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Factors behind-the-scenes are critical, says Alberts BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

Factors behind-the-scenes are critical, says Alberts

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 11:01 AM PST

by Matthew Umpang, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 2, 2014, Thursday

KUCHING: Sarawak head coach Robert Alberts has stressed that a positive atmosphere in the dressing room could be the key element for Sarawak's success in the coming Super League season.

It is critical, he explained, for the Crocs to work together harmoniously and have a good understanding of each other.

While any player can come and meet him with any matter, he continued, the players have to respect his presence while he is in charge of the team.

"As I am appointed the head coach, I must make it clear that I am the one who steers the vessel. We try to keep it like a family here with the Crocs," he added.

Speaking to The Borneo Post yesterday, Alberts took pains to emphasise the importance of such intangible factors to counter the popular theory that money alone can buy success for a football team. The coach said working with players is never an easy task as players are human beings with different personalities.

"There was one example when I was in charge of a team in Indonesia a few years ago. A Cameroonian-born player with World Cup experience tried to take control of the dressing room but I made it clear that I am the one who does that," he shared.

The Dutchman affirmed his commitment to do all he can to helm Sarawak to do their best in Malaysia's top flight football competition.

The Crocs are currently into the final weeks of preparation for the new Super League season.

Sarawak will play their first match away in Stadium Selayang on Jan 18 against ATM FC.

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Sukma wushu squad welcome new coach

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:37 AM PST

KUCHING: The arrival of the new foreign coach for the state team is timely as Sarawak gear up for their challenge in the wushu competition at Sukma XVII in Perlis from June 2-4.

Yang Nianwu, 28, from Anhui Province in China, arrived in Kuching last Sunday and started work officially as the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) wushu coach yesterday.

A graduate from Lanzhou University in 2010 and a China national exponent from 2006 to 2010, he wasted no time and got down to the state elite wushu training centre at Kota Sentosa Sports Centre on Monday to get to know the Sukma XVII shadow team members.

Yang was a three-time national champion in taolu daoshu from 2006-2008 and finished among the top10 in gunshu.

In 2009, he won the gold medal in the daoshu-gunshu combined event at the East Asia Games in Hong Kong.

He also starred in a China TV wushu series in 2010 and was coach of the Indonesian national wushu team in 2011.

Yang is also Sarawak's fifth foreign coach from China after Zhou Xiaodi in 2000, Zhong Huimin, Peng Ying and Huang Shaoxiong.

He will be responsible for selecting the five male and five female exponents for the state Sukma squad, after which he will accompany potential gold medallists to probably Fukien Province in China for a two-week intensive training stint.

Wushu Federation of Sarawak (WFS) secretary William Kong said yesterday now that Sarawak has engaged a new foreign coach, it can focus on the preparation of the exponents.

"From his credentials and from the feedback of local coaches, I am quite confident Yang can lead our state team to another good outing in the coming Sukma XVII," he said.

"Yang has only been with us for three days starting Monday but the local coaches are already impressed with his teaching methods and coaching approach which stresses on good foundation and high discipline," he added.

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10-gold haul by Sibu’s young wushu exponents in Miri

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:36 AM PST

SIBU: Sibu Martial Arts (Gunshu) Association (SMAA) collected 10 gold, 11 silver and 54 bronze medals to emerge third overall in the just concluded Sarawak Wushu Championship held in Miri.

However, it was young exponent Monica Goh who stole the limelight for SMAA when she returned with three gold medals in elementary nanquan, elementary daoshu and elementary gunshu.

The 12-year-old pupil of SJK Chung Hua continued her rise in the ranks with highly consistent performances of late.

Earlier last month, she had taken part in the inaugural state-level Self-Defense Martial Arts Championship and returned with the gold in the elementary nanquan discipline.

SMAA's chief coach Gilbert Wong believes Goh has all the talent and potential to go far.

"She has been a revelation in the past few tournaments and we hope she will be able to maintain her consistency.

"Age is still on her side and, given more exposure, she should be able to strike it big."

Wong said the Sibu contingent sent 10 exponents for the championship and were aiming more for quality performance instead of the overall title.

"We sent the young exponents in the hope that this can be an avenue for them to gain the necessary experience and fighting technique."

Team captain Ling Kwong Leong also collected two gold medals in optional nandao and optional nangun and a bronze in optional nanquan.

Ling could have returned with three gold medals if he had not fumbled in the optional nanquan which is his pet event.

Other notable performers were Rachel Hii with a gold in the optional taijijian and a silver in 42 Form taijiquan, Nicholas Kho who took gold in elementary daoshu and two silver in elementary nanquan and elementary gunshu while Kelvin Hii chalked up the standard jianshu gold and 42 Form Taijiquan silver.

Joseph Goh, Wong Yue Ling, Sia Ciew Ming and Sia Ming Hing also returned with at least a medal each.

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Pacers rip Cavaliers to stretch East edge

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:34 AM PST

INDIANAPOLIS: Paul George scored 21 points and Roy Hibbert added 19 to power Indiana over Cleveland 91-76 on Tuesday, improving the Pacers' NBA Eastern Conference-leading record to 25-5.

The Pacers, who have won 15 of 16 home games so far this season, also had 13 points from George Hill and 12 off the bench from Danny Granger in stretching their overall winning streak to five games.

George grabbed eight rebounds and Luis Scola came off the bench to make nine rebounds for Indiana, who moved 1.5 games ahead of Miami (24-7) in the fight for the best record in the East, where only three clubs have winning records.

Cleveland, which fell to 10-21, lost for the 14th time in 16 road games this season and ended 2013 on a six-game losing streak.

The Cavaliers were led by 14 points and 11 rebounds from center Anderson Varejao, 13 rebounds from Tristan Thompson and 10 points from Kyrie Irving, but shot a woeful 29-of-80 (36.3 percent) from the field.

"Today's game was a perfect example of being able to win a basketball game when you're shot isn't falling," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.

"We buckled down on defense. It was a really special defensive performance."

Irving was helped off the court late in the third quarter after suffering what appeared to be a left knee injury, but returned to begin the fourth quarter.

"I thought the worst happened," Irving said. — AFP

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Korea need old legs to balance inexperience, says Hong

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:33 AM PST

SEOUL: South Korea need an infusion of old heads to balance the lack of experience in their squad for this year's World Cup in Brazil, according to head coach Hong Myung-bo.

The Asian soccer powerhouse will begin their eighth consecutive World Cup finals campaign against Russia, who they lost 2-1 to in November, on June 17, before clashing with Algeria (June 22) and Belgium (June 26).

Hong, a member of the Korean team that reached the last four of the 2002 World Cup on home soil, said he was close to finalising his squad for the prestigious event.

"We have a lot of young and talented players, but they lack international experience," Hong told reporters in Seoul.

"My job is to try to address that in the coming months. Our core players are aged 22 to 25, and we will need older players for the World Cup to give our team some balance."

Former skipper Hong took over the reins last June after Choi Kang-hee stepped down following an uninspiring World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Koreans grab an automatic berth by the skin of their teeth.

Hong assisted Dutchman Guus Hiddink, who led South Korea to the semi-finals in 2002, at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala and impressed as coach of the country's Olympic team, winning the bronze medal at the 2012 London Games.

South Korea avoided the traditional powerhouses in their group during the World Cup draw, boosting their optimism for a strong showing in Brazil but Hong was guarded in his outlook.

"It is not that bad of a draw for us, but we have to remember that there's never an easy opponent," the country's most capped player said. "My responsibility is to make sure the players don't loosen up and think we have this one in the bag.

"First and foremost, the goal is to make it out of the group stage. Once you survive that, then you just never know what could happen.

"The focus of our preparation should be on trying to get to the next round."

South Korea will have a training camp later this month in Brazil and will play three friendlies – against Costa Rica, Mexico and the US – as a build-up to the World Cup.

The coach asked the Korean Football Association to organise more friendlies before the World Cup kicks off in June.

"Now as the head coach, I feel a heavier burden of responsibility than I did as a player," Hong added.

"To me, the most important thing now is to take my time and prepare for the tournament the best I can.

"I know fans will always ask the question 'why can't we play like we did in 2002?'. Obviously, we have to put up a good result, but I believe our buildup to the World Cup is also significant.

"We have to do the best we can and have no regrets so that we can give our fans a great gift this year." — AFP

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