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New coach sets Croc test for U-23 squad BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

New coach sets Croc test for U-23 squad

Posted: 28 Dec 2013 11:08 AM PST

by Matthew T. Umpang, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 29, 2013, Sunday

KUCHING: New President's Cup head coach Johnny Dominicus is set to test his squad against Sarawak's finest this evening.

The State Under-23 squad will face the Crocs in the friendly match.

"What is important for the players tomorrow (today) is to find an understanding of playing with each other. There is a need to forge a great understanding before we start our campaign next month," he said.

He is hoping that his young players will not get over-excited when facing their seniors.

Johnny was appointed head coach of Sarawak's President's Cup two months ago with former Croc Khairol Jamel as his assistant.

He replaced Awang Jobli Awang Bidin who stepped down after last season's campaign.

Sarawak finished 15th place out of 18 teams last season.

Johnny has now been tasked by the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) to improve the team's performance this season.

Johnny led his home state Sabah as head coach to win the gold medal at the 2012 Sukma in Kuantan.

The President Cup's tournament starts on Jan 27.

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Federer signs up ‘childhood hero’ Edberg

Posted: 28 Dec 2013 11:07 AM PST

PARIS: Roger Federer on Friday announced that his "childhood hero" Stefan Edberg will become part of his coaching team for ten weeks at the Australian Open, the season's first Grand Slam.

Edberg, a former world number one and a six-time major winner, had been hitting with Federer over the winter as the Swiss gears up for what could be a make-or-break season.

"I am happy to announce that beginning in Melbourne, Stefan Edberg will join Severin Luthi on my coaching team," said Federer, the 17-time major winner but whose ranking is now down at six in the world.

"Severin, who has been part of my team for the last seven years, will do most of the weeks and Stefan has agreed to work with us for at least 10 weeks start ing at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

"Stefan was my childhood hero, and I am really looking forward to spending time and learning from him."

Edberg, 47, won the Australian Open in 1985 and 1987, Wimbledon in 1988 and 1990 and back-to-back US Opens in 1991 and 1992.

"I'm really excited to be part of Roger's team and I hope together we can bring out his best tennis," said Edberg.

Federer, who announced on Christmas Eve that he and wife Mirka are to become parents for a third time, split with longtime coach Paual Annacone in October.

The 32-year-old becomes the latest top player to hire a former Grand Slam title-winning player as coach.

Novak Djokovic has hired Boris Becker, Richard Gasquet has taken on Sergi Bruguera, Marin Cilic has renewed his partnership with Goran Ivanisevic while Kei Nishikori signed up Michael Chang.

Undoubtedly, they were moves inspired by Andy Murray's success with Ivan Lendl which has yielded the 2012 US Open title and 2013 Wimbledon triumph. — AFP

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Wushu exponent fights his way to the top

Posted: 28 Dec 2013 11:06 AM PST

SIBU: Rising wushu star Frankie Hii Sieng Nguong has come a long way from being a nanquan to chanquan player before earning bragging rights as one of the country's top taijiquan and taijijian exponents.

The 20-year-old undergraduate student of Methodist Pilley Institute knows it was never easy to reach his current standing. That is why he was eager to create a lasting impression of his contributions to the wushu fraternity.

"Though it requires lots of hard work and tough regimental training to mould me into what I am today, I will never be complacent but continue to pump in more efforts to ensure that I will be up to my best when my services are needed,' he told the Sunday Post in an exclusive interview.

The young and fiery wushu exponent has been creating waves in the taijiquan and taijijian combined events at both the local and international arena in recent months.

Earlier this year, he captured three gold medals in optional taijiquan, optional taijijian and men's duilian (dual event) at the Hong Kong International Wushu Festival.

In the men's duilian, he combined with training mate Law Kiing Fu to secure the gold.

In July, he took part in the 3rd Beijing International Wushu Cultural Exchange Conference and again chalked up three gold medals in the same events.

The week-long event, held at the Beijing Changping Stadium, was a major championship which attracted some 6,000 wushu exponents representing 200 teams from 60 countries including the USA, England, Russia, Ukraine, Singapore, Malaysia, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Congo, Azerbaijian, Tunisia and the Czech Republic.

Participants also included Chinese wushu exponents from 30 provinces and competitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Frankie had to dig deep before returning his sterling results.

The taiji department specialist repeated his three-gold feat in the 1st Borneo Wushu Championship held in Brunei from the same events.

The latest feather on his cap was the gold medal he collected from the inaugural Sarawak Self Defence Martial Arts Championship recently. He was also crowned the All-Rounder champion at this most recent tournament held in Kuching, making him the toast of Sibu Martial Arts (Gunshu) Association (SMAA), the wushu association which he has represented throughout his wushu career.

Besides the optional taijiquan, optional taijijian and the duilian events, Frankie had also won medals in the nanquan and changquan events.

"Taiji disciplines are my favorite event now and I believe I can go the distance to help the country collect medals if my services are needed," he added.

Flamboyant and dynamic, the pugnacious Frankie started his wushu career at the age of nine.

"It was all in my blood and I just love the sport. I love martial arts since young and I always dream to become a successful kung fu artist like the famed Hong Kong star Jackie Chan. I took up the sport when I was in primary five and since then, there was no turning back."

Frankie's mother Wong Hieng Ming initially refused to allow his son to take up the sport for fear of injury. But she relented because the young lad was so determined to embrace the sport.

The rest is history.

Frankie obtained his first gold medal in the nanquan event at the inter-school wushu championship when he was in primary six. The result motivated him to strive for more successes.

After four years, he switched to changquan and continued a spectacular rise, winning gold medals from the many tournaments he took part in.

In his zeal during those highly competitive years, he over-exerted himself and injured his right knee cap. He was ruled out from numerous local competitions.

Frankie went into rehabilitation for about four months but the nagging pain refused to go away.

"My knee issues continue to haunt me over the years. It is common in our sport but, in my case, the pain just refuse to subside."

Not one to give up the sport during that difficult period, the dogged Frankie took up light exercises to ensure that his wushu momentum remained intact.

Last year, at the advice of his long-time coach Gilbert Wong, Frankie decided to switch to taijiquan and taijijian.

"In the taiji discipline, the movements are slower and, unlike changquan, taiji encompasses less jumping but concentrate more on internal strength and character when maneuvering our moves. The switch has effectively resurrected my wushu career," he noted.

To further polish and upgrade his taijiquan mobility and breathing technique, Frankie went to Kuala Lumpur recently for a week-long training stint under Master Chen Juan, a Chinese martial artist from the 12th generation Chenshitaiji discipline.

It was a revolutionary training scheme and, under Chen, Frankie's performance improved by leaps and bounds. "The short training stint further inspired me to put my best foot forward and it also ultimately convinces me that the taiji movements like the lifting of arms and the bending of knees are not the result of conscious physical efforts but the effects of mental concentration. It is both the physical and mental exercise."

Besides Master Chen, Frankie also received tutorial guidance under Sarawak Chenshitaijiquan adviser Loh Ming Kuai and Wong, SMAA chief coach.

Frankie now looks stronger and exudes greater confidence. It seems that nothing can derail his ambition to achieve his ultimate desire of becoming the country's top taijiquan and taijijian exponent.

The title-hungry exponent believes he has laid a strong foundation to gun for a podium finish in several wushu championships scheduled for early next year. At the top of his 2014 agenda are the Traditional Martial Arts Championship to be held in China and the Borneo International Martial Arts Championship to be held in Sibu.

Coach Wong, when contacted, said it was a blessing in disguise when Frankie switched to the taiji department as it gave SMAA more alternatives in taking part in wushu competitions.

"Before, we have Kiing Fuu and Frankie both competing in the same category and it was a little bit crowded. Now with the switch, we have more alternatives and it also gave us the edge and the opportunities to win more medals in the major tournaments," he said.

Wong said he had been pushing Frankie hard in training and was happy to note that he had shown tremendous progress.

"He has a good technique in showcasing his taiji skills and, given enough exposure, he should be able to scale greater heights.

Taijijian calls for complete mental concentration. With its flowing and rhythmic movement, it fits the bill perfectly for Frankie to take up the discipline since he tends to under-perform in other disciplines since he injured his knee."

Wong expressed full confidence in Frankie's abilities, "If he can get his act right and so long as his passion for the sport remains unwavering, then the world will surely be at his feet."

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Tan slams sacked Cardiff boss Mackay

Posted: 28 Dec 2013 11:00 AM PST

CARDIFF, United Kingdom: Cardiff owner Vincent Tan admitted he sacked manager Malky Mackay on Friday because the Scot was airing the Premier League club's "dirty linen" in public.

Mackay's acrimonious departure was the inevitable result of his turbulent relationship with Malaysian tycoon Tan, who had last week granted the Bluebirds boss a reprieve despite sending him an e-mail demanding he resign or be sacked.

That ultimatum was briefly lifted when chairman Mehmet Dalman stated Mackay would be in charge for the "forseeable future", but Thursday's 3-0 defeat against Southampton proved to be Mackay's last game in charge.

Mackay had often said he has felt sorry for the club's fans as Cardiff have found themselves in the headlines for the wrong reasons on several occasions.

But Tan laid the blame for that with Mackay, who he believes attempted to garner sympathy from the Cardiff supporters with some of his comments about the club's owners.

"There has been a good deal of publicity generated by, and about, Mr Malky Mackay for the last few months," Tan said in a statement.

"Indeed, far too much dirty linen has been exposed to the public gaze but, I stress, not by me.

"Indeed, I have deliberately not responded to this, hoping that the club can be judged on its football rather than personalised arguments about who said what to whom.

"I have, however, regretfully concluded that it is no longer fair to the club, its players, its fans and the public more generally for this uncomfortable state of affairs to continue.

"Cardiff City Football Club means far too much to us all for it to be distracted by this."

Tan's controversial email had included a list of grievances with the former Watford manager, and Mackay said he had been left "deeply upset" by its content.

There has been ill-feeling between the two since Tan's removal of Iain Moody as his head of recruitment in October, and the owner was said to be furious at Mackay's hopes of adding to his squad in January, which resulted in last week's incendiary email.

Mackay had twice requested a meeting with Tan and Dalman this week in order to discuss their differences, but the Scot revealed the Malaysian had turned them down

He refused to step down however but it looked like the axe would fall after last Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, until the reprieve which was to prove short-lived.

Mackay, who has already been linked with the vacancy at West Brom, insisted he had nothing to be ashamed about despite Tan's stinging criticism.

In a statement released by his agent to Sky Sports News, he said: "It is with the deepest and most sincere regret that I today confirm my sacking.

"I leave with my head held high having gained a level of experience that, upon reflection, I suspect would have been difficult to find anywhere else in British football.

"The foundations laid here at Cardiff City will provide a solid platform for my successor and for the sake of the club I hope the progress that has been made so far will not be impaired in any way to today's enforced changes.

"As disappointing as today's decision is, I am already able to look back at my time at the club with immense pride and joy given the number of milestones the club achieved during the last two-and-a-half years."

Thursday's loss left the Bluebirds, who under Mackay reached the League Cup final in 2012 and won promotion to the top flight last season for the first time in 51 years, just a point above the relegation zone.

Among those in the frame to replace Mackay are former Manchester United striker and Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Turkish journeyman Yilmaz Vural.

Assistant manager David Kerslake and first-team coach Joe McBride will take charge on a caretaker basis for the club's Premier League clash with Sunderland on Saturday. — AFP

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