range yesterday. Both received first-round byes before Chu Sian and Izzuddin easily accounted for Nepal's Ashim Sherchan and Zaw Win Htike 4-0 in the second round.

But their joy was short-lived as former world record holder Oh Jin Hyek of South Korea eliminated Izzuddin 7-3 while India's Tarundeep Rai beat Chu Sian 6-2.

Chu Sian rated his performance as average after having little time to prepare for the Asian Games so soon after the Commonwealth Games ended.

"I shot 28 in all four sets. It's hard to say if that was good or not, it's about average. I felt tired and have not recovered completely with only three weeks to prepare," said Chu Sian. "I feel that my body is not listening to my mind after playing for so long."

Izzuddin briefly threatened an upset after winning the first set against Jin Hyek but tensed up as the match progressed.

"Pressure is the main reason. In the first set, I beat him because there was no tension. I tensed up in the third set as he got closer and got three 10s.

"I'm upset. I tried my best but he's a very good archer. I still have to improve and learn to control my anxiety," said Izzuddin, 20.

Read more: NST

Asian Games: Malaysian Men Set Up Final Against Pakistan

2010-11-25T09:53:00.002+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia outclassed Hong Kong 2-0 to set up an exciting men's team squash final against Pakistan Thursday.

In today's semifinal matches, Mohamad Nafiizwan Mohamad Adnan endured a grueling five-set match against Lau Siu Wai before winning 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-2 and 11-6, in an hour and eight minutes.

Men's individual gold medallist Mohd Azlan Iskandar clinched the winning point with an easy 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 win over Lee Ho Yin.

"It was never an easy match, even though it was the second time I was meeting him. We know each other very well, so it was a very tough match," said Mohd Azlan.

Malaysia will now face Pakistan who beat India 2-0.

Farhan Mehboob got Pakistan off to a good start when he beat Siddhart Nimesh Suchde 16-14, 10-12, 11-9 and 11-5 for the first point while Aamir Atlas Khan defeated Saurav Ghosal 15-13, 5-11, 11-5 and 11-6, for the winning point.

-- BERNAMA

Bowlers miss out on the medals in Masters events

2010-11-25T09:52:00.001+08:00

ESTHER Cheah burst into tears while Sharon Koh and Alex Liew were emotional after missing out on the medals by a whisker on the final day of the bowling competition at the Tianhe Bowling Hall yesterday.
The Malaysian team had hoped to meet the three-gold medal target through either the women’s or men’s Masters events yesterday but, instead, they had to settle being the second best country in the overall standings with a haul of 2-1-1.

South Korea emerged tops, winning eight of the 12 gold medals at stake. The Koreans closed with victories in both the men’s and women’s Masters through Choi Bok-eum and Hwang Sun-ok respectively.
Esther had the best chance to strike it right yesterday.
She went into the final eight games in second position but gradually fell out of medal contention. Esther had lines of 200-210-190-195-192-197-209-208 to finish fifth on 3,439.

A more consistent Sharon caught up and was in bronze medal position in the 15th game with a high game of 256 pins. But she ended up in fourth place on 3,464 – just two behind Singapore’s Cherie Tan.
A frustrated Esther said that there were “a thousand” reasons for her tears.
“It was so frustrating to bowl without enjoying any high game. I tried to stay cool and confident but the corner pins just refuse to fall,” she said.

“I wanted so badly to give our women’s team a big lift here and also hand a birthday gift to my dad (coach Holloway Cheah). This is so disappointing.”
Sharon said that it was heartbreaking to just miss the cut for the stepladder finals after having hauled herself back into contention.

“The Singaporean scored 227 and I only managed a 216. I was so close to making it,” she said.
Alex revived hopes of winning a medal when he scored 289 and 278 in the 14th and 15th games and needed 235 to make the step-ladder finals.
But he managed 216 for a total of 3,655 for fifth place.
Aaron Kong came in 13th on 3,335.

Although Alex failed to add another medal to his collection in the Guangzhou Games, he was happy with the overall achievements of the men’s team.
“There is renewed respect for us now that we have finally stepped out of the shadows of the women,” he said.

Alex won two gold medals – in the doubles with Adrian Ang and in the All-Events. He helped the team to the silver medal. The Malaysian women have only a bronze to show from the team event.

Star

Malaysia settle for silver after falling to Thailand again

2010-11-25T09:51:00.002+08:00

MALAYSIA fell flat on their faces in their bid to break Thailand’s stranglehold in the sepaktakraw competition.
The Thais ruled again, even without ace tekong Kriangkrai Kaewmian, in the final round-robin match of the men’s regu event at the Haizhu Sports Centre yesterday.

The crafty Thais chalked up an easy 21-12, 21-19 win to pick up their second gold medal in the men’s competitions. They also scored an easy win over Malaysia in the team final last Saturday.
The top Thai regu comprised Kriangkrai, Anuwat Chaichana (apit kanan) and Pattarapong Yupadee (apit kiri) but they sprang a surprise yesterday to start with unknown Nongkhai Wirawut in the tekong position.
Malaysia took a gamble to start with the veteran Mohd Futra Abdul Ghani (apit kanan) and Normanizam Ahmad (tekong) with the 21-year-old Farhan Adam (apit kanan) and they failed miserably.

Mohd Futra and Normanizam were members of the successful Malaysian regu who broke the 12-year Thai domination in the inter-regu event at the 2005 Manila SEA Games.
But they were nowhere near the kind of form they showed five years ago.
They lacked stamina and the energy against the far fitter Thais.

Coach Iskandar Arshad replaced an ineffective Mohd Futra with Norshahruddin Mad Ghani with Malaysia trailing 10-16 in the opening set but it was too late and the Thais sealed the game in 30 minutes.
There was some resistance from the Malaysian regu in the second game.
They led 9-5 but the Thais reorganised themselves well to draw level at 14-14 before making the final push for victory.

A dejected Normanizam admitted that they were caught off guard by the Thai’s decision not to field Kriangkrai.
“We were prepared for his serves.

But they fielded a new tekong and it took us some time to settle down in the opening set. We came back stronger in the second but we just could not find the energy to break the Thais,” he said.
Malaysia last won a gold medal in the Asiad sepaktakraw at the 1994 Games in Hiroshima. Since then, they have been reduced to playing second fiddle to Thaland with a haul of 0-2-1 in 1998 (Bangkok), 0-1-1 in 2002 (Busan) and 0-2-1 in 2006 (Doha).

Star

Takraw gagal akhiri kemarau emas 16 tahun

2010-11-25T09:50:00.002+08:00

PERCATURAN bijak jurulatih Thailand, Kamol Tankimhong yang tidak menyenaraikan tekong utama, Kriangkrai Kaewmian memerangkap skuad sepak takraw negara apabila dilibas sekali lagi oleh musuh tradisi itu dalam penentuan pingat emas antara regu di Pusat Sukan Haizhu, semalam.

Kekalahan 0-2 (12-21, 19-21) menyaksikan kemarau emas 16 tahun skuad sepak takraw negara terus berpanjangan, sebaliknya Thailand terus mendominasi acara itu buat kali keempat berturut-turut selepas 1998, 2002 dan 2006

“Sebelum turun beraksi, kami menonton dan mengkaji permainan Kriangkrai tetapi terkejut apabila dia tidak disenaraikan,” kata tekong negara, Mohd Normanizam Ahmad. “Itu antara punca kami tewas mudah dalam set pertama kerana kami tidak pernah beraksi menentang penggantinya (Wirawut Na Nongkhai),” katanya.

Ternyata, servis Wirawut sukar diangkat Normanizam, Mohd Futra Abdul Ghani dan Farhan Adam menyaksikan tekong itu banyak mengutip mata membantu trionya, Anuwat Chaichana dan Pattarapoing Yupadee menang mudah 12-21 dalam set pertama.

“Kami berjaya mengimbangi kekuatan lawan dalam set kedua tetapi entah bagaimana gagal mengekalkan kelebihan mata apabila lawan berjaya mengejar dan memenangi perlawanan. Begitupun, kami sudah cuba memberi yang terbaik,” kata Mohd Normanizam.

B.Harian

Ken Nee, Jun Hoong tambah 2 gangsa acara terjun

2010-11-25T09:49:00.002+08:00

GUANGZHOU - Selepas mengumpul empat pingat perak pada dua hari pertama acara terjun, penerjun negara memastikan tiada hari tanpa pingat pada Sukan Asia XVI, apabila menokok dua lagi gangsa dalam saingan individu 1 meter papan anjal lelaki dan wanita semalam.

Yeoh Ken Nee menamatkan tiga daripada empat acara yang disertai setakat ini, berakhir dengan memenangi pingat selepas menutup saingan 1m papan anjal di tempat ketiga, di belakang dua penerjun China.
Cheong Jun Hoong pula memahat nama sebagai penerima pingat dalam penampilan pertamanya Sukan Asia, malah dalam satu-satunya acara yang disertai di Guangzhou iaitu 1m papan anjal wanita.

Semalam, Ken Nee berada pada kedudukan perak buat seketika, apabila berada di tangga kedua selepas tamat dua terjunan sebelum menamatkan saingan di tempat ketiga dengan 391.10 mata, 90.10 mata ditinggalkan di belakang pemenang emas , He Min dari China, manakala seorang lagi penerjun, Qin Kai meraih perak.

Hari ini, dia akan turun dalam acara keempatnya dalam 3m papan anjal individu. Menamatkan saingan pada kedudukan podium bakal menjadikan Ken Nee sebagai satu-satunya penerjun negara yang memenangi pingat dalam semua acara yang disertai. Ken Nee turut meraih perak 3m papan anjal serentak an 10m platform serentak.

"Saya gembira memenangi gangsa tetapi tidak gembira dengan persembahan keseluruhan hari ini. Saya cuba mempraktikan dua terjunan yang baru dipelajari ketika berlatih di Dali (China) tetapi ia tidak menjadi, iaitu pada terjunan keempat dan kelima.

"Mengenai peluang memenangi pingat esok, sukar untuk dijangkakan. Penerjun Jepun sangat bagus dalam acara ini, malah Bryan (Nickson) juga lebih baik daripada saya," kata Kenny.
Seorang lagi penerjun negara, Muhammad Fakrul Md. Zain menutup kempen di tangga kelima dengan 361.35 mata.

Sementara itu, Jun Hoong berjaya mengumpul 271.60 mata untuk mengatasi rakan senegara, Leong Mun Yee, bagi meraih pingat gangsa. Mun Yee pula hanya berpuas hati ditempat keempat dengan 268.20 mata.
Pingat emas dan perak acara ini seperti dijangka dimenangi penerjun tuan rumah, Wu Minxia dan Zheng Shuangxue.

"Saya tidak dapat saya hendak gambarkan kegembiraan saya. Sepanjang pertandingan berlangsung, saya hanya mahu melakukan yang terbaik sahaja tanpa fikirkan saingan kuat dari peserta China.
"Jurulatih pun tidak memberi tekanan kepada saya. Mereka hanya mahu saya lakukan rutin yang biasa saya lakukan," kata pelajar tahun kedua jurusan komunikasi massa di Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Menurut Jun Hoong, sebagai persiapan ke Sukan Asia kali ini, dia menangguhkan pelajaran untuk menjalani latihan bersama-sama skuad terjun negara di Dali, China.

Pencapaian terbaiknya di peringkat antarabangsa ialah memenangi pingat emas acara 10m platform serentak wanita pada Sukan SEA Korat 2007. - Utusan

Guangzhou De Wen Hou: Kesungguhan pegawai kita wajar dipuji

2010-11-25T09:47:00.000+08:00

DISEBABKAN kedudukan gelanggang pertandingan berselerak di serata bandaraya Guangzhou ini, penulis mengakui tidak berkesempatan mengunjungi semuanya.

Memang mustahil kerana jarak dan lokasi yang jauh antara satu sama lain, selain tidak semua gelanggang membabitkan atlit negara, jadi kumpulan wartawan di sini hanya memberi tumpuan kepada beberapa gelanggang yang mampu memberi pingat buat kontinjen Malaysia.

Selepas mengunjungi beberapa gelanggang, penulis kagum dengan kesungguhan beberapa pegawai sukan kita yang seboleh-bolehnya mahu berada di setiap gelanggang membabitkan aksi atlit negara.

Di Pusat Akuatik Aoti kelmarin, penulis dan rakan berkesempatan berbual dengan Presiden Persatuan Renang Amatur Malaysia (ASUM), Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim yang juga menjadi presiden bagi Kesatuan Olahraga Amatur Malaysia (KOAM) dan beberapa persatuan sukan lain.

Sebelum ini, penulis ternampak kelibat bekas Menteri Besar Perlis itu bersama-sama Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Mohid Mohamed di gelanggang skuasy dan badminton, selain takraw dan hoki.

Ketika bersembang, Shahidan yang terkilan dengan markah tinggi diberi kepada setiap penerjun China yang mendominasi acara itu, sempat memberi cadangan supaya acara subjektif seperti terjun, menggunakan pemarkahan elektronik.

Sama ada logik atau tidak, terpulang kepada pandangan masing-masing tetapi pendekatan saintifik dalam sukan termasuk sistem pemarkahan membuatkan tiada yang mustahil dalam sukan zaman moden ini.

BHarian

Skuasy penentu 9 emas

2010-11-25T09:42:00.002+08:00

R. Puvaneswaran berteriak setelah memastikan pingat emas acara karate Kumite 55kg mengalahkan lawannya dari Arab Saudi pada Sukan Asia XVI di Guangzhou, semalam.

GUANGZHOU – Sasaran untuk mencapai sembilan pingat emas Sukan Asia XVI diramal hadir dalam acara akhir skuasy berpasukan hari ini, selepas karate berjaya menokok dua lagi butir emas, semalam.

Malaysia kini memerlukan satu sahaja lagi kemenangan emas untuk melengkapkan sasaran di Guangzhou, walaupun jumlah pungutan semalam telah menyamai perolehan emas pada Sukan Asia di Doha 2006.
Hari ke-13 semalam turut menyaksikan kontinjen negara meraih satu pingat perak daripada acara antara regu sepak takraw dan tiga gangsa menerusi karate serta terjun.

Karate membuka tirai sukan tempur dengan cemerlang, apabila Ku Jin Keat meraih emas pertamanya dalam Individu Kata sebelum rakan sepasukan, R. Puvaneswaran menambah pungutan emas kedua dalam pertarungan Kumite 55 kilogram. Karate turut menyumbang gangsa menerusi wakil wanitanya, Lim Lee Lee dalam Individu Kata.

Sepak takraw turut tidak pulang hampa, apabila meraih perak dalam aksi akhir antara regu lelaki, selepas tewas kali kedua kepada Thailand. Regu kita kalah 12-21, 19-21, sekali gus mengulangi pencapaian di Doha 2004.

Acara terjun tidak menghampakan apabila menyumbang dua gangsa menerusi wakil lelaki dan wanitanya, Yeoh Ken Nee dan Cheong Jun Hoong dalam acara 1 meter papan anjal.
Skuasy yang setakat ini beraksi cemerlang menyumbang dua emas dalam acara individu, akan tampil dalam perlawanan akhir berpasukan lelaki dan wanita hari ini, dengan harapan melengkapkan angka keramat 9 emas yang disasarkan.

Pasukan wanita Malaysia yang dianggotai Datuk Nicol David, Low Wee Wern dan Dellia Arnold, akan menentang Hong Kong pada babak akhir selepas menewaskan India 2-0 di separuh akhir.
Pasukan lelaki skuasy juga tidak menghampakan, apabila Mohd. Nafiizwan Mohd. Adnan, Mohamad Azlan Iskandar dan Yuen Chee Wern mengetepikan Hong Kong 2-0 untuk berdepan Pakistan pada perlawanan akhir.

Turut beraksi pada perlawanan akhir hari ini ialah skuad hoki lelaki yang akan berentap menentang Pakistan.
Olahraga turut menyaksikan wakil wanita, Noraseela Mohd. Khalid berjaya menempatkan diri dalam saingan akhir 400 meter berpagar, hari ini. Dia yang akan berlari dalam lorong pertama mencatat 58.28 saat dalam saringan, semalam.

Harapan untuk melihat pingat dalam acara olahraga setakat semalam terus hampa, apabila atlet lompat bergalah wanita kita, Roslinda Samsu gagal melepasi ketinggian 4.15m untuk menduduki tangga kelima. – Utusan

Puva can retire on high note with kumite gold

2010-11-25T09:38:00.005+08:00

SEASONED campaigner R. Puvaneswaran can retire on a high note after joining Ku Jin Keat to cap a glorious double strike for Malaysia on the first day of the karate competition at the Guangdong Gymnasium yesterday.

The 35-year-old had two of his strongest rivals – defending champion Hsieh Cheng-kang of Taiwan and reigning Asian champion Ghasemi Laskoukalayeh of Iran – in the same pool.
But Puvaneswaran, the oldest exponent in the men’s below 55kg kumite competition, relied on his experience to get into the final.

And he went on to claim his second Asian Games gold medal by beating Mohd Almaki Emad of Saudi Arabia.
A gallant Puvaneswaran began well by beating Vietnamese Nguyen Hoang Hiep 1-0. Then, in the quarter-final, he avenged his defeat by Cheng-kang in the final at the Doha Games with a sudden death victory.
Puvaneswaran then cleared the semi-final hurdle against Ghasemi with a 1-0 margin.
In the final, Puvaneswaran and Mohd Almaki were hesitant to the make early moves and they remained deadlocked even after an extra minute of tie-breaker.

It was then left to the referee to decide on the outcome after the four judges were split in their judgement.
Puvaneswaran was then announced as the winner and he sank to his knees in gratitude after reclaiming the title he won in Busan in 2002.
Puvaneswaran is now the most successful Malaysian karate exponent with two gold medals, one silver and one bronze from four Asian Games.

He made his debut in Hiroshima in 1994 and the only time he missed out on a medal was at the 1998 Bangkok Games when he was disqualified for striking at his opponent’s neck.
Puvaneswaran was happy with his performance in his last international outing for Malaysia.
“I wanted to go out as a history-maker. I stayed positive despite the tough draw,” he said.
“I told myself that my opponents had more reasons to fear me, with my over 20 years of involvement in karate.

“I relied on my tactics, my strategy and also my experience to overcome them. They were all younger than me and I could not match them in speed. I am thankful that my career will have a happy ending.”
With the flying start yesterday, the karate squad managed to lay to rest the ghosts of Doha, where they made four finals and lost all.
Malaysia have three kumite exponents in action today – Lim Yoke Wai (men’s 67kg), G. Vathana (women’s 55kg) and Jamaliah Jamaludin (women’s above 68kg).

Star

Puvaneswaran signs off with a gold

2010-11-25T09:38:00.004+08:00

Puvaneswaran (right) lands a kick on Saudi Arabia’s Emad Mohammed Al Malki yesterday.

R. PUVANESWARAN could not have asked for a better ending when he capped a glittering karate career with a second Asian Games gold medal at the Guangdong Gymnasium yesterday. After a tensed below-55kg final against Saudi Arabia's Emad Mohammed Al Malki ended 0-0 and was decided by the central referee's final casting vote, Puvaneswaran fell to his knees and clasped his tear-soaked face.

The relief was palpable all round and just as Ku Jin Keat had done in the morning, Puvaneswaran signed off on a high although in his case the exponent had announced his retirement months in advance.

And to be have beaten two Asian champions en route to the gold medal without conceding a point in any of his four bouts made the victory so much more sweeter.
"It's like a happy ending to a love story. I said before coming here this would be my last tournament and I would retire.

"I targeted this gold the whole time after announcing my retirement and now that I've achieved it, it has been worth it," said Puvaneswaran, who turns 36 in two weeks' time.

Puvaneswaran's gold medal yesterday was his second after he won in Busan in 2002 but missed out on a hat-trick after ending with silver in Doha four years ago. He also has a bronze medal from 1994 but was disqualified in 1998 having made an appearance at every Asian Games karate competition.

A pre-planned strategy was laid out after the draw pitted him against defending champion Hsieh Cheng Kang of Taiwan in the quarter-finals.

Puvaneswaran avenged his 2006 defeat thanks to the referee's vote after another 0-0 tie before edging a tactical battle against Iran's 2009 Asian champion Mohammad Ghasemi Laskoukalayeh 1-0 in the semi-finals.

"I did not want to go head on with these guys and clash on speed as they are all younger to me, that's why the points were low.

"Instead, we planned a specific strategy for each opponent and I was patient and used my experience to overcome them.

"The final was close, I lost to him at the Asian Championships but luck was on my side this time," added Puvaneswaran, who plans to open his own dojo to train future champions.

But for now, Puvaneswaran will bask in the joy of a job well done

Read more: NST

R. Puvaneswaran Won Malaysia's Eighth Gold Medal

2010-11-25T09:36:00.001+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysian karate athlete, R. Puvaneswaran won Malaysia's eighth gold medal in Men's under 55kg Kumite event at the 16th Asian Games here Wednesday.

DETAILS OF THE STORY WILL FOLLOW

-- BERNAMA

Dream fulfilled

2010-11-25T09:35:00.004+08:00

DREAMS do come true, just ask Ku Jin Keat. After two chronic injuries and a lifetime of disappointments, Jin Keat plans to bring the curtain down on karate career after winning an historic Asian Games men's kata gold at the Guangdong Gymnasium yesterday.

Struggling to hold back tears as he sought to find the words to describe his joy at an unexpected triumph, Jin Keat said age has caught up with him.

"Finally. I don't know what to say. I've waited for so long after three Asian Games appearances. This is my last Asian Games as I am already 35 and it's not easy to sustain. I'm a bit tired.
"I have been dreaming of winning this gold medal. Now, it's a dream fulfilled," said Jin Keat after receiving his gold medal before he was whisked away to the official press conference.

There, he said he is unlikely to compete again after enduring two serious knee injuries which first cost him gold at the Doha Asian Games in 2006 and then saw him miss last year's Laos Sea Games.

"It would be impossible, let others take my place. It was a long road back to recovery. But I feel proud and satisfied. Winning this gold medal is very meaningful.

"I had a silver and a bronze before and now I've got the entire collection," added Jin Keat, who scored a 3-2 split decision victory in the final against Itaru Oki of Japan.

Oki's defeat was the first time Japan failed to win gold in the event since karate made its debut in 1994.

Some of the credit for Jin Keat's win must go to his Japanese coach Ryoki Abe, who within eight months, instilled the confidence and belief in Jin Keat to dream big.

"My coach was a world champion and in training he thought me everything," said Penang-born Jin Keat. "Previously, each time I faced a Japanese I felt under pressure and stressed.

"Now, I can just go out and perform my techniques freely. But to win today (yesterday) was not easy because karate is Japan's national sport and the Japanese have good foundation."

Jin Keat had more reason than one to be happy as his girlfriend Lim Lee Lee, also 35, picked up bronze in the women's kata, her third bronze in addition to one silver in four appearances.

"I'm so happy, we have a gold and a bronze. This is not just for us but for Malaysia. We have done our job to make the country proud," said Lee Lee, who unlike Jin Keat, has no intention of calling it quits yet.

Read more: NST

Jin Keat grabs historic kata gold before calling it a day

2010-11-25T09:35:00.001+08:00

KARATE exponent Ku Jin Keat reacted with disbelief as coach Ryoke Abe jumped off the bench in delight after three blue flags were raised to signal a historic victory for him in the men’s kata final against Japan’s Itaru Oki.

At the age of 35, and having come through two painful knee surgeries, Jin Keat never thought he would get to savour the moment of being crowned as the Asian Games champion.
Jin Keat’s 3-2 win over world championship bronze medallist Itaru was certainly unexpected by the Malaysian contingent as Japan had never lost in the kata discipline since karate made its Asiad debut in 1994 in Hiroshima.

And Jin Keat can now bid farewell to competitive karate on a high, having added the gold medal to his Asiad collection of one silver and one bronze.
He won a bronze in his debut in Busan in 2002 and a silver in Doha four years later.
“It’s a really meaningful win for me. I have been trying to win the Asiad gold since my first outing in 2002 and I never gave up,” said Jin Keat.

“Karate is Japan’s national treasure and I knew I had to raise my game to have any chance of getting gold.
“Each time I compete, I feel stressed and under pressure because Japanese exponents have a good foundation.
“I have to thank my coach for teaching me everything and I was able to perform all the steps well today.”
The Penangite fought hard to hold back his tears as the national anthem was played at the medal presentation ceremony.

“Three Asian Games ... I think I’ve had enough. I am 35 and it will not be possible for me to compete in another Asian Games when I am 39. It was a struggle to recover my form after I went for my second surgery,” said Jin Keat, who missed the Laos SEA Games last December after undergoing knee operation.
Jin Keat started strongly with 5-0 wins over Hong Kong’s Chris Cheng and Kyrgyzstan’s Dmitri Kazanov to reach the semi-finals.

He made the final by beating SEA Games champion Faizal Zainuddin of Indonesia 4-1 while Itaru advanced with victory over Kuwait’s Yousef Alharbi.
In the women’s competition, Jin Keat’s girlfriend Lim Lee Lee came up against Japan’s Usami Rika in the quarter-finals and was beaten 0-5.

Lee Lee came through the repechage rounds and overcame Dewi Yulianti of Indonesia 5-0 for the bronze medal.
Lee Lee began her campaign with a 5-0 win over Thailand’s T. Yanisa in the first round.

Star

Tuah Jin Keat jelma di bumi Guangzhou

2010-11-25T09:32:00.003+08:00

JIN KEAT (kiri) dan Lee Lee menunjukkan pingat masing-masing di Gimnasium Guangdong, Guangzhou semalam.

SUKAN Asia 2010 di Guangzhou, China seakan-akan membawa tuah buat kepada atlet karate negara, Ku Jin Keat.

Semalam, Jin Keat berjaya menebus kekecewaannya dalam dua temasya Sukan Asia sebelum ini apabila merangkul pingat emas acara Kata individu lelaki.

Dalam acara karate yang berlangsung di Gimnasium Guangdong, Guangzhou itu, Jin Keat berjaya meraih emas ketujuh buat kontinjen Malaysia setelah mencipta kejutan menewaskan Oki Itaru dari Jepun 3-2 pada aksi final.

"Saya cukup puas hati hari ini (semalam). Setelah menang pingat gangsa di Busan pada 2002 dan pingat perak di Doha pada 2006, pingat emas kali ini cukup bermakna.

"Saya sebenarnya cukup tertekan kerana ini merupakan Sukan Asia terakhir saya. Umur saya sudah 35 tahun dan saya akan bersara selepas ini," katanya selepas upacara penyampaian pingat semalam.
Pada pusingan pertama, Jin Keat menewaskan Chris Cheng dari Hong Kong (5-0) sebelum menundukkan atlet Kyrgyzstan, Dmitrii Kazanov (5-0) di suku akhir.

Pada aksi separuh akhir, Jin Keat mengetepikan cabaran Faizal Zainuddin dari Indonesia (4-1).
"Saingan daripada atlet Jepun tetap hebat kerana mereka cukup berpengalaman dalam sukan karate. Itaru yang saya tewaskan tadi (semalam) juga merupakan finalis acara Kata berpasukan di Doha.
"Apa pun, kunci kejayaan saya pada final tadi (semalam) ialah kesabaran," tambah Jin Keat.

Dalam acara Kata individu wanita yang turut berlangsung pagi semalam, wakil negara, Lim Lee Lee berjaya meraih pingat gangsa setelah menewaskan Dewi Yulianti 5-0.

"Saya cukup gembira dengan persembahan saya hari ini (semalam). Saya telah buat persiapan untuk Sukan Asia ini sejak empat tahun lalu.
"Saya puas dengan pingat gangsa yang dimenangi ini," ujar Lee Lee.

Malaysia's Seventh Gold Won By Karate Athlete

2010-11-25T09:31:00.001+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysian karate athlete, Ku Jin Keat won Malaysia's seventh gold medal in Men's Kata event at the 16th Asian Games here Wednesday.

DETAILS OF THE STORY WILL FOLLOW

-- BERNAMA

Malaysian Tigers in action today!

2010-11-24T10:52:00.000+08:00

AQUATICS

Women’s 1m springboard (final): Leong Mun Yee, Cheong Jun Hong (2pm).
Men’s 1m springboard (final): Yeoh Ken Nee (5pm).

ARCHERY

Men’s individual (Last 32): Cheng Chu Sian vs Sherchan Ashim (Nepal), Md Izzuddin Rahim vs Htike Zaw Win (Mya) – 9.30am.

ATHLETICS
Women’s 400m hurdles (heats): Noraseela Khalid (9.25am).
Women’s pole vault (final): Roslinda Samsu (5pm).

BOWLING

Men’s Masters (2nd block): Aaron Kong, Alex Liew (9am).
Women’s Masters (2nd block): Esther Cheah, Sharon Koh (1pm).
Men and women’s step-ladder finals (3.30pm).

EQUESTRIAN

Mixed jumping individual (preliminary/final): Syed Mohsin Al Mohdzar (9am/2pm).

HOCKEY

Women’s classification (5th-6th): Malaysia vs Thailand (9am).

KABADDI

Women’s Group A: Malaysia vs Iran (9am).
Men’s Group B: Malaysia vs Japan (5pm).

KARATE
Men’s kumite (55kg): R. Puvaneswaran (from 1pm).
Men’s individual kata: Ku Jin Keat (from 9.30am).
Women’s individual kata: Lim Lee Lee (from 9.30am).

SEPAKTAKRAW

Men’s regu (final round-robin match): Malaysia vs Thailand (2.30pm).

SQUASH

Women’s semi-finals: Malaysia vs India (10am).
Men’s semi-finals: Malaysia vs Hong Kong (2pm).

Asian Games: No Gold Medals On Day 11 But Historic Feat By Hockey Boys

2010-11-24T10:48:00.000+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia ended day 11 without a gold medal but a historic feat by the men's hockey team to reach their first ever Asian Games final after beating India 4-3, helped lift the gloom.

The feat of the hockey boys to snatch victory during extra-time sudden death even overshadowed the two silver medals won by divers Yeoh Ken Nee-Bryan Nickson Lomas and Leong Mun Yee-Pandelela Rinong.

Ken Nee-Bryan took the silver from the men's 3m Synchronized Springboard diving while Mun Yee-Pandelela plucked their silver from the women's 10m Synchronized Platform.

Spikers Luk Tech Hua-Beh Shun Thing failed to win a bronze in a playoff against Thailand's Sannok Jarunee-Tenpaksee Usa, going down 18-21, 14-21.

There was also disappointment at the track and field when Lee Hup Wei failed to stamp his mark in the men's high jump.

Without a gold medal to strengthen their position, Malaysia slipped from ninth position yesterday to 10th placing in the overall medal tally with 6 gold, 13 silver and 8 bronze.

Ironically it was Thailand who took over the ninth spot to dethrone Malaysia as the best placed Asean team in the Games, with 7 gold, 7 silver and 26 bronze.

Host China however, kept piling up the gold medals to open up huge gap over the chasing pack with 165 gold, 85 silver, 79 bronze, a good 101 gold medals more than second placed South Korea who have 64 gold, 55 silver, 74 bronze while Japan remain third with a 34-64-68 tally.

Tomorrow, Malaysian athletes will be involved in a number of gold medal events, especially in the bowling alley where the Malaysian pair of Alex Liew and Aaron Kong will feature in the men's Masters Event while Sharon Koh and Esther Cheah see action in the Women's Masters.

At the sepaktakraw arena, Malaysia will take on Thailand in the inter-regu final and anything is possible, although Thailand will be a tough nut to crack.

With karate opening its doors for competition, all eyes and attention will shift towards the sport that had contributed four gold medals in the Doha Asian Games four years ago.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia pamer aksi lima bintang

2010-11-24T10:25:00.000+08:00

PEMAIN Malaysia, Azlan Misron cuba melepasi kepungan pemain India di perlawanan separuh akhir, petang semalam. Malaysia menang 4-3 untuk mara ke final buat kali pertama dalam sejarah Sukan Asia.

Amin muncul wira; India anggap malapetaka

SKUAD hoki lelaki negara memberi persembahan bertaraf lima bintang menewaskan India 4-3, semalam untuk layak ke final Sukan Asia buat julung kali dalam sejarah penyertaan dan ketika sama menggapai peluang memburu tiket automatik ke Sukan Olimpik 2012.

Wira pasukan adalah Muhammad Amin Rahim yang meledakkan jaringan emas pada minit ke-75 masa tambahan di Stadium Hoki Aoti dan bakal bertemu Pakistan, esok yang terdahulu mengejutkan juara bertahan, Korea Selatan 4-3 menerusi penentuan penalti dalam satu lagi saingan separuh akhir.

Kemenangan ini hasil semangat tinggi pemain yang tidak mudah menyerah kalah, kata ketua jurulatih, Stephen Van Huizen.

Saya bangga dengan pemain dan mereka berhak menang serta dipuji. Jelas sekali tumpuan latihan set-piece pukulan sudut penalti sebelum bertemu lawan membantu apabila kita berjaya menjaringkan tiga gol menerusinya.

Final, esok adalah kemunculan buat julung kali bagi skuad negara manakala bagi Pakistan yang pertama sejak memenangi emas di Beijing pada 1990.

Malaysia yang menamatkan badi semua 10 perlawanan ketika menentang India dalam Sukan Asia sebelum ini mendahului minit ke-32 hasil jaringan Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Abdul Jalil tetapi keceriaan itu hanya bertahan tiga minit sahaja sebelum Sandeep Singh menyamakan kedudukan untuk lawan.

Khandker Tushar meletakkan India di depan minit ke-37 sebelum Azlan Misron menyamakan kedudukan menerusi pukulan sudut penalti minit ke-49.
Begitupun, India kembali mendahului semula menerusi kapten, Raj Pal Singh pada minit ke-54 sebelum Muhammad Amin menebus kesilapannya dengan menyelamatkan skuad negara menerusi jaringan penyamaan 3-3 tiga minit sebelum tamat permainan untuk mengheret perlawanan ke masa tambahan.

Sementara itu, jurulatih India, Jose Brasa berkata: Kami ke Guangzhou untuk menang tetapi kekalahan ini satu malapetaka. Kesilapan pada lewat babak permainan membawa padah.

B.Harian

Hoki cipta sejarah ke final

2010-11-24T10:23:00.000+08:00

pemain Malaysia berteriak kegirangan meraikan kemenangan 4-3 ke atas India pada perlawanan separuh akhir acara hoki lelaki Sukan Asia XVI di Guangzhou semalam.

GUANGZHOU – Jaringan emas Muhamad Amin Rahim pada minit kelima masa tambahan, meletakkan Malaysia ke babak akhir hoki buat pertama kali dalam sejarah Sukan Asia, semalam.

Anak-anak buah Stephen van Huizen mencatat kemenangan bersejarah 4-3, selepas terikat 3-3 dalam masa sebenar, yang kemudiannya diheret ke babak penentuan masa tambahan.

Malaysia, yang menduduki tempat keenam pada Sukan Asia di Doha 2006, ke final menentang Pakistan, yang menewaskan juara bertahan Korea Selatan 4-3 pada penentuan penalti, setelah terikat 1-1 pada masa sebenar perlawanan.
Kemenangan ke atas Pakistan, esok amat penting dalam usaha anak-anak buah van Huizen mendapatkan slot automatik ke Sukan Olimpik London 2012.

Penampilan terbaik skuad negara dalam sejarah Sukan Asia hanya setakat membawa pulang pingat gangsa sejak temasya Jakarta (1962), Tehran (1974), Bangkok (1978), New Delhi (1982), Beijing (1990) dan Busan (2002).

Pada perlawanan, semalam, Tengku Ahmad Tengku Abdul Jalil meletakkan Malaysia di depan pada minit ke-32 menerusi jaringan padang, sebelum India bangkit mengatur serangan balas untuk menyamakan kedudukan tiga minit kemudian selepas memperoleh pukulan sudut penalti.

Sandeep Singh mudah melepasi jangkauan penjaga gol, S. Kumar sebelum babak pertama berhenti rehat.
India terus mengasak sebaik babak kedua bermula dengan mempamerkan permainan pantas dan mereka tidak perlu menunggu lama apabila Tushar Kandkar pantas mengambil peluang yang terhidang di depan mata, untuk meletakkan pasukannya mendahului permainan pada minit ke-37.

Tersentak dengan itu, Malaysia kembali mengatur gerakan dan berjaya memperoleh pukulan sudut penalti sebelum Azlan Misron mudah menyempurnakan peluang itu pada minit ke-49 untuk mengikat kedudukan 2-2.
Permainan kembali rancak dengan kedua-dua pasukan saling berbalas serangan dan Malaysia akhirnya dihukum daripada kesilapan kecil di depan gawang apabila pengadil memberikan pukulan sudut penalti kepada lawan. Ketua pasukan India, Raj Pal Singh melakukan tugas dengan baik, apabila menyempurnakan peluang untuk India mendahului Malaysia 3-2.

Ketika bayangan ke babak akhir dilihat pudar, Muhamad Amin kembali menghidupkan saingan, apabila tidak mensia-siakan peluang terhidang menerusi pukulan sudut penalti pada minit ke-67 untuk kedudukan terikat 3-3 sebelum ke masa tambahan.

Malaysia tidak menunggu lama untuk mengesahkan tempat ke perlawanan akhir apabila Muhamad Amin muncul wira menjaringkan gol mutlak daripada pukulan sudut penalti.

“Lega rasanya apabila berjaya melangkah ke final, saya sangat bersyukur kepada Tuhan hari ini (semalam). Memang sudah dijangka ia bakal menjadi satu pertemuan yang sangat sengit dengan India, malah kita juga hampir-hampir kalah jika tidak berjaya mengikat mereka di saat-saat akhir.

“Namun, saya sangat gembira dengan komitmen serta semangat juang pemain kita yang bangkit melawan. Mereka telah menunjukkan satu persembahan yang wajar diberi pujian. Bukan mudah untuk menang dalam pertemuan kalah mati ini, terutamanya dengan India.

“Saya bersyukur kepada Tuhan kerana kita mampu mendapatkan gol kemenangan lima minit selepas masa tambahan. Jika tidak saya rasa pemain kita sudah pasti keletihan dan tidak mungkin mampu menahan kemaraan pemain india. Apa pun saya amat berterima kasih kepada, Beng Hai yang banyak memberi bantuan kepada saya melatih pemain kita.

“Ini semua adalah pemain yang dia kenali dan skuad yang pernah dia kendalikan sebelum ini. Saya hanya melatih saja apa yang sepatutnya kepada pemain,” ujar van Huizen. – Utusan

Malaysia edge India to reach first-ever Asiad hockey final

2010-11-24T10:04:00.000+08:00

The hero: Mohd Amin reels off in delight after scoring the winner in extra time in the semi-final against India at the Aoti Hockey Stadium

MALAYSIA have earned a victory to treasure. Against all odds, they qualified for their first-ever final in Asian Games men’s hockey history by defeating India at the Aoti Hockey Stadium yesterday.
Defender Mohd Amin Rahim’s penalty corner golden goal in the 75th minute of the semi-final match was enough to give Malaysia a 4-3 win.
Malaysia are now just one match away from the gold medal – and a direct ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.

They will take on Pakistan tomorrow. The Pakistanis advanced with a 4-3 penalty shootout win over the South Koreans after both teams were tied at 1-1 after extra time.
The Malaysia-India match was a topsy-turvy one indeed, with both teams taking turns to go ahead.
It was Malaysia who drew first blood with a Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin field goal in the 32nd minute.
Their joy was short-lived as India equalised three minutes later with a penalty conversion by Sandeep Singh.
Then, two minutes into the second half, India took the lead when Tushar Khandker capitalised on a cross, which Amin failed to clear.

Malaysia fought back to draw level in the 49th minute off a penalty corner setpiece. Instead of flicking the ball towards goal, Amin pushed it for Azlan Misron to score his sixth goal of the tournament.
Five minutes later, India regained their lead off their third penalty corner through skipper Rajpal Singh.
With three minutes left on the clock in regulation time, and India up 3-2, not many would have given Malaysia a ghost of a chance to pull level.

But this Malaysian team is made of sterner stuff. They refused to give up and were rewarded with a third penalty corner.
That was the cue for Amin, who beat goalkeeper Bharat Kumar Chetri with a drag flick to take the match into sudden-death extra time.
And five minutes into extra-time, Amin turned hero for Malaysia.
The 30-year-old Amin, who is playing in his third Asian Games, was thrilled to bits to score two very important goals of his career to help Malaysia reach the final.
“I am so happy today as I never thought that I would be the one who will score the goal to take Malaysia into the final,” he said.

“I was under pressure after I allowed the Indian forward (Tushar) to score just after the start of the second half because of poor defending.
“However, I am glad that I made up for my blunder with the equaliser in regulation time and then getting the golden goal.”
Coach Stephen van Huizen was full of praise for his boys’ tremendous fightback.

“The boys never gave up and continued to create chances to salvage the match. The boys played their hearts out and this is the best moment for me in my coaching career,” he said.
“The team came under heavy fire for the poor outing in the Delhi Commonwealth Games last month but today we proved everyone wrong by playing our best to reach the final.

Star

Malaysia in historic final

2010-11-24T10:02:00.002+08:00

MALAYSIA were three minutes away from defeat but Amin Rahim was not about to give up. First, he brought Malaysia level to 3-3 and then hit India with his trademark drag flick in sudden-death extra time as the national team made the Asian Games final for the first time ever at the Aoti Stadium yesterday.

Awaiting them in the final are Pakistan, who upset favourites South Korea 4-3 on penalty strokes after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time.

At stake will be the gold medal and automatic entry to the 2012 London Olympics and Amin is ready to drive the team again.

"I am delighted being the hero for my team.

"I was under pressure after making a mistake, which resulted in India scoring at the start of the second half but I am really glad for making up for my blunder with two goals," said Amin.

Malaysia captain Madzli Ikmar Mohd Nor said everyone played their roles well to earn the historic victory.

"We were patient and played a tactical game to win. It was a tough match as India were also looking at qualifying for the Olympics through the Asian Games.

"I can't describe my happiness right now as being in the final is like a dream for us. It all boiled down to hard work and determination today (yesterday)," said Madzli Ikmar, who has been Malaysia captain since last year.

Malaysia drew first blood in the match through Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Jalil's solo effort after 32 minutes but India's Sandeep Singh levelled proceedings off a penalty corner set-piece three minutes later.

Tushar Khandker took advantage of a defensive mix-up from Amin to put India in the lead off a field attempt in the 37th minute.

However, the young Malaysian team pressed hard and their persistence paid off through Azlan Misron, off a penalty corner set-piece, after 49 minutes.

But five minutes later, captain Rajpal Singh put India in the lead after Malaysia goalkeeper S. Kumar failed to clear the ball cleanly off a penalty corner attempt from Dhananjay Mahadik.

Then came the Amin show

Read more: NST

Penerjun kita kelas dunia

2010-11-24T10:01:00.000+08:00

SHAHIDAN (kiri) dan Mohid (kanan) melihat pingat yang diraih oleh penerjun negara, Pandelela (dua dari kiri) dan Mun Yee semalam.

MESKIPUN akur dengan kehebatan China dalam acara terjun pada Sukan Asia 2010, namun Presiden Kesatuan Renang Amatur Malaysia (ASUM), Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim tetap menganggap penerjun Malaysia telah mencapai tahap dunia.

Alasan Shahidan ialah kerana penerjun negara berada di tempat kedua dalam acara sukan subjektif itu di belakang penerjun-penerjun China yang merupakan juara Sukan Olimpik 2008 serta berstatus juara dunia.
Menurut beliau lagi, jika status China adalah sebagai juara dunia, maka status pe- nerjun Malaysia pula harus dilihat sebagai yang terbaik di Asia.

"Sebenarnya kita memang sukar untuk menandingi kehebatan China yang mempu- nyai juara Olimpik dan juara dunia dalam acara ini," kata Shahidan selepas menyaksi- kan kejayaan Leong Mun Yee dan Pandelela Rinong memenangi pingat perak dalam acara 3 meter papan anjal serentak wanita semalam.
"Kita juga harus berbangga kerana pener- jun kita berada di tempat kedua di belakang penerjun terbaik dunia dari China. Ini membuktikan bahawa penerjun kita juga adalah setaraf dengan penerjun dunia, cuma kalah dari segi kiraan mata yang subjektif dalam sukan ini.

"Jika penerjun China digelar sebagai juara dunia, penerjun kita pula adalah yang ter- baik di Asia," jelasnya penuh semangat.

Shahidan juga mengucapkan penghargaannya kepada Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) dan Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) yang memberi sokongan kepada ASUM dalam pembangunan dan program latihan skuad terjun negara di China selama ini.

Malah, Shahidan yang juga Presiden Kesatuan Olahraga Amatur Malaysia (KOAM) dan Persatuan Kabbadi Malaysia, menyifat- kan segala sokongan yang diberikan itu akhirnya berbaloi dengan kejayaan penerjun negara pada temasya Sukan Asia ini, meskipun kegagalan memenangi emas disebabkan oleh banyak faktor lain.

"Saya mahu mengucapkan penghargaan saya terhadap MSN dan KBS kerana sanggup memberi sokongan dan kepercayaan kepada ASUM dari segi pembangunan skuad terjun negara.

"Malah dengan sokongan Ketua Setiausaha KBS yang baru, Datuk Mohid Moha- med, saya percaya suatu hari nanti segala pengorbanan kerajaan ke atas skuad terjun ini akan membuahkan hasil yang lebih bagus.
"Kita perlu mencari cara lain untuk mengatasi China. Ketika ini kita berlatih di negara mereka dan mempunyai jurulatih dari negara mereka, jadi mereka mungkin sudah tahu setakat mana aspek kehebatan dan kemampuan penerjun kita.

"Inilah sesuatu yang perlu kita fikirkan jika mahu mengalahkan China dalam acara ini dan saya pasti kita dapat mencari penye- lesaiannya jika mendapat sokongan daripada MSN dan KBS," ujarnya lagi.

Coach proud after finishing fifth

2010-11-24T09:59:00.002+08:00

MALAYSIA achieved a milestone in rugby sevens by finishing fifth for the first time in the Asian Games at the University Town Main Stadium yesterday. The team, captained by Nik Safuan Nik Man, turned in a near perfect performance to beat Sri Lanka 27-7 in the fifth-sixth placing match.

Forward K. Dinesvaran was the toast of the team, scoring three tries while Mohd Noor Hafis added another two. Nazreen Nasrudin scored the only conversion.

Earlier, Malaysia failed to match South Korea, going down 47-7, in the quarter-finals. In the fifth-and eight placing match, they thrashed India 38-5 before edging Sri Lanka for fifth place.
"I am proud of my team's performance. We have achieved our target of finishing fifth and this is progress for Malaysian rugby. We must build from this competition for future challenges," said national coach Boon Hoon Hee

Read more: NST

Kuartet pecut negara ke final

2010-11-24T09:54:00.002+08:00

KUARTET 4x100m wanita negara yang diwakili (dari kiri) Nor Jannah, Siti Zubaidah, Nurul Sarah dan Yi Ling layak ke final.

KUARTET 4x100 meter wanita negara mara ke final Sukan Asia 2010 sete- lah menduduki tempat keempat pada saingan separuh akhir di Stadium Utama Aoti malam tadi.
Siti Zubaidah Adabi, Nor Jannah Hafizah Jamaludin, Yee Yi Ling dan Nurul Sarah Abdul Kadir hampir memecah rekod kebangsaan apabila mencatat 45.50 saat bagi melayakkan diri selaku lapan kuartet terbaik ke final, Jumaat ini.

Sebelum ini, rangkaian pelari 4x100m negara ini berjaya mencipta rekod baru kebangsaan apabila mencatatkan masa 45.33 saat pada Grand Prix (GP) Poland, Julai lalu.
Rekod lama adalah 45.37 saat yang dicatat Anita Ali, G. Shanti, Sajaratuldur Hamzah dan Datuk Dr. Mumtaz Jaafar pada Sukan SEA 1989 di Kuala Lumpur.

Namun, Siti Zubaidah dan tiga rakannya itu yakin bahawa mereka mampu untuk memperbaharui rekod 45.33 saat itu pada aksi final nanti.
"Catatan 45.50 saat ini agak baik sebenarnya. Apabila sudah merasai suasana sebenar di stadium hari ini (semalam), saya rasa kami mampu lakukan yang lebih di final kelak," kata Siti Zubaidah ketika ditemui malam tadi.

Bagaimanapun, kuartet wanita negara itu sedikit cemas apabila pelari pertama, Yi Ling diberi dua kali amaran kerana dikata- kan telah melakukan kesilapan di garisan permulaan.
"Saya tidak melakukan kesilapan, pistol yang tak berbunyi sebenarnya. Memang kali ketiga itu saya risau jika penyertaan kami akan dibatal.

"Mujur kami berjaya meneruskan larian dan layak ke final. Kami akan cuba untuk memecahkan rekod kebangsaan pada final nanti," ujar Yi Ling.
Barisan kuartet wanita itu juga tidak menganggap berlari pada waktu malam dalam keadaan cuaca dingin sebagai suatu masalah besar.

Pada saingan separuh akhir pertama semalam, empat kuartet yang layak ke final adalah Thailand, Vietnam, India dan Hong Kong manakala separuh akhir kedua menyaksikan kuartet Jepun, China, Sri Lanka dan Malaysia.

Sementara itu, bagi saingan hari ini, dua atlet negara akan turun beraksi iaitu Noraseela Khalid dalam acara saringan 400m lari berpagar wanita (9.32 pagi) dan Roslinda Samsu dalam final acara lompat bergalah wanita pada pukul 5 petang.

'Ketiadaan pemimpin tidak jejas pemain'

2010-11-24T09:52:00.002+08:00

AHMAD SHABERY (tengah) pada majlis penajaan Kejohanan Badminton Remaja Senheng-Samsung di Dewan Datuk Sidek, Kampung Attap semalam.

KETIADAAN pemimpin tertinggi Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) pada Sukan Asia Ke-16 Guangzhou 2010 sama sekali tidak menjejaskan semangat pemain, lapor RADIAH SAORI.
Itu tegas jurulatih negara, Datuk Misbun Sidek yang percaya, pemain-pemain negara termasuk Datuk Lee Chong Wei tetap bersemangat meskipun tanpa kehadiran Presiden BAM, Datuk Nadzmi Salleh di Guangzhou.

Kelmarin, Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek mendesak agar BAM mencontohi pemimpin-pemimpin persatuan sukan lain termasuklah pemimpin Persekutuan Hoki Malaysia (PHM), Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah serta Sultan Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah yang datang menyaksikan perlawanan membabitkan pasukan negara dan memberi sokongan serta motivasi kepada atlet kebangsaan.
Kenyataan tersebut hadir selepas Chong Wei tewas kepada jaguh tuan rumah, Lin Dan pada perlawanan akhir Ahad lalu.

Begitupun menurut Misbun, ketiadaan Nadzmi tidak mematahkan semangat Chong Wei dan bukanlah faktor kegagalan pemain No. 1 dunia itu di tangan Lin Dan.
"Kegagalan Chong Wei bukan disebabkan ketiadaan pemimpin tertinggi BAM di Guangzhou," kata Misbun ketika menghadiri majlis sidang akhbar penajaan Kejohanan Badminton Remaja Senheng-Samsung di Kuala Lumpur semalam.

"Chong Wei tetap menunjukkan semangat juang tetapi gagal untuk mengatasi lawan yang sememangnya lebih hebat pada malam itu (Ahad).
"Lagi pula, kita semua tahu Presi- den BAM tidak begitu sihat tetapi sebenarnya terdapat beberapa pegawai BAM lain yang turut hadir memberi semangat kepada pemain kita di Guangzhou."
Sementara itu, Senheng dan Samsung tampil untuk membantu pembangunan sukan badminton negara apabila memperuntukkan sejumlah RM1.1 juta untuk Biasiswa Bakat Badminton Senheng-Samsung buat 10 pemain paling berbakat.

Sepuluh pemain bertuah itu akan dipilih daripada 950 pemain yang menyertai Kejohanan Badminton Remaja Senheng-Samsung pada 3 hingga 5 Disember depan.

Asian Games: Malaysia Beat India To Make Historic Final

2010-11-24T09:46:00.001+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- A golden goal by Muhammad Amin Rahim five minutes into extra time saw Malaysia beat India 4-3 and march into their first ever men's hockey Asian Games final since 1958.

The historic win against the former World champion and the recent Commonwealth Games gold medallist, sent the Malaysian camp into a frenzy and opened a new chapter in Malaysian hockey.

Malaysia came from behind twice against the Indians to tie the match at 3-3 in regulation play, forcing the match into sudden-death extra-time.

With the win, the Malaysians who failed to win a medal in Doha four years ago, avenged the 2-3 defeat to India at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games last month.

"The boy's played very well and we did a great job in defence and the penalty corner conversion. The win was a result of solid teamwork...from the goalkeeper S. Kumar to our forwards," said national coach Stephen Van Huizen.

The thrilling match was also witnessed by Sultan Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, Malaysian Hockey Federation president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Malaysian chef-de-mission Datuk Zolkples Embong.

Both teams started the match on a cautious note, playing defensively before the Malaysian's drew first blood through Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Abdul Jalil's 32nd minute strike.

India however, equalized just seconds before the first half when Sandeep Singh's 35th minute penalty corner strike pierced through a stout Malaysian defence.

Two minutes after the breather, Khandker Tushar put India in the lead when he flicked home but it was cancelled out by Azlan Misron, 12 minutes later.

Indian skipper Raj Pal Singh put India ahead once again in the 54th minute by converting a penalty corner but with just three minutes left, Muhamad Amin struck a superb penalty corner to force extra time.

Malaysia's best achievement in the Asian Games was bronze medal win in Busan, South Korea in 2002.

In the final on Thursday, Malaysia will meet Pakistan, who defeated defending champion South Korea 4-3 after a penalty shootout.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia Beat India To Make Historic Final

2010-11-24T09:45:00.002+08:00

Asian Games: Hup Wei's Medal Hopes Fizzle Out

2010-11-24T09:42:00.001+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysian high jump ace Lee Hup Wei's hopes of winning a medal in the Guangzhou Asian Games fizzled out when he failed to reach anywhere near his personal best in the high jump final at the Aoti Main Stadium here Tuesday.

Hup Wei, the National record holder with a height of 2.27m, could only manage 2.15m to finish in ninth place.

The Dengkil-born athlete had cleared 2.15m but decided to omit 2.19m and attempted to clear 2.23m instead but failed.

"Nothing went right today. My runs, approach and jumps were not composed. I could not focus well," he told reporters here today.

Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim took the gold with 2.27m, incidentally the height Hup Wei had cleared before, while Hiromi Takahari from Japan took the silver with 2.23m while Rashidah Al Mannai (Qatar), Huang Haiqiang (CHN) and Vitaliy Tsykunov (Kazakhstan) shared the bronze in an unprecedented finish.

In the Doha Asian Games four years ago, Hup Wei had also managed 2.15m and finished in eighth place while in the New Delhi Commonwealth Games last month, he had cleared 2.23m.

-- BERNAMA

Asian Games: Malaysian Women Spikers Fail To Deliver Bronze

2010-11-24T09:37:00.001+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's women's spikers failed to match the Thais and lost 0-2 in the bronze medal match in the women's beach volleyball event of the 16th Asian Games here Tuesday.

The Malaysian pair, Luk Teck Hua and Beh Shun Thing, who had created history by marching to the first ever semifinals yesterday, were beaten 18-21, 14-21 by Sannok Juranee and Tenpaksee Usa in 39 minutes.

The Thais dominated the match through their sharp service and net play.

Beh said they got a historic breakthrough to the semis for Malaysia.

Four years ago in Doha, Qatar, the Malaysian duo finished in seventh spot.

"No one expected that we could be among the top four. There were so many strong teams such as China, Japan, Thailand and Kazakhstan. We even didn't know whether we could make the semis but we did . But I still feel regret that we didn't get the medal," she told reporters after the match.

In the all Chinese final, Xu Chen/Zhang Xi beat compatriots Huang Ying/Yue Yuen 21-14, 21-13 for the gold.

-- BERNAMA

Asian Games: Malaysian Divers Win Two Silver Medals

2010-11-24T09:35:00.001+08:00

National divers, Leong Mun Yee & Pandalela Rinong while in action. They won silver in the women's 10m platform synchronized diving. Pic: Zid OmarGUANGZHOU, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- National divers added two silver medals to the Malaysian contingent's medal tally through the men's 3m Springboard and women's 10m Platform Synchronized diving at the Aoti Aquatic centre here Tuesday.

Bryan Nickson Lomas, winner of a silver medal from the 10m Platform Synchronized yesterday with Ooi Tze Liang, partnered Yeoh Ken Nee to win the 3m Springboard Synchronized, for his second silver medal of the Games.

Leong Mun Yee who had also won a silver medal yesterday from the 3m Springboard Synchronized with Ng Yan Yee, teamed up with Pandelela Rinong today to clinch the 10m Platform Synchronized event.

Ken Nee-Bryan collected 404.85 while China's gold medal winning pair Luo Yutong-Oin Kai accumulated 459.60 points while South Korea's Park Jiho-Son Seongchel settled for the bronze with 388.26 points.

For Ken Nee, it was his second consecutive silver medal in the Asian Games since he had partnered Rossharisham Roslan to achieve a similar feat at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

"Overall I am satisfied with today's performance. We nailed a tough routine with a high level of difficulty in the fifth dive and that helped us collect high points and boosted our confidence," said Ken Nee.

Meanwhile, Bryan said they knew that the gold medal would be beyond reach since the divers from the host country were simply a class above the rest.

"I and Ken Nee are happy with the performance. We knew we were only competing for the silver but we could have done better," said the 20-year-old diver from Kuching, Sarawak.

Bryan who returned from Doha empty handed, the two silver medals won in Guangzhou would provide a major boost in his career.

-- BERNAMA

Asian Games: 9-gold Target Within Reach - Shabery

2010-11-24T09:28:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek believes Malaysia can still achieve the 9-gold target set for the Guangzhou Asian Games.

Ahmad Shabery said though the Malaysian contingent missed a number of expected gold medals from badminton and women's bowling, hopes remain high in other sports like squash, karate and men's bowling.

"Apart from the three, there is still hope in hockey and diving as Pandelela Rinong may be able to pull off an upset. Whatever it is, we are not giving up hope," he told reporters at the Selangor Badminton Association's Datuk Haji Sidek Hall here Tuesday.

Ahmad Shabery was speaking to reporters after witnessing a sponsorship signing ceremony for the Senheng-Samsung Badminton Junior 2010 and scholarship programme to 10 national back up players, between Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd and Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn Bhd.

Founder and Managing Director of Senheng Electric, Lim Kim Heng signed the sponsorship deal with Samsung Malaysia Electronics Managing Director Yu Jai Sul.

Also present were shuttlers Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong.

Ahmad Shabery said the overall performance of the Malaysian contingent in Guangzhou was positive.

Meanwhile, the Senheng-Samsung Junior Badminton Championships 2010 featuring 50 players will he held from Dec 3-5 at Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Choong Wen, here.

The best 50 players in the championships would be identified to undergo three months of intensive training at the Looi Badminton Academy (LooiBA) here and the top 10 players who excel during the training, will be awarded "Senheng-Samsung Badminton Talent Scholarship" for three years, worth a total of RM1.1 million.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysians In Action At The 16th Asian Games

2010-11-23T11:09:00.001+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Following are Malaysian athletes in action on Tuesday at the 16th Guangzhou Asian Games.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL (Guangzhou Beach Volleyball Centre): Luk Teck Hua, Beh Shun Ting (Women's Bronze medal playoff) -- 6pm.

BOWLING (Tianhe Bowling Alley): Alex Liew, Aaron Kong (Men's Masters) -- 9am and Sharon Koh, Esther Cheah (Women's Masters) -- 2pm.

CYCLING (Venue Triathlon): Nor Azian Alias (Women's Mass start) -- 9am.

HOCKEY (Aoti Hockey Stadium): Men's semifinal - Malaysia vs India -- 5pm.

Cricket (Guanggong Cricket Stadium): Men's Quarterfinal - Malaysia vs Bangladesh -- 9.30am.

KABADDI (Nansha Gymnasium): Men's Group B: Malaysia vs Bangladesh -- 10am and Women's Group A: Malaysia vs Taiwan -- 3pm.

ATHLETICS (Aoti Main Stadium): Lee Hup Wei (Men's High jump final) -- 5pm.

RUGBY (City University Main Stadium): Men's quarterfinal - Malaysia vs South Korea -- 11am.

SQUASH (Sports City Gymnasium): Men's Team - Malaysia vs Japan -- 9.30am, Women's Team - Malaysia vs South Korea -- 9.30am and Men's Team - Malaysia vs India -- 4pm.

DIVING (Aoti Aquatic Centre): Leong Mun Yee, Pandalela Rinong (Women's Synchronized 10m platform) -- 2pm and Yeo Ken Nee, Bryan Nickson Lomas (Men's 3m Synchronized Springboard -- 5pm.

-- BERNAMA

Chong Wei harbours hopes of catching up with Lin Dan

2010-11-23T10:59:00.001+08:00

SHUTTLER Lee Chong Wei is down but not out.

The world No. 1 left Guangzhou for home yesterday with mixed feelings after running out of gas the previous night en route to losing 13-21, 21-15, 10-21 to China’s Lin Dan in a 72-minute battle for the men’s singles gold medal.

The 28-year-old was disappointed with the manner he lost the third game but accepted the defeat graciously.
“I wanted this title as badly as Lin Dan but he played better. It was too difficult to catch up when he opened up a big lead in the decider,” lamented Chong Wei.

He admitted that he still lacked one vital element – mental strength – compared to his arch rival.
“He is better in the psychological part of the game,” said Chong Wei.

“Several times, he tried to break my focus when I was about to serve and I was not too happy about it. Anyway, that is something that I hope to master too.”

On whether he could emulate Lin Dan’s feat by winning all the major titles in the world, Chong Wei said: “I do not think that I will go on losing to Lin Dan forever.

“The defeat here showed that our standard is not too far apart. I can still catch up.”
The Chinese superstar is a three-time world champion and gold medallist of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also has winners’ medals from the All-England, Thomas Cup Finals and Sudirman Cup.

Chong Wei, whose only major crown is the All-England which he won this year, has won more Open titles this year compared to Lin Dan. The Malaysian emerged champion in seven tournaments – Malaysian Super Series and GP Gold, All-England and the Opens in South Korea, Indonesia, Japan and Macau. Lin Dan, who did not compete in many tournaments, won the China Masters and the Asian Championships.
“I believe I would have given him a better fight, just like I did in the Japan Open (final), if I were in better condition and stayed injury-free,” said Chong Wei.

“I only went full swing into training a week before the Asian Games because of my foot problem. Then, I came down with fever.”

Despite the setback, Chong Wei was satisfied with getting the silver in Guangzhou. He was the first Malaysian to reach an Asiad men’s singles final after Punch Gunalan, who won the gold in the 1970 Bangkok Games.
“This is still my best Asian Games outing. It feels good to bring back a silver, especially after the defeat in the team event,” he said.

Chong Wei was beaten by Boonsak Ponsana in the quarter-final tie and Malaysia went on to lose to Thailand for the first time in 30 years.

Chong Wei will not feature in the China Open (Nov 30-Dec 5) and his participation in the Hong Kong Open (Dec 6-12) is also in doubt.

But he said that he would certainly gun for a third consecutive Super Series Masters Finals title in Taiwan (Jan 5-9).

Chong Wei won the last two Finals in the absence of Lin Dan.

Star

Shun Ting, Teck Hua take comfort despite defeat

2010-11-23T10:57:00.001+08:00

IT was a fleeting moment being in the Asian Games semi-finals but nothing can take away the fact that Beh Shun Ting and Luk Teck Hua achieved a historic first for Malaysian beach volleyball at the Asian Games Town in Guangzhou yesterday. Shun Ting and Teck Hua were blown away by China's Huang Ying and Yue Yuan 21-7, 21-13 in an anti-climax to their amazing run to the last four, the first by the pair in a top-level Asian competition.

The Malaysians, however, could not repeat their preliminary round win over the same Chinese pair as nothing went right for them yesterday.

Huang Ying's jump-serves often found the inside of the line and the corners while the Malaysians regularly left gaping space for the host team to find.

Shun Ting and Teck Hua were also having a nightmare at the net and hardly got a block in as the Chinese chose to tap straight-line or diagonally over the net.

Still to beat the Huang Ying-Yue Yuan the first time around and follow up with wins over established Kazakh and Japanese pairs, is a great achievement for Shun Ting and Teck Hua, although they probably wished they gave it more of a fight in the semi-finals.

"This is our best result ever, getting to the semi-finals of the Asian Games. We have never before done better than a bronze at the Sea Games.

"But we had trouble getting to their jump-serves today (yesterday). The speed of their serves took the ball to all corners, the back courts and lines. We couldn't get to the first ball and our movement was a little slow," said a disappointed Shun Ting, 25.

Teck Hua said compared to their first meeting, the Chinese pair made fewer errors this time with their serves.

"The other day they made a lot of mistakes and we took advantage to win. But today (yesterday) they read our play," said Teck Hua, 28.

Still, there is a bronze medal playoff today with Thailand's 2009 Sea Games runners-up Usa Tenpaksee-Jarunee Sannok to look forward to.

"We were not able to block much today because they aimed away from the body so we will have to reduce our mistakes tomorrow (today). We'll be going all out for the bronze and try to take that first point," added Shun Ting.

Read more: NST /

Masih ada harapan

2010-11-23T10:50:00.001+08:00

ALEX LIEW dijulang rakan sepasukan selepas kejayaan meraih pingat emas keenam Malaysia di Guangzhou semalam.

“HARAPAN kita untuk mencapai sasaran masih ada.”
Demikian tegas Ketua Kontinjen Malaysia ke Sukan Asia 2010, Datuk Zolkples Embong mengenai misi membawa pulang sembilan pingat emas pada temasya kali ini yang kini dilihat semakin sukar untuk dicapai.
Menurut Zolkples, meskipun sasaran emas bagi beberapa acara gagal direalisasikan, terutama dalam acara boling, namun Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) itu tetap optimis sasaran sembilan emas masih mampu digenggam dalam temasya di Guangzhou apabila ia melabuhkan tirainya.

“Kita masih ada lagi peluang untuk mencapai sasaran sembilan pingat emas ini meskipun menghadapi kesukaran dalam beberapa acara,” kata Zolkples kepada Kosmo! di Guangzhou semalam.
“Walaupun skuad boling kita terlepas beberapa pingat, namun mereka masih berjaya menyumbang dua pingat. Malah masih ada lagi acara masters di mana dua pemain kita layak ke acara tersebut.

“Kita juga masih mengharapkan dua lagi pingat emas daripada acara skuasy (berpasukan lelaki dan wanita) dan acara karate yang masih belum bermula.
“Jadi kita mungkin mengharapkan sesuatu mampu dijelmakan menerusi atlet karate kita,” katanya.
Sehingga semalam, kontinjen negara telah mengumpul enam pingat emas, terbaru menerusi pemain boling, Alex Liew Kien Liang dalam acara All Events lelaki.

Penyumbang lain ialah atlet wusyu, Chai Fong Ying dalam acara Taijiquan\Taijijian individu, Alex Liew Kien Liang dan Adrian Ang Hsien Loong (boling berpasangan lelaki), Azizulhasni Awang (lumba basikal keirin), Datuk Nicol David (skuasy wanita) dan Mohd. Azlan Iskandar (skuasy lelaki).

Badminton yang diramalkan mampu menyumbang dua emas juga gagal melakukannya.
“Sebenarnya kita sudah boleh menghampiri sasaran seandainya pemain badminton kita tidak kalah dalam dua aksi final baru-baru ini,” jelas Zolkples.

“Kita tidak boleh buat apa-apa selain mengharapkan kejutan dalam beberapa acara seperti sepak takraw, hoki dan mungkin boling (masters) selepas ini. Mereka juga masih boleh diletakkan harapan walaupun agak tipis.

“Begitupun, kita tidak akan berputus asa. Selagi peluang masih ada biarpun dilihat semakin sukar setiap hari, namun selagi tirai Sukan Asia di Guangzhou ini belum dilabuhkan, perjuangan kita masih belum berakhir,” katanya penuh yakin.

Malaysia Edge Closer To Asian Games Target After Winning Sixth Gold

2010-11-23T10:48:00.001+08:00

From Zulhilmi Supaat

GUANGZHOU, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia edged closer to the nine-gold medal target when kegler Alex Liew contributed the country's sixth gold medal from the men's All-events at the Tianhe Bowling Hall here Monday.

The gold medal on Monday which was Alex Liew's second personal gold medal of the Asian Games (won the men's doubles with Adrian Ang) plus another three silver and a bronze medal, saw Malaysia move up to ninth spot in the overall medal tally on day 11.

Alex Liew's gold provided a measure of consolation for the Malaysian camp that lost expected gold medals at the badminton courts through the men's doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Datuk Lee Chong Wei in the men's singles.

Apart from the gold, Alex Liew also helped the men's team comprising Adrian Ang, Aaron Kong, Muhammad Aiman Khairuddin and Muhd Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek, to win the silver medal.

National divers splashed their way to two silver medals in the women's 3M Synchronized Springboard through Leong Mun Yee and Ng Yan Yee before Bryan Nickson Lomas and Ooi Tze Liang provided another silver lining from the 10M Synchronized Platform diving.

Meanwhile, Esther Cheah, Sharon Koh, Zandra Aziela Ibrahim Hakimi, Shalin Zulkifli, Zatil Iman Abdul Ghani and Sin Li Jane could only manage a bronze medal from the women's team event.

With the gold, three silver and a bronze collected Monday, Malaysia's overall medal tally reached 6 gold, 11 silver, 8 bronze and moved up a notch from yesterday's 10th spot to take up ninth place.

India in eighth spot also have six gold medals but have a better silver medal count.

Host China however, had no peers within their sight after piling up 154 gold, 77 silver, 73 bronze, a good 93 gold medals more than second placed South Korea who have managed 61 gold, 51 silver, 66 bronze while Japan remain third with a 32-59-67 tally.

On Tuesday, the bowling alley will also be the focus of the Malaysian camp when Alex Liew and Aaron Kong feature in the men's Masters Event while Sharon Koh and Esther Cheah see action in the Women's Masters.

Hockey fans at home and in Guangzhou will be also hoping for the hockey boys who take on India in the semifinal, to pull of a pleasant upset and enhance their gold medal hopes.

In athletics, Lee Hup Wei who features in the men's high jump would be hoping to win the country's first medal from track and field events.

Squash players who contributed two gold medals in the individual events would also be in action Tuesday when the team events open kick off.

-- BERNAMA

Chong Wei's Defeat At Asiad Should Be Viewed Seriously, Says Ahmad Shabery

2010-11-23T10:47:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek will hold discussions with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) on its training and development programmes following Datuk Lee Chong Wei's defeat in the singles final on Sunday at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

He said Chong Wei's defeat on Sunday should be taken seriously and that BAM should follow the example of leaders of other sports associations who were at the matches involving their teams to support and spur them on.

"We don't want our badminton to drop in world ranking," Ahmad Shabery told reporters at the Parliament lobby Monday.

He said the BAM leadership should emulate the Malaysian Hockey Federation where the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah, Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah and Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah were present to give moral support to the Malaysian hockey squad competing in the ongoing 16th Asian Games.

Ahmad Shabery said their presence had made a big impact on the squad who garnered the same points with defending champions South Korea after four matches in Group A, where they beat China to move into the semi-finals of the men's hockey event.

He said the defeat of Chong Wei, the world number one and All-England champion, to China's Lin Dan on Sunday meant Malaysia failed to end the 40-year gold drought in the singles at the Games.

The minister said he would also be gathering information from the leaders, officials and committee members of the other sports organisations who were present at the Asian Games on what they had done for their athletes to perform well.

Asked whether Malaysia could win more gold medals in the other events, he was confident that the athletes would be able to perform well like they did at the recent Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India.

-- BERNAMA

'Pemimpin sukan tak ambil berat'

2010-11-23T10:46:00.001+08:00

CHONG WEI tewas kepada Lin Dan dari China pada final acara badminton perseorangan lelaki Sukan Asia 2010 di Guangzhou, China kelmarin.

MENTERI Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek akan mengadakan perbincangan dengan Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) mengenai program pembangunan dan latihan skuad badminton negara ekoran kekala- han Datuk Lee Chong Wei pada Sukan Asia di Guangzhou, China kelmarin.
Katanya, kegagalan Chong Wei perlu diambil serius dan BAM harus mencontohi pemimpin-pemimpin persatuan sukan lain yang datang menyaksikan perlawanan membabitkan pasukan negara dan memberi sokongan serta motivasi kepada atlet kebangsaan.

"Kita tidak mahu ranking sukan badminton kita jatuh pada kedu- dukan yang rendah," katanya kepada pemberita di lobi Parlimen semalam.

Barisan kepimpinan BAM perlu mencontohi Persekutuan Hoki Malaysia (PHM) apabila pemimpin sukan hoki negara, iaitu Sultan Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah; Sultan Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah dan Tengku Mahkota Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah hadir menyaksikan serta memberi semangat dan motivasi kepada pasukan hoki Malaysia pada Sukan Asia Ke-16.

Kehadiran mereka memberi impak yang besar kepada skuad kebangsaan sehingga pasukan kebangsaan memperoleh keputusan seri dengan Korea Selatan dan menewaskan pasukan China, seterusnya mara ke pusingan sepa- ruh akhir.

Ketika mengulas kekalahan Chong Wei, Ahmad Shabery berkata: "Kekalahan pemain No. 1 dunia itu kepada Lin Dan dari China pada perlawanan akhir sekali gus gagal mengakhiri kemarau 40 tahun pingat emas dalam acara perseorangan."

Selain badminton, beliau juga akan mendapatkan maklumat mengenai berapa ramai pemimpin, pengurus dan ahli jawatankuasa persatuan-persatuan sukan lain yang hadir di Sukan Asia dan apakah perkara yang dilakukan oleh mereka dalam memastikan skuad kebangsaan berjaya dalam acara sukan yang disertai di sana.

Ahmad Shabery yakin atlet Malaysia dapat menyumbang beberapa pingat emas lagi dalam acara-acara sukan yang lain sama seperti yang ditunjukkan atlet kebangsaan pada temasya Sukan Komanwel di New Delhi, India bulan lepas. - Bernama

Boling wanita akhiri saingan dengan pingat gangsa

2010-11-23T10:44:00.001+08:00

SKUAD boling wanita negara terus hambar apabila gagal mempertahankan pingat emas acara lima sepasukan yang dimenangi mereka empat tahun lalu.

Pada saingan Sukan Asia 2010 yang berlangsung di Dewan Boling Tianhe, Guangzhou petang semalam, barisan pemain wanita negara sekadar meraih pingat gangsa di belakang Korea Selatan dan Indonesia.
Kelmarin, pasukan negara yang dibarisi Esther Cheah, Sharon Koh, Shalin Zulkifli, Zatil Iman Abdul Ghani dan Zandra Aziela Ibrahim Hakimi menamatkan blok pertama di kedudukan ketiga.

Mereka cuba memperbaiki kedudukan pada blok kedua petang semalam tetapi Korea Selatan terus unggul untuk meraih pingat emas dengan 6,711 jatuhan pin diikuti Indonesia (6,340) dan Malay- sia (6,295).
Jurulatih boling negara, Hollo- way Cheah berkata, beliau akan menyusun semula program latihan selepas pulang ke tanah air nanti berikutan kegagalan skuad wanita beraksi cemerlang sepanjang di Guangzhou.
"Prestasi mereka di Sukan Asia 2010 ini tidaklah teruk sangat tetapi punca utama adalah pasukan lain telah menunjukkan peningka- tan.

"Kita akan kaji semula program latihan untuk memastikan skuad boling negara dapat kembali bangkit pada saingan akan datang," katanya ketika ditemui petang semalam.
Ini merupakan pingat pertama berjaya disumbang barisan pemain boling wanita negara di Guangzhou setelah mereka gagal meraih sebarang pingat dalam acara individu, berpasangan dan trio sebelum ini.
Shalin pula berkata: "Kami sudah cuba sedaya upaya untuk kejar kedudukan emas atau perak. Tetapi semalam (kelmarin) Korea Selatan dan Indonesia sudah mendahului jauh pada blok pertama.
"Kita terlalu bergantung kepada Esther untuk mengutip banyak mata. Sepatutnya kena ada seorang lagi seperti Esther barulah kita mampu meraih kedudukan lebih baik."

Sepanjang enam permainan acara lima sepasukan itu, Esther menyumbang 1,435 jatuhan pin diikuti Sharon (1,243), Zandra (1,215), Zatil (1,213) dan Shalin (1,189).
Untuk kedudukan All Events, tiada pemain negara berjaya meraih pingat dengan pemain terbaik hanyalah Esther di tempat kela- pan dan Sharon kesembilan, sekali gus melayakkan mereka berdua ke saingan Masters hari ini.

Alex Liew mengganas lagi

2010-11-23T10:43:00.001+08:00

ALEX tampil hebat untuk meraih pingat emas dalam acara All Events semalam.

PEMAIN boling negara, Alex Liew menghadirkan pingat emas keenam buat kontinjen Malaysia pada Sukan Asia Ke-16 Guangzhou 2010 semalam.

Dia mengumpul jumlah jatuhan pin tertinggi All Events selepas berakhirnya acara lima sepasukan lelaki semalam.

Namun, pingat emas berganda yang diharapkan tidak kesampaian apabila Malaysia sekadar meraih pingat perak acara lima sepasukan yang berlangsung di Dewan Boling Tianhe, Guangzhou itu.
Alex mengumpul 5,448 jatuhan pin dalam acara individu, berpasangan, trio dan lima sepasukan untuk mengatasi dua pemain Korea Selatan, Yong Kyu Choi dan Bok Eum Choi yang masing-masing meraih perak dan gangsa dengan 5,441 dan 5,431 jatuhan pin.

"Kejayaan memenangi pingat emas All Events memang cukup istimewa bagi diri saya. Begitupun, saya tetap kecewa apabila gagal meraih pingat emas dalam acara berpasukan.
"Apa pun saya kini mahu memberi tumpuan kepada acara Masters esok (hari ini) kerana saya dan Aaron Kong berjaya melayakkan diri.

"Susah nak cakap sama ada saya boleh meraih pingat emas dalam acara Masters.
"Keyakinan memang ada tetapi saya cuma harap dapat kekalkan mo- mentum terbaik ini," kata Alex ketika ditemui semalam.

Pada Rabu lepas, Alex menghadiahkan pingat emas ketiga kontinjen Malaysia menerusi gandingannya bersama Adrian Ang dalam acara berpasangan lelaki.
Bagi acara lima sepasukan semalam, Malaysia yang berjaya mendahului dalam tiga permainan awal pada blok pertama, memulakan permainan keempat dengan baik.
Namun, mereka gagal mengekalkan prestasi tersebut pada permainan kelima dan keenam, sekali gus terpaksa merelakan pingat emas menjadi milik Korea Selatan yang mengumpul keseluruhan 6,654 jatuhan pin.
Malaysia sekadar mengumpul 6,579 jatuhan pin manakala gangsa menjadi milik Hong Kong dengan 6,475 jatuhan pin.

Selain Alex, empat lagi pemain yang menganggotai skuad lima sepasukan lelaki negara itu ialah Adrian Ang, Aaron Kong, Nur Aiman Khairuddin dan Syafiq Ridhuan Abdul Malek.
Jurulatih boling negara, Holloway Cheah berkata: "Jika Alex dapat buat dou- ble strike dalam permainan terakhir, mungkin emas boleh jadi milik kita. Tetapi saya tahu mereka semua sudah buat yang terbaik.
"Apa pun saya tetap posi- tif untuk acara Masters lelaki dan wanita esok (hari ini). Jika pemain fokus sepenuhnya, emas tetap akan datang."

Terjun sumbang dua perak

2010-11-23T10:41:00.001+08:00

BRYAN Lomas (kiri) dan Tze Liang menyumbangkan pingat perak dalam acara terjun 10 meter platform serentak semalam.

TURUN beraksi bersama gandi- ngan yang berbeza dalam tiga Sukan Asia berturut-turut, penerjun negara, Leong Mun Yee tetap gembira meskipun hanya menghadiahkan pingat perak kepada Malaysia dalam acara 3 meter papan anjal serentak wanita semalam.

Dalam saingan yang berlangsung di Pusat Akuatik Aoti, Guangdong itu, Mun Yee yang berpasangan dengan Ng Yan Yee, beraksi cemerlang dengan mengumpul 279.90 mata, namun masih gagal menyaingi kehebatan penerjun tuan rumah, China Shi Tingmao dan Wang Shan yang mengumpul 315.60 mata untuk memenangi pingat emas.

Pingat gangsa pula menjadi milik pasangan dari Jepun, Mai Nakagawa dan Sayaka Shibusawa setelah mengumpul 277.50 mata.
"Ini adalah kali ketiga saya me- menangi pingat dalam Sukan Asia, tetapi pingat perak di China ini adalah yang pertama buat saya," kata Mun Yee semalam.

"Sebelum ini saya memenangi gangsa ketika berpasangan dengan Farah Begum (Abdullah) di Busan pada 2002 dan di Doha (2006) saya berpasangan dengan Elizabeth Jimie.
"Saya tetap gembira walaupun hanya memenangi perak kerana saingan di Sukan Asia Guangzhou kali ini sangat hebat. Yan Yee juga beraksi dengan baik dan walaupun kami jarang sekali berlatih dalam acara ini, namun persembahannya tadi (semalam) sudah cukup baik," katanya lagi.
Pada Sukan SEA 2009 di Laos, gandingan Mun Yee dan Yan Yee menghadiahkan pingat emas kepada kontinjen negara.

Begitupun, pasangan negara ini hampir-hampir terlepas pingat Sukan Asia, namun nasib masih menyebelahi mereka apabila berjaya memintas pasangan Jepun pada terjunan ketiga.
Mun Yee menjelaskan bahawa dia kini akan menumpukan perhatian pada dua acara kegemarannya iaitu acara 1m papan anjal individu esok dan 3m papan anjal Jumaat ini.

Pingat perak kedua acara terjun semalam disumbangkan oleh pasangan lelaki, Bryan Nickson Lomas dan Ooi Tze Liang menerusi acara 10 meter platform serentak.
Bryan dan Tze Liang mengumpul 407.16 mata menerusi enam terjunan.
Pingat emas sudah pasti menjadi milik tuan rumah, China menerusi gandingan Yang Liguang dan Zhou Luxin yang mengumpul 486.57 mata manakala gangsa dimenangi pasangan Korea Sela- tan, Kim Jin-yong dan Oh Yi-taek dengan 394.08 mata.

Bryan, 20, menyifatkan kejayaan memenangi pingat adalah satu bonus buat dirinya dan Tze Liang, 17, selepas tidak menetap- kan sebarang sasaran pingat dalam acara tersebut.
Lebih manis ia adalah pingat pertama buat dirinya dalam dua penampilan di Sukan Asia sele- pas pulang tangan kosong dari Doha empat tahun lalu.

Hoki: Malaysia mara ke separuh akhir

2010-11-23T10:39:00.001+08:00

PEMAIN-PEMAIN hoki negara meraikan kejayaan melangkah ke separuh akhir semalam selepas menewaskan China 4-2 semalam.

SKUAD hoki negara berjaya 'merobohkan' tembok besar China selepas menang 4-2 pada aksi terakhir Kumpulan A, sekali gus mara ke separuh akhir acara hoki lelaki Sukan Asia 2010 di Stadium Hoki Aoti, Guangdong semalam.
Pada aksi terakhir yang dianggap penentu kepada siapa yang bakal menjadi naib juara Kumpulan A itu, skuad kendalian Ste- phen van Huizen turun dengan misi untuk memburu satu mata bagi menjamin tempat ke separuh akhir.

Dengan mempamerkan semangat juang yang tinggi, skuad negara bukan saja berjaya mereali- sasikan misi tersebut, malah turut berjaya memenangi tiga mata berharga ke atas tuan rumah yang menerima sokongan padu di hada- pan peminat mereka sendiri.
Hasil kejayaan muncul naib juara, Malaysia dijadualkan berdepan juara Kumpulan B, India pada separuh akhir petang esok.

"Kita tidak kisah dengan siapa lawan kita tetapi kita tetap menghormati India kerana mereka ber- aksi di Piala Dunia dan meme- na- ngi pingat perak pada Sukan Komanwel baru-baru ini," kata van Huizen semalam.
"Mereka adalah pasukan yang bagus dan kita akan turun sebagai underdog pada aksi separuh akhir.
"Kini misi untuk layak ke sepa- ruh akhir telah berjaya ditunaikan dan kita hanya perlu memberi tumpuan terhadap perlawanan seterusnya," ujarnya.

Kali terakhir Malaysia layak ke separuh akhir adalah pada temasya 2002 di Busan, Korea Selatan ketika skuad pimpinan Mirnawan Nawawi itu memenangi gangsa.
Kini, skuad hoki negara berjaya menebus kegagalan di Doha empat tahun lalu apabila hanya mampu menduduki tempat keenam.

"Peluang masih ada untuk menang tetapi kita harus perbaiki lagi kelemahan yang ada.
"Di bahagian serangan kita agak baik, cuma bahagian pertahanan yang perlu diperkemaskan lagi.
"Saya akan cuba pastikan semua ini diatasi sebelum menentang India nanti," katanya.
Pada aksi semalam, skuad negara mendahului 1-0 hasil jaringan pakar sudut penalti, Muhd. Amin Rahim pada minit ketiga.

Bagaimanapun, China menyamakan kedudukan 1-1 hasil jaringan sudut penalti, Liu Yixian pada minit ke-13.
Begitupun, Malaysia kembali mendahului 2-1 menerusi Faizal Saari pada minit ke-18 dan keputu- san tersebut kekal sehingga tamat separuh masa pertama.

China bagaimanapun bangkit garang pada babak kedua dengan menyamakan kedudukan 2-2 hasil jaringan Na Yubo pada minit ke- 36.
Namun, Hafifihafiz Hanafi meletakkan Malaysia 3-2 hasil set-piece menarik daripada pukulan sudut penalti yang ditolak kemas Amin Rahim pada minit ke-41.
China akhirnya terpaksa menyerah kalah apabila Azlan Misron meletakkan Malaysia selesa di depan 4-2 hasil serangan balas pada minit ke-66.

"Saya berpuas hati dengan komitmen pemain kita. Ini adalah aksi terbaik selepas berdepan Korea Selatan.
"Memang pada awalnya pemain agak gementar kerana bimbang tersingkir daripada saingan, namun mereka berjaya menunjukkan semangat juang yang tinggi.

"Ia amat membanggakan saya dan sudah pasti seluruh rakyat Malaysia pun berbangga," kata van Huizen.

GLCs, Private Companies Urged To Make Sports Champions Company Icons

2010-11-23T10:38:00.000+08:00

MELAKA, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- More government-linked and private companies should adopt Malaysian sports champions to be their icons, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

He said having a sports icon would be an added selling point for the company concerned.

He told this to reporters after visiting national wushu exponent Chai Fong Ying, 24, who contributed Malaysia's first gold at the ongoing Guangzhou Asian Games, at her home in Taman Tamby Chik, Batu Berendam here Sunday.

Ahmad Shabery said if more GLCs and private companies came forward to adopt high performing athletes, it would further help sports development in the country.

"The government already has a reward scheme for such athletes whereby incentives of RM80,000 for a gold medal, RM40,000 for silver and RM20,000 for bronze and others are given if they are won at international meets like the Asian Games," he said.

He added that the government was also always looking at ways and means of helping athletes so as to ensure their welfare is taken care of.

On Malaysia's target at the Guongzhou Games, Ahmad Shabery said he was optimistic that the national contingent would achieve the nine-gold target set for it.

Malaysia have won five gold as of 7pm today, Day 10 of the Games.

-- BERNAMA

Kejutan daripada bola tampar pantai

2010-11-23T10:37:00.001+08:00

TECK HUA (kanan) tenang menyambut asakan lawan pada aksi menentang China dalam acara bola tampar pantai wanita semalam.Pasangan Malaysia menang 21-19, 21-15.

PASANGAN atlet bola tampar pantai negara, Beh Shun Thing dan Luk Teck Hua berazam untuk menghadiahkan pingat kepada negara selepas mencipta kejutan dengan melangkah ke separuh akhir kate- gori wanita yang berlangsung di gelanggang bola tampar Bandar Sukan Asia petang semalam.
Shun Thing dan Teck Hua mempamerkan persembahan bertenaga apabila mudah mengalahkan pasangan Jepun, Takemi Nishiburi/Urata Satoko 2-0 (21-15, 29-27).

Kedua-dua pemain negara itu akan berdepan pasangan tuan rumah, China, Huang Ying dan Yin Yuen pada sepa- ruh akhir petang ini dengan hajat untuk mara ke final temasya Sukan Asia buat kali pertama, sekali gus menghadiahkan kilauan pingat buat kali pertama kepada Malaysia dalam acara ini.
“Sudah pasti kami gembira kerana berjaya mara ke sepa- ruh akhir. Siapa sangka kami akan mara sejauh ini pada temasya Sukan Asia di China,” kata Shun Thing semalam.

“Memang bukan mudah untuk mara ke separuh akhir, apatah lagi melangkah ke final. Tetapi kami akan cuba untuk melakukannya esok (hari ini) dan jika kami mengulangi aksi sepeti hari ini (semalam), mungkin tidak musthail hajat ini dapat direalisasikan.

“Namun, kami juga perlu memperbaiki lagi prestasi. Bukan mudah menentang China di tempat sendiri tetapi kami telah buktikan yang kami mampu menang ke atas mereka (China) di peringkat kumpulan, jadi ia bergantung pada hari perlawanan itu nanti,” katanya lagi mengenai kejayaan menumbangkan pilihan kedua dari China, Huang Ying-Yue Yuean 15-21, 21-17, 15-12 dalam saingan Kumpulan B.
Sementara itu, Teck Hua pula mengakui mereka mendapat tentangan sengit daripada pasangan Jepun, terutama pada set kedua.

“Kami beraksi cemerlang pada set pertama tetapi mula hilang fokus pada set kedua.
“Mujurlah kami berjaya mententeramkan diri dan memberi fokus pada mata penentuan tersebut.”
“Jika kami mahu layak ke final dan mencatat sejarah memenangi pingat pada Sukan Asia, kami perlu memperbaiki lagi kelemahan dari segi mental,” kata Teck Hua.

Ini adalah penampilan kedua Malaysia dalam acara bola tampar pantai sejak ia diperkenalkan pada temasya ini pada 1998, malah dalam kedua- dua penyertaan itu, skuad negara berjaya layak ke suku akhir.
Pada temasya di Doha, Qatar empat tahun lalu, Shun Thing, 25, berpasangan dengan kakak Teck Hua, Luk Teck Eng dan mereka sekadar menduduki tempat ketujuh keseluruhan.

Nicol mudah genggam emas

2010-11-23T10:36:00.001+08:00

NICOL menepati ramalan meraih pingat emas acara skuasy individu wanita pada Sukan Asia 2010 di Guangzhou, China semalam.

KEMARAU tiga hari kontinjen Malaysia tanpa pingat emas berakhir petang semalam setelah ratu skuasy negara, Datuk Nicol Ann David menepati ramalan untuk muncul juara pada final acara individu wanita di Gimna- sium Bandar Sukan Asia, Guangzhou.

Emas keempat kontinjen negara bagi Sukan Asia 2010 itu berjaya diperoleh setelah Nicol menewaskan Annie Au Wing Chi dari Hong Kong 11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 dalam masa 39 minit.
"Ia sesuatu yang menakjub- kan apabila berjaya meraih pingat emas buat Malaysia. Tekanan untuk menang memang ada tetapi menerusi kerja keras dan juga latihan, saya akhirnya berjaya.

"Saya telah menghadapi satu perlawanan yang agak sengit pada hari ini (semalam). Ia bukan satu kemena- ngan yang mudah," kata Nicol ketika ditemui selepas upacara penyampaian pingat semalam.

Nicol turut mencipta sejarah tersendiri apabila menjadi pemain skuasy pertama yang berjaya meraih pingat pada keempat-empat temasya sele- pas skuasy diperkenalkan di Sukan Asia pada 1998.
Sebelum ini, Nicol menang emas pada Sukan Asia 1998, 2006 dan 2010.

NICOL (kanan) menepati ramalan menggengam pingat emas acara skuasy individu wanita semalam.

Pada temasya 2002 di Busan, Korea Selatan Nicol sekadar meraih perak setelah tewas kepada Rebecca Chiu dari Hong Kong pada final.

Menurut Nicol, tumpuannya kini dialih pula untuk membantu Malaysia meraih pingat emas dalam acara berpasukan wanita yang akan bermula hari ini apabila Malaysia bertemu Jepun.
"Misi kami belum berakhir lagi. Saya kini mahu memburu pula pingat emas dalam acara berpasukan yang pertama kali diperkenalkan pada Sukan Asia," jelasnya.

Asian Games: Mohd Azlan Iskandar Won Malaysia's Fifth Gold Medal

2010-11-23T10:35:00.001+08:00

GUANGZHOU, 21 Nov (Bernama) -- National squash player Mohd Azlan Iskandar won Malaysia's fifth gold medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China Sunday after defeating Pakistan's Aamir Atlas Khan 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 at the finals of men's singles.

-- BERNAMA

Datuk Nicol Ann David Won Malaysia's Fourth Gold Medal

2010-11-23T10:34:00.006+08:00

GUANGZHOU, 21 Nov (Bernama) -- Squash queen Datuk Nicol Ann David won Malaysia's fourth gold medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China Sunday after beating Hong Kong's Annie Au 11-8,8-11,11-6,11-7 at the finals of women's singles.

Chong Wei tumbang

2010-11-23T10:34:00.004+08:00

LEE CHONG WEI tewas kepada Lin Dan pada final manakala gandingan Kien Keat dan Boon Heong juga terlepas emas beregu.

HASRAT jaguh badminton negara, Datuk Lee Chong Wei untuk menumbangkan Lin Dan di bumi kelahiran pemain China itu tidak kesampaian malam tadi.

Pada aksi final acara perseorangan lelaki Sukan Asia 2010 di Gimnasium Tianhe, Guangzhou, Chong Wei tewas 13-21, 21-15, 10-21 dalam pertarungan sengit selama 72 minit.

Ia sekali gus menyebabkan kontinjen negara kempunan meraih pingat emas keenam setelah dua jaguh skuasy negara, Datuk Nicol Ann David dan Mohamad Azlan Iskandar menghadiahkan dua emas dalam acara masing-masing.

Bagi Chong Wei, kekalahan tersebut menyebabkan dia gagal mencipta sejarah menjadi pemain Malaysia kedua berjaya memena- ngi pingat emas acara itu setelah Datuk Punch Gunalan melakukannya pada 1970.

Chong Wei ketika ditemui selepas upacara penyampaian pingat malam tadi berkata, ketika ketinggalan jauh pada awal set ketiga, ia telah meragut impiannya untuk mencipta kemenangan.
"Saya sudah cuba yang terbaik tetapi pada set ketiga, Lin Dan berjaya mematikan permainan saya lebih awal apabila dia sudah mendahului dengan selesa.

"Saya paksa diri untuk kejar semula pungutan mata tetapi semuanya tidak menjadi. Apa pun saya patut rasa puas hati dengan pencapaian pingat perak ini.

"Dengan kecederaan belakang yang dialami sebelum ini, tempoh latihan saya sedikit terganggu dan kekjayaan mara sehingga final Sukan Asia ini sudah boleh dianggap terbaik," katanya.
Setelah tewas set pertama dalam masa 27 minit, Chong Wei bangkit memenangi set kedua dalam masa 20 minit.

Namun, Lin Dan nyata lebih hebat apabila berjaya mengungguli set ketiga sebelum menamatkannya dalam tempoh 25 minit.
Tambah Chong Wei: "Untuk Sukan Asia 2014, saya tak pasti akan main lagi atau tidak. Mungkin saya akan beri peluang kepada pemain junior untuk beraksi."

Di Doha empat tahun lalu, Chong Wei hanya meraih pingat gangsa setelah tewas kepada jaguh Indonesia, Taufik Hidayat pada separuh akhir.
Buat Lin Dan pula, pingat emas yang dimenanginya malam tadi berjaya mengubat kekecewaan tewas kepada Taufik pada aksi final Sukan Asia 2006.

Secara keseluruhannya, skuad badminton negara kali ini gagal menyumbangkan sebarang pingat emas pada Sukan Asia 2010 dan sasaran dua emas gagal dicapai.

Mereka hanya berpuas hati dengan dua perak yang diperoleh menerusi Chong Wei (perseorangan lelaki) dan gandingan Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong dalam acara beregu lelaki.
Untuk menambahkan lagi derita skuad badminton negara, mereka turut kecundang dalam acara berpasukan.

Asian Games: Koo/Tan Fail To Defend Doha Title

2010-11-23T10:32:00.003+08:00

GUANGZHOU, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- World number one duo, Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong failed to defend their title after losing out in a rubber-set to Indonesian pair Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan in the men's doubles final of the 16th Asian Games at the Tianhe Sports Centre, here Saturday.

After winning the first set 21-16, the Malaysians lost the second 24-26 before bowing out 19-21 in the rubber-set.

Koo said he was satisfied with the silver because he and Tan had given their best in the final.

"Unfortunately, we failed to defend our title and deliver the gold in the men's doubles competition," he told reporters here Saturday night.

In an earlier match, world number one men's singles, Datuk Lee Chong Wei booked a final berth on Sunday and will face world champion, Lin Dan of China in the men' singles event.

Chong Wei, the 2010 All-England champion, beat current world champion Chen Jin 14-21, 21-15, 21-7 in today's semifinal while in the other semis, Olympic champion Lin Dan defeated Park Sunghwan of South Korea in straight sets of 21-14, 21-10.

The Malaysian said he lost the first set because he just followed Chen Jin's tempo.

"The second set became the turning point and after leading the world champion, I got back my confidence and won the second and rubber set," he told reporters.

He added that he was quite excited to be playing in his first Asiad final and hopes to secure the gold as this might be last Asian Games outing.

-- BERNAMA

Asian Games: Malaysian Sailors Bag Two Silver, One Bronze

2010-11-23T10:31:00.002+08:00

Zulhilmi Supaat

GUANGZHOU, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Protests raised by almost all the competing countries, including Malaysia asking the jury to cancel wins obtained by China's competitors for using oar-shaped rudders went unheeded causing Malaysia to end up with only two silver and a bronze in sailing events.

Malaysia's sailing team manager Mohd Affendy Abdullah said wind speeds of around three to four knots today, the final day of the sailing competition in the 16th Asian Games here, also affected the performance of most teams.

"However, the oar-shaped rudders gave the hosts' competitors a distinct advantage in the absence of winds," he told Bernama when met at the Shanwei Water Sports Centre, the venue for the sailing events, which is a five-hour journey by road from here.

Altogether, the national squad captured two silver and a bronze in the sailing events, which began on Monday.

Khairunnisa Mohd Affendy/Norashikin Sayed won Malayia's first silver in the Women's Double Handed Dinghy 420 after they tallied 27 demerit points.

Singapore's Rachel Lee Qing Sin/ Cecilia Low took the gold (12.0 demerit points) while China's Wei Mengxi/Goa Haiyan the bronze (32 demerits points).

In sailing, the competitors with the lowest demerit points are adjudged the winners.

The second silver came from Ahmad Latif Khan Ali Sabri Khan in the Men's Dinghy Optimist after he collected 30 demerit points.

China's Zhang Xiaotian (CHN) won the gold (27.0) while Singapore's Ryan Lo Jun Han (SIN) took the bronze (34.0)

The pair of Ku Zamil Ku Anas/Mohamad Hafizuddin Mazelan contributed a bronze after collecting 39 demerit points in the Men's Double Handed Dinghy 420.

The gold in this event was won by the Singaporean pair of Liu Xiamen Justin/Cleng Feng Yuan (17.5) while South Korean pair Lee Sangmin/Yang Hoyoeb took the silver (34.2).

-- BERNAMA

Shun Ting-Teck Hua terus mara

2010-11-23T10:30:00.003+08:00

AKSI Shun Ting (kiri) dan Teck Hua ketika menentang Kazakhstan pada pusingan kedua acara bola tampar pantai wanita semalam.

GANDINGAN Beh Shun Ting-Luk Teck Hua mara ke peringkat suku akhir acara bola tampar pantai wanita Sukan Asia 2010.
Pada aksi pusingan kedua semalam, Shun Ting-Teck Hua menewaskan gandingan pertama Kazakhstan, Irina Tsimbalova-Tatyna Mashkov dengan 21-19 dan 21-15 dalam tempoh 38 minit.

Irina-Tatyana merupakan naib juara Kejohanan Bola Tampar Asia di Haiku, China Julai lalu di mana Malaysia hanya menamatkan saingan di tempat kesembilan.

"Corak permainan mereka (Shun Ting-Teck Hua) lebih baik hari ini (semalam).
"Ini adalah pencapaian terbaik mereka pada Sukan Asia. Sekiranya berjaya melangkah masuk ke peringkat separuh akhir, ia adalah bonus kepada pemain-pemain kita," kata jurulatih negara, Lim Poh Hong.
Shun Ting-Teck Hua yang diletakkan sebagai pilihan ke-11 akan bertemu gandingan kedua Jepun yang juga pilihan ketiga, Satoko Urata-Takemi Nashibori pada aksi suku akhir.
Menyentuh mengenai pertemuan peringkat suku akhir hari ini, Poh Hong berkata, standard permainan gandingan Jepun itu adalah lebih kurang sama dengan pemain-pemain Malaysia.
"Berdasarkan kepada pertemuan sebelum ini, pemain-pemain Jepun itu mempunyai kelebihan dari segi pertahanan.

"Peluang untuk pemain Malaysia (menang) adalah tinggi sekiranya mereka bermain dengan semangat juang yang tinggi seperti mana yang ditunjukkan hari ini (semalam)," katanya.
Pada Sukan Asia 2006 di Doha, Qatar, Shun Ting yang bergandingan dengan kakak Teck Hua, Luk Teck Eng sekadar menamatkan saingan di tempat ketujuh.

Shun Ting-Teck Hua Upset Kazakhstan Pair To Make Q-Finals

2010-11-23T10:29:00.003+08:00

From Farhanah Azmi

GUANGZHOU, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Spikers Beh Shun Ting and Luk Teck Hua pulled off a pleasant upset by beating a formidable Kazakhstan pair and advance to the quarter-finals of the Asian Games beach volleyball competition here today.

Shun Ting-Teck Hua disposed Kazakhstan's top pair, Irina Tsimbalova-Tatyna Mashkov, runners-up in the Asian Championships in Haiku, China (July), 21-19, 21-15 to earn their slot.

"They were in splendid form, physically and mentally. They were calm under pressure and that was among the deciding factors today. This is their best performance in the Asian Games," said coach Lim Poh Hong.

Shun Ting-Teck Hua who had finished 9th in the Haiku championship, will now meet Japan's Satoko Urata-Takemi Nashibori, seeded number three in the Games.

Satoko-Takemi had earlier overcome Alianca and Mariana from Timor Leste, 21-1, 21-3.

Lim added that tomorrow's quarter-final match against the Japanese duo would be a close affair as the standard of both pairs was almost similar.

"They (Satoko, Takemi) are not as strong in attack and blocking as Irina and Tatyana. But the Japanese girls are good in defence and receiving," he said.

-- BERNAMA