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Family joy: Ben and his father N.C. Leong posing with the Worldwide Selangor Masters trophy. in 2008. MPGA has failed to provide support to players like Ben. – Pic By S.S. KANESAN
SPORTS Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek holds the key in his keynote address today (13-10-09) to give a kiss of life to professional golf in Malaysia.
Nothing but mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is needed today from the minister to bring to life an almost dead Malaysian Professional Golfers Association (MPGA), and the ad-hoc committee are keeping their fingers crossed.
“The Sports Minister will open the forum and we hope that among others, he will pledge money from the government to kick-start the revival of the MPGA.
“We need to take a strong stand, and start afresh, the present MPGA does not have any money, assets or direction to benefit pro golfers in the country,” said The MPGA ad hoc committee chairman by Datuk Thomas Lee.
The ad-hoc committee has forwarded their suggestions to the Sports Minister and the plan is to forget all past issues, wrangles, and the dead-ends be forgotten, and MPGA starts with a fresh mandate.
All those who are interested in pro golf have been invited to attend the forum, and if the resolutions are adapted, the next step will be to is to amend MPGA's constitution, and start afresh with professionals running the show, said Lee.
Among the issues that will be discussed in the forum are to appoint, not elect the first MPGA council, to run pro golf for the first three years.
The ad-hock committee has recommended that the MPGA be run by professionals who have interest in the sport like golf clubs, equipment suppliers, professionals in the business world and playing as well as teaching professionals.
The ad hoc committee will also recommend that, since the MPGA coffers are now dry, that the government sponsors at least four tournaments, which cost RM100,000 each, to kick- start the association.
Another suggestion is that the MPGA have two divisions - one for tournament pros and the other for vocational pros. Each will have its own council, but they will be answerable to the main MPGA council.
By Selangor HAA total of 6 matches were played in week 2 of the Selangor Hockey ending Sunday. In the midweek Division 2 game between Selangor Polis Veteran & JUPEM, it was a closely fought battle with JUPEM edging out as 3-2 victors.
On Saturday Division 1 matches, JLJ, after their opening game hiccup, got back on the winning side trashing Selangor Sikh Association 9-0. Mohd Hanip proved to be lethal both in Penalty corner conversions as he got his hat-trick thru them, and as he raised his tally to four goals through a field goal in the 55th minute. Other scorers were Mohd Szuhairi 33rd & 37th minute Mohd Rahmie 37th, Farish 53rd & Nor Fadzeu adding the 9th goal on 70th minute.
OLAK got on to a winning streak as they came from behind to snatch a victory in a closely fought match against MBPJ. OLAK being 2 goals down at one point came back to win 3-2 and collect all 3 points. MBPJ started off strongly taking control of the match and deservedly went ahead on the 7th with a well taken field goal by Abdul Jalil.
Umpire Selvakumar and veteran Umpire K.Thillynathan, kept a tight control of the match, had flashed a total of 7 cards (4 Green & 3 yellow) in this fast paced, exciting tactical match that had the crowd on the edge of their seats.
Leading at half time MBPJ doubled their lead as Abdul Jalil once again converted a field goal to give MBPJ a 2-0 lead on the 42nd minute. OLAK battled back as Pragesh Ramachandran slammed in a well executed flowing move on the 49th minute. Both teams continued to attack each other’s goal mouth and on the 52nd minute Umpire Selvakumar awarded a penalty stroke to OLAK after a deliberate infringement by the MBPJ keeper Mohd Razali. Nur Hrsikesa was up to the task as he coolly converted the stroke to equalise the game. MBPJ paid the price when on the 62nd minute they were dealt a double blow. MBPJ keeper Mohd Razali limped out of the match injured and his replacement Abdul Rahman, had no chance to save the winning goal in the next attack by OLAK as Mohd Noor Khairul slammed in the winner from an acute angle to collect all 3 points for OLAK in the 62nd minute.
In another Division 1 tie on Saturday, RAMD showed no mercy as they whipped Selangor Polis 14-0.
On Sunday, the Division 2 matches turned out to be an exciting affair. The matches, which were played in Pandamaran Stadium, RAMD Juniors carried on their winning streak beating JUPEM 11-0, Synergy having lost their opening match beat Projek 11-B 3-1 and SIA edged out IIUM Mustang 1-0 in a fast paced match.
HIDDEN TALENT: Japan's Hayato Goto (C, in blue) fights for the ball with Faizal Saari of Malayasia during the Sixth Men's Junior Asian Cup hockey tournament in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad July 14, 2008.EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Faizal Shaari is in flying form, and both the senior as well as Under-18 coaches want him for tournaments in New Zealand and Myanmar, which clash.
However, a compromised was reached as Tai Beng Hai will need him for the New Zealand Olympic Qualifiers on Nov 7- 15, so K, Dharmaraj will wait for him to arrive in Yangon, Myanmar for the Second Under-18 Boys Asia Cup on Nov 14- 22.
“Teams are only allowed to field 16 players for the Asia Cup, and I will also list Faizal’s name as he can fly down from New Zealand after the World Cup Qualifier ends on the 15th.
“I will have to play with 15 players until he arrives, but it will be worth the wait, as if we qualify for the semi-finals, we will have Faizal for the crucial knock-out stage,” said Under- 18 coach K. Dharmaraj.
Seniors coach Tai Beng Hai’s mission is on priority level, as Malaysia will be involved in a do-or-die in the Invercargill, New Zealand, World Cup Qualifiers.
Only the gold medallists advance to the New Delhi World Cup, and Malaysia will be pitted against the hosts, China, Austria, Wales and Scotland.
“After watching the boys play in the Hyderabad friendlies, and then winning the Sea Cup in Bangkok, I believe we have a team which can reach the semi-finals in Myanmar,” said Dharmaraj.
The winner in Myanmar will qualify for the Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Twelve teams will play in two groups, and the coach felt that India will be Malaysia’s biggest hurdle.
“I have been told that India and Malaysia are in the same group, while Pakistan and South Korea in another group. If it is true, then we should be able to reach the semi-finals, and Faizal will be an asset in the semi-finals onwards,” said Dharmaraj as the groupings have yet to be endorsed by the International Hockey Federation.
The other teams who have so far registered with the Asian Hockey Federation are Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan and Uzbekistan.
Faizal scored eight goals in the Junior World Cup, and since then, has shown great improvement when fielded in the Champions Challenge II, and the Australian and New Zealand Tours where he also got his name on the score boards.
Rediff.com
Ninety-two year old marathon runner Fauja Singh has signed a deal with Adidas for a major advertising campaign that also features footballer David Beckham, rugby ace Jonny Wilkinson and boxer Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali.
From this week, Fauja's face will adorn billboards in cities across the United Kingdom as part of a campaign called 'Impossible is Nothing'.
In athletic terms, Fauja admits he is a "late developer".
Fauja SinghFor the first 81 years of his life he lived on the family farm in India, jogging regularly "to get from one place to the next", The Times, London, reported on Tuesday.
Before the Second World War he took part in village sports competitions, in which, he recalls, being faster than many of his neighbours.
But at 36, family commitments took over - he now has four children, 13 grandchildren and five great grandchildren - and his running came to a halt.
After his wife's death, however, when he moved to England to live with his son 11 years ago, Fauja rediscovered his old passion.
Trying to cope with homesickness, language problem and endless hours to fill, Fauja sought an activity that would fulfill him mentally and physically. He found solace in running.
Initially he took part in short-distance races of five or ten kilometers. Four years ago, after a 53-year break from the sport, he lined up for his first Flora London Marathon at the age of 89. He took six hours and 54 minutes to reach the finish, and the following year ran the same time to set a world record for 90-year-olds.
Since 2000, Singh has persistently defied perceived wisdom about age being a barrier in sport by getting faster.
Last year, aged 92, he ran almost an hour quicker than he did on his debut at the 26.2 mile distance, finishing the Toronto marathon in 5 hrs 40 min, the fastest time yet recorded by someone of his age.
This year's London Marathon next month is his immediate focus, but his ultimate goal is "to enter the Guinnes Book of Records as the oldest ever to run the distance".
That means competing until he is at least 98.
Singh turns 93 next month and will be the oldest man ever to line up for the London Marathon.
But competition in the senior age groups is growing. Of 33,000 finishers in last year's race, 1,130 were over 60; more than 6,000 competitors take part in the biannual World Veteran Athletics championships.
Fauja Singh hopes to return in 2009 to break the record for the oldest marathon runner - presently held by a 98-year-old Greek athlete.
His profile as found in the face book
Born: 1st April 1911 in India
Former Occupation: Farmer
Running Career: Rediscovered at age of 81
Diet: Ginger Curry
Marathons: London (5), Toronto (1), New York (1)
Marathon Debut: London, 2000 aged 89
London Marathon Personal Best: 6h 2m
London Flora Marathon 2000 6 Hours 54 m
London Flora Marathon 2001 6 Hours 54 m
London Flora Marathon 2002 6 Hours 45 m
Bupa Great North Run (Half Marathon) 2002 2h 39m
London Flora Marathon 2003 6h 2m
Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2003 5h 40m
New York City Marathon 2003 7h 35m
London Flora Marathon 2004 6h 7m
Glasgow City Half Marathon 2004 2h 33m
Capital Radio Help a London Child 10,000m 2004 68m
Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon 2004 2h 29m 59s
MALAYSIAN Hockey Federation (MHF) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, in saying "nobody is indispensable", accepted Ismail Abu's decision to resign from the national team yesterday.
Tengku Abdullah chaired the MHF management committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur and they accepted Ismail's resignation and imposed a fine on Azlan Misron and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin.
However, MHF did not announce the amount of the fine.
Azlan Misron (left) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin had broken curfew while in centralised training (Azlan, left, and Tengku Ahmad)
for the Champions Challenge II in June.
Azlan Misron (left) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin had broken curfew while in centralised training for the Champions Challenge II in June.
Azlan and Tengku Ahmad had broken curfew while in centralised training for the Champions Challenge II in June.
Ismail Abu, 25 and with 120 caps, came under the spotlight when he skipped weights training on Monday with the excuse of wanting to repair his car, but was seen instead at a gaming arcade.
Ismail then preempted the management's decision by sending in his quit letter to team manager George Koshy.
"We have to educate our youth, and since nobody is indispensable, we accept Ismail's withdrawal letter and place our faith on others to take his place for the (World Cup) Qualifier," said Tengku Abdullah.
Tengku Abdullah said Ismail stated in his letter that he withdrew because of personal matters, and MHF will not dwell on the matter further.
Malaysia will play in the New Zealand World Cup Qualifier on Nov 7-15, with only the winners going to the New Delhi World Cup.
The others in the group are Wales, China, Scotland and Austria.
The committee were briefed by national coach Tai Beng Hai and Koshy before reaching their decision.
“Actually, we were only briefed on the decision that was taken by the team management and we endorsed it as we felt that if the issue is allowed to drag on, it will only spoil the team's final preparation," said Tengku Abdullah.
“Every player must be able to fit into the team, and must have the desire to play for the country. It will be a waste of good talent but at the same time, we must have faith in the others who are in training."
The final 18 will be named after the Australian Test matches and the team will leave for New Zealand on Oct 31.
Family joy: Ben and his father N.C. Leong posing with the Worldwide Selangor Masters trophy. in 2008. MPGA has failed to provide support to players like Ben. – Pic By S.S. KANESAN
