ASUM Hope Mun Yee Can Earn London Olympic Ticket

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- The Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) hope diver Leong Mun Yee's training stint in China can boost her chances of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics, held from July 27 to Aug 12.

ASUM Honorary Secretary Edwin Chong said the FINA World Cup in London from Feb 20 to 26 would be Mun Yee's last chance to earn qualifying points to the London Olympics.

"I hope the three-week intensive training camp that started in Kunming, China early this month will come in handy for Mun Yee to earn points that will help her to qualify," he told Bernama when contacted here today.

Chong said Mun Yee remains the only elite diver who has yet to qualify for the London Olympics while Bryan Nickson Lomas (men's 3m Springboard, 10m Platform), Yeoh Ken Nee (Men's 3m Springboard), Pandelela Rinong (women's 10m Platform) have already earned their tickets.

If Mun Yee, 27, makes the cut to London, it would be her fourth consecutive Olympics, since she had featured in the Sydney 2000 Olympics in Australia; Athens, Greece (2004) and Beijing, China (2008).

Mun Yee's qualification is also important because she can then compete in the individual and 10m Platform Synchronized diving events with Pandelela.

Just reward

Suryani set to compete in two events in London

Nur Suryani has qualified for her maiden Olympics.

SHOOTER Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi is likely to compete in two events at the London Olympics   if a ruling set by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is applied.

Nur Suryani was the only local shooter under the Road to London programme, to qualify on merit for the Olympics at the Asian Shooting Championships, which ended in Doha yesterday.

The 29-year-old secured one of the two tickets on offer in the women's 10-metre air rifle to earn her first appearance at the Olympics.

Her success in Doha also made Malaysia as one of only four countries, China, Iran and Kuwait being the others, to earn Olympic spots at the Asian meet.

An Olympic qualifier, however, can earn a second quota for his or her country, if he or she meets the Minimum Qualification Score (MQS) for another event.

Only countries with one qualifier can exercise the rule.

Nur Suryani met the MQS score of 565 for the 50m rifle three-position by posting 581 points in Doha, which allows the National Shooting Association of Malaysia (NSAM) to apply for the extra spot.

If NSAM exercises its right, then the spot for the three-position would likely be given to Nur Suryani.

"NSAM is sure to get an extra spot if it applies for one as I've surpassed the MQS for three-position," said Nur Suryani.

The association, however, has the right to nominate others for the London Games as all quota spots are for a country and not individuals.

But Nur Suryani is likely to get the nod as she has been impressive over the last two years.

She made headlines two years ago by first bagging the country's first ever medal in the World Cup by winning the air rifle silver in the Melbourne leg before winning gold, along with Nur Ayuni Farhana Abdul Halim, in the pairs event.

She continued her impressive form when she won bronze at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and last year, she earned two titles at the Indonesia Sea Games.

At the Asian Championships, she led Muslifah Zulkifli and Nur Ayuni Farhana to the team bronze in the 50m rifle prone, a non-Olympic event.

Dublin saksi nasib hoki

IMBAS...kekalahan terbaru skuad negara kepada pasukan China, 12 Januari lalu. 

 

 

DUBLIN, Ireland mungkin bakal mencatat sejarah terhapusnya badi skuad hoki negara untuk layak ke Sukan Olimpik London sejak edisi 2000 di Sydney Australia, namun Dublin juga bakal menyaksikan kemungkinan impian itu terus tinggal impian saja.

Tinggal kurang tiga bulan sebelum bermulanya pusingan kelayakan Sukan Olimpik di negara itu, seolah-olah tiada sentuhan magis yang boleh meyakinkan peminat skuad negara sudah bersedia dalam erti kata sebenar bagi menghadapi tugasan paling besar tahun ini.

Terbaru, rekod tiga kemenangan dan dua kali tewas kepada China menerusi lima siri perlawanan persahabatan bersama negara Tembok Besar itu sebenarnya agak menggusarkan kerana tidak sepatutnya anak buah Tai Beng Hai kecundang dua kali meskipun ia sekadar perlawanan persahabatan.
Malah Sultan Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah yang juga bekas Presiden Persekutuan Hoki Malaysia, hadir ke Stadium Hoki Bukit Jalil pada perlawanan keempat untuk menyaksikan aksi skuad negara sebelum meluahkan rasa tidak puas hatinya kepada pengurusan skuad negara selepas tamat perlawanan.

Beng Hai mungkin mempunyai penjelasan tersendiri, namun beliau juga perlu menerima hakikat bukan alasan yang mahu didengar peminat, sebaliknya keputusan memberangsangkan dicapai pada setiap perlawanan.

“Walaupun ia hanya perlawanan persahabatan, bagi saya pemain perlu ada sikap sentiasa mahu menang. Lihat bagaimana pasukan Eropah seperti Jerman yang tidaklah bermain 100 peratus ketika perlawanan persahabatan tapi dengan sikap positif seperti ini, mereka sentiasa mencatat kemenangan.

“Saya tidak tahu perancangan sebenar pengurusan tapi kalau keputusan perlawanan bertemu China sama seperti pusingan kelayakan Sukan Olimpik, kita mungkin tersingkir awal,” kata bekas pemain negara, Mohamad Abdul Hadi.

Tanpa berselindung, Mohamad juga tidak mengetepikan rasa bimbang melihat perkembangan semasa skuad negara yang pada anggapannya belum mencapai prestasi terbaik untuk beraksi di pusingan kelayakan Sukan Olimpik.
“Beraksi di pusingan kelayakan bukan mudah. Di sana anda memerlukan tahap tumpuan dan keyakinan yang cukup tinggi. Saya fikir jurulatih perlu menerapkan rasa yakin dalam diri setiap pemain, bukan sekadar sentiasa berlatih di padang saja,” katanya yang beraksi di Sukan Olimpik Barcelona 1992.

Sementara itu, bekas pakar pukulan sudut penalti negara, S Kuhan berpendapat, skuad negara tidak boleh melepaskan peluang terhidang untuk layak ke Sukan Olimpik London kerana selain Korea Selatan dan Ireland, Malaysia dijangka tidak berdepan cabaran lebih sukar.

“Saya seperti peminat hoki lain tentunya mahu melihat skuad kita layak ke Olimpik. Tetapi untuk beraksi di pusingan kelayakan, pemain perlu mempamerkan tahap keyakinan tinggi,” katanya yang beraksi pada dua temasya Sukan Olimpik iaitu 1996 di Atlanta, Amerika Syarikat dan edisi Sydney, Australia empat tahun selepas itu.

London Olympic shooters arent trusted to transport own guns to the Olympic venue..

Hundreds of firearms will be brought into London for the 2012 Olympic Games prompting Britain’s largest airport, Heathrow, to introduce new security measures to cope with the influx. 

Athletes will not be able to pick up their firearms at the airport, but will have to produce the required paperwork to the UK Border Agency once they have arrived at the Olympic competition venue at the Royal Artillary Barracks.

Special London Olympic Games staff (Locog) will be responsible for collecting and transporting the firearms at the airport to a secure vehicle to be transported to the Royal Artillary Barracks.

Heathrow’s Olympic planning documents show that 390 athletes will bring 780 firearms for the Olympics and 140 athletes with 20 firearms will arrive for the Paralympics.

“To manage the extra demand we will be putting in place a system to ensure the firearms are safely transported to the appropriate venue,” the document says.

“When the competitors arrive, firearms will be collected and transported by approved handler to airside Locog (the London 2012 organisers) vehicles where they will be secured and subsequently transported to the Royal Artillery Barracks.

“On the day of issue of firearms to athletes, UKBA (the UK Border Agency) will perform necessary checks against required paperwork within the armoury at RAB.”

Heathrow has also revealed it is spending £20 million on Olympic related costs, including hiring an additional 250 security staff to deal with the additional demands of the Games that will, at times, overstretch existing capacity.

Nick Cole, Heathrow’s head of Olympic and Paralympic planning, described the London 2012 Games as “a unique operational task and a massive challenge”.

He noted: “The airport is one of the most popular international airports in the world and already operates close to capacity.

“Every part of the airport is working together to ensure we can give the athletes a warm welcome and ensure all passengers enjoy the atmosphere.”

The document says that unless measures were put in place the existing baggage carousels would be unable to cope with the influx of bags causing delays of more than an hour in Terminal 1 and Terminal 5.

But the airport is planning on taking bags off carousals for collection on the floor and is working with the UK Boder Agency for 'VIP' passport lanes for Olympic athletes, staff and other Olympic Family members to prevent border delays.

”Delays to this process could have a knock on effect and delay the pick up of bags and clearing the bag hall,” the document says.

Heathrow officials say the peak day for arrival of Olympic athletes is July 16, while August 13, the day after the closing ceremony, will be the busiest day in Heathrow’s history and the most challenging.

On that day, Heathrow workers will need to cope with 35 per cent more departing luggage as athletes take home on average more than three and a half bags each, one bag more than they will have arrived with.

Overall, officials are expecting 138,000 departing passengers compared with a normal day of 95,000.
Compounding the sheer numbers will be the volume of oversized bags and sporting equipment. Heathrow is constructing a special departure terminal for athletes between the existing terminal four and a cargo area to take the stress off other departing passengers.

Heathrow's Olympic facts and figures:
 
- Athletes are expected to have an average of 2.75 bags when they arrive.

- Shopping while in Britain is expected to increase this to 3.75 bags by the time they leave (average is normally one per person).

- On August 13, the busiest day, Heathrow expects to handle 203,000 bags leaving the airport (150,000 direct and transfer bags on a normal day).

- Around 15 per cent of the bags will be oversized sporting equipment such as canoes or bikes.

- Athletes will get their own departure terminal from August 13 to 15 plus Village bag collection.

- This is to try to divert up to 10,100 people and 37,900 bags from the main terminals.

London 2012 launches high-tech labs for anti-doping

LONDON - The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) Thursday unveiled the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited anti-doping laboratory which will operate during the London 2012 Games.

LOCOG, laboratory service providers GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and laboratory operators King's College London, welcomed Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics for a tour of the facility which is based in Harlow, Essex.

Over 6250 samples will be analyzed throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games, up to 400 each day which is more than at any other Games.

Up to one in two athletes will be tested at the Olympic Games including every Olympic medallist.
The laboratory, which measures the size of seven tennis courts, will be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Over 1,000 LOCOG staff will work within the anti-doping process and a team of more than 150 anti-doping scientists will carry out the testing at the laboratory, led independently by professor David Cowan from the Drug Control Centre at King's College London.

The facility, which has been provided by pharmaceutical company GSK, will be operated by leading anti-doping experts from King's College London and supported by scientists from around the world.
"Today is an important milestone in the countdown to the Games, " said Paul Deighton, London 2012 Chief Executive.

"Working with one of the world's best pharmaceutical companies and one of the country's leading universities we have been able to create a facility to successfully and efficiently process 6,250 tests during the Games which has never been done before."

Minister Hugh Robertson said: "We are doing all we can to ensure that there is no place to hide for drug cheats at London 2012. Our message to any athlete thinking about doping is simple -- we'll catch you."

Professor David Cowan, Director of King's College London's Drug Control Centre said: "These laboratories are the most high-tech labs in the history of the Games, analysing more samples than ever before."

The Anti-Doping process during the London 2012 Games will create a legacy of knowledge about operations and processes. In July 2011, GSK signed an agreement with WADA to share information about its medicines in development, while LOCOG will debrief on all processes.

Malaysia capable of rising to the occasion in Olympic qualifier

KUALA LUMPUR: Don’t write us off, yet.

That’s the message national hockey midfielder Mohd Sukri Abdul Mutalib has for those who doubt Malaysia’s chances of qualifying for the London Olympics.

Sukri said this in response to former Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) president Sultan Azlan Shah’s comment that the national team were not good enough to qualify for the London Olympics.

The midfielder, who has 147 caps, was in upbeat mood after helping Malaysia beat China 3-1 in the fifth and final friendly at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Crossing sticks: Malaysia’s Mohd Shahrun Nabil (left) attempts to dribble past China’s Liu Xianting during their friendly yesterday.

 

Malaysia lost the first two friendlies 2-1 and 4-1 before bouncing back to win the next three 4-2, 2-0 and 3-1.

Malaysia scored all their three goals in yesterday’s friendly from penalty corners through Mohd Amin Rahim (eighth minute), Mohd Razie Rahim (24th) and Mohd Fitri Saari (51st).
China’s lone reply came through a Sun Luo penalty corner.

The national hockey team, who failed to qualify for the last two Olympics in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008), will compete in the Olympic qualifier in Dublin, Ireland, from March 10-18.

The 26-year-old Sukri, who will be playing in his third consecutive Olympic qualifiers, said: “I have faith in my team-mates and I am confident we will rise to the occasion in the qualifier.”

Sukri was only 18 when he played in his first Olympic qualifier in Madrid in 2004.
“The national team now is better than the two I played for in the last two qualifiers in Madrid (2004) and Japan (2008),” he said.

“We have a tactically good team with skilful forwards like Tengku Ahmad (Tajuddin) and Faizal (Saari) to get the goals in the qualifier.”

The other teams in the fray in Dublin are South Korea, Ireland, Chile, Ukraine and Russia.
Only the winner of the qualifier will feature in the London Olympics.

Sukri admitted that they needed to be more clinical in their finishing, judging by the number of wasted chances in the friendlies against China.

“The defence needs to be tightened up. I believe we will be ready to give our best in Dublin and be third time lucky to qualify for the London Olympics,” he said.

Hoki meningkat menjelang Kelayakan Olimpik

PEMAIN China, Zhang Zhixian (jersi putih) menyekat gerakan pemain negara pada perlawanan persahabatan di Stadium Hoki Nasional Bukit Jalil, semalam. - UTUSAN/Wahidin Salim

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KUALA LUMPUR - Tiga kemenangan berturut ke atas China dalam lima aksi persahabatan yang berakhir semalam menunjukkan peningkatan konsisten skuad Tai Beng Hai menjelang kelayakan Sukan Olimpik 2012.
Pada aksi terakhir di Stadium Hoki Nasional Bukit Jalil semalam skuad negara menang 3-1, iaitu kemenangan ketiga berturut-turut sejak Ahad lepas dalam lima siri perlawanan.

Beng Hai berkata, pemain telah menunjukkan peningkatan dalam tiga perlawanan terakhir berbanding dua perlawanan awal yang menyaksikan skuad kebangsaan tewas.

"Kita dapat lihat pemain mampu mempertingkatkan keupayaan untuk menjaringkan gol dengan lebih tepat terutama ketika memperoleh pukulan sudut penalti.

"Pada dua perlawanan awal kita tewas kerana ketika itu pemain baru memasuki tempoh akhir untuk latihan bebanan dan kita faham mereka kepenatan pada dua perlawanan itu," kata Beng Hai.

Pada perlawanan kelima semalam kesemua gol Malaysia diperolehi hasil pukulan sudut penalti menerusi pemain Mohd. Amin Rahim minit kelapan, Mohd. Razie Abdul Rahim minit ke-25 dan Fitri Saari minit ke-50 manakala gol tunggal China diperolehi melalui pemain Sun Lug minit ke-11.

Selepas ini skuad negara akan berangkat ke Perth Australia pada 27 Januari ini untuk bermain dalam enam perlawanan persahabatan melibatkan empat aksi dengan pasukan tuan rumah serta dua perlawanan menentang Belanda.

Chong Wei ready for China backlash

 LEE Chong Wei has had a dream start to the year but he is mindful of a China backlash in the All England in March where he expects China’s Lin Dan and Chen Long to provide him with a stern test.

Lee Chong Wei holding a copy of his autobiography ‘Dare to be a Champion’ beside a cutout of the comic ‘Jejak Libasan Jaguh’ yesterday. Pic by Yazit Razali

Chong Wei beat arch rival Lin Dan to win the Korea Open and then accounted for Chen Long in the semi-final of the Malaysia Open which he won for the eighth time on Sunday.


   The two titles come after a string of defeats Chong Wei suffered at the hands of both players towards the tail end of last year and the Malaysian said his back-to-back titles have boosted his confidence.

   However, Chong Wei knows Lin Dan too well and expects him to bounce back strongly and he also expects Chen Long to be equally dangerous when trying to stop him from completing a hat-trick in the All England in Birmingham on March 6-11.

   “I have had a good start and winning the Korea Open and Malaysia Open has been a huge boost. However, this doesn’t make me the clear favourite in the All England as I know Lin Dan and Chen Long will try to deny me a hat-trick,” said Chong Wei, the World No 1, during the launch of his autobiography in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

   “I am the defending champion and it will be very tough for in Birmingham. My rivals will be doing plenty of video analysis and studying my game, so they will come even more prepared for the All England.

   “I will have several weeks to prepare for the tournament but at the same time, there is also the Thomas Cup qualifiers next month where my role is very crucial in helping the team to make it to the final round in China in May.

   “I have to give Malaysia a winning start to boost the morale of the players. The team are not very strong so I want to give my teammates a good start in all the matches.

   “The Olympics and Thomas Cup are the most important events this year but my focus is on the Olympics and all my preparations will be geared towards that goal.”

   Chong Wei will use the coming Chinese New Year break to launch his 199-page autobiography titled ‘Dare To Be A Champion’ which he believes will motivate children to follow in his footsteps and become champions themselves.

   “The book explains the hardships I had been through to become a champion and World No 1. I hope it will be an inspiration to others to achieve greatness in the future,” added Chong Wei.

   “It also expresses my gratitude to the people behind my success especially my parents who have gone through plenty of hardships to help me realise my dreams.”

Suryani eyeing a second Olympic ticket

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s national rifle shooter Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi is already assured a place in the London Olympics but she wants more.

The 29-year-old Suryani, who qualified for the Olympics in the 10m air rifle on Saturday, will be hoping to gun down a spot in the women’s 50m rifle three-position as well today.

Suryani primed herself for a shot at achieving what no Malaysian shooter has done at Olympic level with another steady performance in the 50m rifle prone at the Asian Shooting Championships in Doha on Monday.
Suryani scored 100-98-98-98-96-99 to tie for fourth spot on 589 points with Thailand’s Wankaew Supamas in the six-round competition.

India’s Kumari Raj took gold with 594 points ahead of China’s Li Peijing and South Korean Jeong Mi-ra, who both amassed 590 points.

The 50m rifle prone is not an Olympic event but it is the perfect confidence booster Suryani needed to be on the mark in the more demanding 50m rifle three-position today.

The discipline requires one to shoot in prone, standing and kneeling positions with the best eight shooters from the preliminaries advancing to the final.

And Suryani, who is the only Malaysian shooter to make the cut for the Olympics, is determined to get her act right to end her Asian Championships campaign on a high.
“I still have one more event to go and I hope to do well.

“I had a good rest and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can maintain my momentum to qualify for the 50m rifle three-position as well.

“It will be a bonus if I qualify for the Olympics in this event as well,” said Suryani, who won both the 10m air rifle and 50m rifle three-position at the Indonesia SEA Games last November.

There are three Olympic spots up for grabs in the 50m rifle three-position at the Asian meet but it will be a tough scrap as China are the only country from this continent to secure the maximum two spots through the World Cup series last year.

Suryani’s effort in the 50m rifle prone also helped Malaysia to finish fourth in the team competition on a combined tally of 1,753, just losing out on the bronze to India by two points.

Nur Ayuni Farhana Halim and Muslifah Zulkifli finished 14th (583) and 21st (581) in the individual standings.
In the men’s 50m rifle prone, Mohd Hadafi Jaafar and Shahril Sahak were placed 18th (588) and 24th (587) respectively.

Sultan Azlan takes coaches to task

FORMER Malaysian Hockey Federation president Sultan Azlan Shah took the national coaches to task and jokingly said he would "hang them" if the national team fail to qualify for the London Olympics.

Malaysia’s Kelvinder Singh (right) attempts to get past China’s Tianjun in their friendly yesterday. Malaysia won 2-0. Pic by Supian Ahmad

Sultan Azlan met national coach Tai Beng Hai, assistant coach Nur Saiful Zaini, team manager George Koshy and National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Zolkples Embong in a meeting which lasted about 20 minutes, after Malaysia's 2-0 victory over China in an international friendly at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

   "Not good enough... all aspects, especially penalty corners... they tend to make mistakes in the circle, and whenever they claim for a foul, they shout 'kaki, kaki, kaki'. But when they attack, they don't push the ball onto the legs of their opponents to earn corners," said Sultan Azlan, also the president of the Asian Hockey Federation, yesterday.

   "The coaches should be trained, not the players. I wanted to bring in help but the coaches refused."

   Malaysia have been drawn with South Korea, Ireland, Russia, Ukraine and Chile in Olympic Qualifiers in London on March 10-18.

   "An acquaintance of mine, Nick Holden, offered the services of a South African who was formerly coaching the Irish team but our coaches declined.

"They (national coaches) also did not want the help of Paul (Lissek). In this situation, we should use all the help we can get. They said they can handle. The team better qualify or I will hang them," he added jokingly.

   Sultan Azlan  then summoned Zolkples, and the NSC head later confirmed that the coaches had declined the offer of assistance from the two coaches.

   Asked about  the team's qualification chances, Sultan Azlan said: "Korea are there and we cannot discount Ireland, it is going to be difficult.

   "The team must have a winning attitude... they must play to win... like Tiger Woods. It is all in the head," said Sultan Azlan.

   In yesterday's friendly, Malaysia scored in each half in their 2-0 victory over China. The scorers were Razie Rahim (15th) and Firhan Ashaari (69th).

   The team face China in their fifth and final friendly at the same venue today at 6pm.

Sultan Azlan slams coaches for turning down his offer of help

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) president Sultan Azlan Shah took the national hockey team’s coaches to task after watching Malaysia’s fourth friendly against China at the National Hockey Stadium in Buklit Jalil yesterday.

Sultan Azlan, who is also the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) president, jokingly said: I will hang them (coaches) if the national team do not qualify for the London Olympics. The coaches need training more than the players.”

He also had a heart-to-heart talk with national coach Tai Beng Hai, assistant coach Nor Saiful Zaini and team manager George Koshy. Also present was National Sports Council (NSC) Director-General Datuk Zolkples Embong.

Sultan Azlan, who is also life president of the now defunct MHF, was apparently very unhappy with the coaches who turned down his offer to help the national team qualify for the Olympics.

The MHF were dissolved on Dec 17 and the Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) took over as the governing body of hockey as of January this year.

“An acquaintance of mine, Nick Holden from South Africa, knows a former Ireland coach who is willing to help out but our coaches did not take up his offer.

“I also want to bring back former national coach Paul (Lissek) to help but the coaches don’t want his services either.”

Zolkple, confirmed that our coaches did not want the duo’s help.
Malaysia, who are preparing for the Olympic qualifier in Dublin from March 10-18, played a pathetic game against China but still managed to win 2-0 in the fourth test match yesterday.

Defender Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim gave Malaysia the lead from the first penalty corner in the 15th minute before Mohd Firhan Ashaari scored in the 69th from a field goal.
It was Malaysia’s second win of the five-match series. They lost the first two matches (2-1) and (4-1) before winning the third (4-2).

The two teams will square off in the fifth and final match today at 6pm.
When asked about the current team, Sultan Azlan said they were not good enough.

“They are not good in all aspects especially in penalty corners. Every time when the opponents are in their D, they claim for leg faults (kaki, kaki, kaki). When they are in the opponents semi-circle the players are not hitting the ball onto the opponents’ legs,” he said .

Sultan Azlan said that the players must have the “winning attitude”.
“They must play to win like golfing great Tiger Woods. They must use their heads.”

Asked about the chances of qualifying for the Olympics, Sultan Azlan said it is going to be tough.
“It is not going to be easy against South Korea and Ireland in the qualifier,” said Sultan Azlan.
Malaysia failed to qualify for the last two Olympics in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008). They last played in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Chong Wei firmly on road to London

World No 1’s confidence on the rise after back-to-back titles

Datuk Lee Chong Wei

LEE Chong Wei has put his quest for Olympic gold back on track with back-to-back Super Series titles but what he does over  the next six months will determine if he will be successful  in London. 

It has been a fabulous run  for Chong Wei over the last two weeks. He won  the Korea Open where he beat China's  Olympic champion Lin Dan, and then brushed aside  another rival from China, Chen Long in the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open before making short work of  Japan's Kenichi Tago to secure his eighth Malaysia Open crown on Sunday.

   His  confidence has soared and his legion of fans will  be looking forward to seeing him win Olympic gold in July.

 The fact that Chong Wei was not at his best but yet  managed to beat Lin Dan and Chen Long   speaks volumes of the Malaysian's ability  to dig deep when the chips are down.

   This attitude will prove crucial when  Chong Wei  faces a better prepared Lin Dan and Chen Long in  coming tournaments.

   What is vital though is  Chong Wei  that continues  training harder and  keeps his physical level at the highest.

Video analyses must  be done continually  and if more scientific  methods need to be added to his repertoire, then do it by all means.

  Chong Wei has reiterated about  cutting down on tournaments to prepare for the Olympics and he must keep to his intentions.

The Malaysian will compete in the Thomas Cup qualifiers in Macau  next month and  the All England in March before the  India Open Super Series which will be his last tournament during the Olympic qualifying period which ends in April.  These  events should be enough to maintain a top two position in the world ranking.

   If Chong Wei maintains his World No 1 spot,  he should avoid Lin Dan, who is likely to be ranked second, until the final of the  Olympics.

Both  players would prefer such a situation rather than  meet  in the semi-finals.

   There is no assurance that Chong Wei is guaranteed Olympic   gold as Lin Dan has big match temperament  and the London Olympics will be his last hurrah.

   While  Chong Wei has proved time and again that he has the heart and  desire to battle for Olympic gold,  the situation looks bleak for  doubles   Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong if they refuse to change their attitude.

   Kien Keat looks to be the  culprit and although he has said on numerous occasions  that he needs to do something different to revive his career, his latest performance in the Malaysia Open has shown he has done nothing much.

   It is a common knowledge that his physical  fitness is  his biggest worry  and this boils down to lack of  training.    If Kien Keat  refuses to work harder, there is no way he and Boon Heong can fight for a medal as the gold medal will be a tussle  between South Korea's Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae and Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China.

   Kien Keat-Boon Heong are not even in a position to battle for  bronze as other pairs like Denmark's Mathis Boe-Carsten Mogensen and Ko Sung Hyun-Yoo Yeon Seong of South Korea are better equipped to be among the medallists.

Chong Wei reminds sceptics he’s still worth a crack at Olympic gold

LEE Chong Wei drummed out an emphatic message to the sceptics who do not think he is good for Olympic gold: Write him off at your peril.

The world No. 1 was devastating en route to winning his eighth home title at the Maybank Malaysia Open at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

And he declared his hunger for more after defeating Kenichi Tago of Japan 21-6, 21-13 in a lopsided men’s singles final to notch his easiest win yet in the home series.

Chong Wei basked in the glory after the match. He soaked in the wild celebration at the stadium, acknowledged the support of the adoring fans and even took his time to share his joy with his brother’s baby boy.

With yesterday’s feat, the 29-year-old Chong Wei equalled the record of the late great Wong Peng Soon, who had captured the title eight times in 1940, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953. Chong Wei is determined to make the record all his own with a ninth triumph next year.

It was Chong Wei’s second title in a week, marking a brilliant start to the New Year, having won the Korea Open by beating his nemesis Lin Dan of China in Seoul the previous Sunday. Yesterday, Chong Wei showed he was in a different league by extending his unbeaten run over Kenichi for the 11th time in sensational fashion.

The match was a foregone conclusion from the start as Chong Wei, spurred on by the fans, overpowered the tense Kenichi 21-6 in a flash. The second game could have ended just as fast if not for the short delay when Kenichi requested for the uneven white line on the court to be re-taped after taking a 2-1 lead.

Home comfort: Lee Chong Wei with the trophy and medal he received for winning the Malaysia Open yesterday. Chong Wei defeated Japan’s Kenichi Tago 21-6, 21-13 in the final.

 

The minor problem was quickly fixed and it did nothing to break Chong Wei’s rhythm as the Malaysian continued to dominate, romping home to victory 21-13.

“This is the easiest of all my Malaysia Open wins. I think Kenichi was overwhelmed by the crowd. This is the first time I have seen so many fans at a final here,” said a delighted Chong Wei.
“I’m grateful for their support. It’s great to win my eighth home title and I will definitely go for the ninth as no one has done it before.”

Chong Wei said winning back-to-back titles made for a great Chinese New Year celebration but he would remain cautious of a China backlash as far as his Olympic Games preparation was concerned.

“I ended last season with three semi-final defeats, in the China and Hong Kong Opens and the World Super Series Finals, to my rivals from China. It was towards the end of the year and I was mentally drained.
“I’m happy that I have got my momentum back again,” said Chong Wei.

“I beat Lin Dan at the Korea Open and Chen Long in the Malaysia Open. They are my two main rivals for the Olympics and I am naturally very happy as it is a major confidence boost.
“But I’m sure they will come back stronger. They will still be my main opponents in the battle for gold. I have to stay focused and not let these wins go to my head.”

On the lack of successors coming through, he said: “I haven’t seen any new talents making a mark in the Malaysia Open all these years. I hope more juniors will come through soon.”

Chong Wei said his book Dare to be a Champion, which was sold at the stadium for the first time yesterday, was meant to inspire the youngsters.

Danish delight: Christina Pedersen (top) and Kamilla Rytter Juhl celebrate after beating South Korea’s Ha Jungeun- Kim Min-jung 21-19, 21-18 to win the women’s doubles final yesterday.

 

“I have written about my humble beginnings. I hope my struggles and challenges will inspire them to go the extra mile.
“I’m living a comfortable life now but it all started in hardship.”

On his next mission, Chong Wei said he would lead the team to the Thomas Cup qualifying tournament in Macau from Feb 13-19.

”We don’t have a strong squad but I hope the younger players – Liew Daren and Mohd Arif Abdul Latif – will make an impact.

“I also hope Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong will regain their confidence and go all out in the qualifiers so we make it to the Finals,” he added.
For now, Chong Wei can spend some quality time with his family to celebrate the Chinese New Year. He deserves it.

A first by Nur Suryani

Nur Suryani has shot her way to the London Olympics to cap a fine start to the season.

NUR Suryani Mohd Taibi capped a superb start to the season by becoming the first local shooter to qualify for the London Olympics.

   The 29-year-old achieved it at the Asian Championships in Doha, where she finished fifth in the women's 10-metre air rifle event on Saturday.

   Nur Suryani amassed 99-99-100-99 in the preliminary round for a 397 total to reach her first ever final in the Asian Championships as the fourth best qualifier.

   She, however, failed to make the podium after chalking 102.7 in the final as her combined total of 499.7 points saw her tied for fourth with Iran's former World Cup medallist Ahmadi Elaheh but later dropped one rung after losing in the shoot-off.

China's World and Asian Games champion Yi Siling, also the current world holder in the discipline, won the title with a 502.2 total ahead of Kuwait's Arzouqi Maryam (500.6) and compatriot Du Li (500.4), a two-time Olympic gold medallist.

   Nur Suryani and Arzouqi were handed the automatic quota spots with China and Iran having already secured the maximum two spots-per country quota for the London Games.

   In the same event, Nur Ayuni Farhana Halim and Muslifah Zulkifli finished 16th (394) and 27th (392) respectively from a field of 53 shooters.

   The combined scores of Nur Suryani, Nur Ayuni and Muslifah saw Malaysia finish fourth with a 1,183 total in the team event.

China, led by Yi Siling, dominated proceedings with 1,192 points followed by India (1,187) and Iran (1,185).

   Nur Suryani, a double gold medallist at last year's Sea Games, was excited with her achievement on Saturday.

   "I did not perform well at last year's qualifying events in the World Cup series and that made me more determined to produce my best here," said Nur Suryani, when contacted in Doha, yesterday.

   "I am also the first local woman rifle shooter to qualify  for the Olympic Games and this is something special. Everyone wants to become an Olympian and I am glad to finally achieve my goal after failing to do so four years ago."

   Nur Suryani said Saturday's event was tough as some of the best shooters in the world were competing in it.

   "I told myself that I needed to do it at all cost as this was my last chance to qualify for the London Games. I kept my cool and somehow I knew I would make the Olympics after qualifying for the final."

   Nur Suryani is best remembered for winning the  bronze medal in the same discipline at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

   In the men's 10m air rifle, Sea Games silver medallist Mohd Hadafi Jaafar finished 28th with 584 points.

   Benjamin Khor fared better than his father, Edward, in the men's double trap by finishing 16th  on 131. Edward was placed four rungs below on 127.

Suryani is Malaysia’s first woman shooter to qualify for the Olympics

PETALING JAYA: Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi blasted her way into the history books with a superb performance at the Asian Shooting Championships in Doha on Saturday.

After capping a wonderful end to the season with a double gold triumph at the Indonesia SEA Games last year, the 29-year-old continued with her fiery form to achieve her dream to become the first Malaysian woman rifle shooter to compete in the Olympics.

Suryani chalked scores of 99-99-100-99 in the preliminary round for a total of 397 points to reach the women’s 10m air rifle final as the fourth best qualifier.

It was the first time Suryani had made the final of the event at the Asian meet, which is held every four years.
Suryani then only just missed out on a podium finish after scoring 102.7 in the final as her total of 499.7 points saw her tied for fourth with Iran’s Ahmadi Elaheh — just 0.7 of a point short of third place.

China’s world champion Yi Siling took gold on 502.2, ahead of Kuwait’s Arzouqi Maryam (500.6) and team-mate Du Li, a two-time Olympic gold medallist on 500.4.

But that did not really matter as Suryani secured one of the last two Olympic quota spots up for grabs in the Asian meet.

Suryani and the Kuwaiti were handed the berths as China and Iran had already secured the maximum two spots for the Olympics at the World Cup series last year. Two other Malaysians — Nur Ayuni Farhana Halim and Muslifah Zulkifli — finished 16th (394) and 27th (392) in the field of 53 shooters.

Suryani, in a telephone interview from Doha, said she was relieved to keep her part of the bargain as one of the handful of successful athletes from the “Road to London” programme.

“I was disappointed to miss the mark at the World Cup series last year and that really made me more determined to get into the Olympics,” she said.

“I knew I had a good chance once I managed into get to the final. This was the last shot to qualify on merit and I am happy to be the first Malaysian shooter to make it to the London Olympics.

“I hope more can qualify from here although we are competing against world class shooters,” said Suryani, who was also the first Malaysian woman shooter to win an Asian Games medal when she took the bronze in the same discipline at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

Indonesia SEA Games silver medallist Mohd Hadafi Jaafar was placed 28th in the men’s 10m air rifle with 584 points.

In the men’s double trap, Malaysian youngster Benjamin Khor fared better than his more experienced dad, Edward. Benjamin was placed 16th with his effort of 131 while Edward finished four rungs below on 127.
Shooting is the latest to join the confirmed cast for the Olympics apart from badminton, diving and archery.

Suryani tempah tiket ke London

Nur Suryani Mohd. Taibi layak bertanding pada Sukan Olimpik London 2012.

KUALA LUMPUR - Nur Suryani Mohd. Taibi melakar sejarah sukan menembak kebangsaan apabila menjadi penembak wanita raifal pertama layak bertanding di temasya Olimpik setelah meraih tiket dalam acara 10 meter Air Rifle menerusi Kejohanan Menembak Asia di Doha, kelmarin.

Penembak berusia 29 tahun itu layak selepas berkongsi tempat keempat dengan penembak Iran, Ahmadi Elaheh dalam peringkat akhir acara tersebut
Terdahulu, Nur Suryani membidik kombinasi skor 99-99-100-99 (397 mata) pada pusingan kelayakkan untuk melangkah ke final selaku pilihan keempat.
Pemenang pingat emas berganda Sukan SEA XXVI Indonesia itu seterusnya mengumpul tambahan 102.7 mata untuk menjadikan kutipan mata keseluruhan 499.7 mata.

Jumlah itu, walaupun sekadar meletakkannya di tempat keempat bersama Ahmadi, namun sudah memadai untuk Nur Suryani meraih baki dua kuota terakhir yang ditawarkan untuk benua Asia.

Satu lagi tiket jatuh ke tangan penembak Kuwait, Arzouqi Maryam yang muncul naib juara acara itu dengan catatan 500.6 mata.
China dan Iran masing-masing telah pun memiliki kuota maksimum kuota, jadi mereka tidak lagi layak untuk menerima tiket tambahan walaupun penembak mereka menguasai acara 10m Air Rifle pada Kejohanan Asia ini yang diadakan empat tahun sekali.

Acara itu dimenangi juara dunia yang juga pemegang rekod dunianya, Yi Siling dengan 502.2 mata manakala rakan sepasukannya yang merupakan juara Olimpik dua kali, Du Li menduduki merangkul gangsa dengan 500.4 mata.

"Memang sangat mengecewakan apabila saya terlepas tiket awal menerusi beberapa pusingan Piala Dunia tahun lalu, namun itulah juga sebabnya saya menjadi lebih berazam dan membuat persiapan lebih rapi untuk merealisasikan impian menjadi Olimpian.

"Saya bertandang ke Doha mengetahui peluang layak adalah amat cerah selagi saya dapat layak ke peringkat akhir.
"Setahu saya tiada penembak rifle wanita dari negara kita pernah ke Olimpik, saya bangga untuk menjadi yang pertama," katanya.

Dengan itu, Nur Suryani menjadi atlet terbaru sah ke London 2012 selepas Pandelela Rinong, Yeoh Ken Nee dan Bryan Nickson Lomas (terjun) dan trio memanah, Cheng Chu Sian, Khairul Anuar Mohamed dan Haziq Kamaruddin.

Sementara itu, dua lagi penembak kita yang turut beraksi dalam acara yang sama, Nur Ayuni Farhana Halim dan Muslifah Zulkifli masing-masing menduduki tempat ke-16 (394 mata) dan ke-27 (392 mata) daripada sejumlah 53 penembak kesemuanya.

BAM lakukan apa sahaja demi emas Olimpik

KUALA LUMPUR - Misi emas pertama pada Sukan Olimpik 2012 London terus disemarakkan oleh Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) yang berjanji untuk melakukan apa sahaja buat pemain perseorangan negara, Datuk Lee Chong Wei.

Presiden BAM, Datuk Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh, berkata, tahun ini kalendar badminton negara sibuk dengan Terbuka Malaysia, Piala Thomas dan All England namun tumpuan utama tetap diletakkan dalam Sukan Olimpik.

"Sasaran kita merebut peluang keemasan ini dengan memenangi pingat emas pertama negara di temasya tersebut, jadi ia menjadi tanggungjawab kita usaha sedaya upaya untuk meraihnya," katanya selepas melakukan kunjungan hormat ke kediaman isteri Perdana Menteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor di sini, semalam.

Jelasnya, semua pihak perlu bersama-sama membantu pemain No. 1 satu dunia itu, untuk merealisasikan impian Malaysia meraih pingat emas pertama pada Olimpik, selepas gagal melakukannya pada 2008 di Beijing.

"Kita akan berbincang dengan Institut Sukan Negara (ISN) dan Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) untuk merencana strategi baru buat Chong Wei dalam tempoh lima atau enam bulan sebelum Sukan Olimpik.
"Ini untuk membolehkan Chong Wei lebih bersedia menghadapi sesiapa sahaja lawannya di temasya tersebut," kata Nadzmi.

Sementara itu, Nadzmi berkata, BAM telah mengadakan perbincangan dengan beberapa pihak termasuk Kementerian Kerja Raya bagi mempercepatkan pembinaan Akademi Badminton Kebangsaan yang tertangguh beberapa kali.

"Kita terlewat sedikit kerana tapak yang diberikan kepada BAM telah bertukar beberapa kali menyebabkan perbelanjaan melebihi peruntukan asal," katanya.

Pada 2008, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yang ketika itu menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri mengumumkan pembinaan akademi tersebut dengan peruntukan RM24 juta.

Peluang terakhir ke Olimpik

SKUAD terjun negara menjadikan medan latihan di Kunming, China, bermula minggu ini, sebagai landasan persediaan terbaik ke Piala Dunia Fina di London sekali gus meraih lebih banyak tiket ke Olimpik.

Piala Dunia Fina yang diadakan di London, 20-26 Februari ini menjadi medan terakhir untuk merebut tiket kelayakan ke Olimpik dan ia saingan penting buat atlet negara yang masing-masing tampil dengan misi tersendiri.

Lebih-lebih lagi buat Leong Mun Yee, yang belum lagi meraih sebarang tiket kelayakan ke saingan berprestij dunia itu.
“Saya sememangnya mengharapkan tuah latihan tiga minggu di Kunming untuk tampil lebih hebat di Piala Dunia Fina nanti. Ini kerana berbeza dengan rakan seangkatan, hanya saya seorang saja yang belum meraih tiket ke Olimpik.

“Piala Dunia Fina adalah penting buat saya. Sepanjang tahun lalu sehingga kini saya berlatih amat gigih bagi merealisasikan misi ke Olimpik. Saya agak tertekan kerana ketinggalan berbanding rakan lain yang kini sudah menempah kedudukan selesa, tetapi mereka semua memberi sokongan padu buat saya,” katanya selepas sesi latihan semalam.

Selain Mun Yee, skuad terjun membariskan Pandelela Rinong, Bryan Nickson Lomas, Yeoh Ken Nee dan muka baru, Traisy Vivien Tukiet serta Ooi Tze Liang akan berlepas ke China, esok untuk menjalani latihan intensif tiga minggu bagi persediaan ke Piala Dunia Fina.

Hanya Mun Yee masih ketinggalan berbanding tiga penerjun negara yang sudah layak ke Olimpik, Bryan dalam acara 3m papan anjal dan 10m platform individu, Ken Nee, 3m papan anjal individu serta Pandelela dalam acara 10m platform individu.

Bagaimanapun, Bryan, Ken Nee dan Pandelela masih mempunyai impian untuk memburu lebih banyak tiket ke London di Piala Dunia Fina nanti.

“Kami mempunyai misi tersendiri untuk memburu lebih banyak tiket ke London serta melonjakkan nama atlet terjun Malaysia di mata dunia.

“Tetapi dalam usaha memburu misi itu, kami tidak lupakan Mun Yee. Kami yakin dia mampu lakukan yang terbaik dan berdasarkan prestasinya ketika ini, tiada masalah untuknya meraih tiket Olimpik dan sama-sama mengiringi kami ke London nanti,” kata Bryan yang menduduki tempat ke-16 dan ke-26 bagi acara 10m platform individu di Sukan Olimpik Beijing dan Athens, Greece. Kata semangat dilontar Bryan itu turut disokong Pandelela dan Ken Nee.

Mun Yee, 27, akan menyertai acara 10m platform seirama bergandingan dengan rakan baiknya Pandelela di Piala Dunia Fina bulan depan.

“Setakat ini saya tidak mempunyai sebarang masalah, cuma saya baru saja berdepan kecederaan di leher dan lutut kanan dua minggu lalu,” katanya.


HARIAN METRO

China uji skuad hoki negara

LIMA aksi persahabatan dengan China minggu ini dilihat bakal menjadi platform terbaik buat skuad hoki negara yang kini dalam persiapan terakhir menghadapi kempen Kelayakan Olimpik 2012 di Dublin, Mac depan.

Setelah menamatkan saingan Cabaran Juara-Juara II di tempat kelima penghujung ta hun lalu, skuad kendalian Tai Beng Hai itu kini turun menentang China pada aksi pertama musim 2012 di Stadium Hoki Nasional, Bukit Jalil petang ini.

Skuad Projek 2013 yang menjuarai Piala Sultan Johor edisi pertama menewaskan Australia tahun lalu, turut mendapat peluang menguji kemampuan mereka menentang China dalam satu perlawanan.

China yang juga dalam persiapan menghadapi kempen Kelayakan Olimpik di Kakamigahara, Jepun April depan diramal membawa kesemua pemain terbaik mereka ke Kuala Lumpur kali ini.

Siri persahabatan ini diaturkan oleh Konfederasi Hoki Malaysia (MHC) bagi menggantikan Kejohanan Piala Sultan Azlan Shah yang terpaksa ditunda dari Februari ke pertengahan tahun ini berikutan tiada sambutan daripada negara-negara lain yang mula memberi fokus kepada Sukan Olimpik 2012 di London.

Bagi aksi persahabatan dengan China minggu ini, skuad negara dikhabarkan bakal kehilangan tujuh pemain utama dalam beberapa pertemuan berikutan mereka terpaksa mengambil peperiksaan di universiti masing- masing.

Selepas lima siri persahabatan ini, Malaysia akan berkunjung ke Perth bagi menyertai empat aksi ujian dengan pasukan No. 1 dunia, Australia dan juga dua siri persahabatan dengan Belanda.
"Selain China, kita juga berjaya mendapatkan empat aksi persahabatan dengan Australia bermula 29 Januari dan juga dua perlawanan lagi dengan Belanda di Perth.

"Ini adalah peluang terbaik bagi pemain Malaysia untuk menguji tahap sebenar mereka dengan menentang dua pasukan handalan dunia ini sebelum turun pada misi sebenar dalam kempen Kelayakan Olimpik, Mac nanti," kata Setiausaha Kehormat MHC, Maninderjit Singh.

Sementara itu, skuad wanita negara pula akan memulakan kempen Kelayakan Olimpik 2012 di Kakamigahara, Jepun, dengan menentang Azerbaijan pada 25 April depan.

Selepas itu Malaysia dijadualkan bertemu Jepun pada aksi kedua (27 April), diikuti Belarus (29 April), Chile (1 Mei) dan Austria (3 Mei).

Malaysia get test matches against world champions Australia

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia hockey team have surprisingly landed six high quality matches for their final phase of training for the March Olympic qualifier in Dublin.

The team will play the six matches against reigning world champions Australia and Holland in Perth.
Earlier, it was thought that the matches in Australia would be against their development side as their national team are involved in a Tri-Nation meet.

However, their senior team have agreed to play four matches from Jan 29 to Feb 2, after which Malaysia will take on Holland in another two matches on Feb 4 and 5.

Team manager George Koshy was delighted to have secured the six matches.
“We will get some very high quality games and playing the best in the world is always a welcome addition to our preparations.

“Australia, Holland and Argentina are playing in a Tri-Nation meet and we are grateful to Australia and Holland for arranging the matches for us,” said George.
The squad leave for Perth on Jan 28 and return on Feb 6.

The training programme from Feb 6-28 is still not finalised. Japan were supposed to come for some matches but they have yet to make a decision.

Malaysia start their preparation for the Dublin meet with five matches against China starting tomorrow until Jan 20 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The team leave for Europe on Feb 28. They will go to Cardiff for acclimatisation and also play matches against Wales. They are expected to reach Dublin on Mar 5. The qualifier is from Mar 10-18.

Six teams play in the qualifier with only the winner getting the ticket to the London Olympics. The other teams in the fray are South Korea, Ireland, Ukraine, Chile and Russia.

George said they are happy with the matches that have been fixed.
“In the event Japan do not come we will not be unduly worried as we have the matches we need for the final phase of training. Between Feb 6-28 we can always play with the Project 2013 team to fine tune our moves.”

Nur Suryani puts London Olympic dream ahead of starting a family

PETALING JAYA: Motherhood can wait as double SEA Games gold medallist Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi (pic) sets her sights on realising her dream of competing in the London Olympics this year.

Suryani is at the Asian Champion­ships starting tomorrow in Doha, which is the final qualifying meet for shooters from the continent aiming to get on board the plane to London.

Suryani showed impressive form at the Indonesia SEA Games last November to strike a double in the women’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle three-position, which eventually earned her the Woman Olympian of the Year award for 2011.

The 29-year-old, who got married a few months before the SEA Games, is hopeful she can get her act right in the Asian meet from Jan 11-22.

“Winning the two gold medals at the end of the year was a great wedding gift. I am more confident of my abilities and want to give my best shot to make the Olympics.

“I continued to prepare for the Asian meet after the SEA Games and stand a good chance of a top-five finish as the China shooters have already filled their Olympic quota,” said the determined Suryani.

“I have plans to raise a family but it can wait as my goal is to be the first Malaysian woman shooter to compete in the Olympics. My hubby (Marhazli Mohtar) is understanding and allows me to pursue my dream,” she added.

There are two Olympic spots for women’s 10m air rifle and three for the 50m rifle three-position up for grabs in the Asian meet.

Suryani has been consistent in the major tournaments over the past two years.
She stunned the shooting fraternity with a silver medal in the 10m air rifle event at the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Sydney before earning bronze in the same event at the Guangzhou Asian Games.
Suryani partnered Nur Ayuni Farhana Halim to take gold in the 10m air rifle pairs at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Malaysia have sent 15 shooters for the Asian meet, which is held every four years but Suryani, Farhana and Hasli Izwan Amir Hasan are the best hopes to make the cut for the Olympics.

Hasli was the country’s first shooter to qualify on merit for an Olympic shooting competition, which he achieved by earning a spot in the 2008 Beijing Games after winning silver at the previous Asian meet in Kuwait.

The local shooters competed in four ISSF World Cups and all Olympic qualifying events last year but failed to make the grade.

Chong Wei 'benam' Lin Dan

CHONG WEI (kiri) menewaskan Lin Dan pada final Kejohanan Badminton Terbuka Korea semalam.

AKHIRNYA, badi dan mimpi buruk jaguh perseorangan negara apabila bertemu Lin Dan lenyap di gelanggang Korea.

Semalam, takhta juara pada Kejohanan Badminton Siri Super Terbuka Korea kembali ke genggaman pemain No. 1 dunia, Datuk Lee Chong Wei setelah mengalahkan seteru utamanya, Lin Dan.

Dengan keputusan 12-21, 21-18, 21-14, Chong Wei dipaksa bekerja keras sebelum menumpaskan jaguh dari China itu pada final acara perseorangan lelaki.

Kejayaan pemain berusia 29 tahun di Gimnasium Olimpik Seoul, Korea itu menyaksikan dia membawa pulang ganjaran bernilai AS$75,000 (RM235,875).

Lin Dan yang menang selesa 12-21 di set pertama tidak kekal lama apabila Chong Wei menemui rentak untuk 'mendiamkan' jagoan dari China itu dengan mengheretnya ke perlawanan ke set penentuan yang mengambil masa satu jam 16 minit.

Nyata, reaksi positif yang ditunjukkan dan semangat untuk membalas dendam yang membara, memberi impak ke atas kejayaannya untuk menumbangkan Lin Dan.

Sejak awal lagi, bahang pertembungan antara dua musuh tradisi ini amat terasa dalam keduanya mencari kemenangan dengan menjelangnya Sukan Olimpik Julai nanti.

Justeru, dengan gelaran juara pada awal tahun 2012, ia dilihat bukan saja membangkitkan semangat juara dunia itu dalam pemburuan pingat emasnya di Sukan Olimpik 2012 malah sebagai peringatan kepada jaguh-jaguh China lain termasuk Chen Long.

Malah, rekod perlawanan yang konsisten memperlihatkan Chong Wei masih mempunyai sentuhan berbisa untuk membenam pemain-pemain dari China yang selama ini sering menjadi halangan kepadanya.

Ini termasuklah skrip ulangan yang ditempuhi Chong Wei tahun lalu apabila terpaksa bertarung hebat untuk menewaskan bintang dari China, Du Pengyu dalam aksi separuh akhir kelmarin.

Sementara itu, Lin Dan, juara dunia empat kali yang menewaskan Chong Wei dalam empat daripada lima pertemuan sepanjang 2011, terlebih dahulu menunjukkan jalan keluar kepada pemain Jepun, Sho Sasaki dalam perlawanan separuh akhir kelmarin.

Dalam pada itu, bagi kategori beregu lelaki pula, pemain tuan rumah, Jae Sung Jung-Yong Dae Lee tumpas kepada pemain China, Chai Yun dan Fu Haifeng dengan keputusan 18-21 21-17 21-19.

Bagi perseorangan wanita, peserta China, Wang Shixiang mudah menumpaskan rakan senegara, Jiang Yanjioa 21-12 21-17.

Peserta China terus gah apabila meraih kejuaraan dalam kategori beregu wanita dengan kejayaan Tian Qing-ZhaoYunlei 21-18 21-13 ke atas Jung Eun Ha-Ming Jung Kim dari Korea.

Chong Wei Welcomes Year Of The Dragon By Beating Lin Dan To Clinch Korea Open Title

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- World No 1 Datuk Lee Chong Wei rolled out his 2012 badminton campaign in-style after defeating his nemesis Lin Dan of China in the men's singles final to lift the Korea Open title today.

The national shuttler lost 12-21 in the first set but bounced back superbly in the next two sets, displaying superior court coverage and dazzling skills, to win 21-18 and 21-14, in an hour and 16 minutes at the Seoul Olympic Gymnasium.

With the victory, the 29-year-old Penangite avenged his defeat against the Chinese ace in the same tournament last year.

Chong Wei pocketed US$75,000 (RM235,875) as the champion while Lin Dan took home US$38,000 (RM119,510) as the runner-up.

Malaysia to set up camp in Cardiff ahead of Olympic qualifiers

KUALA LUMPUR: The national hockey team will set up camp in Cardiff from Feb 28-March 5 prior to the Olympic qualifier in Dublin.

The Cardiff camp is to allow the players to acclimatise to the weather and to play matches against Wales ahead of the Dublin qualifiers, which will begin on March 10.

The national team hope to play at least three matches against the Welsh national side between March 1-4.
The national team have also finalised their programme for this month and are just waiting to confirm the series against Japan next month.

Malaysia’s programme will start with the six-match series against China from Jan 10-20 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

This will be followed by a tour of Australia from Jan 28-Feb 4. They hope to play four to six matches against the Australian Development team in Perth.

Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) secretary Maninderjit Singh said yesterday that the team should have around 20 matches under their belt prior to the qualifiers.

Malaysia’s main threat in the Olympic qualifier, from March 10-18, are world No. 6 South Korea.
The other teams in the fray are Ireland, Chile, Russia and Ukraine. Only the winner will make the cut for the London Olympics.

The national team had earlier been offered the University of Bath as a possible camp site before to qualifiers.
But they decided against it after arranging the matches with Wales, who wanted to play in Cardiff.

The Malaysians will move to Dublin on March 5 and their opening match will be against Chile (March 10).
The MHC have also arranged for a three-day motivational camp, run by the National Sports Institute (NSI), for the team in Port Dickson from Feb 17-19.

Azizul harap tuah 2012

MENYAMBUT ulang tahun kelahiran yang ke-24 semalam, jaguh lumba basikal negara, Azizulhasni Awang (gambar) mengharapkan tahun 2012 akan memberikan satu kenangan indah yang tidak akan dilupakannya.

Fokusnya kini hanya satu iaitu untuk bergelar atlet pertama negara menghadiahkan pingat emas buat negara di temasya sukan terbesar dunia, Olimpik yang bermula dari 27 Julai hingga 12 Ogos ini.

Justeru latihan kini terarah kepada mencari kekuatan kayuhan untuk bangkit menguasai kedudukan carta Piala Dunia dalam acara keirin dan pecut.
Azizul mengharapkan 2012 membuka lembaran baru dengan kejadian yang berlaku ketika Siri Piala Dunia Klasik kedua di Cali apabila dia terbabit dengan kemalangan tidak akan berulang.

“Saya masih tidak fobia atau takut untuk bertanding. Prestasi saya sekarang semakin meningkat dan saya harap selepas ini nasib akan selalu baik dan dijauhi daripada kemalangan,” katanya.

Dia yang tidak turun beraksi pada siri ketiga Piala Dunia Klasik yang ketiga di Beijing pada 13 hingga 15 Januari ini berkata, jurulatih, John Beasley kini mahu memberi tumpuan khusus kepada latihan serta memperbaiki kekurangan sebelum Kejohanan Dunia, Mac ini.

“Saya tidak ke Beijing kerana mahu memberi tumpuan pada siri Piala Dunia keempat di London Februari ini. Semoga tiada kejadian tidak di ingin berulang lagi,” katanya.

Azizul bersama skuad elit yang lain terdiri daripada Josiah Ng dan Fatehah Mustapa berada dalam kedudukan selesa dari segi pungutan mata dan antara alasan mengapa Beasley mengambil pendekatan untuk memberi tumpuan kepada latihan semata-mata.

Injury scuppers Elaine’s Olympic dreams and may force her to retire

PETALING JAYA: This is definitely not a very happy new year for taekwondo exponent Elaine Teo.

The 30-year-old former Asian Games bronze medallist may be forced into premature retirement due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee.

Elaine tore her ACL while competing at the Asian taekwondo qualifiers for the London Olympics in Bangkok last month and is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday.
The surgery will surely end her hopes of competing at the London Olympics in August as she will need to go through a long rehabilitation period.

She is the most experienced member of the national taekwondo team, having represented the country since 1999.

Elaine, who made her SEA Games debut with a gold in Brunei that year, was disappointed to bow out this way.

“I’ve had the injury for some time now and Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz (chief executive officer of the National Sports Institute) advised me to go for surgery earlier so that I can continue fighting,” said Elaine.

“But I put off the surgery as I wanted to try and qualify for the London Olympics.
“I only managed to finish fourth but the worst part was that I tore my meniscus and ACL.
“I will have to go for surgery and I will need about six to seven months of rehabilitation.

“There’s no way I can go to the Olympics. I will probably have to quit as well ... unless there is someone coming up in my weight division for the next SEA Games,” added Elaine, who represented the country at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics.

She also holds the distinction of being the only taekwondo exponent to have won the National Sportswoman Award in 2004.

Asked about her plans, Elaine, who competes in bantamweight category, revealed that she was keen to go into coaching “provided there is a place for me in the national set-up”.

“I love taekwondo and I hope to share my experience and knowledge gained over the years,” she said.
Elaine skipped the recent Indonesia SEA Games to prepare for the Asian qualifiers in Bangkok, where she missed out on a place for the London Olympics after finishing fourth.
Only the top three finishers made the cut.

Pandelela buru dua lagi tiket ke London

Bryan Nickson Lomas (kiri) dan Pandelela Rinong menjalani rutin latihan di Pusat Akuatik Nasional, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

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KUALA LUMPUR - Ratu terjun negara, Pandelela Rinong akan menggalas tugasan berganda pada Piala Dunia Terjun FINA di London bulan depan.

Selain memastikan tiket Olimpik dalam acara 10 meter platform seirama bersama Leong Mun Yee yang mana mereka berdua adalah pasangan No. 3 dunia berada dalam genggaman, dia juga dipertanggungjawabkan untuk memburu slot 3m papan anjal individu.

Papan anjal bukanlah disiplin kegemaran Pandelela, namun ketua jurulatih, Yang Zhuliang percaya anak didiknya itu mampu mencapainya pada saingan yang menjadi pentas kelayakan terakhir Olimpik.

"Lela (Pandelela) sudah layak dalam acara 10m platform individu menerusi Kejohanan Dunia di Shanghai tahun lalu, jadi dia mempunyai ruang untuk berlatih memantapkan terjunan bagi disiplin papan anjal.
"Saya fikir ada baiknya jika dia boleh membantu Malaysia meraih kuota tambahan 3m papan anjal individu. Kita mahukan sebanyak kuota yang mungkin untuk menghantar perwakilan terbesar ke Olimpik nanti," katanya yang ditemui semalam.

Penyertaan Malaysia dalam acara tersebut selama ini diwakili sama ada Cheong Jun Hoong, Wendy Ng Yan Yee dan Mun Yee.

Malaysia mengintai dua slot maksimum acara ini di Piala Dunia, namun hanya pemenang pingat emas Sukan SEA XXVI Indonesia, Jun Hoong dilihat lebih berpeluang berbanding rakan sepasukan Wendy berdasarkan prestasi semasa.

Sementara Mun Yee pula tidak akan diturunkan dalam acara individu kerana Zhuliang inginkan jaguh veteran itu memfokuskan sepenuhnya dalam acara platform seirama yang gandingannya dengan Pandelela dilihat paling berpotensi untuk mencipta kejutan menaiki podium di Olimpik.

Pandelela, biarpun jarang beraksi dalam acara papan anjal sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, dia sememangnya menjadi sandaran terbaik.

Pada temasya Olimpik Remaja Singapura 2010, Pandelela berjaya membawa pulang dua perak dan salah satunya ialah acara 3m papan anjal indvidu.

Sebanyak 12 slot acara terbabit telah pun diisi pada Kejohanan Dunia Shanghai dan dua lagi dimiliki juara Ocenia dan Eropah, justeru masih ada baki 20 tiket untuk direbut bulan depan.

Turut berpeluang cerah layak ke temasya London 2012 adalah Traisy Vivien Tukiet (10m platform wanita individu) dan Ooi Tze Liang (10m platform lelaki individu).

Our Olympic gold medal dream

IT IS every athlete's dream to compete in the Olympics, the greatest arena for sports. No matter how many times an athlete has won world competitions or becomes world No 1 in his or her sport, there's still that missing feeling if the athlete has not won the ultimate prize – an Olympic gold medal. 

 

In Malaysia's case, we have two world No 1 athletes, Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Datuk Nicol David. While Chong Wei had a crack at the Olympics and won a silver in Beijing four years ago, Nicol has been denied hers because squash is not an Olympic sport.

Nicol has bagged 56 Women's International Squash Players Association titles since turning pro in 2000 including the world title a record six times.

But after winning her sixth title in Rotterdam in November, she said she would willingly trade them all for one Olympic gold medal. So it is on the shoulders of Chong Wei and Chong Wei alone that Malaysia can in the foreseeable future land that much sought after prize.

An Olympic gold is so phenomenal that even if a country were to win hundreds of silver or bronze medals, it would be forgotten well before the next Olympics because the colour isn't gold.

In a huge country like Indonesia, the name Taufik Hidayat is better known than any of its other personalities whether in entertainment or politics. Why? At 24, he mesmerised 200 million Indonesians when he won the badminton gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.

Taufik during his heyday may not have won many titles on the international circuit or reigned as world No 1 for as long as Chong Wei but like China's legendary Lin Dan, he certainly knew when to peak and win the tournaments that really mattered especially for his country's honour.

In other words, both players are more selective than Chong Wei who is ubiquitous in the tournaments that he plays and picks up the most points to hold on to the No 1 ranking.

Last year, he had a hectic schedule competing in 15 tournaments, winning seven of them. But Chong Wei was obviously exhausted towards the end of 2011, beaten in three consecutive semi-finals. The new year has just started but as you are reading this column, Chong Wei is already in the court for the Korean Open Super Series Premier which begins in Seoul today.

This is indeed an important year in the quest for Malaysia's first Olympic gold as the Olympics will be staged in London from July 27 to Aug 12.

Realistically, the London Olympics is about the only chance in a long time for Malaysia to land this medal. And the entire country's focus is on Chong Wei but look at the recent statements from Chong Wei and his coach Tey Seu Bock. Our most accomplished badminton player said he wanted his former coach Datuk Misbun Sidek to help him prepare for the Olympics while Seu Bock said Chong Wei has no plans to cut down on the tournaments before the London showdown.

After the Korean Open, he is down to compete in the Malaysian Open. Then there is the Thomas Cup qualifier next month, the All-England and Swiss Open in March, the India Open in April and the Malaysia Open GP in May.

Assuming Malaysia makes it to the Thomas Cup Finals, Chong Wei will be in the thick of action in May and the Indonesian Open in June. Do Chong Wei and his coach have their priorities right? And why did Chong Wei want Misbun to help him? Does it mean that he's not so confident in his coach? Well, I shall touch on Badminton Association of Malaysia's (BAM) selection of coaches another time.

Misbun is known to be a sensitive person and resigned in a huff following a tiff with the BAM last year. Chong Wei has put the BAM in a spot by wanting Misbun back. After what happened I don't think Misbun is in the right frame of mind to help Chong Wei win the gold medal.

Seu Bok wants Chong Wei to compete at his own pace saying it's vital that "we don't heap extra pressure on him and hopefully he'll stay injury-free till July".

I have closely followed our badminton scene for almost 50 years but if you ask me, I'm worried that with the punishing pace Chong Wei has charted, our first Olympic gold might well remain a pipe dream.
And not to forget that when the London Olympics gets going, Chong Wei will be two months shy of his 30th birthday, an age considered old in badminton, perhaps the most physically taxing of sports.

Can someone at BAM or the Sports Ministry – which has been spending millions on its Road to London programme from 2009 to land that first gold – do something more sensible?

Chong Wei has not only to contend with Lin Dan, arguably the best badminton player the world has ever seen, but has to worry about the growing threat from Chinese youngster Chen Long. Chong Wei lost three times to Chen Long in 2011.

Just look at the way Chen Long played and the stamina he showed when he beat Chong Wei at the semi-final of the World Super Series and how tamely he lost to Lin Dan. Knowing Lin Dan, he will lie low in terms of the tournaments he chooses and there's no way that he'll allow the Olympic gold to slip from his hands.

As for Nicol, there is nothing more that she wants now than to see squash accepted as an Olympic event. She is not giving up her crusade to get the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to do this despite the failure of her latest attempt for the sport to be included in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The IOC snubbed squash in favour of golf and rugby.

Nicol first presented a paper for the inclusion of squash to the IOC in 2009. "My dream has always been to play in the Olympics and I will do everything to see squash in the Games," she said.

The irony is that even if squash were to be an Olympic sport in 2020, in all likelihood Nicol won't be there to win that gold as she'll be 37. But it's not impossible to expect Nicol, dubbed Malaysia's greatest ever athlete, to come out of retirement to prove a point. She might do just that.

Malaysia's Quest For Olympic Gold On Right Track - Shabery

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's quest for a first ever gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics is on the right track says Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

Ahmad Shabery said though not many athletes have qualified for the London Olympics, the search for tickets to the Olympics continues to take priority among athletes.

"Currently not many have qualified for the London Olympics because the qualifying mark or standard is high. To those who have qualified, I wish them 'syabas' but they must continue to improve their performance to have any chance of winning.

"Many are still in the process of earning ranking points to earn qualification to London," he told reporters here.

He also urged those under the 'Road To London 2012' programme to work extra hard to earn their slot to London.

Ahmad Shabery wanted those who had already qualified, to focus, train with commitment and determination because the prospect of winning the country's first Olympic gold medal would rest on their shoulders.

Seven athletes, four from archery, (Cheng Chu Sian, Khairul Anuwar Mohamad, Haziq Kamaruddin, Nurul Syafiqah Hashim) and three from diving (Bryan Nickson Lomas, Pandelela Rinong, Yeoh Ken Nee) have qualified for the London Olympics on merit.

However, the main hopes of winning a gold medal would rest on badminton and cycling although the National Sports Council (NSC) has placed six sports under the 'Road to London Programme' namely badminton, cycling, diving, shooting, archery and hockey.

As for the two-year suspension for karate coach P. Arivalagan meted out by the Asian Karate Federation for his alleged outburst over the decision of referees during the SEA Games in Indonesia, Ahmad Shabery said he would discuss the matter with the responsible federation.

Cycling: Cyclist Zamri Salleh Qualifies For London Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 (Bernama) -- National cyclist Mohd Zamri Salleh has secured a place for the London Olympics road race after becoming the overall winner of the Malaysian Grand Prix Circuit (GP Grand Finale) 2011 which ended at Dataran Tanjung Emas, Muar on Saturday.

Mohd Zamri will be adorning the Terengganu Cycling Team (TGS) jersey this season after winning 49 points from seven GP championships, including getting on the podium twice -- at the Kelantan GP and Melaka GP, Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Abu Samah Abdul Wahab said in a statement Sunday.

The Laos SEA Games 2009 bronze medallist was crowned the overall winner despite finishing in the eighth position in the 174.10km race after he left his closest rival trailing in the 11th position.

Mohd Nor Umardi and Mohammad Saufi Mat Senan, both from TSG, finished second and third overall in the GPs after each of them collected 44 points, said Abu Samah.

The winner of the road race was TSG's Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki, who clocked 4hr, 25mins 112 seconds, 1.371s ahead of national trainee Mohd Zulhilmi Afif.

For Mohd Zamri, he attributed his selection in the Olympics to consistency of performance as he made a marked improvement by training with cyclists from TSG after a dismal performance in 2010.

"I think I have no problem in teaming up with TSG cyclists as our major advantage is being able to communicate in the local Terengganu Malay dialect. This raised my spirit to be more successful in 2012," he said in a statement.

Mohd Zamri believes that if his brother, Mohd Hariff is also selected for the Olympics, both of them could spring surprises in road races.

"Anyway, I am not an avid sprinter. I am a domestique (a member who assists the leader, as by setting a pace)," he added.

Malaysia have already confirmed their participation in London Olympics road races and are expected to name another cyclist for the event.

In women's elite category, Kedah's Masziyaton Radzi emerged the overall champion after collecting 89 points while Selangor's Mariana Mohamad came in second with 71 points.