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NHN, Pest set for Imperial Challenge grand finals BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

NHN, Pest set for Imperial Challenge grand finals

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:04 AM PST

by Ting Tieng Hee, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 16, 2014, Thursday

KUCHING: NHN (Prudential) and Pest booked their places in the grand finals of the 2nd Imperial Challenge Trophy Sarawak Basketball League after they won the Kuching Zone men's and women's competitions at Kota Sentosa Basketball Association basketball stadium last Sunday.

In the men's final, NHN (Prudential) were powered by the trio of Tsok Kian Hong, Chai Kian Cheng and Mohd Afifi who combined for a total of 78 points to hand the team a 92-74 win over the Iverson Tu-led Stranger.

Tsok was on target to give NHN a fiery 13-6 start by successfully sinking two three-pointers but Iverson managed to put Stranger back on track to lead the first quarter 24-17.

The insurance men put up a good defence in the second quarter to limit Stranger from scoring and the score line at half-time stood at 39-38 in NHN's favour.

They pulled further ahead in the third quarter to lead 58-44 and controlled the match to eventually win by 18 points.

Apart from earning the ticket to play in the grand finals in Miri from Feb 24-28, NHN's Kian Hong also picked up the Most Valuable Player and Best Assist awards while Kian Cheng was the Top Scorer and Raymond Hiu won the Best Rebound title.

Efos Kimbay's Benjamin Sim took the Best Defender award.

Finishing third were Lord Tiger who beat Kota Sentosa in the placings play-off.

Meanwhile, in the women's final, Boon Ting Food Products and Pest were evenly matched in the first quarter but Chong Chon Fei and Khoo Yik Chi powered Pest to 15-11 lead and at half-time they only held a two-point advantage (30-28).

Boon Ting, whose game was very much centered on former national cager Bong Yik Kee, seemed to run out of steam in the third quarter and trailed Pest 51-39.

They had to resort to launching more attacks in the final quarter to force their opponents to commit more fouls when they would be able to score from the penalty throws but Pest held their fort to defend their crown 68-57 and avenge their preliminary round loss to Boon Ting.

Yik Kee was outstanding as she scooped the Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer and Best Rebound awards. Joyce Chong picked up the Best Assist award and Khoo Yik Chi the Best Defender award.

Third and fourth in the women's competition were K&L Farming and GT Industrial respectively.

The competition was organised by Imperial Group of companies.

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Sarawakian bags Malaysia’s first gold in aquatics at Asean Para Games

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:04 AM PST

NAYPYITAW: National swimmer Fraidden Dawan yesterday delivered Malaysia's first gold medal in aquatics at the Asean Para Games in Myanmar.

The Sarawakian clinched the gold in the men's 400m freestyle S10 category.

He clocked 5:01.53s in the event held at the Wunna Teikdi Aquatics Centre here en route to the gold medal.

Fraidden made his Asean Paragames debut at the Manila Games in 2005.

"I am happy to defend the gold medal but sad because the timing was off my personal best," said the 27-year-old who hails from Bintulu.

According to him, his best time of 4:50.00s was recorded at the Asian Para Games in Guangzhou in 2010. Fraidden will also be competing in the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

"For both events, I am pinning my hopes to win the gold medal to equalise my achievements in Solo, Indonesia (in 2011) where I won three gold medals." he said. — Bernama

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Twin shuttlers to vie for national back-up squad

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:03 AM PST

KUCHING: The Sarawak Badminton Association are sending Adam Lau Yu Ming and his twin brother Alfred Lau Yu Leong for the national back-up selection tournament at Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur from Jan 20-24.

Adam and Alfred are the only two shuttlers from Sarawak who will be pitting their skills against national back-up players in the selection.

They were picked by SBA based on their good record in the state and Sabah-Sarawak tournaments.

Both 19 years old, the Lau brothers were U-16 doubles champion in 2011, U-18 doubles champion in the National Junior Circuit Sarawak Selection 2013, U-18 doubles champion in National Junior Circuit Sabah-Sarawak tournament 2013 and winners of the doubles title at the recent Sukma XVII Selection tournament at SBA Hall.

Alfred has also won the singles title in the National Junior Circuit Sarawak Selection 2013 and Sukma XVII Selection tournament while Adam was runner-up in both events.

They will also be part of the state's Sukma XVII badminton team.

"This is a very good opportunity for the two brothers to play against better players from the national back-up squad and improve their playing experience and skills," said their father Kenny Lau who has been the pillar of support in their badminton career.

"It is also a very good exposure for them," he said, adding that the twins need to play more local and international matches.

"I would like to thank SBA for grooming them and giving them the chance to play in the selection tournament," he said.

The Lau siblings received a big boost in their career when they signed a two-year sponsorship contract with Maxx Sports Sdn Bhd from Muar, Johor early this year.

Under the contract, Adam and Alfred will get sports equipment such as rackets, jerseys and shoes with training and traveling allowance.

Apart from this, they get to play in two local tournaments – the Sabah Open from May 5-7 and Perak Open and three
international tournaments namely the Thailand Series, Indonesia Series and the Malaysia Challenger this year.

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Sarawak’s Super League opener: The battle ahead

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

by Matthew Umpang, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 16, 2014, Thursday

AS the 11th season of the Super League starts this weekend, Sarawak head coach Robert Alberts believes that the first five matches are critical for the Crocs, regardless of who their opponents are.

The Dutchman said it would be tough going in the Super League this season as all teams in it are formidable.

Sarawak will travel to Paroi, Negeri Sembilan to face ATM this Saturday (Jan 18).

ATM finished in sixth place in the Super League last season.

Alberts is determined to do anything or everything needed for the Crocs to win.

"If we can play and win ugly,
then we should. If we are a boring side to watch, then so let it be," he said after the friendly
match against SPA Putrajaya last week.

Fans, he believes, should understand that what matters most is the three points and league survival.

Although the team will play Pulau Pinang in the FA Cup three days after the ATM match, the head coach is giving the league top priority.

Sarawak's first home match will be against Kelantan on Jan 25.

"We should try to win all our home fixtures if we are to maintain our presence in the Super League but things will be harder this time, now that we are playing against better sides," said Alberts.

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Decade of disappointment in the Super League, 2004 – 2013

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:59 AM PST

SARAWAK only started to participate regularly in Malaysia's inter-state football competition from 1979.

But it was in the late 1980s that the Sarawak team shot to prominence The state team during the Ngap Sayot era (1988-90) proved to be a force to be reckoned with. And although there were close calls, Sarawak was unable to win any trophy.

It was only in 1990s that the team met with some measure of success: winning the FA Cup in 1992 and the then Division One league title in 1997.

Before the Super League was inaugurated in 2004, it is essential to know that the Malaysia's top tier league tournament was first known as the Premier League (for a short period from 1994 -1997) and then the Premier League 1 from 1998 – 2003.

The Super League was first incepted in 2004 following the Football Association of Malaysia's attempt to privatise the country's league.

Sarawak became one of the eight teams who formed the inaugural Super League.

But it was relegated after that first season upon finishing as one of the bottom two teams.

Sarawak's poor start in the first season of the country's top tier in fact turned out to be the beginning of a dismal pattern.

The team's track record in the first decade of the country's top tier league is nothing short of disappointing.

In the ten years 2004 – 2013, Sarawak was in the Super League for only four years ie. 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2012.

In 2004, 2007 and 2008, it never finished better than second last in the league.

The only time that the team avoided relegation after one season – in 2007 – was also because only one team – the team that finished last (luckily it was not Sarawak) – was relegated!

Fans know that Sarawak also did not survive the 2012 Super League season.

They may not realise, however, that the state team's position – fourth from bottom – among the 14 teams that year was actually its best ever performance in the 10-year-history of the league!

That year, FAM had decided to change the Super League format by reducing the number of teams from 14 to 12.

The 11th placed Crocs had to go through play-off matches to stay in the league. But they failed to survive.

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