Saravanan and Yeo out early

21/03/1999


BANGKOK Asian Games exponents Malcolm Joseph Yeo and S. Saravanan made an
early exit at the National Taekwondo Championship at the National Sports
Council hall in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
This spells bad news for the duo as the national championship will count
when the selectors pick the squad for the Brunei Sea Games.
Kung was beaten in the bantamweight quarterfinals by Mohamed Ramlan of
Terengganu while featherweight Saravanan gave a walkover in his semifinals
after tearing a hamstring muscle in the quarterfinals.
Saravanan may be given another chance to prove he is worthy of Sea Games
selection but yesterday he was one disappointed exponent.
"I had trained very hard for the national championship," said the
Pahang-born Saravanan.
"But after I injured my left leg in the quarterfinals, my coach did not
want me to aggravate the injury so we gave a walkover."
Sea Games team manager Dhanaraj Rassiah, who is also Saravanan's coach,
said there was no reason to push the exponent to the limit now because he
will face a bigger test in August.
"It is better he rests now and nurse his injury. Our target is a medal
in Brunei," said Dhanraj.
The 1995 Chiangmai Sea Games bronze medallist suffered the same fate
last year when he pulled a muscle in the semifinals. He was the national
champion in his category from 1994 to 1996.
On the other hand, the 19-year-old Kung has never won any national
championships and neither has he seen any action at the Sea Games level.
Results - Featherweight: 1 Jimmy Julius (Police), 2 N. Kesavan (KLTC), 3
Cameron Leon Ng (UWPTA), S. Saravanan.
Heavweight: 1 Zainol Abas (Forces), 2 A. Jegathesan (NS), 3 Chong Kim
Leng (Perak), Woo Hong Wai (Bangsar FTC).
(END)