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Shakira to headline at World Cup final BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

Shakira to headline at World Cup final

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 07:37 PM PDT

Pop star Shakira will perform before the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro on July 13, headlining a closing ceremony that includes guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana and rapper Wyclef Jean.

Shakira, who is making her third straight World Cup appearance, will sing "La la la (Brazil 2014)" with Brazilian star Carlinhos Brown, FIFA said in a statement on Wednesday.

Santana, Wyclef and Brazilian singer Alexandre Pires will perform the tournament's official anthem, "Dar Um Jeito" at the legendary Maracana Stadium.

Pires will also perform a medley of local music with Brazilian star Ivete Sangalo.

"I'm thrilled to be performing my song 'La la la (Brazil 2014)' at the 2014 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony," said Shakira, who had a son last year with Spain defender Gerard Pique.

"I have an intricate relationship with football for obvious reasons, and I truly understand what the World Cup means to so many people, myself included."

While FIFA announced the musical lineup, eight teams are left battling for two spots at the Maracana, but defending champions Spain were already eliminated in the group phase.

Shakira's native Colombia will play Brazil in the quarter-final on Friday following France-Germany. On Saturday, Argentina play Belgium followed by Netherlands-Costa Rica. -AFP

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Colombia bans foam to avoid World Cup close shaves

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 07:05 PM PDT

Colombia will ban the sale of flour and shaving foam in Bogota for Friday's quarter-final World clash with hosts Brazil, with thousands expected on the streets and passions running high in the football-mad country.

Colombians often celebrate by dousing people in shaving cream or making flour "bombs," but police, who will be out in force for the game on the streets of the capital, want to stamp out the practice because it can lead to fights. Alcohol sales will also be banned on Friday.

President Juan Manuel Santos, who will watch the team in Fortaleza, called on his countrymen to "keep calm."

After the victory against Uruguay on Saturday, authorities logged more than 3,200 fights and 34 were hurt in post-game violence across Colombia.

On Saturday, it will be Costa Rica's turn, when they face the Netherlands for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Costa Rican authorities said Wednesday they would clamp down on domestic violence that has spiked on game days of the country's historic run in the tournament.

Violence against women has surged 200 percent when the national team are playing, figures show, with alcohol consumption largely blamed.

Alejandra Mora, minister for women, said: "The abusers are turning a special moment for our country into a disgrace in their own homes and we have to stop it.

"We are trying to make the problem more public and give domestic violence the red card." -AFP

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Sarawak set to fire on all cylinders in Malaysia Cup

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 09:36 AM PDT

KUCHING: Sarawak's upcoming Malaysia Cup campaign received a boost with the team's trio of import players been declared fit.

Muamer Salibasic, Hassan El Mohamad and Gabor Gyepes will return to action after being previously sidelined with injuries.

Head coach Robert Alberts told The Borneo Post yesterday that the trio's recovery process went well and they are on course to appear for the Malaysia Cup tournament which will kick off in August after the Hari Raya celebration.

"We will have a team playing to its full strength for the coming Malaysia Cup competition and I believe that a full-strength Sarawak can cause a lot of problems for the other teams," he said.

Gyepes was out with a hamstring injury after he received a knock playing against Sime Darby in May while Salibasic did not play Sarawak's last Super league match against Johor DT due to a bruised knee.

Hassan has been out of action since June as he suffered a hamstring injury.

"The team is in dire need for their services. Their inclusion in the starting line up certainly adds dimension to the way that we play," a buoyant Alberts added.

The Crocs will use the coming tour in Indonesia to increase their match fitness level and performance after a short break.

The Malaysia Super League season ended on June 25 and the Crocs are currently enjoying a break before returning to training on July 7.

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Two pioneers campaigning for women’s rugby

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 09:35 AM PDT

KUCHING: Kuching Rugby Football Club (KRFC) are looking for more players to form a women's team.

It already has two pioneer members Cassandra Sulau and Erina Unyu who were formerly very active in Miri.

The duo are both 18 years old and now studying with Politeknik Kuching. Cassandra is undergoing a diploma course on Mechanical Engineering and Erina is pursuing her diploma for Business Studies.

They invited women rugby enthusiasts to join KRFC and enjoy playing the game.

"We are hoping to further promote contact rugby in Kuching and Sarawak. Contact rugby is being played in Semenanjung Malaysia and Singapore and we do hope to see the game become popular here too," said Erina.

In Sarawak, there is as yet no contact rugby competition but touch rugby is quite popular among students in schools.

KRFC secretary Wan Ahmad Ramzy, who is teacher in-charge of touch rugby at SMK Muara Tuang, said only his school and Maktab Rendah Sains MARA actively play touch rugby.

Both fielded teams in the touch rugby event held in conjunction with the New Zealand Week at Padang Merdeka in March this year.

Last November, the CIMB-Cobra-KRFC Sevens touch rugby was also held at Song Kheng Hai ground.

"We have touch rugby in our school because the parents and school management object to contact rugby as the players are prone to injuries. Hopefully after they complete their secondary education, they can progress to playing contact rugby," he said.

"With Cassandra and Erina as the pioneer members, I hope more players can join the KFRC team," he added.

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Annual taekwondo sparring attracts 70 competitors

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 09:34 AM PDT

KUCHING: Bandar Kuching Taekwondo Club under the Sarawak Taekwondo Association (STA) organised its annual sparring competition at Lodge International School Assembly Hall on June 22.

70 competitors from junior to senior categories took part. All were registered members from Bandar Kuching Taekwondo Club and other clubs registered under STA.

The organiser also invited the club president Mr Chua Chek Hua, an experienced senior Instructor, Master Henry Lee (7th Dan) and a Lodge International School representative to give away trophies and medals to the winners.

According to the club's chief instructor Master George Yu (6th Dan), the purpose of this annual sparring competition was to enhance the sparring techniques of members and also for them to know each other better.

17 students from Arena Sukan's taekwondo training class entered the competition for the first time.

They bagged a total of six gold, four silver, first bronze and second bronze medals in various categories.

Arena Sukan conducts taekwondo training classes for children 8 years and above, under the guidance of Steven Chai (3rd Dan) twice a week at its Sports Complex in Jalan Wan Alwi (off Simpang Tiga Roundabout) on Fridays (7pm – 9pm) and Sundays (2pm – 4pm).

Further enquiries can be made at tel no. 082-363577 or 017-8087017 (9am-12 noon daily).

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Squash association looks to the future

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 09:34 AM PDT

KUCHING: The Squash Racquets Association of Sarawak (SRAS) wants all their young players with potential to get as much exposure as possible.

An effective way, according to Emmanuel David who is SRAS committee member in charge of selection and competition, is to sent them for tournaments.

"In sports, exposure is equally important as training. We really need to see our youngsters who have the potential to go far in squash to test their mantle against the very good players out there," he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

He revealed that a few youngsters as young as six years-old, whom SRAS have identified, have participated in a few national tournaments just this year alone.

The stumbling block working against the plan to groom more quality squash players is funding.

Most of the young players have to depend on self-funding by their parents just to be active in the sport. Then there is the travelling cost from Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia, where most of the national tournaments are held.

"We are in the process of looking for more sponsors to fund our activities. I hope many out there will acknowledge that we do this just to help the youngsters here in the state and the development of squash in the state itself," Emmanuel appealed.

Sarawak have always been one of the states in Malaysia which produced national players such as Azlan Iskandar, June Tiong, Jo-Ann Jee and Rachael Goh.

Sarawak's most recent squash sensation is Sanjay Singh Chal who won the gold medal in the men's singles at last month's Sukma in Perlis.

Emmanuel is also hoping that a squash academy can be established in the near future to continue the state's proud tradition in the sports of squash.

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