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Sarawak gain momentum for 2014 football season BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

Sarawak gain momentum for 2014 football season

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 11:04 AM PST

by Matthew Umpang, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 6, 2014, Thursday

KUCHING: It was a thrilling performance that warmed the hearts of both Sarawak fans and head coach Robert Alberts.

Defying the odds, the Crocs pulled off a stunning upset that knocked five-time champions Selangor out of the 2014 FA Cup competition last Tuesday.

They achieved that without key players who were injured – Joseph Kalang Tie, Milorad Janjus, Mafry Balang and Muamer Salibasic – while Selangor fielded a strong side and were playing at home.

Speaking to The Borneo Post yesterday, Alberts also singled out debutant Mohd Fadzley Abdul Rahim who was rushed into action to replace first-choice goalkeeper Sani Anuar Kamsani who was sent off after receiving a red card.

"This is the sort of performance I expect from the team and I think the team did very well during the match as it was not easy going against opponents like Selangor in their own turf," he added.

Morale is currently high in the Crocs' dressing room, Alberts revealed, as the team finally take shape after a shaky start for this season.

Sarawak has now qualified for the quarter-final stage of two legs in the FA Cup.

They will play face Premier League side Felda United away on Feb 11 while the second leg is scheduled for Feb 18 at Stadium Negeri.

Felda United share the same venue as Selangor for their home matches this season, which is the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council Stadium.

The Crocs are having a prolonged stay in Peninsular Malaysia, training at the Subang area in Selangor for their next Super League match against PKNS FC this Friday (Feb 7) at the Selayang Stadium to be followed by the Feb 11 match.

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Three local riders to race at FIM Asia Motocross

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:12 AM PST

KUCHING: Three Sarawakian riders will represent the country at the FIM Asia Motocross Championship in Terengganu this April.

This was disclosed in a statement released by Sarawak Automotive Racing Sports Association (Sarsa) officials.

The three-man team will be led by experienced rider William Sinos.

When contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday, William said he was honoured to be appointed and will do his best to help and assist the riders in Terengganu.

"It feels great that the association have faith in me. Now let's just hope for the best that the Sarawakian riders do well against international and experienced riders there," he added.

The three chosen to compete under the national banner are Syahrizan Shambeda, Jong Tze Ping and Chin Vui Ming.

They were selected based on the most points accumulated and final ranking at last year's AAM Motocross Challenge (Sarawak leg).

"Sarawakians need not win any titles during the AAM Motocross Challenge. All they need to do is to emerge as the Sarawakian with the most points accumulated," William explained.

Three Sarawakian riders will also be selected following this year's edition which kicks off in April for the next year's FIM Asia Motocross Championship.

Meanwhile, Wiliam also revealed that all participants will need to sit for an exam before competing in any competition sanctioned by the Automibile Association of Malaysia (AAM) starting this year.

The exam is known as the Competition License Application Test for Road racing, Circuit racing, Motocross and Go-karting.

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Sarawak Sukma taekwondo exponents aim to maintain supremacy

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:12 AM PST

KUCHING: Sarawak taekwondo exponents who emerged as the overall champions in event at the Sukma hosted by Pahang in 2012 hope to maintain their supremacy at the 2014 Sukma hosted by Perlis.

With the 12-member squad currently undergoing intensive training in Bangkok for three months as preparations for the Perlis quest, the Sarawak Taekwondo Association are confident of a better gold medal haul in this year's Games.

The association's president Mohd Salleh Sani told Bernama that the team was looking forward to surpass the four-gold feat in the last Sukma in Pahang.

"We are confident that both the men and women exponents will deliver the goods in Perlis," said Mohd Salleh.

Salleh however, did not want to underestimate other participating teams, saying the other participating states were also busy preparing their best exponents for to the Games.

"Our exponents has displayed a true grit, perseverance and determination in the selection and in national-level tournaments and if they continue to possess such strong mentality and remain in the right frame of mind, there is every chance we will achieve better results in the coming Sukma," he added.

Sarawak emerged as the overall champion (taekwondo) in Pahang by capturing four gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Taekwondo was not competed in last year's Sukma held in Kuala Lumpur.

He believed Sarawak taekwondo exponents had the potential to emulate their counterparts in other sports.

"Sarawak has produced swimmers and divers of international or even Olympic standard and there is no reason why we should not be able to produce taekwondo exponents of the same stature," he added. — Bernama

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Nicol bags Cleveland Classic Open for second title of the year

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:11 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian squash queen and world number one Datuk Nicol David continued her all conquering impressive run after clinching the 2014 Cleveland Classic Open held at the Cleveland Racquet Club, Ohio, United States.

The 30-year old Penangite who recently claimed the Tournament of Champions (ToC) title in New York, brushed aside surprise finalist, Annie Au of Hong Kong 13-11, 11-5, 11-6.

On her victory, Nicol who is also the seven-time world champion said she was satisfied to bag her second title, this season.

"It's a great feeling that you can't describe it to people.

The hard work in training pays off on the court," she said as quoted in the tournament website www.squashsite.co.uk.

For the record, Nicol had won the sametournament back in 2012 besides emerging runner-up in 2011 and 2013.

The victory also marked Nicol's 73 title in 92 appearances in the final and took her unbeaten run to 35 matches and underlined her eighth consecutive tournament win. — Bernama

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Thorpe’s plight shows how sport’s highs can lead to lows

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:09 AM PST

SYDNEY: Elite sports people dedicate themselves to being the best but once it's over and the buzz of winning is gone, the transition to regular life can be daunting and in some cases devastating.

The difficulties they can face on retirement were illustrated this week when Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe was admitted to rehab for depression after a mixture of painkillers and anti-depressants left him disoriented on a Sydney street.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist, one of the world's most recognisable sportsmen, has been candid about battling the demons of depression and alcohol abuse since he called it quits in 2006.

Thorpe has dabbled in various business ventures and tried university courses, and he launched a failed comeback attempt in 2011.

But he has been unable to find a direction to pursue and at age 31, he is struggling to cope.

As fellow ex-swim star Kieren Perkins said, after learning of Thorpe's troubles: "There would be many of hundreds, if not thousands of athletes that don't have the notoriety who are at any one time contending with the same things."

Andrew Hughes, an expert in sports marketing and branding at the Australian National University, said dealing with the transition was a problem across all sports.

"When they stop, there's no training regime, no fame, adulation, no adrenaline.

It all disappears," he said.

"A lot of athletes have no idea how to cope and that's why you see some of them wanting to make a comeback. They long for being the best again.

"Nothing in life can replicate it, it is not being replaced by anything as fulfilling or satisfying."

He said administrators need to ensure athletes are encouraged to view achievement not just in sporting terms, and to be equally proud of getting good grades or working in the community.

He added that it was important they start establishing a plan for life after sport as soon as possible, although many did not.

Most sports in Australia run an Athlete Career and Education Programme to help prepare for life out of sport, but it doesn't always work out, as evidenced by Thorpe.

Some even drift into crime.

Fellow former Australian swimmer Scott Miller, a silver and bronze medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, narrowly avoided jail last month on drug charges.

Even Thorpe's long-time rival Grant Hackett has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons, trashing his apartment in an alcohol-fuelled rampage in 2011 that saw his wife leave him.

It is a problem across all sports, with plenty of high-profile cases, notably former English footballer Paul Gascoigne's very public struggle with alcohol and mental issues.

Even yachtsmen find life away from the spotlight hard, as noted by former America's Cup winning skipper John Bertrand, who is now president of Swimming Australia.

"When I retired, I went through something similar after winning the America's Cup, nothing as extreme as what we are seeing with Ian," said Bertrand, who skippered Australia II to victory in 1983, ending 132 years of US supremacy.

"That is the big challenge for any person coming from the highest of the high: to find a new area of endeavour within their life where they can become passionately involved and loving what they are doing."

Australian Institute of Sport psychologist Renee Appaneal said it was important to focus on how athletes had coped with big career and personal steps in the past.

"Transition out of sport is just another transition in their life and we encourage them to look back
at how they have successfully coped with other transitions, such as from junior to senior level, leaving home for training academies," she said.

"It's all about having a development pathway and how they manage that, while helping them deal with stress."

It was also important to have a support network, she added, but conceded this was harder for elite athletes who are the centre of attention.

"It is harder for them to find trusted resources and support.

This is not unique to sport, it impacts all people in the limelight."

Appaneal said while many sports help athletes prepare for retirement, more could always be done in delivering the strategy and skills to cope, and also in raising public awareness on issues such as depression. — AFP

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