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Taekwondo team challenged to defend Sukma title in Perlis BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

Taekwondo team challenged to defend Sukma title in Perlis

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 10:21 AM PDT

by Philip Wong reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on April 27, 2014, Sunday

SIBU: Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming has challenged the state taekwondo team to bring glory to the state by defending its title in the 2014 Perlis Sukma.  

Lau admitted it could be a huge task especially when other states were putting in massive efforts to wrest the title from Sarawak.

"However, if the state taekwondo exponents train hard, stay focused and are committed, there is every possibility we will return with the overall title again," he said when officiating at the Sri Sibu Taekwondo Club Invitational Championship held at SMK Methodist school here yesterday.

Sarawak garnered four gold, three silver and three bronze medals to emerge overall champion in the 2012 Pahang Sukma. Currently, the state shadow team of 16 are undergoing intensive training in Thailand and most of them are eager to go for the championship.

Lau reiterated that Sarawak is the powerhouse for taekwondo and he wanted the state taekwondo team to carry that tag and come back with the title.

He also used the occasion to speak on the sport and martial art.

'As the name implies, taekwondo is more than a sport. It is a way of life, characterised by its fast, high and spinning kicks," he said.

Children, he continued, also learn to respect themselves and it helps improve self-discipline and self-restraint. It can also provide children with the skills and mindset necessary to resist peer pressure and self defence.

As such, Lau urged parents to encourage school children  to embrace taekwondo in their school activities. He admitted learning taekwondo is tough.

Nevertheless, Lau said it was encouraging that more children were taking up taekwondo.

"At this present age, it definitely pays to note that we still have so many younger generation who are willing to join the taekwondo movement instead of idling away their time playing computer games or doing internet chatting.

Hopefully, the school authorities and parents will continue to influence and encourage their children to take up meaningful sport activities as this will go a long way to help build a more caring society."

More than 350 exponents from 30 secondary and primary schools took part in the two-day championship organised by Sri Sibu Taekwondo Club.

Among those present at the function were Sarawak Taekwondo Association deputy president Dato Lau Kueng Chai and STA Referee Board chairman Thomas Tang.

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Kuching sweep three titles in MSSS hockey

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 10:19 AM PDT

by Ting Tieng Hee. Posted on April 27, 2014, Sunday

KUCHING: Kuching made a near clean sweep of the titles at stake, winning three out of the four contested at the MSS Sarawak Hockey Championship at the State Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

Their boys U18 team were crowned champions after beating Samarahan 2-0 in their final league match yesterday, thanks to a double from Ferry Filler Freddie.

Kuching topped the league with 10 points from three wins and one draw in four matches while Samarahan collected nine points to finish runners-up.

Third to fifth were Sibu (5 points), Betong (3) and Bintulu.

In the Boys U12 competition, there was a tie for the top three teams as they all collected nine points but it was Kuching  who had the best goal difference to clinch the title.

Sibu and Samarahan were second and third respectively.

Kuching won their third title in the competition when their girls won all their four matches in the Girls U12 league to collect 12 points. Sibu, who collected seven points, finished second while Samarahan came in third with six points.

Samarahan won the Girls U18 title for the fifth straight year when they outclassed Kuching 3-0 in the final yesterday.

Earlier in the play-off match, Mukah beat Bintulu 3-0 to finish third.

Kuching team manager Aris Aras Selutan was very pleased with the splendid performance of his players, saying that they had achieved their target of winning the Boys U18, Boys U12 and Girls U12 titles.

According to him, the majority of the Boys U18 team are still young and they will be the core of the team for next year's challenge.

"We are happy to have successfully wrested the Boys U12 and Girls U12 titles from Sibu and the Girls U18 team have also done well by finishing second," he said.

Aris also noted that other teams especially Mukah and Bintulu are fast improving and catching up with Kuching and Samarahan.

He also took the opportunity to thank the Kuching coaches headed by Kangot Awan in the five-day championships.

A total of 64 players including 34 girls were selected to represent Sarawak in the four categories at the MSSM Hockey Championship in Pahang in June or July.

Kuching District Education Officer Dr Sluhi Lamat @ Narawi closed the event and gave away the prizes.

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Archery team is 90 pct ready for Sukma, says coach

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 10:18 AM PDT

by Jennifer Laeng. Posted on April 27, 2014, Sunday

MIRI: The state archery team is now 90 per cent ready to face their opponents in the upcoming Sukma 2014 to be held in Perlis from May 24 to June 4.

Head coach Abdul Razak Yaacob said this to thesundaypost here yesterday.

The team will be trimmed from 19 to 16 athletes by the end of this week.

Last week, a 12-member squad participated in an exposure tournament at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang, Selangor where they managed to collect two bronze medals.

The team is now taking part in the 16th Sarawak Outdoor Archery Championship in Kuching from April 16 – 27.

Based on the performances so far, Abdul Razak is confident that the team will have a good chance of winning the gold at this year's Sukma.

The coach revealed that the final work to be done would be to analyse the few teams which are viewed as the strongest opponents at Sukma.

He identified Negeri Sembilan, Sabah, Selangor and Johor in the women's category and Terengganu, Pulau Pinang and Johor in the men's.

The state squad, according to Abdul Razak, are currently ranked fourth in the country for both the men's and women's teams.

'So, with one month left to the real competition in Perlis, we would do games analysis and then form strategies to win there," he added.

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Programme uncovers over 700 sports talents

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 10:17 AM PDT

MIRI: Over 700 aspiring primary and secondary school athletes from several schools in the rural areas here have been identified by the National Sports Institute (ISN) for selection by the state sports council (MSN) to undergo intensive training in the near future.

Head of Miri ISN Mikar Changgan, when contacted yesterday, said the Talent Identification Programme reached out to eight schools in central Baram and Tinjar.

"The programme started from April 22 and will end on April 29. We went to SMK Marudi, SMK Long Lama, SMK Bakong and SMK Tinjar.

"We have also been to primary schools in Baram which were SJK (C) Kee Tee Long Lama, SK Good Shepherd in Marudi, SK Beluru Central in Bakong and SK Long Lapok in Tinjar," he said.

The programme searched for talents in sports such as football, kayak, athletics, weightlifting and sepak takraw.

'For example, we went to SMK Long Lama to search for kayak athletes while in SMK Bakong we looked for athletics and weightlifting athletes," he continued.

The ISN team will be going to SMK Luar Bandar Miri, SMK Subis and SMK Suai on April 28, and to SMK Bario and SK Bario on April 29.

"This is the first phase of the programme for the northern region where we targeted schools in rural areas.

The second phase will be in June in Bintulu, while Limbang and Lawas will be in August for the third phase.

"The final phase will be held in September for schools around Miri town," he added.

Mikar thanked all schools, teachers and students who supported the programme.

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MSS Kuching top state handball championship

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 10:16 AM PDT

by James Ling. Posted on April 27, 2014, Sunday

KAPIT: MSS Kuching emerged as overall champion in the MSSS Age-group Boy's And Girl's Handball Championship held at Bletih Stadium from April 22 – 25.

Kapit Combined Education officer Ringgit @ Gawan, who officiated at the closing cum prize giving ceremony, extended his welcome to participating teams from MSS Kuching, Samarahan, Sibu, Miri, Bintulu, Mukah and Kapit.

He also thanked the organising committee led by SMK Selirik.

"Active participation in sports can promote discipline, team work, co-operation and friendship.

"Student will inculcate high moral values and good discipline," said  Ringgit to the players.

He congratulated the winners and advised the losers to train harder to participate in future competitions.

Ringgit also called on players selected to represent Sarawak to train very hard to keep the state flag flying.

The state teams will compete in the MSS Malaysia Championship in Kelantan from June 7 – 11.

Also present at the ceremony were  Kapit Combined Education Department deputy officer Azaman Hailee, officer in charge of human resource development Kumbong Garit and officer in charge of sports and co-curricular activities Stewart Nyambong.

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Samdrick scores hole-in-one, Ka Tung remains in charge

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 10:14 AM PDT

SANTUBONG: State junior golfer Samdrick Yeo Shuen Hun stole the limelight on the second day of the 45th Sarawak Amateur Open Golf Championship when he aced a hole-a-one at Hole 17 of the Damai Golf and Country Club (DGCC) here yesterday.

While defending champion Lee Ka Tung continued with his fine form to qualify for today's final, 15-year-old Samdrick's feat became the talk of the club especially when other golfers were struggling to manage the challenging fairways and greens.

"This is the second time I have achieved that and the first was at Sibu Golf Club last year while practising for a competition there," said the modest golfer

who is also a member of Team Junior, the champion of the recent KGS Team Match Play Championship.

Another junior golfer who is also making an impression at the event is 14-year-old Umar Kushairi Umar from Cheras, Kuala Lumpur and he had also qualified for today's final after finishing overall second in the Men's gross event behind Ka Tung.

Lee, who won the event in 2013 and 2012, is only a step away from keeping the coveted Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min Challenge Trophy for good if he maintains his form.

He scored a two-over 74 on the first day but mended his ways yesterday after returning the day with a one-under 71 to a total score of 145 to lead the rest of the pack into the final round.

All of Lee's brothers, Kah Ming, Ka Siong, Kah Ching and Ka Tiong are joining him together with other top golfers including Lau Chin Leong, Wong Tung Ann, Aw Yong Jhie Jgin, Ling Soon King.

The eight-time champion will be playing in the same flight with Umar Kushairi, Johari Aman and Albright Chong, a zero-handicapper from Sabah.

In the women's category, Diane Luke from Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) will be facing the challenge from teammate Nur Durriyah Damian, Jaclyn Chen Jin Yi, Cheryl Lo from Sabah and Clare Amelia Legaspi from the Philippines.

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