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Artificial football turf up in February BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

Artificial football turf up in February

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:38 AM PST

by Matthew Umpang, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 7, 2014, Tuesday

KUCHING: There is good news for state youth footballers. They can now look forward to training on a field with an artificial surface by the end of next month.

The field will be located at the Sarawak Foundation headquarters here at Jalan Sultan Tengah.

Speaking to The Borneo Post yesterday, Sarawak Foundation director Datu Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki disclosed that the field will be the first of its kind in Sarawak to be used for football.

Currently, the only outdoor sports venue in the state to have an artificial pitch is the State Hockey Stadium at Jalan Padungan here.

Abu Bakar, who is also Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) deputy president, said the main reason for the artificial surface was to help in the development of local youth football.

"Our youths here in the state are in dire need of good football facilities. Hence the reason why we decided to construct this field," he explained.

"We intend to provide an alternative for our local footballers and teams especially during the rainy season. I know it could be sickening sometimes to see matches and competitions played on a muddy and soggy field."

Abu Bakar also observed that poor maintenance has led many football fields in the state to be less than ideal for youth development programmes.

He hoped planners of football venues throughout the state would give more emphasis on the pitch condition rather than secondary matters like the grandstand.

He believed the completion of the field would mark a step forward for the development of football in the state.

"This is the Sarawak Foundation's contribution to the local football development. We hope it will be a landmark project for the future of our local football as well," he said.

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Sarawak finish runner-up at national Tang Soo Do championship

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:37 AM PST

KUCHING: Kuching District Tang Soo Do are satisfied with the performance of their exponents at the 20th National Championship held in Selangor from Dec 14-15..

Sarawak emerged runner-up in the championship organised by the Federation of Malaysia Tang Soo Do (Fomtsdo).

According to Harold Teo who is district president, Sarawak bagged 17 gold, 16 silver and 8 bronze medals compared to overall champions Perak's 19-16-21.

"Our Kuching exponents won 11 gold, 12 silver and four bronze. The rest of the medals for Sarawak were won by exponents from Miri," Teo told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Selangor was overall third with 6-9-9.

Teo revealed that this year's championship saw the adoption of new rulings based on those used at the recent International Tang Soo Do Championship held in Rotterdam, Netherland last October.

"The size of the sparring ring is now 6m square instead of the usual 8m square practice. Participants who retreat out the ring for more than 3 times shall be deducted one point after two warnings, thereupon a subsequent point deducted for every retreat outside," he described a key change.

He said the new ruling was tailored to create a more aggressive attacking style of competition.

Upon their return to Kuching after the tournament, the athletes were invited for a dinner by Minister of Women, Family and Community Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim. The minister had provided assistance in transportation and food matters while the contingent was competing there.

Teo also expressed his appreciation to the association president Datuk Fadillah Yusof (who is also Federal Minister of Works), Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar for their kind donation to support the state contingent.

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Come meet the 2014 Crocs — FAS

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:37 AM PST

Posted on January 7, 2014, Tuesday

KUCHING: The Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) are launching their new kit with the new line-up of the Crocs for the 2014 season tomorrow (Dec 8).

The event will be held here at the Stadium Perpaduan starting at 7pm.

FAS officials, who contacted The Borneo Post yesterday, hope local fans will come to witness the event.

Entry is free of charge.

"This is the moment that the fans have been waiting for. Just come to Stadium Perpaduan this Wednesday (tomorrow) and witness it for yourself," an official added. There will also be sideline activities held in conjunction with the event.

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Radwanska faces down power to combat big hitters

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:35 AM PST

SYDNEY: Power is not one of the things used to describe Agniezska Radwanska's tennis game.

Touch, guile and tenacity would be more appropriate for the world number five, who begins the defence of her Sydney International title in the second round against American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Radwanska, who combines her off-season with university studies, has realised she will probably never blast the likes of world number one Serena Williams or powerful Russian Maria Sharapova off court.

So, like other top women players on the circuit, she gets used to combatting what is blasted back across at her with two male hitting partners.

"I have couple of hitting partners, they're guys, so of course they're playing stronger than the girls," Radwanska told reporters in Sydney when asked what she did to try to compete with the taller, more powerful women on tour.

"So of course the practice (is) always a little bit harder and you do much more in practice to be prepared … for the match."

Radwanska is the only player in the women's top five who is playing this week to fine tune her preparations for the season opening grand slam in Melbourne that starts on Jan. 13.

Williams, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Sharapova all played in Brisbane, while China's Li Na won the Shenzhen tournament in her homeland.

Radwanska skipped her title defence in Auckland to play the Hopman Cup this year after she spent more than two months away from competitive tennis following a gruelling Asian swing at the end of 2013.

The three weeks in Asia had cost her at the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul, where she lost all three of her round robin matches, she said.

"I think I really had a lot of matches in Asia. I played 13 matches in 18 days, which was a lot.

"I think a little bit too much. "I thought I would be ready, and I just remember I had just two days off and I said 'I'm going to practice and go back on court and be ready for the Championships'.

"I think it was not enough rest between."

Eager to rest, but also to try to ensure she started 2014 in the same way she had in 2013, when she won 13 successive matches and claimed two titles before she lost to Li in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park, she only took two weeks off after Istanbul.

"I had vacation right after Istanbul. So two weeks after, and then of course back on court and hard work from the beginning. So I really practised a lot the last few weeks," she said.

"I really did a lot of fitness, you know, to be healthy and strong for the whole year.

"Hopefully I can have the same good start of the season like last year. We'll see." — Reuters

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Tributes flood in ahead of Eusebio funeral

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST

LISBON: Tens of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects at the funeral Monday of Portuguese footballing legend Eusebio, whose death has sparked worldwide tributes.

Flags flew at half mast across Lisbon ahead of the ceremony with the Portuguese government decreeing three days of mourning for Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, who died of a heart attack early Sunday aged 71.

News of his death was splashed on the cover of all major newspapers, which dedicated pages of tributes to the footballer who reigned over Portuguese football in the 1960s, bringing glory to both his club Benfica and his country.

"Good-bye to the legend," daily newspaper Diario de Noticias wrote on its front page above a photo of the player after he scored a goal while sports daily O Jogo headlined "Eternal" above a photo of Eusebio.

"Portugal has today lost one of its most beloved sons, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira. The country mourns his death," President Anibal Cavaco Silva said.

Eusebio's contemporary Pele, the Brazilian widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, took to his Twitter account to tell the world: "I cry for the death of my brother Eusebio. We became friends during the 1966 World Cup in England."

Pele published a photo of the two men together when Portugal beat Brazil 3-1 that year, with Eusebio scoring two of the goals.

The player's body was taken to Benfica's Luz stadium (Stadium of Light) on Sunday in Lisbon, where fans placed flowers, handmade posters and scarves with the club's red and white colours.

"For me, he is simply the creator of football," said 24-year-old fan Luis Marques, while one banner left at the statue read: "I haven't come to say goodbye, but to say thank-you."

A funeral mass will be held in the Seminary Church near the stadium on Monday at 1600 GMT, and the footballer will be laid to rest at the Lumiar cemetery in the city's northern suburbs.

In line with Eusebio's wishes his coffin will, before the funeral ceremony, around 1330GMT, be carried around the stadium where he so often delighted fans.

Eusebio, born into poverty in Africa, scored 733 goals in 745 matches and rivalled all-time greats including Pele, Alfredo Di Stefano and Charlton.

"I was the best player in the world, top scorer in the world and Europe. I did everything, except win a World Cup," Eusebio said in a interview in 2011, recalling his tears after Portugal's loss in the 1966 World Cup semi-final to England.

From humble origins in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique, Eusebio was to emerge as one of the world's most feared strikers, combining panther-like pace with a ferocious shooting ability.

Born in 1942, the poor boy from Maputo rose to prominence in Mozambique football circles as a teenager through his performances for Sporting Lourenco Marques. With his exceptional technique, strength and goal-scoring record, it was not long before word of Eusebio's prowess soon filtered back to Portugal and he joined Benfica.

In an early game for Benfica, he had outshone Pele in a friendly with Santos, and in 1962 he scored the crucial goals in a 5-3 victory over Real Madrid in the European Cup final.

When Madrid's legendary Hungarian Ferenc Puskas symbolically handed his jersey to Eusebio after the match, the message was clear – the torch had passed, and in 1965 Eusebio was awarded the Ballon d'Or.

But while Eusebio excelled with Benfica in Europe, it was his exploits at the 1966 World Cup for which he will be best remembered.

Eusebio's nine goals in England propelled Portugal to a third-place finish, and a succession of opposing teams simply had no answer to the power and pace of his play.

In the quarter-finals Eusebio was unstoppable, pulling off a one-man rescue act after Portugal went 3-0 down against North Korea after just 20 minutes.

The Koreans were blown away by a four-goal display from Eusebio as the Portuguese won 5-3.

He scored his ninth of the tournament in the third-place play-off win over the Soviet Union. He finished his 64-cap career having accumulated 41 goals for Portugal. — AFP

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Anatomy of an Ashes annihilation

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:32 AM PST

SYDNEY: The body language told the story but the statistics make the starkest reading after Australia handed old enemy England their heaviest ever Ashes series defeat.

As Australia partied long and loud at the Sydney Cricket Ground and England sloped off to face a barrage of criticism, the numbers revealed the sheer scale of the hosts' superiority.

Their dominance was not only underlined but increased on Sunday, when they swept to a humiliating 281-run victory with two days left to complete only England's third 5-0 Ashes whitewash in more than 130 years.

England, accused of throwing in the towel and slammed in all quarters by the media, succumbed meekly to the task of chasing an improbable 448 runs to be routed for 166 in just 31.4 overs.

It was statistically England's worst 5-0 series thrashing by Australia. The tourists lost 100 wickets for 2,030 runs at an average of 20.30, compared to 1920/21 (2,779 runs/98 wickets) and the previous whitewash in 2006/07 (2,530/96).

The series marked a stunning turnaround for Australia just months after losing 3-0 in England, and was a crowning achievement for the meticulous preparation of coach Darren Lehmann along with Michael skipper Clarke.

Clarke gave an insight into the detailed planning for the series, which was executed with clinical effect.

"We spoke at the start of the series and we had set plans for individual batters," the captain said.

"The moment numbers eight, nine 10, 11 walked in, we knew we were going to hit them as hard as we could with short stuff. We planned that before a ball was bowled in this series.

"But it's easy to have plans but it takes skill and courage to execute it. I said to the boys at the start of the series that I thought they were the best attack in the world and I think they've shown that in five Test matches."

Alastair Cook's men were ambushed by man-of-the-series Mitchell Johnson in the first Brisbane Test to roll over by 381 runs, and it was downhill from there: Adelaide (218 runs), Perth (150 runs), Melbourne (eight wickets) and finally Sydney, probably the worst defeat of all.

Lethal left-armer Johnson edged veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin for man-of-the-series honours with 37 wickets, the best by an Australian bowler in a five-Test series in Australia.

Only three Australian bowlers have taken 40 wickets or more in an Ashes series — Terry Alderman (twice), Rodney Hogg and Shane Warne.

Australia smashed 10 centuries to England's one, scored by Ben Stokes 120 in Perth, and home batsmen were the top six scorers ahead of England's Kevin Pietersen with just 294 at 29.40.

Johnson, and Sydney man-of-the-match Ryan Harris (22), were the top two series wicket-takers ahead of England's Stuart Broad (21). England had six innings totals below 200 and only twice scored above 300, while Australia scored 350 or more four times.

Haddin proved England's lower-order batting nemesis, often rescuing his side after top-order collapses to finish the series with 493 runs, second only to David Warner's 523. — AFP

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