Saturday, April 21, 2007

MHF could be illegal

28/08/2002

CONSTITUTIONALLY, the Malaysian Hockey Federation would appear to be an
illegal body, and the decisions that were taken in its recent council
meetings would consequently seem to be just as unlawful.
For, 15 affiliates of the MHF have not paid their affliation fees, and a
clause in the constitution calls for the expulsion of such affliates and
another expunging their voting rights.
In a letter sent to an affiliate, dated Aug 22, the MHF requested their
affiliates to pay up their dues before the Biennial General Meeting (BGM)
on Oct 26, as all 15 are defaulters.
The MHF constitution is clear about the issue as rule 19 (1), (2) and
(3) under Article 13 on Affliates in Default, which spells out that
affiliates in `bad' standing do not have the power to vote.
Rule 19 (1) states: An affiliate which has not paid its dues (which
expression should include subscriptions and any other monies payable to
the Federation) by the 31st March each year, may be expelled from the
Federation by the Executive Committe and upon such expulsion, the
affiliate shall forfeit all rights and privilleges or claims upon the
Federation, its property and funds.
(2): Such an affiliate shall be deemed to be in bad standing as long as
any part of its dues remains unpaid.
(3): No affiliate in bad standing shall be permitted to have a vote at
any meeting of the council.
While rule 19 (1) says that Executive Committee may expell a defaulter
for not paying their dues, rule 19 (3) clearly states that defaulters
cannot vote in council meetings.
The defaulters list (see accompanying graphics) is led by Penang who
have not paid RM900. As the fees due per-year is RM150, Penang have
defaulted for a good six years.
And if Penang voted in the last elections, the legality of the present
office bearers is also in question because they have been in default for
the past six years. Penang officials could not be contacted yesterday.
The second highest is Kelantan (RM700) while none of the other 13
affiliates have settled their monies for the term ending March 31 2002.
The other defaulters are Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Malacca, Pahang, Perak,
Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, Terengganu, Armed Forces, Negri Sembilan
and Selangor.
The MHF held their first council meeting on July 5 and the second was on
Aug 18 where among the decisions put to vote were to refer five officials
to the Disciplinary Board for speaking out about shortcomings in the MHF.
The five are Penang HA secretary Ranjit Singh, Kuala Lumpur HA secretary
V. Rajamanickam, umpires Amarjit Singh and Jagjeet Singh and Executive
Committee independent member Datuk G. Vijayanathan.
An MHF official, who declined to be named, said: "The constitution is
very clear about defaulters and the voting process. So, the MHF council
actually does not have the power to vote on any matter as all the 15
affiliates have not paid their fees.
"So how can they refer anyone to the Disciplinary Board, or for that
matter make a decision to hold the BGM on Oct 26?," questioned the
official.
The validity and powers of the MHF were in question earlier as the term
of its office bearers ended on December 2001, placing a question mark on
the validity of its members to deliberate and decide on issues.
Since 1990, the BGM was held every three years while the MHF
constitution stipulates that the BGM shall ordinarily be held as soon as
may be after the 31st day of July of the year.
After 1990, the BGM was held only in 1993, 1996 and 1999 respectively.
But the issue that begs an explanation is how could the 15 affliates,
deemed to be in bad standing by virtue of defaulting in payment, be
allowed to vote.
And if Rule 19(1) is applied on the defaulters, then constitutionally
all 15 affliates of the MHF should have been expelled, rendering the
national body unconstitutional.
(END)

BGM perfect avenue for States

28/08/2002

THE Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) Biennial General Meeting (BGM) on
Oct 26 is the perfect avenue for states to push through proposals, or any
fresh ideas on how to improve the running of the parent body.
This, according to MHF secretary, S.Satgunam (pic) is the best place to
make suggestions, but states must submit proposals two weeks before the
BGM so that matters can be discussed.
"States that want to propose any changes can do so during the BGM where
matters can be put to vote and if agreed, changes can be made. But they
must submit their proposals two weeks before the BGM," said Satgunam.
Penang have given their Umpires Board chairman John Inbaraj the mandate
to push for an independent body to lead the umpires.
Inbaraj had said that they are in the process of doing so and have
called all States to do likewise and the MHF to lead in the formation of a
Malaysian Hockey Umpires Association.
"If states feel that an independent body answerable to it members is a
better alternative to the current set-up, they should voice their
suggestion during the BGM," said Satgunam.
Penang have also suggested that the Sports Commissioner standardise the
election process for all sports associations.
Among the other suggestions were - Elections are called by the SC's
office in accordance with the constitution after the SC is satisfied with
audited accounts, reports and legal requirements prior to calling for a
General Meeting.
Inbaraj also called for the entire election process, beginning with the
calling for nominations and resolutions, endorsements - among other things
- to be conducted from the SC's office.
"The MHF officials are all elected and such, we do not hold the right
forever. The affiliates decide during the elections and we carry out the
duties, it is as simple as that," said Satgunam.
(END)

Leong ready to capture Asia-Pacific Matchplay title

27/08/2002

BEN Leong is in the right mood to take the SportExcel Asia-Pacific Junior
Matchplay golf championship by storm at the Rahman Putra Golf Club
beginning today.
The 16-year-old Malaysian golf prodigee is confident because he upstaged
the best golfers in Sarawak and Brunei for the Keningau Open title in
Sabah on Sunday.
Leong carded rounds of 75, 70 and 71 for a three-day total of 216 for
the Keningau Open title. He beat Sarawak's top golfer Lee Ka Tung (222)
and Brunei's best Seruji Setia (224) for the top spot, and is now ready
for the match-play which will see top juniors from New Zealand and China
taking part.
"My training at the David Leadbatter Academy in Florida has been
improving my game and right now, I am in the right frame of mind to wrest
the Asia Pacific match-play title which I won two years ago," said Leong.
Leong did not defend his title last year but the hours he has been
clocking in Florida has done wonders to his game.
"I start at 6am with physical training and then head for classes till
noon. In the evening, I am at the greens practicing and this routine is
for five days a week," said Leong.
And his target?: "I hope to win the United States Amateur Open before I
reach 20," said the lanky lad.
The match-play has attracted 24 golfers from New Zealand, China, South
Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. Malaysia will field 13 golfers and according
to SportExcel chairman Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar: "We still have a long
way to go before we can produce an international golfer."
"SportExcel has formed the base, but I feel that it will be years before
we can have a golfer who can win honours at the international level," said
Tunku Imran.
THE GOLFERS: New Zealand - James Davis (handicap +1.0), Sam Hunt (+2.6);
Taiwan: Chan Yuan-Heng (5), Tsen Hua-Yen (5); China: Wang Ming Hao (6),
Henry Han (10); South Korea: Kim Bun Jun ((4), Lee Won Jun (3), Chun Jae
Han (3); Thailand: Teeranun Mitrpanont (3), Panuwat Meenlek; Malaysia: Ben
Leong (0), Khor Kheng Wai (4), Hilmi Abdul Rahman (5), Shah Farique Khalid
(7), Aidil Haris (10), Haziq Hamizan (10), Chin Chin Ian (5), Edmund Au
(4), Alfred Tan (4), Mohamed Hanifah (3), Daniel Ng (9), Eugene Lim (5),
Hanis Helmi (1).
(END)

Umpires to lead revolution

26/08/2002

THE Penang State Hockey Association has given the mandate to its Umpires
Board to form an independent body answerable only to its members, in what
is hoped to to improve umpiring standards.
Penang HA Umpires Board chairman John Inbaraj revealed yesterday that he
has received the mandate from his State HA to register an independent body
to lead umpires in the country.
"The Penang HA has given me the green light to register an independent
body to lead umpires. While we are in the process of doing so, we will
call on all states to do likewise and the Malaysian Hockey Federation to
lead in the formation of a Malaysian Hockey Umpires Association.
"An independent body answerable to it members is certainly a better
alternative to the current set-up which is remote controlled by the MHF,"
said Inbaraj.
The move will be initiated at the end of the year when Penang host the
29th Pesta Hoki USM-Penang 2002 on Dec 20-22.
"That is when we will have a large number of officials in town and a
meeting will be called to set things right in the umpiring section."
He said that during the the 1996/7 term, Penang HA's MHF Umpires Board
(MHFUB) representative K. Kumarathiraviam drew up a comprehensive revised
MHFUB constitution which was endorsed by the MHF Council and forwarded to
MHFUB for implementation, but the Board refused to do so mainly because it
was to be elected by State representatives.
"All one needs to do is to take a look at the MHFUB constitution and see
the blatant violations that take place. Then take a look at the MHF
constitution and see the violations that take place.
"What about MHFUB funds? To whom are accounts tabled? Why are umpires
not given statement of accounts when their money is utilised by the
MHFUB?," questioned Inbaraj.
Inbaraj feels that Malaysian sports administrators have often turned on
the "power" in order to stifle dissent.
"Unlike politics, dissent in sports is not a national threat. Yet these
people seem threatened to the extent of forcibly hanging on.
"Many things have happened in Malaysian sport. Nothing however, compares
to the revolutionary changes that can be seen in the likes of the J-League
and South Korean hockey."
When South Korea hosted the Asian Games in 1986 they came from nowhere
to grab the gold. Since then even their women have climbed to the top of
the world. And they remain consistent.
"The Malaysians smarted from being out of the medal ranks in 1986 and
formed a think-tank to win back the bronze in the next Games in New Dehli
- a tournament four years away. That was the level of Malaysian thinking.
A bronze four years away despite bringing in Australian maestro Terry
Walsh.
"Sixteen years later, we have not changed a bit. The bulk of the
officials remain. Systems have not improved. If anything overall standards
have deteriorated," said Inbaraj.
The MHF, he charged, has no solid links with States on development. That
coaches are arbitrarily appointed, while match officials and umpires are
appointed at the whims and fancies of the powers that be.
He also took the affiliates to task for "blindly giving the mandate to
the same officials to carry on."
"But then we know that the so-called democratic process is not
democracy-friendly and can be easily manipulated.
"This, perhaps, is where the National Sports Council (NSC) or the Sports
Commissioner's (SC) office can play a very important role. To ensure
fairness in the election of office bearers, the Sports Commissioner would
do well to standardise an election process and election rules that are
above board."
Inbaraj suggested that;
* ELECTIONS are called by the SC's office in accordance with the
constitution.
* THE SC calls for the relevant bodies to submit audited accounts,
reports and legal requirements prior to calling for a General Meeting.
* THE entire election process beginning with calling for nominations and
resolutions, endorsements etc be conducted from the SC's office.
* HAVE general rules for all sports bodies with regards to voting rights
and ensure that the major portion of the decision rests with affiliates.
* TO ensure that state and national constitutions align with one another
and are not in conflict.
* ENSURE that resolutions of the GM are fulfilled in time.
"To reconstruct sports much needs to be done. We need ethical people who
can access their achievements and contributions and if they fall short,
must willingly step down.
"In any case a six-year term for any official should be the base line,"
suggested Inbaraj.
(END)

Selangor grab top honours

26/08/2002


SELANGOR shooters dominated both the National Championships and the
SportExcel Grand Finals when the dust settled at the Subang Shooting Range
yesterday.
The seniors amassed nine gold, 10 silver and eight bronze medals to
emerge tops while the juniors had a whopping 21 gold, nine silver and nine
bronze medals in the SportExcel championship.
But the disparity in standards was there for all to see as in the
SportExcel Championship, Kelantan, Penang, Kedah, Malacca, Pahang, Perak
and Perlis lads failed to win even a single medal.
And in the National Championship, the states which went home empty
handed were Johor, Penang, Kedah, Malacca, Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, Perlis
and Terengganu.
Yesterday, Selangor shooter Leong Jia Chyuan equalled the National
Junior Record with 571 points in the Sport Pistol. His score was simlar to
the mark notched by Kelantan's Nik Arisuddin Atqi in March this year.
There were no other notable achievements yesterday but the National
Championship has served its purpose as records fell like flies in the
second and third day of shooting.
The first record was shot down by the Selangor girls team of Mashita
Ramli Lim I Vern and Joanne Ng Sook Ee in the Air Rifle event with a
combined total of 1,164 points.
Then national shooter Nurul Hudda Baharin, getting ready for the Asian
Games in Busan next month, got her name on two records in the SB Sport
Rifle Prone. In the individual, her golden shot of 594 was a record feat
and her combined effort with team-mates Nordalilah Abu Bakar and Asmayuzie
Mat Amin also bettered the SB Sport Rifle Prone team record with 1,765
points.
The juniors then cracked three more records but the most memorable one
was when Mohamed Emran Zakaria shot down a six-year national record in the
men's SB Free Rifle Three Position with a score of 1,246.1.
Emran's, 27, finally cracked the six-year-old record of 1,245.4 set by
Mej Jasni Shaari.
And the good news is that the Asian Games bound shooter said that he was
still not at his best and might surprise all in the Asian Games.
But the prospect of landing a medal in Busan is not what Emran must have
been thinking about, because the competition is too stiff as Malaysia
found out in the 1998 Bangkok Games where they returned empty handed.
The history books will spare a page for Emran, even if he manages to
make the final in Busan.
RESULTS - National Championships: Men's Centre Fire Pistol: 1 Zakaria
Ishak (Kel) 570, 2 Darham Ali (Police), 567 3 Hasli Izwan (Pk) 559.
Centre Fire Pistol Team: 1 Kelantan 1,631 pts (Zakaria 570, Baharuddin
Hashim 537, Saipuddin Yusof 524); 2 Forces 1,613 (Sany Ghazali 552,
Zulkifli Ismail 537, Zulkifli Hassan 524); 3 Police 1,611 (Darham Ali 567,
Hashim Desa 552, Marzuki Man 482).
Women's SB sport rifle three position: 1 Nurul Hudda Baharin (Police)
662.7 pts, 2 Noriha Abdul Rani (Forces) 659.0, 3 Nordalilah Abu Bakar
(Police) 652.9.
SB Sport Rifle Three Position Team: 1 Police 1,684 pts (Nurul 569,
Nordalilah 558, Asmayuzie Mat Amin 557); 2 Selangor 1,659 (Lim I Vern 559,
Norhidayah Ramli 556, Nina Ismawati 544); 3 Sarawak 1,637 (Gracy Bohan
550, Veronica Eileen 545, Imabel Yvonne Tiong 542).
SportExcel Championships - Boys' Sport Pistol: Leong Jia Chyuan (Sel)
571, 2 Bibit Ngoyet (Sar) 558, 3 Mohamed Hezir Azmi (Sel) 555.
Sport Pistol Team: 1 Selangor 1,672 pts (Leong 571, Hezir 555, Nicholas
Aw Kai Foong 548); 2 Sarawak 1,621 (Bibit Nyoged 558, Billy MaCmiller 539,
Freddie Anit 524); 2 Johor 1,577 (Zulhakim Aman 553, Syawal Othman 537,
Radi Wahab 487).
Girls' SB Sport Rifle Three Position: 1 Lim I Vern 559 (Sel), 2
Norhidayah Ramli (Sel) 556, 3 Gracy Bohan (Sar) 550.
SB Sport Rifle Three Position Team: 1 Selangor 1,659 pts (Lim I Vern
559, Norhidayah 556, Nina Ismawati 544), 2 Sarawak 1,637 (Gracy Bohan 550,
Veronica Eileen 545, Imabel Yvone Tiong 542); 3 Police 1,576 (Phyllis
Eruna Licho 529, Hasmira Hassan 526, Emy Juingki 521).
(END)

Nurul guns down records

24/08/2002

NURUL Hudda Baharin was in cracking form yesterday when she shot down two
national records on the second day of the National Championships at the
Subang Shooting Range.
Getting into shape for the Asian Games in Busan next month Nurul,
representing Police, cracked the SB Sport Rifle Prone mark when she fired
594 points for the gold. The old mark was shot by Roslina Bakar of Pahang
in 2000.
Nurul and the other six shooters slated for the Asian Games can consider
it an achievement if the reach the finals in Busan.
The National Shooting Assiciation of Malaysia (NSAM) have set no targets
for them as the Asian Games shooting competition is of the same standard
as the Olympics.
Nurul's combined effort with team-mates Nordalilah Abu Bakar (587) and
Asmayuzie Mat Amin (584) also bettered the SB Sport Rifle Prone team
record with 1,765 points. The old mark of 1,756 was shot in 1997 by the
Police team of Nurul, Sarihati Awang Akhbar and Nordalilah Abu Bakar.
Not to be outdone, the juniors cracked three national records in the
SportExcel-Milo-NSC-NSAM Championships yestarday.
The Selangor boys' team of Mohamed Hameleay (589), Wang Wen Chuen (582)
and Ivan Jayavenkatesh (579) had a combined score of 1,750 which erased
the old mark of 1,747 the same trio set two years ago.
The rapid fire pistol team record then fell to the Selangor trio of
Leong Jia Chyuan (558), Mohamed Hezir Azmi (557) and Nicholas Aw (547)
with a combined total of 1,662 points. The old mark of 1,662 also belonged
to the Selangor trio.
The Sarawak girls were also in top form when then gunned down the SB
Rifle Prone Team national record with a combined score of 1,737. Sorea
Tiror (582), Veronica Eileen (579) and Gracy Bohan (576) erased the old
mark of 1,731 which belonged to Selangor's Lim I Vern, Lim Mi Mi and
Joanne Ng.
NATIONAL Championships - Men's Rapid Fire Pistol: 1 Hasli Izwan (PSA)
678.1 pts, 2 Leong Jia Chyuan (SSA) 648.6, 3 Nicholas Aw (SSA) 641.0.
Rapid Fire Pistol Team: Selangor 1,662 pts (Leong (558), Mohamed Hezir
(557), Nicholas (547); 2 Sarawak 1,561 pts (Bibit Ngoyet (527), Freddie
Anit (521), Eylanda Wella (513).
Sport Rifle Prone: 1 Mohamed Sabki Din (Forces) 696.3 pts, 2 Mohamed
Hameleay Mutalib (SSA) 690.6, 2 Saad Zainol Abidin (Police) 682.5.
Sport Rifle Prone Team: Selangor 1,750 pts (Hameleay 5989), Wang Wen
Chuen (582), Ivan Jayavenkatesh Rao (579); 2 Armed Forces Sabki (593),
Emran Zakaria (581), Ismail Diran (574); 3 Police 1,735 pts (Saad Zainol
Abidin (585), Azmi Zakaria (582), Rahim Razalie (568).
Women's SB sport rifle prone: Nurul Hudda Baharin (Police) 594 pts, nat
rec, 2 Nordalilah Abu Bakar (Police) 587, 3 Asmayuzie Mat Amin (Police)
584.
Sport Rifle Prone Team: 1 Police 1,765 pts, nat rec (Nurul (594),
Nordalilah (587) Asmayuzie (584); 2 Sarawak 1,737 pts (Sorea Tiror (582),
Eronica Eileen (579), Gracy Bohan (576); 3 Selangor 1,725 pts (Lim I Vern
(578), Mashita Ramli (575), Nina Ismawati (572).
Air Pistol: 1 Bibiana Ng (Sar) 470.8 pts, 2 Nurzaini Ismail (Police)
465.5, 3 Suefarinawathy Affendy (Sar) 465.4.
Air Pistol Team: 1 Sarawak 1,115 pts Bibiana (376), Haslinda Nosan
(370), Suefarinawathy (369); 2 Police 1,101 pts (Nurzaimi Ismail (369),
Rohayati Ismail (366), Norazlina Manan (366); 3 Armed Forces 1,092 pts
(Sapiah Pilus (372), Noormala Mat (360), Yusrina Yusuf (360).
SortExcel-Milo-NSC-NSAM Ju-nior Championship - Boys' Rapid Fire Pistol:
Leong Jia Chyuan (SSA) 558 pts, 2 Mohamed Hezir Azmi (SSA) 557, 3 Nicholas
Aw (SSA) 547.
Rapid Fire Pistol Team: 1 Selangor 1,662 pts - nat jr rec - (Leong
(558), Hezir (557) Nicholas (547); 2 Sarawak 1,561 pts (Bibit Nyoged
(527), Freddie Anit (521), Eylanda Wella (513).
SB Rifle Prone: 1 Mohamed Hame-leay (SSA) 589, 2 Wang Wen Chuen (SSA)
582, 3 Kendy Gijom (Sar) 581.
SB rifle prone team: Selangor 1,750 pts - nat jr rec (Hameleay (589),
Wang (582) Ivan Jayavenkatesh (579); 2 Sarwak 1,724 pts (Kendy (581),
Alvin Elser 574), Almond Aldrian (569); 3 Police 1,677 pts (Rahim Razalie
(568), Hasremy Khalid (564), Mohamed Khairul (545).
Girls' Air Pistol: 1 Haslinda Nosan (Sar) 370 pts, 2 Nurzaini Ismail
(Polie) 69, 3 Au Yan Qian (SSA) 361.
Air Pistol Team: 1 Selangor 1,067 pts (Au Yan Quan (361), Fatin Hani
(354), Choong Hin Ye (352); 2 Police 1,066 pts (Nurzaini Ismail (369),
Saadiah Abidin (355), Rosmalini Kassim (342); 3 Sarawak 1,065 pts
(Haslinda Nosan (370), Chen Po Ling (350), Rosni Jisin (345).
SB Rifle Prone: 1 Sorea Tiror (Sar) 582, 2 Veronica Eileen (Sar) 579, 3
Lim I Vern 578.
SB Rifle Prone Team: 1 Sarawak 1,737 pts - nat jr rec (Sorea Tiror
(582), Veronica (579), Gracy Bohan (576); 2 Selangor 1,725 pts (Lim I Vern
(578), Mashita Ramli (575), Nina Ismawati (572); 3 Police 1,679 pts (Emy
Juingki (568), Phyllis Eruna Licho (557), Rodziyah Ahmad (554).
(END)

Council did endorse decisions

22/08/2002

MALAYSIAN Hockey Federation (MHF) secretary S. Satgunam (pic) said
yesterday that the MHF Council did endorse the decision to refer four
officials to the Disciplinary Board (DB).
After the council meeting held on Aug 18, confusion arose as some
members said that no mention was made of refering umpires Amarjit Singh
and Jagjeet Singh and two State secretaries V. Rajamanickam from Kuala
Lumpur and Penang's Ranjit Singh to the DB for making statements "which
brought the parent body to disrepute".
Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) president Tan Sri Noordin Hassan
had said that the matter was "highlighted" by Satgunam during the meeting.
"I wish to state here that proper procedures were followed and the
Council endorsed the decision to refer the four officials to the DB. We
had sent showcause letters to all of them, of which only three replied.
And also one to independent member of the Executive Council datuk G.
Vijayanathan before the decision was taken to refer them to the DB," said
Satgunam.
The five MHF officials were slapped with showcause letters for making
statements in the press which, among others, criticised the MHF for not
doing enough the promote the sport.
While both the umpires and Rajamanickam had replied to the showcause
letters, Ranjit did not because he claimed that he did not receive one.
Vijayanathan's letter is said to be on its way.
Sabah Hockey Association secretary Ajaib Singh Mann, when contacted
yesterday, also concurred with what Satgunam said: "I attended the council
meeting on Aug 18 where the council endorsed that the four officials be
referred to the DB."
On why the MHF did not haul up their vice-president Datuk Jalil Majid,
who is also the Competitions Committee chairman, because Jalil was the
first to highlight weakness in the parent body: "Jalil explained to us on
which grounds he made the statement and we (MHF) were satisfied with his
explanations and decided that no action should be taken againt Jalil,"
said Satgunam.
Jalil had claimed that competitions were being run without the
Competitions Committee holding a single meeting for years. But after the
issue had blown up into a storm, Jalil claimed that he had given his
mandate to the MHF standing committee to run competitions in his absence.
Confusion arose because some members claimed that during the council
meeting on Aug 18, they were only handed copies of replies from three
officials who received showcause letters.
They alleged that the matter was not put to vote and were surprised to
read in the newspapers the next day that the `infamous four' will be
referred to the DB, and the matter was endorsed at the MHF Council.
On the issue of young players calling it quits to persue their studies,
Satgunam said the matter will be discussed on Sept 9 when the Yayasan Hoki
Malaysia, meets.
"We are very worried witht the present trend where young players, after
a short stint with the national side, decide to quit because they want to
concentrate on their studies.
"This is not a fair deal because some of them had quit after receiving
study aid from the Yayasan Hoki Malaysia. On Sept 9, we will decide on how
to stop this unhealthy trend," said Satgunam.
Among the young players who recently quit to study are Tajol Rosli and
S. Shanker.
(END)

MWF not doing enough

22/08/2002

THE Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) has been taken to task for
not doing enough, but bask in the glory of Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim's three-
gold lift in the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.
The scathing attack comes from vice-president of the Pahang
Weightlifitng Association Dr Majid Muda, who has been overseeing the
development of Amirul and his team-mate Faisal Baharom who lifted a bronze
in Manchester.
Amirul, 21, won the the snatch (115kg), clean and jerk (145kg), and the
overall (260kg) gold medals. His lift in the snatch beat the Games record
of 107.5kg, the clean and jerk record of 140kg, and the overall record of
247.5kg.
Faizal won the bronze with a lift of 110kg in the snatch.
"The Rompin centre of excellence has been producing calibre lifters over
the years. But the parent body, which has done nothing much to promote the
sport in this country, has been basking in the glory," claimed Majid.
Majid alleged that, development-wise, the parent body has not produced
any calibre lifters over the years but instead, has been hampering the
development of the sport.
"The National Sports Council (NSC), who is very keen to develop
weightlifting, had organised an under-18 meet but instead of supporting
it, the MWF got irked and did not want to sanction the tournament," said
Majid.
Majid, who was down in Kuala Lumpur last week, also said that the
feedback he received from the Manchester Games weightlifters Edmund Yeo,
Amirul and Hidayat Hamidon was very disturbing.
"I spoke to the weightlifters and they told me that instead of helping
them, the MWF officials made their task in Manchester much more difficult
by meddling with the starting weights.
"I was told that MWF officials, who were nowhere during the hectic run-
up to the Commonwealth Games, started suggesting the starting lifts which
disturbed the weightlifters and some were unable to perform.
"Roswadi Rashid, who lifted in the 62kg category, went to Manchester
four kilogrammes over his weight category and there was nobody to monitor
or advise him on how to bring his weight down. I was also told that just
before the lift, his warm-up was not monitored properly and that is why he
failed to perform," said Majid.
Rompin, in Pahang, is the current hot-bed for weightlifting and the
assembly line began to produce lifters in the mid-90s when Abdul Rahman
Ahmad was unearthed as a potential Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
Sadly, Abdul Rahman failed to deliver in Kuala Lumpur `98 and his
father, Ahmad Abdullah, told him to dump the barbells for good.
But Abdul Rahman's legacy is still very much alive. He paved the way for
Rompin youths to try their luck at weightlifting.
"And everytime I want to send my lads for overseas stints, the MWF
officials try to jump on the bandwagon and follow them although they are
nowhere to be seen when it comes to developing the youth base.
"Before the Manchester Commonwealth Games, I wrote to the parent body
asking them to forward a proposal to the NSC to send Amirul to China for
training.
"But three months later, my proposal had still not reached the NSC. So,
a hasty plan was hatched to send Amirul and Hidayat to Indonesia where the
facilities were not up to the mark and Amirul injured himself," said
Majid.
Majid also claimed that development chairman Ong Pok Eng is never around
during meetings, but always meddles during tournaments.
"Pahang has been producing the weightlifters and we are fed-up with the
parent body for not doing enough to promote the sport in other States.
"If this continues, in the long run, the weightlifting medals are going
to dry up," warned Majid.
(END)

Mori rides away with title

19/08/2002

THE Gamuda Eagle Tour ended in Langkawi yesterday and the undisputed
champion was Italian Simone Mori from Team Jura Suisse who clocked a total
of 9 hours, 17 minutes for the inaugural title.
And the win has made him love the island so much, that he now wants to
see the whole country by taking part in the Le Tour de Langkawi in
February next year.
"I thank my team-mates for helping me win the overall Eagle Tour title
and my next plan is to come back to Malaysia in February to make an
attempt in the Le Tour de Langkawi.
"Although the Eagle Tour was a 2.6 UCI classification race, the set-up
was equivalent, if not better, than bigger races held in Europe. I am
impressed with the hosts and would like to come back to this country
again," said Simone.
The stage winner yesterday was Rune Jogert of Team Krone when he clocked
1:03:30 in the Stage Five which was a criterium race of 50 kilometres.
After Stage Four, Mori took Jogert and his team to task for being
unsporting and not helping in keeping pace and yesterday, Jogert
attributed it to "tactics".
"We wanted to win at least one Stage and in the Fourth, we played a
tactical game and waited at the back and only sprinted at the finish line.
It was not being selfish but tactics to grab one Stage win at least in the
inaugural Tour," said Jogert.
Jogert also took the Overall Points title on 15 points.
The under-23 Stage Five winner was Matnur Matnur, an Indonesian who
represented the Selangor Sweet Nice Team. The under-23 Overall stage
winner was Ireland's Philip Deignan who clocked a total of 9:19:16s.
The Irish lad almost didn't make it to Malaysia as he was slated as a
reserve and as luck would have it, one of the Irish team's main rider fell
during training in Ireland and broke his shoulder bone and was replaced by
Deignan.
"I received a last minute call-up and I was determined to prove to all
that I am a good rider. Maybe now the Ireland selectors will choose me for
the world championships," said Deignan.
The Irish were also strong riders as a group and finished as the Overall
Team champions with an accumulated 27:57:33. The second best team in the
Eagle Tour were the Iran National team who clocked 27:58:30.
(END)

Unfriendly Jogert wins Stage 4

18/08/2002

RUNE Jogert from Team Krone won the 134.3kn Fourth Stage of the Gamuda
Eagle Tour in Langkawi when he broke free from the main bunch about 25
metres from the finish line yesterday.
Jogert clocked three hours two minutes and 11 seconds for the stage win
from a group of riders, including Malaysians, who finished bunched for
second.
After receiving his jersey on the podium, overall leader Italian Simone
Mori of Team Jura Suisse took the winner to task for being "unfriendly".
Mori retained the Red Jersey he won after the gruelling Gunung Raya
climb and now has an accumulated time of 8:13.30 to his credit. He is
followed closely by Iranian Ghad Mizbani who has an overall of 8:14:11.
Mizbani was crowned `King of the Mountains' after conquering third and
fourth category climbs in yesterday's Fourth Stage.
The Iranian will get to keep the jersey for the reminder of the race
because in today's Stage Five, there are no climbs.
It was a fast and furious race and Team Jura Suisse riders made a pact
with the other teams to have riders pace the race and help each other
along the route.
Jura riders helped and received help from the Iranians and the
Albanians, among others, but Krone riders kept their distance and so it
was easy for them to win the stage because they did not help pace the
race.
"I don't understand this new trend because in cycling it is a practice
where teams help pace each other. I am not saying that Jura needs help,
because my team-mates are all good riders and can keep the pace, but what
the Krone rider did was ..... anyway, we (Jura riders) don't need help and
will show our strength tomorrow," said Simone.
The Irish luck kept shining and Philip Deigna was again at the top of
the podium to receive his second consecutive green jersey for winning the
under 23 overall title. The under-23 stage was won by Tore Bekken.
The Ireland National team also still lead the Team stage classification
when they clocked a total of 9:06:33. RESULTS
Stage 4: 1 Rune Jogert (Krone-KRO) 3 hours 02 minutes 11 seconds, 2 Paul
Redenbach (Team Down Under-TDU) 3:02:11, 3 Paul Griffin (Irl) 3:02:11s, 4
Christian Pomer (Aut) 3:02:11, 5 Tore Bekken (Kro) 3:02:11, 6 Matnur
Muslimin (Sel) 3:02:11, 7 Christoph Kerschbaum (Aut) 3:02:11, 8 Mohd
Mahadzir Hamad (Sel) 3:02:11, 9 Mehdi Sahrabi (Iri) 3:02:11, 10 Nor
Effandy Rosli (KL) 3:02:11.
Overall standings: 1 Simone Mori (Jura Suisse-JUR) 8:13:30, 2 Ghader
Mizbani (Iri) 8:14:11, 3 Glen Chadwick (Tdu) 8:14:46, 4 Tonton Susanto
(Ina) 8:14:55, 5 Paul Griffin (Irl) 8:15:07, 6 Andreas Knapp (Aut)
8:15:18, 7 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) 8:15:20, 8 Joachim Vollmann (Aut) 8:15:46, 9
Philip Deignan (Irl) 8:15:46, 10 Gabriel Rasch (Krone-KRO) 8:16:06s.
King of the Sprints: 1 Paul Griffin (Irl) 35 points, 2 Rune Jogert (Kro)
32, 3 Tommy Evans (Irl) 28.
King of the Mountains: 1 Ghader Mizbani (Iri) 24, 2 Simone Mori (Jur)
16, 3 Jamsran Ulzii Orshikh (Gnt) 12.
Team Classification: 1 Ireland 24:47:03s, 2 Iran 24:47:38, 3 Austria
24:48:13.
Under-23 Overall: 1 Philip Deignan (Irl) 8:15:46s, 2 Suhardi Hassan
(Mas) 8:16:35, 3 Josef Benetseder (Aut) 8:17:49.
(END)

Italian Mori powers into lead

17/08/2002

ITALIAN Simone Mori of Team Jura Suisse Nippon ripped the Red Jersey off
the back of Team Down Under's Glen Chadwick after a knee-cap busting climb
up Gunung Raya in Stage Three of the Gamuda Eagle Tour in Langkwi
yesterday.
Mori was all alone crossing the finish line in one hour 48 minutes and
41 seconds and almost one minute later, Iranian Ghader Mizbani came into
sight and crossed in 1:49:33.
Stage Three, 69.5km in all, ended at the peak of Gunung Raya which
stands at 830 metres. The climb took its toll on all the riders as some of
them collapsed just after the finish.
While Mori found the climb gruelling, Ghader said it was easier than the
climb up Genting Highlands.
Mori, who leads overall with 5:11:19, is just 42 seconds ahead of Ghader
with another 10 riders close on their heels.
The Red Jersey might just change backs again today.
"I started my attack one kilometre after the start because yesterday
(Thursday) we had a team meeting and decided that if we wait till the foot
of Gunung Raya, it would be too late to win anything," said Mori.
Mori felt the climb was more gruelling than he had anticipated but
pushed on when, two kilometres from the finish he looked back and saw
Ghader.
"I knew then that, even though the hot weather and the gruelling climb
was killing me, I could not afford to let up because Ghader is a strong
rider," said Mori.
Orshikh Ulzii of Mongolia, who suffered a terrible fall just 200m from
the finish on Thursday, retained his `King of The Mountain' jersey even
though he couldn't sleep the whole night.
Ulzii, with his cheeks bruised and swollen, smiled on the podium and
said the pain is nothing compared to retaining his jersey. "I couldn't
sleep all night because the pain was unbearable. It was still there when I
started Stage Three but now, after my win, I no longer feel it anymore,"
said Ulzii.
Philip Deignan was another out to prove his worth and the Irish rider
did splendidly by finishing fourth in Stage Three and was crowned the
overall leader and Stage Three winner in the under-23 category.
His team-mates call him the `super-sub' because he was a last minute
inclusion in the Irish National Team.
"I was a last-minute replacement for a team-mate who broke his
collarbone in training before coming to Malaysia. I took up the challenge
and rode the race f my life to finish fourth in Stage Three for the under-
23 stage and overall lead," said the lanky teenager.
The Irish National Team lead the stage classification with a time of
5:32:24. They are followed closely by the Iran team (5:33:11) who are
preparing for the Asian Games in Busan. STAGE 3 RESULTS
Stage 3: 1 Simone Mori (Jura Suisse-JUR) 1 hour 48 minutes 41 seconds; 2
Ghader Mizbani (Iri) 1:49:33s; 3 Tonton Susanto (Indon) 1:49:54s; 4 Philip
Deignan (Irl) 1:50:16s; 5 Paul Griffin (Irl) 1:50:17s; 6 Joachim Vollmann
(Aut) 1:50:17s; 7 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) 1:50:20s; 8 Glen Chadwick (Team Down
Under-TDU) 1:50:24s; 9 Andreas Knapp (Aut) 1:50:25s; 10 Ahad Kazemi (Giant
Asia Racing Team-GNT) 1:51:05s.
Overall Standings: 1 Simone Mori (Jur) 5:11:19s; 2 Ghader Mizbani (IRI)
5:12:00s; 3 Glen Chadwick (TDU) 5:12:35s; 4 Tonton Susanto (Indon)
5:12:44s; 5 Paul Griffin (Irl) 5:13:00s; 6 Andreas Knapp (Aut) 5:13:07s; 7
Tomoya Kano (Jpn) 5:13:09s; 8 Joachim Vollmann (Aut) 5:13:35s; 9 Philip
Deignan (Irl) 5:13:35s; 10 Gabriel Rasch (Krone-KRO) 5:13:55s.
King of the Sprints: 1 Ghader Mizbani (Iri) 25 points; 2 Glen Chadwick
(Tdu) 23; 3 Tommy Evans (Irl) 23.
King of the Mountains: 1 Ghader Mizbani (Iri) 18; 2 Simone Mori (Jur)
16; 3 Jamsran Ulzii Orshikh (GNT) 10.
Team General Classification: 1 Ireland 15:40:30s; 2 Iran 15:41:05s; 3
Austria 15:41:40s
Under-23 Overall Standings: 1 Philip Deignan (Irl) 5:13:35s; 2 Suhardi
Hassan (Mas) 5:14:24s; 3 Josef Benetseder (Aut) 5:15:38s
(END)

Team KL climb to eighth

16/08/2002

THE Kuala Lumpur Invitational Team put up a creditable perfromance in
Stage Two of the Gamuda Eagle Tour yesterday.
The team's charge, led by Nor Affendy Rosli, pushed them to eighth from
16th after Stage One when three of their riders finished tied on 31:19:38
seconds.
Nor Affendy, Tsen Seong Hoong and Musa Musairi kept up with the leading
pack throughout the 142.6km race and shot up the Team Stage
Classification.
The other two KLC members found the going tough. Wong Ah Tiam could only
manage 51st spot while Wan Mohamed Najme finished 116th after falling off
his bike midway through the race.
The accumulated effort of the team is 10:40:51, and Nor Affendy said
their plan to stick together through thick and thin has paid dividents.
"Before the start of the race, we made a pact to stick together and keep
up with the leading pack. Although two of our riders were left behind by
the furious pace, I kept my cool and followed the leaders from the start,"
said Nor Affendy.
However, Nor Effendy, making his final push in preparation for the Asian
Games in Busan, feels that Stage Three will be tough on his team because
of the gruelling climb up Gunung Raya.
"We will not only be battling the tough climb up the mountain, but also
against some very good climbers who have assembled for this inaugural
tour. So I feel that this stage will be crucial to make or break any
team," said Nor Affendy.
Selangor's Sweet Nice, who finished 12th after Stage One, moved up one
rung when their rider Mohamed Mahadzir finished in the main group. The
team now has an accumulated time of 10:46:17.
The other two Malaysian teams remained among the bottom sides. The
Malaysian National Team is still 13th with a time 10:48:18 and Stage One
bottom team National Sports Council Team moved up to 17th with 10:53:26.
The last spot, 21st, is now occupied by the Thaland National team on
11:02:25.
(END)

Chadwick grabs Red Jersey

15/08/2002

GLEN Chadwick of Team Down Under turned in a blistering time-trial under
the scorching Langkawi sun yesterday to grab the Red Jersey on the first
day of the Gamuda Eagle Tour.
Chadwick was a little surprised to have won because the last time he won
a title was in the Tour of Tasmania a few years ago.
Chadwick said he was in a new territory and does not know if he can
defend his Red Jersey, which he won in 12 minutes 30.30 for in the 9.2km
time-trial which started and ended at Padang Matsirat in Kuah.
"I have never held onto a Red Jersey for an entire race and I expect a
tough fight from the sprinters tomorrow (today) in the 142.6km round the
island race," said Chadwick.
"But the feeling is good as the last time I went up the podium was in
the Tour of Tasmania a couple of years ago."
Second was Gabriel Rasch of Team Krone on 12:43.10 while third was
another rider from team Down Under - Paul Redenback on 12:45.89s.
The `King of the Mountain' yesterday was Iran's Ghader Mizbani who
clocked 12:49.12 to finish fifth.
Asked if he is going to defend the jersey in the gruelling third leg up
Gunung Raya, Ghader said: "It is difficult to say at this stage because
even though this is my third time in Langkawi and I am quite used to the
hot and humid conditions, the Tour has attracted many good riders and
anything can happen.
"But I will definitely give it a try because I have always had the legs
for the mountains."
The under-23 stage and overall champion yesterday was Lars Breiseth from
Team Krone from Norway.
Breiseth clocked 12:52.96 to finish seventh overall in the time-trial
and grabbed the under-23 title. Team Krone, currently ranked 24th in
Division Three, have been competing regularly in France and are tipped to
win a few titles.
Breiseth, who got bored waiting for the other riders to finish, said: "I
waited a while, then got bored and went back to the hotel for a good
shower. I even had time to wash my clothes before coming back to the
finish line to find out that I was the best finisher in the under-23
category and seventh in the time-trial."
Today's leg starts from the Underwater World at Pantai Chenang where the
riders face a flat run. Teams will be pinning their hopes on their best
sprinters and the action is expected to sizzle over the last few
kilometres.
The 142.6km route, while very scenic, also has a category four climb at
the 81.1km mark but it is not expected to pose any problems.
RESULTS
Stage 1: 1 Glen Chadwick (Team Down Under) 12:30.30s, 2 Gabriel Rasch
(Team Krone) 12:43.10, 3 Paul Redenbach (Down Under)12:45.89, 4 MArk
Roland (Down Under) 12:48.26, 5 Ghader Mizbani (Iran) 12:49.12, 6 Wang
Guozhang (China NAtional Team) 12:50.54, 7 Lars Breiseth (Team Krone)
12:52.96, 8 Ali Reza Hagi (Iran) 12:52.22, 9 Francesco Cipoletta (Jura
Suisse Nippon) 12:57.99, 10 Tommy Evans (Ireland) 12:58.30, 11 Tanha Abbas
(Iran) 12:59.37, 12 Tore Bekken (Team Krone) 13:00.28, 13 Christian Pomer
(Austria) 13:00.53, 14 Andreas Knapp (Austria) 13:01.97, 15 Amir Zargari
(Iran) 13:03.97..... 36 Suhardi Hassan (Malaysia National Team) 13:35.95.
Under-23: 1 Lars Breiseth (Krone), 2 Tanha Saedi, Tore Bekken.
Points: 1 Chadwick 15pts, 2 Rasch 14, 3 Redenbach 13, 4 Roland 12, 5
Mizbani 12, 6 Guozhang 10, 7 Breiseth 9.
King of the Mountain: 1 Ghader 6pts, 2 Christian Pomer (Aut) 4pts, 3
Redenbach 2pts.
(END)

Tour can help narrow gap

14/08/2002

THE Gamuda Eagle Tour of Malaysia, which begins in Langkawi today, is seen
as the first step in an effort to close the gap between professional
riders, Asians and amateur cyclists.
The gap, as seen in the Le Tour de Langkawi, is becoming so obvious that
if left unchecked, Asians will never be able to catch up with the
professional riders.
"We realise that the standard of the Le Tour de Langkawi has shot up
over the years and the majority of Asian cyclists and teams are finding it
harder to catch up with the European riders.
"That is why we came up with the Gamuda Eagle Tour, which is exclusively
for Asian teams and minor clubs from Europe," said Clear Mission Executive
Chairman Datuk Wan Lokman Wan Ibrahim in Langkawi yesterday.
Clear Mission are the organisers of the Gamuda Tour.
"It is our hope that when the Eagle Tour takes off, it will soar and
become Asia's premier race. It is the least we can do to promote cycling
in this part of the world," added Wan Lokman.
The race has attacted 21 teams and among the frontrunners are Team Down
Under from Belgium, which will parade former Tour of Tasmania champion
Glenn Chadwick.
Malaysia will field four teams and the strong set-up, on paper, is KLCA
invitational which has a rider from the United States, Robert Lee. The
other members are Musairi Musa, Nor Affendy Rosli, Najme Wan Mohamed, Tsen
Seong Hoong and Wong Ah Thiam.
Parading an experienced line-up, Team KL will be under the spotlight to
deliver as expectations are high.
Wong, Nor Effandy and Tsen will be the riders to look out for in the
climbs while Roberts and Musairi have a good chance for stage podium
finishes.
Nor Effandy, who last week emerged as the national champion in Malacca,
describes Stage Three as his main challenge.
Stage Three is over 69.5km and the toughest part will be the 13km climb
up Gunung Raya.
"I personally feel that the rider who leads the first three kilometres
of the Gunung Raya climb will be crowned as King of the Mountain. It is
the toughest part in the five-stage tour and I will make a strong attempt
there," said Nor Affendy.
Nor Affendy, the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games silver medallist,
has done well this year with a 47th-place overall finish in the Tour of
Japan and was the ninth overall Asian finisher in the Le Tour de Langkawi.
But it won't be easy as the Tour has attracted some of Asia's best.
(END)

JHL provides talent windfall

13/08/2002

THE MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC Junior League saw an overwhelming 22 teams taking
part this year but whether the figure will be maintained, or bettered,
next season is unclear.
This year, the JHL thrived on Malaysia Games money as States prepared
their players, and when the coffers dry up next year, the Malaysian Hockey
Federation (MHF) expects fewer teams to take part.
And the RM5,000 subsidy offered to each team this year might not be
there next season as it is subject to the MHF council's approval.
Perak fielded a record five teams but only two teams, Ipoh City Council
and SMK Anderson, put up a creditable show while the rest might not field
a team next season.
Perak Malays Hockey Association, Taiping District and Krian District
struggled and Taiping almost withdrew at the tail-end because they did not
have enough money to carry on.
A timely intervention by MHF saved Taiping and the whipping boys of the
League ended their fixtures with double-digit hammerings.
Next season, it would be wiser if Perak concentrate on two teams and not
stretch out their resources.
On the pitch, there was plenty of flair displayed by the top four teams
in Group A and B and the selectors have shortlisted 31 new faces as
national prospects.
"The selectors went around the country to watch the JHL matches and we
discovered 31 players who have the potential to don national colours,"
said junior manager Poon Fook Loke.
The 31 will be called for a five-day camp in Kuala Lumpur from Aug 18-
23.
"During the camp, we will monitor them and if they impress, we will put
them under our various age-group teams and in the long run, they can
replace national players who call it quits," said Poon.
The JHL was a windfall, not only to Group B League and Overall champions
Telekom Pahang, but the country as well.
The recent spate of national players calling it quits has opened up
avenues for the younger generation to display their skills and the 31
selected from the JHL is the first step to have a bigger big pool of
future Malaysian flag-bearers.
The selected 31 - goalkeepers: Che Mohamed Nasa (MSNJ), T. Veerasegar
(Olak-MPK), Nasrul Azim Rahimi (Anderson); Defenders: S. Vatu Malar (YNS),
Nor Hameizi (Olak-MPK), Ilham Fuad (AFATS), Baljit Singh (Anderson),
Mohamed Sari Jasmani (TNB), Syafiq Amir Kamarudin (TNB), Wan Mohamed
Asyrizal (TNB); Midfield: Manpreet Singh (Perak Malays), Mohamed Zulladli
Jamil (Malay Mail), Abdul Hadi Adam (Ipoh), P. Mahendra Thevar (YNS),
Mohamed Jabir (MPSP), Fazlil Hafez Urwah (PJMC), Nor Azizan Rani (PJMC),
A. Yuaneswaran (MSSKL), Amir Syafiq Awang Soh (MSST); Forwards: Mohamed
Zamzuhairi (Olak-MPK), Saiful Amri Idris (MSST), M. Sriganenthra (Malay
Mail), Kelvinder Singh (MSSKL), Mohamed Amerullah Aziz (Malaysia SS),
Mohamed Shahrul Amran (Datuk Taha), G. Vijayan (YNS), Ahmad Anuar Kamal
(Ipoh), Mohamed Redza (Serdang), Faridz Hashim (Serdang), Mohamed Syakir
(Serdang), Mohamed Fairuz (Serdang).
(END)

Zarit gives Telekom title

12/08/2002

Telekom Pahang ........1 Malaysia SS ...............0
(Zarit Zainal, 55th)
DEBUTANTS Telekom Pahang lifted the MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC Junior League
Overall Title at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil when they beat
Malaysia Sports School by a solitary goal in the final yesterday.
Telekom Pahang, who also won the League title in Group B, took home a
total of RM32,500 from the Junior League.
Telekom Pahang were a pale shadow compared to their League matches and
Malaysia SS only had themselves to blame because they missed three open
goals in the first half which could have landed them the Overall title.
Yesterday, Telekom Pahang registered Megat Arzafiq for the final and the
defender, who landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 5pm
after a four-match Tour of Busan, South Korea, made his entrance 54
minutes after play started and gave his team the much needed morale
booster to lift the title.
For, a minute after he entered the pitch, Telekom Pahang scored the
match winner.
Megat and Ismail Abu missed the semifinals but Telekom coach Izwan
Suhardi listed Megat in the starting list yesterday and the defender only
reached the National Hockey Stadium 50 minutes into the match, when the
score was still 0-0, and he changed hastily at the sidelines and entered
the pitch.
Before Megat and Ismail came to the stadium, Telekom Pahang looked lost
and hardly made any attempts at the Malaysia SS goal.
In fact, Malaysia SS could have taken the lead in the 14th minute when
their playmaker Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin sliced past Telekom Pahang defenders
Mohamed Razi, Engku Abdul Malik and Mohamed Zulkifli.
Tengku Ahmad's path was only blocked by Telekom goalkeeper Kairul
Niziam, so he squared the ball to his team-mate Mohamed Razie who faced a
gaping goalmouth.
To the amazement of the crowd, Razie swung his stick above the ball as
it trickled out to the sideline.
Telekom's best attempt in the first half was in the 15th minute when
Mohamed Al-Fadhir Kasim took a reverse stick shot but it hit the crossbar
and went out.
Telekom Pahang hardly made any moves when play restarted after the
breather and play was centered in midfield as Tengku Ahmad was the only
player on the field who made some forays into the semicircle.
But even he looked lethargic and could not finish some of the moves
because he had little support from his team-mates who were defending.
But 50 minutes into the match, Telekom Pahang perked up when Megat and
Ismail on the sidelines.
And in the 54th minute, off a goalmouth melee, Zarit Zainal pushed the
ball between the pads of Ahmad Bazli Razali to become the Telekom hero.
It was only Zarit's third goal of the JHL as he had only scored against
Synergy Hockey Club in the League match and against Ipoh City Hall in the
first leg semi-finals.
(END)

Reputations don't count

11/08/2002

MALAYSIA Sports School are on a high, and coach V. Muraleedharan is afraid
that it might work against them in the MHF-Milo-Admral-NSC Junior League
final at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
The Junior League debutants displayed electrifying form to black out
League Champions Tenaga Nasional Bhd and, naturally, the boys feel
unbeatable at the moment.
"I have my hands full trying to bring them down to earth because they
are still in a daze after making the final," said Muraleedharan.
Malaysia Sports School started off the JHL badly when they were held 2-2
in their first match by Seberang Prai Municipal Council, who also beat the
other finalist Telekom Pahang 1-0 in Kuantan in the League.
The only `motivation' Muraleedharan can give his boys is that they lost
3-1 to Telekom Pahang in their League encounter.
"I told them not to get overconfident because we lost to them even with
a full side in the League. For the final, we will not have five players
who can be considered as pillars in the team."
The entire Malaysia SS penalty corner battery, made up of S. Selvaraju,
Mohamed Fakhrulrazi and Mohamed Fikri Bassar, will not see action in the
final.
Selvaraju was benched for the remainder of the JHL when he picked up a
red card against Anderson in a League match. Although a red card normally
means a two-match suspension, Malaysia SS decided to bench him for the
entire JHL as a disciplinary measure.
Fakhrulrazi and Fikri are with the national team and will only arrive at
the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 5pm today and the likelihood of
them playing in the final is slim.
"Zaidi Zainuddin, our best marker, will also not play in the final as he
was suspended for two matches after the first leg of the semi-finals and
Mohamed Shamsul, our striker, has gone home because his sister was
involved in an accident.
"But Malaysia Sports School do not depend on stars and we play as a
team, so I am not unduly worried playing without the five players," said
Muraleedharan.
Goalkeeper Ahmad Bazli Razali, who saved two penalty strokes in the
first leg semi-finals, and then robbed Tenaga of a 10th minute goal in the
second leg, will have to bring out his best again as Telekom are well
known for speedy breakaways.
On paper, Telekom look the better side but Malaysia SS have proven, by
eliminating Tenaga, that reputations don't count - teamwork does.
(END)

Tenaga overpowered

10/08/2002

Tenaga .............. 1 Malaysia SS ..... 3
MALAYSIA Sports School did the unexpected when they beat Tenaga Nasional
Bhd 3-1 in the second leg of the semifinals to qualify for the final of
the MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC Junior League at the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium in
Kuala Lumpur yesterday. They won 5-2 on aggregate.
Malaysia SS went into the match with a one-goal cushion from the first
leg and slayed Tenaga, who looked like lost lambs without their star
players Riduan Nasir and Azlan Misron who are with the national team in
South Korea.
Malaysia SS will now meet Telekom Pahang in the final tomorrow at the
National Hockey Stadium at 8pm.
Tenaga tried their level best to get back into the match but Malaysia
Sports School goalkeeper Ahmad Bazli Razali was in sterling form, warding
off a wave of attacks in the first 10 minutes of the match.
As the minutes ticked away, Tenaga became more desperate and pushed
everyone upfront in search of the equaliser.
Malaysia SS, who were pinned in their own semicircle for a good 15
minutes, broke free in the 25th minute.
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin won Malaysia SS a penalty corner and Mohamed Nor
Affazly hammered it in past Tenaga goalkeeper Khairul Nizam, doubling
Tenaga's task and misery.
Tenaga continued to pile up the pressure, leaving huge gaps in their
defence.
Three minutes before the breather, Tengku Ahmad nailed Tenaga with a
beautiful goal after dribbling through several defenders.
In the second half, it was the sport school's turn to be the aggressors,
culminating in a third goal through Mohamed Fauzi Ibrahim in the 65th.
Two minutes later, Jivan Mohan pulled one back for Tenaga but it was too
little too late for the defending champions.
"We went in as the underdogs but my boys displayed great fighting spirit
in both the semifinals and they deserve the victory. I told them to play
an attacking game but Tenaga pinned us back for long periods forcing us to
rely on counter-attacks. But it has worked well for us today," said
Malaysia SS coach V. Muraleedharan.
"Now we have one day to plan for the final against Telekom Pahang and I
am confident my boys will go all out to lift the Overall title," said
Muraleedharan.
(END)

Ipoh, MSS hold the aces

09/08/2002

THE semi-final first leg of the MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC Junior Hockey League
got off to a surprising start as favourites Tenaga Nasional Bhd and
Telekom Pahang crumbled under pressure.
And today, both teams have 70 minutes to reverse the situation, as at
this juncture, underdogs Ipoh City Council and Malaysia Sports School hold
the aces.
Tenaga were upset 2-1 by Malaysia Sports School while Telekom went down
2-3 to Ipoh on Wednesday but both the losing teams can make amends today.
At the Tun Razak Stadium tonight, all Malaysia Sports School need to do
is keep a cool head and coach V. Muraleedharan knows that very well.
"We have a slight edge over Tenaga tomorrow (today) but we will still be
going in as the underdog because Tenaga were not at their best yesterday
(Wednesday).
"So if the boys want to play in the final, they must keep a cool head
and the goals will come," said Muraleedharan.
Malaysia Sports School tore the Tenaga defence apart with a mesmerising
display led by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin and today, his teammates will again
be banking on him to deliver.
If Malaysia Sports School's goalkeeper Ahmad Bazli, who palmed away two
penalty strokes on Wednesday, is at his best again, Tenaga will be in
trouble.
Tenaga coach K. Rajan said that he had a gut feeling that his team would
play miserably in one of the legs, and was relieved when his players chose
to do it in the first leg.
"To miss two penalty strokes in a match, is more than bad luck.
"But I am relieved it happened in the first leg because now we still
have a good chance of making a comeback," said Rajan.
Tenaga regular Jivan Mohan failed to click with `new' skipper K. Mono
Raj who was drained of ideas until the final 10 minutes when he gained
some confidence and Tenaga took control.
Mano, standing in for regular Tenaga skipper Azlan Misron who is in
Busan with the national team preparing for the South Korea Asian Games,
found the duties that come with the armband too heavy.
"The team lacked confidence in the first leg, but promised that they
will fight tooth-and-nail tomorrow (today) so I am confident we will reach
the final," added Rajan.
Tenaga not only have Malaysia Sports School to beat but also their
Junior League jinx.
Winning the League title has not been a problem for them over the last
three years but the overall title has always evaded them.
(END)

Difficult to deny Tenaga

07/08/2002

TENAGA Nasional Bhd and Malaysia Sports School have each lost two key
players for the crucial semi-final first leg match of the MHF-Milo-
Admiral-NSC Junior League today, but Tenaga will march in as the
favourites to make the final.
But Malaysia Sports School are very comfortable with the underdog tag.
"I personally prefer the underdog's tag because the pressure will be
less on my players while Tenaga, who have 10 straight wins in their bag,
will have to live up to everyone's expectations," said Malaysia Sports
School coach V. Muraleedharan.
Malaysia Sports School have lost Fakhrulrazi Baharuddin and Fikri Bassar
and Tenaga Nasional Riduan Nasir and Azlan Misron to the national team for
four Test matches in Busan, Korea.
In all, Paul Lissek has selected six players from the Junior Hockey
League to prepare for the Asian Games. The other two are Megat Azrafiq
Megat Termizi and Ismail Abu of Telekom Pahang.
Tenaga could feel the absence of their star duo today because Azlan and
Riduan are key players in midfield and attack but despite this, they
should come through without any fuss.
During the Tenaga-Olak-MPK match last Saturday, Tenaga coach K. Rajan
benched the duo after taking a 6-0 lead and suddenly, Olak found more
space to attack.
"It was open for all to see that without Azlan and Riduan during the
last 15 minutes of the Olak match, the team did suffer a little. But I am
confident the rest of the players are ready to take on a bigger role in
the absence of the duo," said Rajan yesterday.
Tenaga has a balanced side and almost all their players have big match
experience.
On the Junior Hockey League, national selectors Yahya Atan, Stephhen van
Huizen and Lissek had a huge pool of players to choose from because each
of the 22 teams had at least two players good enough for national training
call-up.
"We have selected 30 players from the JHL of which more than half are
new faces and will be placed in the various age-groups. Some of them will
also see action in the under-18 tornament in Poland later this month,"
said van Huizen.
Overall, the top-five teams from each group showed great potential to
mature into good sides but the same can't be said about the bottom five.
That is why the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) has decided to have
Division One and Two next year. But their fear is that next year there
might not be 22 teams in the JHL.
After the Malaysia Games funding has dried up, some of the teams may
just throw in the towel.
Classification matches - Today: Perak Malays v Taiping (Azlan Shah
Stadium, 5.15pm); MSSKL v Malay Mail (Tun Razak Stadium, 6pm); AFATS v
Synergy HC (Tun Razak Stadium, 8pm); Kerian v Johor FC (Azlan Shah
Stadium, 6pm); SMK Datuk Taha v SAB College (Malacca Hockey Stadium,
5.15pm).
(END)

Tenaga trash YNS for semis

02/08/2002

Tenaga .................6 YNS ...................1
SAB College ............0 AFATS .................0
PJMC ...................0 Ipoh CC ...............0
Olak-MPK ...............5 Krian .................0
Penang Indians .........2 Malay Mail ............1
TENAGA Nasional Bhd did it in style when they thrashed Yayasan Negri
Sembilan 6-1 to book their semifinal berth in the MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC
Junior League.
Tenaga, still with one match in hand against Olak-MPK, have amassed 27
points from nine matches and have an unassailable lead. They will top
Group A regardless of the outcome against Olak. As group champions they
will receive RM7,500.
But YNS created a record of sorts at the Seremban Two Hockey Stadium
when they became the only team in the Junior League to have scored against
Tenaga. In the nine matches that Tenaga have played, they had scored 49
goals had not conceded any until yesterday when M. Saravanan scored for
YNS in the 43rd minute.
Tenaga took control from in the first minute when Abbas Nekmat scored
off a penalty corner. The remaining goals came through Mohamed Fairuz
(16th), Azlan Misron (37th, 54th) Abbas (58th) and K. Mano Raj (68th).
For the final match against Olak, Tenaga may have to do without Azlan
and Riduan Nasir who are likely to be heading for Busan on Saturday for
four Test matches against the Korean side in preparation for the Asian
Games.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation will make a decision today if the duo
are in the Busan-bound squad.
* AT the Tun Razak Stadium, Ipoh City Council and Petaling Jaya
Municipal Council played to a scoreless draw which gives Olak-MPK an
outside chance of making the semifinals.
Olak beat Krian District 5-0 at the Pandamaran Stadium in Klang
yesterday and are now second in the standings. Their deciding match is
against Tenaga while Ipoh have Perak Malays and PJMC have YNS to collect
points from.
The Olak goals were scored by P. Prabahkaran (11th, 38th), Saiful Niza
(54th), M. Indran (63rd) and Zamzu-hairi Wahab (66th).
* AT the MPJB Stadium in Johor Baru, Armed Forces Apprentice Training
School and Sultan Abu Bakar College played to a scoreless draw.
* IN the last match of the day at the Tun Razak Stadium, Penang Indians
Sports Club edged Malay Mail 2-1 but lost M. Aridhasan to a red card.
Aridhasan was on the reserves' bench but picked up his stick and came
into the match without being substituted in the 58th minute and was shown
the red card.
Malay Mail scored first off an S. Simon field goal in the 34th minute.
Penang equalised through M. Krisanasamy in the 38th and Gunalan Paul
sealed the match in the 67th.
Today: Johor Sports Council v Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPJB
Stadium, 5.15pm); Malaysia Sports School v Serdang Hockey Club (Tun Razak
Stadium, 5.30pm); Synergy Hockey Club v Pahang Telekom (Pandamaran Hockey
Stadium, 5.15pm); Terengganu Sports Council v SMK Anderson (Kuala
Terengganu Stadium, 5.15pm); Taiping District v MSS Kuala Lumpur (Azlan
Shah Stadium I, 5.15pm).
Tomorrow: Ipoh City Council v Perak Malays Hockey Association (Azlan
Shah Stadium II, 5.15pm); Tenaga Nasional Bhd v Olak-MPK (KL Hockey
Stadium, 5.15pm); Kerian District v Malay Mail (Azlan Shah Stadium I,
4.45pm); Petaling Jaya Municipal Council v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (Tun
Razak Stadium, 6pm); Armed Forces Apprentice Training School v Penang
Indians Sports Club (Tun Razak Stadium, 8pm).
Sunday: Seberang Prai Municipal Council v SMK Datuk Taha (Seberang Prai
Stadium, 5.15pm); Johor Sports Council v Taiping District (MPJB Stadium,
5.15pm); Telekom Pahang v SMK Anderson (Kuantan Hockey Stadium, 5.15pm);
MSS Kuala Lumpur v Malaysia Sports School (Tun Razak Stadium, 5.30pm);
Serdang Hockey Club v Terengganu Sports Council (National Hockey Stadium,
5.15pm).
(END)

Tenaga poised for semis

01/08/2002

TENAGA Nasional Bhd are poised to snatch one semifinal berth from Group A
when they meet Yayasan Negri Sembilan in the MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC Junior
League at the Seremban II Hockey Stadium today.
Tenaga, unbeaten in eight matches, have scored 43 goals and conceded
none. Today is expected to be no different.
But Tenaga coach K. Rajan can't help getting the jitters: "Going in as
the overwhelming favourites is not always a safe thing because YNS have
been improving steadily and could pose problems if my players become
overconfident," said Rajan yesterday.
The other eagerly-awaited match is between Petaling Jaya Municipal
Council and Ipoh City Council as the losers will find it harder to reach
the semis because Olak-MPK are lurking in the shadows with an easy match
against Krian District.
Today: Yayasan Negri Sembilan v Tenaga Nasional Bhd (Seremban II
Stadium, 5.15pm); Sultan Abu Bakar College v Armed Forces Apprentice
Training School (MPJB Hockey Stadium, 5.15pm); Olak-MPK v Krian District
(Pandamaran Hockey Stadium, 8pm); Petaling Jaya Municipal Council v Ipoh
City Council (Tun Razak Stadium, 6pm); Malay Mail v Penang Indians Sports
Club (Tun Razak Stadium 8pm).
(END)

Tour will not disrupt JHL

31/07/2002

THE Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) selection committee named the 18
players for the four Test matches in South Korea to prepare for the Asian
Games with minimal disruption to the Junior League.
Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Pahang Telekom and Malaysia Sports School will lose
one player each to national duty beginning on Saturday. Their absence
should not disrupt their respective team's MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC Junior
League matches to any great extent.
Tenaga will miss Azlan Misron for the Olak-MPK match on Saturday but by
then, they should have booked their semifinal berth after the Yayasan
Negri Sembilan match tomorrow.
As for Telekom Pahang, they will not have Megat Azrafiq Megat Termizi
for their last match against Anderson, while Malaysia Sports School must
do without Fakhrulrazi Baharudin for their final group fixture against MSS
Kuala Lumpur.
Tenaga coach K. Rajan wasn't too disturbed.
"Tenaga is not a one-man-show. So we will not miss Azlan too much as I
have players who can cover for him," said Rajan.
Telekom coach Izwan Suhardi was happy that one of his charges has been
named for national duty.
"It is better for Megat to go for the tour because he can learn more. I
have no problems with his absence for our last match against Anderson,"
said Izwan.
Malaysia are slated to play Korea on Aug 6, 7, 9 and 10 but MHF
secretary S. Satgunam said there might be some changes.
"Japan and China will also be in Korea at the same time and both the
countries have requested for matches against Malaysia. So we might not get
to play all four matches against Korea. That is still subject to
negotiations with the hosts who will have the final say," said Satgunam.
National Team - Goalkepers: Roslan Jamaluddin, S. Kumar.
Defenders: S. Kuhan, Amin Rahim, K. Gobinathan, Redzuan Ponirin, Azrul
Effendy Bistaman, Megat Azrafiq Megat Termizi.
Midfield: K. Keevan Raj, Madzli Ikmar, Norazlan Rahim, Shaiful Azli.
Forwards: Azlan Misron, Mohamed Fairuz, Rodhanizam Mat Radzi, Chairil
Anwar, Chua Boon Huat, Fakhrulrazi Baharudin.
(END)