Showing posts with label silambam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label silambam. Show all posts

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Petite Marangina packs power

MARANGINA Karani is only 139cm tall and weighs 35kg, but the petite 16-year-old packed enough explosives in her scrawny arms to whip M. Santhiyaa of Kuala Lumpur for Sabah’s second silambam gold medal.
Sabah, fielding the only non-Indian contingent in the Malaysia Games silambam competition, have two gold medals to show after Nizam Jamal won the 38-43kg category on Saturday.
Fighting with a stick more than two times her height, the Sabah lass showed class and her deft attempts took a taller Santhiyaa by surprise in the 30-35kg combat event.
“I am so excited to win the gold medal for Sabah, as in the last Malaysia Games in Malacca (where silambam made its debut) I could only win a bronze medal,” said Marangina who could pose off as a 12-year-old.
The trained hard for the past three months, and it paid off handsomely: “I love this sport, which was introduced to me when I was in primary school and even though the training is tough, I have never regretted taking it up,” said Marangina.
She was hoisted by her team-mates, and there was a wild celebration as Sabah broke the dominance of more il lustrious states Negri Sembilan and Selangor.
Yesterday, Sabah also won a silver from Fevian Dean in the men’s 61-65kg and bronze in the men’s 66-75kg from Zaidi Lintung to bring their total to 2 gold, two silver and three bronze after three days of competition.
In the last Gamers, they only won one silve rand five bronze medals.
The Sabah coach Marcel Micheal, 21-years-old, said his charges are disciplined and dedicated which makes his taks that much easier.
“I picked up the sport when studying at SML Keningau, and now part my knowledge to students who are interested in it.
“Mostly, my exponents are from SMK Tabuan in Tenam,” said Micheal.
Today is the last day of competition, and Thanithiramai (Individual event) will be contested.
RESULTS (All Finals) -- Men: 56-60kg: 1 S. Mohan (Negri), 2 Micheal Nelson (Pg), 3 Denesh Kumar and Logan Kumar.
61-65kg: 1 R. Ravinkumar (Sel), 2 Fevian Dean (Sab), 3 M. Muthukumaran (Negri) and Sharven Raj (Pg).
66-75kg: 1 S. Ravi (joh), 2 R. Harwieenraj (Sel), 3 Zaidi Lintung (Sab) and Bernard Francis (Negri).
Women: 30-35kg: 1 Marangina Karani (Sab), 2 M. San thiyaa (KL), 3 Gurpreet Kaur (Negri) and K. Kausalya (Sel).
36-40kg: 1 M. Silambarasi (Negri), 2 S. Yogarathi (Pah), 3 S. Gayathree (Pk) and S. Anchanah (Pg).

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Protest, Police, water bottles ...

By Jugjet Singh
jugjet@nst.com.my

THE hall was full or men and women armed with long sticks, and a judging dispute almost turned into a free-for all in the Malaysia Games Silambam tournament at the National Sports Council Gymnasium yesterday.
Only intervention by the Police cooled down matters.
In a sport dominated by Indians, the fresh breath of air came from Sabah’s Nizam Jamal in the 38-43kg category when he beat Negri Sembilan’s M. Inderjith to the gold medal.
However, Negri were shocked by their athletes defeat, and there was a tensed moment when they filed a protest on the result.
Nizam was unfairly cornered, and Negri officials took him to the judges table without any Sabah official accompanying, but the judges told them to file a written report instead.
Negri filed the report, but the score stood and Sabah kept the gold medal.
But Negri athletes and officials, angry with the decision, boycotted the prize giving ceremony, and their athletes were also seen throwing water bottles at the judges.
Malaysia Games Organising voce-president Datuk Abdul Jalil Abdullah said: “I’m very disappointed by the actions of the Negri Sembilan officials. They are supposed to set good examples for the junior exponents who could be future national athletes.
“It is shameful and unsportsmanlike. How can they do this to their own athletes, but this is not the first time these officials have caused trouble in silambam,” said Jalil.
Malaysian Silambam Association president R.C. Veerasee lan said: “These two officials (Rasu Maniam Negri Silambam chairman and chief coach N. Mooralitharan) are actually suspended from taking part in national events.
“But they turned up this morning at the venue. We didn't want to throw them out as we thought they would behave themselves. Unfortunately, they have once again caused a ruckus and we will make a police report against them.
“We are lucky there were two police personnel present to escort them out of the hall,” said Veeraseelan.
On the tournament side, Deep Joth Singh from Nilai, Negri Sembilan displayed super skills and nimble feet to walk way with the 44-50kg Silambam Combat gold at the
However the Malaysia Games gold was expected, as the 14- year-old had won two gold and three silvers in the First Silambam World Championships in India last year.
“I started training when I was six years old, and follow the regime daily. The Malaysia Games gold is a first for me, but I have won two gold and three silvers (in five different disciplines that he took part) in the inaugural World Cham pionships,” said the scrawny looking lad who transforms into a fighter when he holds the silambam stick.
His motivation to join the sport?
“It was from my own initiative as I loved the sport after watching a demonstration. And I have never regretted taking it up, as it teaches me discipline and keeps me fit at the same time.
“My next target is to make a clean sweep in the World Championships in December this year,” said the confident lad.
RESULTS (all finals): -- Men: 30-37kg: 1 R. Raajesh (Pg), 2 R. Manalan (Ked), 3 B. Thanaraj (Sel) and K. Kaveearassu (Pk).
38-43kg: 1 Nizam Jamal (Sab), 2 M. Inderjith (Negri), 3 R. Kavikumar (pg) and R. Sasitharan (Per).
44-50kg: 1 Deep Joth Singh a/l Piara Singh (Negri), 2 R, Ravi (Pg), 3 A. Kumaresan (Sel) and Yusdi Ranil (Sab).

51-55kg: 1 R. Prakash (Ked), 2 R. Gajenthiran (Per), 3 G. Thinakaswaran (Negri) and R. Uthayakumar (Sel).
Women: 51-55kg -- 1 S. Kaviarasi (Ked), 2 M. Viknehsvary (Negri), 3 K. Priteive (Pk) and R. Mayilselvi (KL).
56-65kg: 1 G. Kmarathe (Negri), 2 Percella Kebing (Sab), 3 B. Nithyah (Perlis) and J. Darshini (Sel).