Easy wins for BJSS and Tenaga Nasional

Setapak High School’s Muhammad Aidil Zainal (front) vies with Kijang Mas Kelantan’s Muhammad Sufwan Hassan in their match at KLHA Stadium yesterday. The match ended 0-0. Pic: KHALID REDZA

FAVOURITES Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) and Tenaga Nasional stamped their mark with convincing opening wins in Division Two of the Malaysia Hockey League yesterday.

Double champions BJSS, fielding Under-17 players, beat Batu Pahat 4-0, while Tenaga Nasional thumped BJSS Juniors 5-0.
BJSS took the lead in the 19th minute off Izad Hakimi, and then scored three more off Yusof Mohamed Nor (31st), Hairulnizam Maizan (52nd) and Dangerous Lee Mathew (70th).
Tenaga got their goals off Sabri Mohamed (14th), Faizal Yaacob (33rd), Hafizul Akmal (40th, 50th) and Hizzat Sumantri (68th).
And former champions Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak) also got off to a winning start when they beat Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) Juniors 3-2.
"It was a close game, but my boys took the chances that came their way and we managed to start on a good note. However, it is too early to celebrate as we will be meeting better prepared teams.
"Our target is to try and play in the quarter-finals, which means we have to play much better to be among the top-six in Division Two," said Olak team manager Joseph de Silva.
At the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium, Kijang Mas of Kelantan stunned Project School Setapak High, when they held them to a 0-0 draw. However, the Setapak side fielded Under-17 players while Kelantan had Under-19 players.
The only major casualties of the day were Petaling Jaya Municipal Council, who lost 2-0 to Anderson of Ipoh.
RESULTS -- Division Two: BJSS Juniors 0 Tenaga Nasional 5, MSN Malacca 1 Bandar Penawar Sports School 1, BPSS Juniors 2 Olak 3, Setapak High School 0 Kijang Mas Kelantan 0, Anderson 2 Petaling Jaya City Council 0, Batu Pahat 0 Bukit Jalil Sports School 4.
Division Three: Matri 0 MSS Penang 0, Nur Insafi 5 Datuk Taha 2, MSS Selangor 0 MSS Temerloh 1, Kuala Selangor 1 MSS Perlis 6, English College 1 Tampin-TBSS 1.
TOMORROW -- Division Two: BJSS Juniors v Setapak High (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm), Petaling Jaya CC v BPSS (Tun Razak 7pm), BPSS Juniors v BJSS (Bandar Penawar, 5pm), Anderson v Kijang Mas (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), Tenaga Nasional v MSN Malacca (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Batu Pahat v Olak (Batu Pahat, 5pm).
Division Three: Perlis v Nur Insafi (Kangar, 5pm), Penang v Temerloh (USM Stadium, 5pm), TBSS-Tampin v Matri (Tampin, 5pm), Selangor v Datuk Taha (Pandamaran Stadium, 5pm), English College v Kuala Selangor (Johor Baru, 5pm).

TM: Hockey is for all races

By Tengku Abdullah
(The writer is the Malaysian Hockey Federation president )

WELL, I must say it has been a challenging three months in office because hockey is a new sport to me, unlike football which I am comfortable with. Everything is new, and I am still learning the ropes but I have no regrets.

No regrets at all accepting the offer from the states to take up this hot-seat.
The only setback is that I have to start from scratch to know the players, officials and coaches. This is my only handicap since taking over.
And after supporting me into the hot-seat, I am now hot on the heels of affiliates as while time is short, we have many plans to realise.
I am glad that they (affiliates) have come up with many ideas to revive the sport like starting local leagues at the state level. They seem to have realised the importance of running leagues to develop players, but plans alone cannot achieve results, they must make sure the leagues are run well.
My home state, Pahang, will lead by example in this aspect. I know Pahang has been dormant for a long time, and now is the time for the state to show others how development should be conducted. We will start by training children (aged five to nine) on Sundays, and also organise a league. We must lead by example.
And there is talk that there is a break in ranks even though we are just months old, as decisions were taken without consulting relevant committees.
The MHF deputy president (Nur Azmi Ahmad) stands accused of naming the coaching set-up even before the coaching committee met for the first time.
I would like to set the record straight, by saying that there is no break in ranks.
Azmi did consult me on the list of new coaches and since time was short and we had to get people to coach the respective teams, I told him to announce it to the council members first, but somehow the media were told about it instead.
On the players, personally speaking, I have yet to see the teams (senior and juniors) in action in an international tournament and do not know their strengths and weaknesses. My information is from the coaches and officials who are close with the boys, and they seem to be confident that we will qualify for the 2012 Olympics.
I will have a better picture once I watch them in action in the Azlan Shah Cup (on April 6-12).
Many people have also questioned the wisdom of not renewing the contracts of the three coaches after I took over, but it had to be done, as the sport needed some drastic changes.
But then, we have had problems hiring a foreign coach with good credentials, as the top brains are all tied down with their contracts.
We are still searching for a suitable foreign coach but on the same breath, I am also happy with the work that Tai Beng Hai has done so far as interim coach. We will wait and see how things turn out in the next few months.
I am also of the opinion that local coaches must be given a chance to develop the youth, as this will be better in the long run.
On the players, I had a chat with them two weeks ago and stressed to them what they already know, that modern hockey is all about fitness. Hockey today is unlike the olden days, where skills alone could get one through. Now we need players who can run up and down for the duration of the match.
I told them I want 100 percent commitment, and those who smoke must stop. We aim to break into the top-10 bracket in the world, and we can't do that if players have bad habits.
It is now up to them, if they see hockey as a career, to stop smoking.
It has also come to my attention that Sabah and Sarawak (who have yet to produce a single national player since the MHF was formed) are feeling left behind as they are geographically challenged.
We will have a separate agenda for both the states, and start by asking them to organise their own local leagues.
They have been left out because they can't take part in what is going on in the peninsula. We will help them catch up.
And there has been talk that hockey in the Under-21 and below age-groups is slowly being dominated by a certain race.
I would like to stress here that, we (MHF) have no racial policies which block any race from playing hockey.
Hockey is for all, and we want Malays, Indians, Chinese and others to enjoy the sport. In this aspect, I hope the schooling system will help us keep it a multi-racial sport.
It has been a hectic three months, but we still have a long way to go before we reach our 2012 Olympics target, which can only be achieved if the affiliates put their hearts and minds to it.

King Kang tames Cobra!

Kuala Lumpur, February 15: American Anthony Kang ended an eight-year title drought when he triumphed at the Maybank Malaysian Open with a heroic last-hole birdie on Sunday.

The Asian Tour regular held his nerve on a nail-biting final round at Saujana Golf and Country Club to pick up his third and biggest career victory after a five-under-par 67 gave him a winning total of 17-under-par 271.

He had bogeyed the 15th hole to slip back into a tie of the lead in the US$2 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour but produced a majestic birdie on the par five 18^th hole to overcome the challenges of India's Jyoti Randhawa, Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng and Englishmen David Horsey and Miles Tunnicliff by a single shot.

"I actually dreamt last night that I won the tournament but I have those sort of dreams quite often!" said Kang. "It feels great to have beaten a strong field here - it hasn't quite sunk in yet but it is an amazing feeling.

"I've been playing here since 1996 or 1997 and to finally win this event, I'm speechless. Malaysia feels like where I started playing my golf and to win this tournament is great."

Starting the day two off the lead, Kang turned in 33 with some glorious play which included long birdie conversions on the sixth and eighth holes to lead by one stroke.

But the quality of golf that came through meant that no fewer than eight players were in with a chance of winning the title down the back straight.

But Kang showed his mettle after his bogey on 15. Knowing that he needed to birdie the 18^th hole to win, he struck two mighty blows to reach the green in two and then safely two-putted for birdie from 45 feet to win the top cheque of US$333,330, and also his first European Tour title.

"That last putt from a foot and a half, I knew it was pretty simple. It's nice to have a putt like that to win," said Kang.

"In the last three rounds, I only made one bogey. After I hit into the water on 15, I told myself let's try to finish this off with a bogey and not to put my head down. Fortunately, I hit a good shot in there to make bogey," said Kang, whose last title was the 2001 Myanmar Open.

Kang's playing partner Prayad was also fighting tooth-and-nail for victory but a costly three-putt bogey on the 16^th hole and a poor drive on 18^th cost him dearly as he signed off with a 68.

"I just hit a poor putt (on 16) and had a chance for eagle on 17 but didn't make it as well. On 18, I knew I needed to make birdie but hooked my drive and the ball ended in the bunker and all I could do was wedge it out. I didn't have a realistic chance from nearly 30 feet for the birdie putt," said the Thai star.

Randhawa charged up the leaderboard in style but came up one short in the end. He needed to hole a 50-foot eagle chance on the last to get to 17-under-par but came up short in his bid for an eighth career win.

"I had to shoot around eight under to win but I came close. I needed to make birdies coming in but I was happy. Anthony played great, he deserves it," said Randhawa, who closed with a 66.

Horsey set the clubhouse target with a superb 64, which included a homeward 29 but came up one short in the end. "I would have certainly taken that score at the start of the day but then there is a little bit of disappointment not to win having gone so close," said the Englishman.

Tunnicliff felt he had a chance after seeing Kang dump his approach into the water on 15. "I was a little nervous at the start of the day but I felt great coming down the stretch. I birdied three of the last four which was great to do in the circumstances. I saw Anthony hitting it in the water in 15 and I thought that I still had a chance. I just went for it and couldn't have done much more about it," he said.

Malaysia's Danny Chia settled for a share of 11^th place, the best finish by a Malaysian since the event was co-sanctioned in 1999, after a 71 while overnight leader Adam Blyth settled for 10^th place following a 73.

Leading final round scores

271 - Anthony Kang (USA) 74-66-64-67

272 - David Horsey (ENG) 71-68-69-64, Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 71-69-66-66, Miles Tunnicliff (ENG) 71-70-63-68, Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 69-70-65-68

273 - Gareth Maybin (NIR) 69-69-69-66

274 - Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 70-71-68-65, Liang Wen-chong (CHN) 65-71-67-71, Alexander Noren (SWE) 63-71-69-71

275 - Adam Blyth (AUS) 66-70-66-73

276 - James Kamte (RSA) 70-72-68-66, Johan Edfors (SWE) 69-71-68-68, Noh Seung-yul (KOR) 62-73-71-70, Danny Chia (MAS) 66-65-74-71

277 - Nick Dougherty (ENG) 66-70-72-69
278 - Raphael Jacquelin (FRA) 74-69-73-62, Klas Eriksson (SWE) 68-75-69-66, Angelo Que (PHI) 73-70-69-66, Ross Mcgowan (ENG) 70-70-71-67, Simon Dyson (ENG) 71-66-73-68

Others

280 - Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 69-72-69-70

281 - Anthony Kim (USA) 78-65-71-67

Blyth renews love with Open

Kuala Lumpur, February 14: Australian Adam Blyth renewed his love affair with the Maybank Malaysian Open when he snatched a one-shot lead after the third round on Saturday.

The talented Australian, who finished tied 14th in his professional debut at Malaysia's flagship event in 2005, produced a superb six-under-par 66 to lead from Chinese star Liang Wen-chong, who carded a 67 and Sweden's Alexander Noren who returned a 69.

The final round promises to be a thriller with a jam-packed leaderboard at Saujana Golf and Country Club. Thai star Prayad Marksaeng (65), American Anthony Kang (64) and England's Miles Tunnicliff (63) are two shots off the pace while overnight leader Danny Chia of Malaysia was a further stroke behind after a 74 to lie alongside India's Shiv Kapur, who shot a 66.

Blyth has fond memories of Malaysia and on Valentine's Day, he produced a magnificent display to flirt once more with a first career victory at the US$2 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

"It would mean a lot. My first pro event was here and I finished well so it was a good start to my career. It would mean the world if I can win any tournament, but here will be great. But it's a long way away and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves," said the 27-year-old Asian Tour regular, who holds the lead on 14-under-par 202.

With his father Stephen on his bag, Blyth has registered 11 career top-10s in the region over the past four years and knows the door that leads to a career breakthrough must open sooner or later.

"I think what I've been doing this week is staying in my game, staying in my process and staying in my routine. I usually get ahead of myself thinking that I can win. If I can stay in the process and give it my best, we'll see what happens. I can't control what the other guys do," said Blyth, who knocked in an eagle, six birdies against two bogeys.

Liang, Asia's number one in 2007, has the pedigree to deny Blyth. The Chinese enjoyed a terrific finish with two closing birdies to sneak behind the new tournament leader on a sun-baked day.

"I was steady off the tee and my putting was also very good. I will try my best and hope to secure a good result. In golf, anything can happen. But I feel relaxed and calm and will head out with a similar approach in the final day," said Liang, who is chasing a third career win.

Noren holed an audacious 30-foot birdie putt at the last hole which kept him in Sunday's final group. "It was good - it actually felt a lot longer than it was because it was uphill and against the grain. I actually thought to myself 'if I smash it, it might get there' so I gave it everything and it was nice to see it dropping," said the Swede.

Smooth-swinging Thai Prayad enjoyed a grandstand finish with a chip-in eagle and birdie in his last two holes which left him two back. "I had 30 yards to the pin on 17 and hit a wedge that rolled in. It was lucky. On 18, I rolled in a nine footer and it was good to get that closer to the lead," said the Thai.

Currently ranked 59th in the world, Prayad knows that a seventh Asian Tour title could take him into the top-50 and earn him a second trip back to the US Masters in April.

"It would be great if I can do it. I'm really keen to get my way back to the Masters (by being in the top-50 at the end of March) and it would also be good for my confidence as I'll be heading to America for two World Golf Championships events next month," he said.

Chia staggered off the 18th green with a two-over round but he was delighted to still be in the hunt. Last year, he also led after the second day but crashed out with an 80.

"When I first headed out, I told myself to take whatever happens out there. I told myself to play my best and not get too far behind the leaders," said Chia, who is bidding to become the first Malaysian to win the tournament.

"Last year I finished the entire event on the third day. So it's nice that I'm still in with a chance. I will be trying very hard again tomorrow."


Leading third round scores
202 - Adam Blyth (AUS) 66-70-66
203 - Liang Wen-Chong (CHN) 65-71-67, Alexander Noren (SWE) 63-71-69
204 - Miles Tunnicliff (ENG) 71-70-63, Anthony Kang (USA) 74-66-64, Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 69-70-65
205 - Shiv Kapur (IND) 70-69-66, Danny Chia (MAS) 66-65-74
206 - Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 71-69-66, Noh Seung-yul (KOR) 62-73-71
207 - Peter Lawrie (IRL) 72-68-67, Gareth Maybin (NIR) 69-69-69, Simon Griffiths (ENG) 70-66-71
208 - Johan Edfors (SWE) 69-71-68, David Horsey (ENG) 71-68-69, Stephen Leaney (AUS) 70-69-69, Scott Barr (AUS) 71-67-70, Phillip Archer (ENG) 69-69-70, Nick Dougherty (ENG) 66-70-72.

Danny soars on Eagles

Kuala Lumpur, February 13: Local hero Danny Chia soared on eagle's wings to race into a three-shot halfway lead at the US$2 million Maybank Malaysian Open on Friday.

The 36-year-old, who is hoping to become the first Malaysian to win the event, conquered the Saujana Golf and Country Club's Palm course by firing two spectacular eagles on his inward nine en route to a seven-under-par 65.

Chia's two-day total of 13-under-par 131 was well clear of Sweden's Alexander Noren who carded a 71 while overnight leader Noh Seung-yul of Korea, who opened with a 62, struggled to a 73 to lie four back in third place.

A topsy-turvy 71 left Chinese star Liang Wen-chong well positioned in a share of fourth place alongside Australian Adam Blyth and English pair Nick Dougherty and Simon Griffiths on 136.

World number 11 Anthony Kim of the United States produced a flawless 65 to make the halfway cut right on the 143 mark, a day after opening with a disastrous 78.

But the limelight truly belonged to Chia. Four other birdies against a lone bogey in the co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour event gave him a sense of déjà vu as he was also the joint second round leader at last year's event.

"I played really good. I am very happy," said Chia, whose lone Tour victory dates back to the 2002 Taiwan Open. "I kept telling myself to be calm out there. My biggest fear is to not get too emotional."

He delighted his army of fans with two sensational strikes. He produced a monster drive at the par four fourth 303-yard hole that landed a foot of the flag and then holed out a wedge from 90 yards at the par five seventh hole on his inward nine.

"The wedge shot was probably my best this year. That was nice," said Chia, who tossed his club into the air after the ball disappeared into the ground. "I used a three wood on four yesterday. But I was pumped up (after turning in 32) and I took a chance with my driver which gave me a lift."

No Malaysian has won the event in its 48-year history and Chia harbours dreams of becoming the first player to do so. With last year's memories still lingering in his mind where he stumbled in the third round, Chia is determined to get the job done this time.

"I am going to be nervous and I would be lying if I told you otherwise. I'll be taking a few deep breaths and walking a bit slower in between shots," he said.

Noren, chasing his first career victory, felt he left a few shots out on the course. "I probably hit the ball better than I did yesterday," said the Swede. "(But) I putted as badly today as I did well yesterday. You can't have 22 putts one day and then 36 the next."

Noh, playing with Noren, also endured a frustrating day on the greens to slip out of the lead. "I didn't putt very well. I missed a few chances but my troubles were mainly due to my poor tee shots. I was hitting it left and right with the driver and three wood and found myself under the trees quite often. You can't find the flags from there," said the 17-year-old, last season's Asian Tour Rookie of the Year.

Liang, the Asian Tour's number one in 2007, is looking to improve on his joint eighth finish at the Malaysian Open achieved four years ago at Saujana after a battling round which included five birdies against four bogeys. "I found it quite hot playing in the afternoon and struggled with my concentration. Anything can happen on this course. We saw a 10-under yesterday. Tomorrow will be an important day," said Liang.

Ryder Cup star Kim fought back brilliantly with a seven-birdie, including one on his final hole, round to survive the cut. "I was pretty embarrassed with how I scored yesterday and not making a birdie. I played some good golf and fortunately on the back nine, some of those putts went in," he said.
A total of 74 players qualified for the weekend rounds after the cut was made at 143. England's Simon Dyson produced the tournament's first hole in one at the fifth hole en route to a 66 for a share of eighth position.

Leading second round scores
131: Danny Chia (Mas) 66-65
134: Alexander Noren (Swe) 63-71
135: Noh Seung-yul (Kor) 62-73
136: Simon Griffiths (Eng) 70-66, Nick Dougherty (Eng) 70-66, Adam Blyth (Aus) 66-70, Liang Wen-chong (PRC) 65-71
137: Simon Dyson (Eng) 71-66, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 65-72
138: Scott Barr (Aus) 71-67, Phillip Archer (Eng) 69-69, Gareth Maybin (NIR) 69-69
139: Mars Pucay (Phi) 69-70, Prom Meesawat (Tha) 70-69, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 70-69, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 69-70, Oliver Fisher (Eng) 69-70, Stephen Leaney (Aus) 70-69, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 72-67