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Swansea ruin van Gaal’s Premier League bow BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

Swansea ruin van Gaal’s Premier League bow

Posted: 16 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT

LONDON: Louis van Gaal's Manchester United reign got off to a false start last night as Swansea City won 2-1 in the season's opening Premier League game at Old Trafford.

Van Gaal was taking charge of his first competitive game as United manager, but his new side exhibited many of the same failings from last season – when they finished seventh – as they slumped to a surprise defeat.

South Korea midfielder Ki Sung-yueng exploited inattentive marking to give Swansea a 28th-minute lead with a left-foot shot from the edge of the box.

United's new captain Wayne Rooney equalised early in the second period, but Gylfi Sigurdsson earned Swansea victory in the 72nd minute with a close-range finish.

It gave Swansea back-to-back wins at Old Trafford, following their shock FA Cup success in January, and was a reversal of United's 4-1 win at the Liberty Stadium on the first day of last season.

Injuries obliged Van Gaal to give competitive debuts to Tyler Blackett, 20, and 21-year-old Jesse Lingard.

Lingard's day was to last only 24 minutes, however, as he was forced off after appearing to jar his knee in a challenge with visiting captain Ashley Williams.

United bossed possession in the first half, but Swansea struck from their first sight of goal, with Ki stroking home a lay-off from Sigurdsson.

Swansea's fans burst into a chorus of 'You're getting sacked in the morning!' aimed at Van Gaal, who sat impassively in his seat in the dug-out.

The Dutchman introduced Nani in place of striker Javier Hernandez at half-time, and United responded immediately.

Juan Mata's right-wing corner was flicked on by Phil Jones and Rooney hooked home a spectacular close-range volley at the back post.

Rooney came close to putting United ahead with a free-kick that hit the outside of the post in the 66th minute.

But it was Swansea who claimed the winning goal when Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson – back at the club after two years at Tottenham Hotspur – slammed home from Wayne Routledge's mishit volley.

Elsewhere, Championship winners Leicester City will play their first top-flight game since 2004 when they host Everton, while fellow promoted side Queens Park Rangers welcome Hull City to Loftus Road.

In the day's other games, Alan Irvine begins his career as West Bromwich Albion manager at home to Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur visit London rivals West Ham United, and Stoke City host Aston Villa.

Champions City travel to Newcastle United today, with Liverpool, the side they pipped to last season's title, hosting Southampton.

Chelsea, third last season, visit promoted Burnley tomorrow. — AFP

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Astro Football Camp attracts 60 players

Posted: 16 Aug 2014 09:47 AM PDT

KUCHING: A total of 60 kids age 10 to 12 years-old took part in the 1MCC Astro Football Camp programme at the Padang D, Petra Jaya yesterday.

The programme, which is one of Astro's Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) projects under Astro Kasih, was jointly organised with 1MCC Sports Sdn Bhd to scout for young talents in the nation.

According to 1MCC Sports Chief Executive Officer Cameron Ng, the Sarawak leg of the programme would end today.

"Selected participants will undergo training overseas soon. We hope to find one of the best here in Sarawak," he added.

He revealed that the programme was conducted at six venues including Kuching .

From all six of the venues, the organisers will pick 64 players to participate in the 1MCC Sports' Football Through Education (FTE) programme.

"After participating in the FTE programme, we will narrow down the list to 32 participants and will send them to Europe for another round of intensive training," said Ng.

Jordan Humphrey, Michael Leach and Rhys Kelleher are the coaches invited by the organisers to conduct the programme throughout Malaysia this year.

All three coaches are from England and were assisted by local coaches who are former state players namely Jahar Nor, Sulaiman Mustanir and Firdaus Ishak.

This is the third time Astro Football Camp was conducted in the state.

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Swansea’s Ki scores first goal of new season

Posted: 16 Aug 2014 09:46 AM PDT

Posted on August 17, 2014, Sunday

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung-yueng scored the first goal of the 2014-15 Premier League season in their 2-1 victory at Manchester United last night.

The South Korea international, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland, steered a pass from Gylfi Sigurdsson into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the box in the 28th minute at Old Trafford. — AFP

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16 teams taking part in Borneo International Wushu Championship

Posted: 16 Aug 2014 09:46 AM PDT

SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council Chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King said the Malaysian government is encouraging the development of wushu sports in the country.

He said excellent wushu exponents were not only given strong recognition for their contribution to the country but were also given extra incentive and appreciation for their achievements.

"This will augur well for the development of the sport which is gaining strong popularity among the people in the country," he added at the opening of the 6th edition of the Borneo International Wuishu Championship held at SMK Sacred Heart yesterday.

His speech was delivered by his personal secretary Tang Tung King.

A total of 246 wushu exponents from 16 teams throughout the country, including the Wushu Federation of Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia East Java Wushu team took part in the championship.

The other teamsfrom outside the state are Low Kim Fun Taiji Class and Zen Wushu Academy from Johore and Persatuan Taijiquan from Selangor.

The local teams are Dongbeibei Taiji Wushu Academy, CMAA, SMAA, Jing Ying Dragon & Lion Dance Association, SMK Sacred Heart Wushu team, Miri Wushu Association, Chinese Culture Art Association Peng Yang team, SMk Tinggi Sarikei and SMK Deshon Sibu.

Each year, he said the government gave special incentives and allowance to ensure that the development of the Chinese martial arts was sustained and carried out.

"As a result, we have today built a strong wushu foundation and the standard of our wushu exponents are almost on par, if not better, then the wushu exponents from throughout the world. We are coming of age and we can offer a strong challenge to our opponents whenever our exponents step into the ring," he added.

Earlier, in his brief address, SMAA president Yung Dah Loo said he was happy to note the increasing number of teams taking part in the championship.

"Each year, we managed to attract an increasing number of participants. All this is good for the development of the sport."

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Schippers completes sprint double

Posted: 16 Aug 2014 09:45 AM PDT

ZURICH: Dafne Schippers emulated legendary Dutch compatriot Fanny Blankers-Koen by completing the 100m-200m sprint double at the European athletics championships on Friday.

The original "Flying Dutchwoman", Blankers-Koen won both sprints at Brussels in 1950.

Having won the 100m on Wednesday, Schippers took victory in the 200m, improving her Dutch record from 22.34sec to a world leading 22.03sec and finishing 0.43sec clear of runner-up, Jodie Williams of Britain.

"A world-leading mark is unbelievable," said 22-year-old Schippers, a bronze medallist in the heptathlon at the world championships in Moscow last year.

"I did not dream of running 22.03sec, and I have two gold medals too. It's a great success not just for me but for my country."

Coming into this year's European championships, the Netherlands had only won three gold medals since 1982.

But they won two on Friday and now have three in Zurich, one shy of their record tally from 1950.

There might have been greater Dutch success in the heptathlon but Nadine Broersen was eclipsed by Antoinette Nana Djimou of France in the final event, the 800m, and had to settle for silver, 53 points shy of the winner's points tally of 6,551.

Still, as well as that silver, there was another gold for the Dutch in the women's 1,500m, Sifan Hassan finishing 0.90sec clear of another Ethiopian native, world outdoor and indoor champion Abeba Aregawi of Sweden, in 4min 04.18sec.

There were one-twos for Britain in the men's 400m, Martyn Rooney edging out 19-year-old Matt Hudson-Smith by 0.04sec in 44.71sec, and for Poland in the 800m, Adam Kszczot claiming gold ahead of Artur Kuciapski in 1 min 44.15sec.

Ukraine also claimed silver and gold in the high jump, world champion Bogdan Bondarenko clearing 2.35m to beat compatriot Andriy Protsenko (2.33m) with Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov of Russia taking bronze (2.30m).

Britain's Adam Gemili produced a storming run to take the men's 200m crown in 19.98sec, finishing a decisive 0.17sec clear of Christophe Lemaitre, who at least had the consolation of taking his European Championship medal haul to seven, a record for a male athlete.

The loudest cheer of the night, however, came when Kariem Hussein claimed gold for hosts Switzerland, producing a grandstand finish to win the 400m hurdles in 48.96sec.

The first world record of the championships came in the men's 50km walk, Frenchman Yohann Diniz winning in 3hr 32 min 33sec.

"This is the best day of my life," the 36-year-old said, after slicing 1min 41 sec off the previous record, held by Russian Denis Nizhegorodov.

In honour of his late Portuguese grandmother, Diniz crossed the line clutching French and Portuguese flags but stayed on the right side of the rule-book unlike his French team-mate Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad who was stripped of his 3,000m steeplechase title for removing his singlet in celebration on Thursday.

Mekhissi-Benabbad eased into today's 1,500m final by finishing third in his first round heat and then insisted he had "no regrets" about his home straight antics of the night before.

"In every other sport you can take your vest off," he said.

"Only in athletics you cannot do this. I did not hinder anybody." — AFP

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