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SLTA confident of 4-gold haul at Sukma XVII BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

SLTA confident of 4-gold haul at Sukma XVII

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:28 PM PST

by Ting Tieng Hee, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 6, 2014, Monday

KUCHING: Sarawak are confident of winning four gold medals in the tennis competition at Sukma XVII in Perlis from May 27 to June 4.

Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association president Dato Patrick Liew said yesterday that this confidence is based on the experience of the senior members of the 12-member squad.

"We are looking to Mohd Assri Merzuki to deliver the men's singles gold, Ariez Elyaas Deen Hesham and Alvin Teng to win the men's doubles, Aslina Chua for the women's singles gold and the team event gold," he told the Borneo Post.

Assri, Ariez and Aslina are all now training or studying in the US while the rest of the team members have not been decided yet.

"We have named nine boys and eight girls for the Sukma XVII Shadow Team and, apart from the US trio, the rest are undergoing decentralised training from Dec 15 last year to middle of April this year in Kuching, Sibu and Miri, after which the centralised training will be conducted at SLTA Tennis Centre from April 15 to May 15," said Liew.

Other members of the shadow team are Kenneth Tan, Mohd Norhairi Khaidir, Rohaizat Achop Borhan Janang, Mohd Fauzi Zaki, Rahmat Juimbai Borhan Janang and Gregory Tan for the boys while the girls are Cecelia Lai, Melanie Lau, Belinda Chai, Linda Liong, Kirstin Leong, Alia Azman and Goh Suan.

The head coach for the state team is Bryan Leo Lanette Kintanar. He is assisted by John Francis Gil B Largo and Liew Meang.

"We should have the final list of five boys and five girls by Apr 15 and accompanying the team will be two boys reserves and two girls reserves who will be out for exposure in preparing for Sukma 2016," added Liew.

"We should have a good outing in Sukma this year but we will have to work extra hard in 2016 where Sarawak will be the host as most of the present players will be over aged," he said.

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Old habits die hard for super sub Solskjaer

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:27 PM PST

NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer began his managerial career at Cardiff City with a 2-1 victory at Newcastle United that inevitably invited comparisons with his playing days at Manchester United.

Solskjaer became known as a 'super sub' after coming on as a substitute to score 28 times for United, most famously claiming the winner in the 1999 Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich.

Just as United did against the German side in 1999, Cardiff won in Solskjaer's first game in charge on Saturday after trailing 1-0 and looking destined for defeat in the FA Cup third-round tie.

And much like United manager Alex Ferguson's decision to introduce Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham against Bayern, it was two substitutions from the Norwegian that changed the game against Newcastle.

The fact that Cardiff's success echoed elements of his playing career was not lost on Solskjaer, who sent on Fraizer Campbell and Craig Noone mid-way through the second half and saw them eclipse Papiss Cisse's goal for Newcastle.

"I know the value of good substitutions," Solskjaer said. "You have 90 minutes and can use 14 players and you want players who came make an impact.  "I was part of a great team and did my best whenever I got the chance, so that's the message to my players — come on, make an impact. You've got half an hour to run around."

Noone and Campbell certainly made the kind of impact demanded by the manager.

"We had two fantastic pieces of skill," he said. "Frazier Campbell scored a great header and Craig Noone's goal was a fantastic piece of skill."

Until Noone equalised, only a minute after making his appearance from the bench, Newcastle had been the superior side and deserved the 62nd-minute lead given to them by Cisse. — AFP

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Guy Bwele a hit at local football final

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:26 PM PST

by Peter Boon, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 6, 2014, Monday

SIBU: Former Croc, Cameroon midfielder Guy Bwele, is going down under to pursue his soccer career.

Guy, 30, hinted that he would be undergoing trials in Australia.

"I am waiting for everything to be settled to go to Australia as this is my next step," he told The Borneo Post when met here on Saturday.

He was invited by GB13 to watch the final of the 7-a-side Nangka Constituency Cup between Red Hackle B of 3rd Regiment, Mile 14 and Rimba Hijau A on Saturday.

Guy, who could play as defensive midfielder or central defender, further hinted that he may try out with either Melbourne Victory or Tilford Zebras in Australia.

"I can play in the midfield defensively but can also attack. You see, when you attack, you must also defend," he added.

The Cameroonian was among the six players dropped from the Sarawak Super League team for the 2014 season.

Guy, who was introduced to soccer at the age of six, said he did not regret missing a chance to play in the World Cup.

"I never have the chance to go to the World Cup but I made many selections. I was captain for the local national team," the father of three revealed.

"I must say football is something which I like very much. That is why I can play with passion and desire as I really love the sport."

A popular Croc among the thousands of local followers, he wanted to come to Sibu as he did not want to disappoint the fans.

Asked on his most memorable moment with the state team, he said there were many.

"But the best memory was last year where we won the Premier League unbeaten. The season was simply unbelieveable," he said with a grin.

He, however, lamented that Sarawak was unlucky to bow out to Pahang as they were just a step away from marching into the final of the Malaysia Cup.

He recalled that many chances were created that night but they were not converted into goals as lady luck was not with the team.

Asked if the new-look Crocs would win the Super League and clinch the Malaysia Cup, Guy wished the team all the best.

He said the Super League was very competitive as Sarawak would be up against strong teams like Pahang, Kelantan and Selangor.

But, he continued, it was still too early in the season to make any prediction.

He figured the first target was to remain in the highly competitive Super League.

Bwele and his compatriot Kalle Sone first joined Sarawak before the start of the 2012 campaign when the Crocs were newly promoted to the Super League.

Although the Crocs were subsequently relegated by the end of 2012, he performed well and continued to impress throughout Sarawak's 2013 Premier League campaign.

Best remembered as the midfield general, Bwele was a bit hit with fans in Sibu as many took the opportunity to take photographs with him on Saturday.

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Nadal braced for ‘strange’ days in Australia

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:24 PM PST

DOHA: Rafael Nadal sounded relieved yesterday to be flying to Australia in better condition than he might have expected for the first Grand Slam event of the year and one that he described as "strange".

A fine two-hour final at the Qatar Open, in which the world number one beat Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, dragged some of Nadal's best tennis from him and gave him a physical and psychological test he certainly needed.

It will have given him confidence that he is in good enough shape to challenge in a week's time for a major title he has not won for five years.

"It's difficult because the Australian Open is very early. It would be better to play it a bit later. It can be only the second tournament (of the year) that you are competing in, and it's one of the most important, so it's a bit strange," said Nadal after sealing his 61st career title.

"But it's strange every year. I hope to have a good week's preparation in Melbourne and try to adapt."

Nadal nevertheless reckoned that what he most probably will have to adapt to is good for his style of play — the Melbourne heat makes the balls quicker, and it also makes them bounce more, both characteristics which he believes suit him.

The Spaniard believes, however, that by competing in Doha rather than travelling straight to Australia to practise or to play a tournament there, there are positives and negatives.

The final with Monfils enhanced the positives, and still leaves him, he believes, with enough time to acclimatise after the long journey.

"If you haven't adapted in six days it means you will never be adapted," he said.

"But I don't go thinking about adapting. I think about things I want to get practising, to be competitive. I want to play the way I did today, and if I can do that more often my game will be at a higher level.

"Today was the first day that I did that (this year) and I want to go on doing it until it becomes natural and normal."

The things which particularly pleased the Spaniard were playing with a much higher intensity than previously, hitting more ground strokes from inside the baseline — where he can more easily attack — changing direction much better with his forehand drive.

When he does this it can become the most potent weapon in tennis.

"It's important to have these feelings," he emphasised. "I played a good match. In the second set I think I played only two bad shots and yet Gael still won it.

"I knew that I had to go for winners and I played much more aggressively today, and that's important. It's important to leave this tournament with these feelings."

He thought for a moment and then he added: "I would rather prefer to arrive in Australia with these feelings. After five matches here I will have positive confidence, but of course it doesn't guarantee that I will be playing well in Australia."

The stakes will be high, but Nadal has further reasons for optimism.

They relate to the world number one ranking which he wrenched from Novak Djokovic at the tail end of his remarkable 2013 season.

Djokovic is the Australian Open titleholder, and so has a lot of ranking points to defend.

Nadal, by contrast, missed Melbourne last year because of his troublesome injured knees and has no points to defend. — AFP

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