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Sarawak surpass target in athletics BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

Sarawak surpass target in athletics

Posted: 02 Jun 2014 11:14 AM PDT

by Ting Tieng Hee, Matthew Umpang. Posted on June 3, 2014, Tuesday

State team ends campaign with five gold, three silver and five bronze medals

KANGAR:  Sarawak surpassed their target of four gold medals in Sukma XVII by capturing five gold, three silver and five bronze medals in the four-day athletics competition that ended at the Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium in Kangar on Sunday.

Team manager Dato Fong Onn Min regarded this result as a good achievement and expressed his satisfaction over the overall performance of the state athletes.

"There were some surprises though, with Grace (Wong Xiu Mei) winning the women's hammer throw with a record throw of 55.82m and Michael (Sia Sung Dak) breaking the national record of 55.23m set by another Sarawakian Jacky Wong Siew Cheer, with a distance of 56.98m," he said yesterday.

Fong said the young athletes had shown great potential and in two years time, they would be able to help Sarawak do well in athletics again.

"However, there was disappointment in some of the events where we had expected the athletes concerned to shine but they did not perform up to expectations," he added.

Sarawak's gold medals were contributed by Michael Sia (men's hammer throw), Queenie Ting Kung Ni (women's discus), Mohd Arif Zulhilmi Atlet (men's 400m), Grace Wong (women's hammer throw) and Faradillah Raznie (women's 800m).

The silvers came from Jackson Wong (men's hammer throw), Casier Renee Lee (women's hammer throw) and Jonathan Nyepa (men's 200m).

Grace Wong also contributed a bronze in the women's shot putt and the other bronze medallists were Nur Aisyah Ahmat (women's 5,000 walk, women's 10,000m walk), Celine Kong (women's javelin) and Raphael Asun (men's javelin).

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Five athletes receive incentives

Posted: 02 Jun 2014 11:12 AM PDT

FIVE members of the Sarawak Contingent received their incentives from the State government last Sunday.

Enjoying a windfall Sylvester Gaing Peter Jawa who received RM12,000 for the two golds he won in the men's individual platform and men's 3m springboard with partner Carlyse Chan Wee Chiek.

Michael Sia Sung Dak was RM6,000 richer for the gold he won in the men's hammer throw (RM5,000) and the incentive of RM1,000 for breaking the national record.

Those pocketing RM5,000 each were Daniel Tan Yan Han for winning the men's singles bowling gold and Queenie Ting Kung Ni for winning the women's discus.

The incentives were presented by Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Jamalulal in the presence of Raja Puan Muda of Perlis Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil, who were the  guests of honour at the Gawai Dayak festival celebration.

Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof and assistant chef de mission Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah were also present at the function.

The rest of the medal winners of the state contingent will receive their incentives during an incentive award presentation ceremony in Kuching on

June 6. Sarawak awards RM5,000 to the athlete for the first gold won and RM7,000 for every subsequent gold while the award for silver medal is RM750 and bronze RM500.

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Sarawak eyes two more golds to finish overall wushu champion

Posted: 02 Jun 2014 11:08 AM PDT

KANGAR: Sarawak's wushu team celebrated their Duan Wu Jie (Rice Dumpling Festival) yesterday by winning two more gold, two silver and two bronze medals on the second day of competition at Dewan Rakan Sukan, Perlis Sports Complex.

Seven more golds are up for grabs in the final day of wushu competition and if Sarawak could grab two more golds, they are assured of finishing as the overall champions again.

Liew Lik Kee won his second gold medal in Sukma XVII with a splendid display in the men's nandao to score 9.64 points

Only 0.02 points behind the champion was Liew's teammate Andy Chan Song Cong while Melaka's representative Eric Lofstedt was third with 9.53 points.

Last Sunday, Lik Kee topped the podium with 9.58 points in the men's nanquan to finish ahead of Chai Chwan Hau of Melaka (9.56) and another Sarawak exponent Andy Chan (9.54).

In the women's taijijian, national back-up exponent Audrey Chan Yee Jo, who is making her second Sukma appearance, wowed the judges with her excellent performance to score 9.54 points for the gold.

Her nearest rival and national exponent from Negeri Sembilan committed some errors to finish in second spot with 9.53 points while Melaka's Sydney Chin Sy Xuan was third on 9.50 points.

This gold is Audrey Chan's second medal in the meet, having won the silver in the women's taijiquan last Sunday, losing with the narrowest of margin 0.01 to the gold medallist from Pulau Pinang Chan Lu Yi, a member of the national squad.

Yesterday, Amelia Su Leh Wern, who won the women's changquan gold with the score of 9.57 points, finished second in the women's daoshu with 9.42 points.

The gold was captured by national exponent Loh Ying Ting of Melaka with 9.59 points while the bronze went to Tan Chew Yung of Kedah with 9.41 points.

Sukma debutant Clement Ting Su Wei clinched the bronze in the men's daoshu after scoring 9.49 points, finishing after gold medallist Yap Zheng Yan of Johor (9.64) and silver medallist Tan Cheong Wan of Melaka (9.49).

Another exponent making his debut appearance in Sukma Elvic Bong Qian Zheng from Kuching also put on an impressive display, outperforming his older opponents to win the silver in the men's jianshu by scoring 9.50 points.

The gold and silver were won by Yeap Wai Kin of Pulau Pinang who scored 9.66 points and Wong Kok Kei from Perak with 9.54 points respectively.

Meanwhile, Audrey Chan was very happy with her performance, saying that she had achieved her target of landing a gold medal in this 17th edition of Sukma.

The 17-year old student of Bukit Jalil Sports School won the bronze in the women's taijiquan in Pahang Sukma two years ago.

"I will be competing at the World Taiji Championship in Chengdu, China in early November this year and I am hoping to do well there," said Audrey who now trains under national coach Yoong Dong Foong.

Her mentor and former coach Ling Ung Hee, one of the wushu coaches for Sukma XVII, felt happy for Audrey's achievement.

"I am really amazed by the great improvement she had made after training with the national squad for four months," said the Sarawak State Sports Council Centre of Excellence for Wushu, Kuching coach.

"For being able to beat Pang who has been in the national squad for a few years is an impressive result. I believe she can go further with continuous training and hard work," she said.

Audrey was coached by Ling since she was six years old and her brother Andy Chan is also a former student of Ling.

"The younger exponents have gained valuable experience and getting them to compete in this Sukma is one of the early preparations for Sukma 2016 in Sarawak," she added.

The other part of the preparations is to continue the systematic development of the potential exponents and training of the elite and backup exponents.

Wushu Federation of Sarawak deputy president was another happy man, saying that the Sarawak wushu team had already achieved their conservative two-gold target and winning more than that will be a big bonus.

"I am expecting our exponents to win more golds tomorrow to maintain our status as the wushu powershouse and defending the overall champion title," he said.

Sarawak opened their campaign last Sunday with two golds, two silvers and one bronze and their current medal haul is four golds, four silvers which puts them in pole position in the overall medal tally rankings.

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Host state treats Sarawak athletes to Gawai gathering

Posted: 02 Jun 2014 11:07 AM PDT

KUALA PERLIS: The Perlis state government host a Gawai Day celebration for Sarawak athletes competing in Sukma XVII at Ocean Glow Banquet Hall here Sunday.

The Sarawak contingent was grateful to the host state for the gathering to mark the Gawai Dayak.

The Dayak athletes were especially happy as the celebration eased their feeling of homesickness and made up for not being able to celebrate the special day at home with their families.

High jumper Jonathan Tinggang Ngabang, who is a Baketan, told The Borneo Post yesterday he was excited to celebrate Gawai day in a different way this year as he has never been to any official Gawai functions.

"During Gawai day Baketans, normally slaughter pigs a day before Gawai. Our Gawai celebration style is very similar the Ibans," he added.

Jonathan had completed his events but stayed on to cheer Sarawak athletes still competing in the games.

Meanwhile hockey player Elliekha Jimmy who is a Bidayuh from Mongkos, Serian commented she was happy to be celebrating Gawai in Perlis.

"Gawai could be the same in my village every year. Although I do miss my home right now but the opportunity to represent the state in Sukma does not come often," she said.

The Gawai Day celebration with the Sarawak Sukma Contingent event was attended by Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof and Sarawak Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah with Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail as guests of honour.

Assistant Sarawak chef-de-mission Gerald Rentap Jabu had earlier said the event organisers decided to celebrate the Gawai here in full Dayak traditional values and ceremonies.

All guests of honour were given a traditional Dayak welcome and Tuanku Syed Faizuddin and his wife were given Dayak ceremonial garments upon their arrival at the venue.

The crown prince won the hearts of those present who applauded his lively speech when he started the Gawai celebration.

"As hosts, we try our very best to keep you happy here during your stay here competing at the Sukma XVII. I am also honoured that Sarawakians have decided to celebrate Gawai here in Perlis and invite me to officiate at the ceremony," he commented during his speech.

He later cut the Gawai cake which was his gift to the Sarawak contingent.

Among the other guests were personnel of the 4th Royal Rangers Regiment based in Perlis.

The Sukma XVII ends tomorrow.

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Lee: Facilities for 2016 Sukma ready on time

Posted: 02 Jun 2014 11:06 AM PDT

All facilities for the 19th edition of Sukma to be hosted by Sarawak in 2016 will be ready before the games commences.

Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin gave this assurance last week, saying this was to avoid any disruption to schedules and causing anxiety among competitors and officials besides projecting the good image of the state.

"We don't want to repeat the mistakes made by Perlis where the aquatic centre was not ready for Sukma XVII and had to be delayed for one day," he told reporters in a press conference on Saturday.

Lee said a committee has been set up under the state secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Gani to oversee preparations for the 19th Sukma.

"The construction for the new aquatic centre at the Sarawak Stadium Complex is now on-going and upon completion it will be the venue for aquatic events for Sukma XIX and also the SEA Games in 2017," he said.

Lee said he had met with the Public Works Department (JKR) and the contractors concerned to ensure that the plans for the centre are endorsed by FINA and Asum before the construction can be carried out.

The new facilities will include a hockey stadium, shooting range, squash centre and a badminton hall.

"For other sports, the facilities will be upgraded and all the venues have been identified."

The events will be mostly held in Kuching and Samarahan while Miri will host optimist sailing and karate-do, Sibu volleyball and Betong the boxing and weightlifting events.

Lee said the state government will appeal to the Federal Government to release the funds early so that the new facilities can be built as soon as possible.

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Coach shocked by cyclists’ flops in criterium

Posted: 02 Jun 2014 11:05 AM PDT

Sarawak Sukma cycling coach Dzulkaflee Hassan is left speechless by the collapse of the state cyclists in the women's criterium event Sunday.

During the event which was held at Felda Chuping, the fastest Sarawakian in the race Aina Zafirah Ahmad only managed a seventh place finishing, clocking an official timing of 1 hour, 28 minutes and 28 seconds (01:28:28.11).

She was 1 minute 24 seconds behind Perlis' Jupha Som Net who won the gold for the event, finishing with an time of 01:27:04.25.

The silver and bronze medals went to Terengganu's Umi Hamimah Mohamad and Pahang's Nurul Nadia Ahmad Fauzi respectively.

Three other Sarawakians also competed in the race namely Nur Aezlin Abdullah, Nur Azrenna Ahmad Jumry and Norisma Azemah.

According to Dzulkaflee, he was disappointed that all the team's preparations for the games went down to the drain and he was shocked.

"We have done everything and we still failed. I know my cyclists don't deserve this," he added.

Before the games in Perlis, the state team endured months of training in Peninsular Malaysia before competing in the Sukma games in Perlis this year.

With two more events to be held today, the state cycling team have won only two bronze medals so far despite targeting at least one gold medal before the games.

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