THE Maybank Malaysian Open returns to the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) on Feb 5-8 with a flushed purse of US3million.
The increase, from US$ 2.75 million this season, is the first part of an integrated multi-platform plan to mark Maybank’s 10th anniversary as the title sponsor.
“It fills me with great pride that Maybank has done its part to elevate our National Open to a world class tournament that is respected on both the European and Asian Tours.
“Next year marks the 10th year that Maybank will bring the Malaysian Open to its fans. And in highlighting our nations sports tourism destinations, we are thrilled to celebrate this historic milestone” said Tan Sri Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor, Chairman of Maybank.
“Over the past nine years we have strived to make it better and stronger. Leading world major championship winners like Rory Mcllroy (Ire), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa), Charl Schwartzel (S Africa), and multiple-time winners like Lee Westwood (Eng), Thongchai Jaidee (Thai) and K.J Choi (S Kor) have graced the tournament over the years.
“Next year, with its February schedule, will see the list of golfing luminaries display a similarly exciting performance and the quality of play that will thrill spectators from around Asia,” said Megat Zaharuddin.
The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA), a long time partner to the event is also focused on ensuring that the National Open continues to be a tournament to watch out for.
“The Malaysian Open will celebrate its 54th edition next year, making it the country’s longest standing golf tournament. It’s a reflection of how far golf has developed in Malaysia and how this tournament has played a part in shaping the history of the game locally.
“In addition, the Open’s ability to consistently attract world-class golfers to our shores has deeply inspired our local professionals to raise the level of their game and also inspire a new breed of young talents to learn the finer aspects of competing on the international arena,” said MGA president Admiral (R) Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.
The KLGCC will host the National Open for the seventh time in its history at the challenging West Course.
“Once again we have been chosen as the venue for our historical National Open. We regard it as an honour and are looking forward to shoulder the responsibility as the venue for the Open's 54th edition,” said KLGCC’s General Manager, Steven Thielke.
Prize money earned at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 will go towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit and will also count towards European Tour’s Race to Dubai at the end of 2015.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Sunday, September 7, 2014
KLHC claim underdogs tag..
MALAYSIA Hockey League Premier Division double champions Kuala Lumpur HC has claimed the underdogs tag, as their hunt for quality players has hit a brick wall.
On the other hand, two-season team Terengganu are flushed with local and foreign talent, and look set to be the team to beat when the MHL starts on Oct 29.
KLHC, the four-time back-to-back double champions, will open accounts against Tenaga Nasional in the Charity Shield.
“I believe we will face a trough time this year, and it would be difficult to even make the top four as we have lost many players to other teams, and are also finding it difficult to source for foreign players as the Champions Trophy (13-21 Dec in India) will clash with the MHL.
“Like last year, we are also looking for six foreign players, but have yet to sign any due to the clash of dates,” said KLHC team manager George Koshy.
But KLHC can’t scout for top players from the eight Champions Trophy teams in India, Pakistan, Australia, Netherlands, Belgium, Argentina, England and Germany.
In the Premier Division last season, the seven teams which competed were KL Hockey Club, Tenaga Nasional, Maybank, Sapura, UniKL, Terengganu and MBI-Nur Insafi.
Terengganu, even with top local players, fared badly last season as they ended fifth out of seven teams in the league, and were also demoted to Division Two in the Razak Cup.
However, Terengganu are said to have signed six quality foreign players as well as national players to make them the favourites this season.
“Last year, Terengganu has the best local players but were unlucky they could not gel and play as a team. However, I believe they are ready in their second MHL season, and we can’t hope for them to hit another bad patch and hand us the titles,” said Koshy.
The final is slated on Dec 21 to give the national team time to prepare for the World League Second Round in Singapore on January 17-25.
If Malaysia fail to win gold in the Asian Games, where they will battle South Korea, India and Pakistan, the World League is a second chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
On the other hand, two-season team Terengganu are flushed with local and foreign talent, and look set to be the team to beat when the MHL starts on Oct 29.
KLHC, the four-time back-to-back double champions, will open accounts against Tenaga Nasional in the Charity Shield.
“I believe we will face a trough time this year, and it would be difficult to even make the top four as we have lost many players to other teams, and are also finding it difficult to source for foreign players as the Champions Trophy (13-21 Dec in India) will clash with the MHL.
“Like last year, we are also looking for six foreign players, but have yet to sign any due to the clash of dates,” said KLHC team manager George Koshy.
But KLHC can’t scout for top players from the eight Champions Trophy teams in India, Pakistan, Australia, Netherlands, Belgium, Argentina, England and Germany.
In the Premier Division last season, the seven teams which competed were KL Hockey Club, Tenaga Nasional, Maybank, Sapura, UniKL, Terengganu and MBI-Nur Insafi.
Terengganu, even with top local players, fared badly last season as they ended fifth out of seven teams in the league, and were also demoted to Division Two in the Razak Cup.
However, Terengganu are said to have signed six quality foreign players as well as national players to make them the favourites this season.
“Last year, Terengganu has the best local players but were unlucky they could not gel and play as a team. However, I believe they are ready in their second MHL season, and we can’t hope for them to hit another bad patch and hand us the titles,” said Koshy.
The final is slated on Dec 21 to give the national team time to prepare for the World League Second Round in Singapore on January 17-25.
If Malaysia fail to win gold in the Asian Games, where they will battle South Korea, India and Pakistan, the World League is a second chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
KLHC-Tenaga MHL curtain raiser..
KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Tenaga Nasional will open the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division curtain with a Charity Shield on Oct 29.
The MHL Premier Division is likely to see 10 teams competing when the entries close on Sept 24.
“We shifted the Charity Shield date to respect Deepavali celebrations on Oct 22. And by the time entries close, I expect at least 10 teams in the Premier Division,” said Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) competitions committee sec retary Hashim Yusoff.
Each team will be allowed to hire a maximum of six foreign players.
“The final is slated on Dec 21, this is to give the national team time to prepare for the World League Second Round in Singapore on January 17-25.
If Malaysia fail to win gold in the Asian Games, where they will battle South Korea, India and Pakistan, the World League is a second chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
In the Premier Division last season, the seven teams which competed were KL Hockey Club, Tenaga Nasional, Maybank, Sapura, UniKL, Terengganu and MBI-Nur Insafi.
And double champions KLHC will be the team to beat again this season.
The MHL Premier Division is likely to see 10 teams competing when the entries close on Sept 24.
“We shifted the Charity Shield date to respect Deepavali celebrations on Oct 22. And by the time entries close, I expect at least 10 teams in the Premier Division,” said Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) competitions committee sec retary Hashim Yusoff.
Each team will be allowed to hire a maximum of six foreign players.
“The final is slated on Dec 21, this is to give the national team time to prepare for the World League Second Round in Singapore on January 17-25.
If Malaysia fail to win gold in the Asian Games, where they will battle South Korea, India and Pakistan, the World League is a second chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
In the Premier Division last season, the seven teams which competed were KL Hockey Club, Tenaga Nasional, Maybank, Sapura, UniKL, Terengganu and MBI-Nur Insafi.
And double champions KLHC will be the team to beat again this season.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Juniors going Down Under instead
THE
National Juniors’ flight plan to Belfast has been rerouted to Perth,
as they enter their final phase of training for the Sultan of Johor Cup
(SOJC) on Oct 12-19.
Initially, the team were supposed to play a series of friendlies in Belfast, but team manager Mirnawan Nawawi confirmed yesterday that Western Australian Institute of Sports (WAIS) are their new sparring opponents.
“The Belfast plan was shelved because we could not confirm the playing clubs, so we will be in Perth from Sept 15-23 and play a series of matches with the WAIS side,” said Mirnawan.
The SOJC, into its fourth edition, saw Malaysia win its inaugural tournament in 2011, but finished last in the next edition. The team bounced back by finishing second behind India last year.
The confirmed teams for SOJC are defending champions India, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and debutants Britain.
“We will take 22 players to Perth, of which three will be goalkeepers. And the final names will probably be confirmed by the end of the month.
“We expect tough matches against WAIS, and hopefully the boys will be hardened by the time they play in the SOJC,” said Mirnawan.
The tournament, which has received RM1.7 million in sponsorship, is the only invitational under-21 tournament in the world.
The SOJC is the platform for under-21 teams around the globe to showcase their talent once a year and most of the teams use the tournament as part of their preparation for the Junior World Cup.
Malaysian juniors are being groomed for the 2016 Junior World Cup, but they need to be ready to defend their gold medal in the Junior Asia Cup in November in Kuantan, as it offers a direct entry to the World Cup.
Initially, the team were supposed to play a series of friendlies in Belfast, but team manager Mirnawan Nawawi confirmed yesterday that Western Australian Institute of Sports (WAIS) are their new sparring opponents.
“The Belfast plan was shelved because we could not confirm the playing clubs, so we will be in Perth from Sept 15-23 and play a series of matches with the WAIS side,” said Mirnawan.
The SOJC, into its fourth edition, saw Malaysia win its inaugural tournament in 2011, but finished last in the next edition. The team bounced back by finishing second behind India last year.
The confirmed teams for SOJC are defending champions India, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and debutants Britain.
“We will take 22 players to Perth, of which three will be goalkeepers. And the final names will probably be confirmed by the end of the month.
“We expect tough matches against WAIS, and hopefully the boys will be hardened by the time they play in the SOJC,” said Mirnawan.
The tournament, which has received RM1.7 million in sponsorship, is the only invitational under-21 tournament in the world.
The SOJC is the platform for under-21 teams around the globe to showcase their talent once a year and most of the teams use the tournament as part of their preparation for the Junior World Cup.
Malaysian juniors are being groomed for the 2016 Junior World Cup, but they need to be ready to defend their gold medal in the Junior Asia Cup in November in Kuantan, as it offers a direct entry to the World Cup.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Humbling experience on Tour
THE
national hockey team went on a whirlwind four-day Tour of Incheon last
week for a feel of the artificial pitch, and were handed a painful
lesson by club teams instead.
Coach Arul Selvaraj’s team, preparing for the Asian Games in South Korea from Sept 19-Oct 4, lost 2-0 to Incheon City and drew 1-1 with the National Korean Sports University and the two clubs did not have any national players.
Both the matches may only be friendlies, but it brought back that kind of unpleasant feelings like being beaten 4-2 by Trinidad and Tobago in the Scotland Commonwealth Games.
It was a grim and expensive (considering the money spent in going there) Korean lesson, as well as a wake-up call for the Malaysian side who won silver at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou, China, and are looking to play in the final in Incheon.
“We went on a four-day tour and played at the Games venue, as well as checked out the Games Village as part of our preparations.
“Even though we lost to club sides, but at this stage, results do not matter yet as I get the team back into playing shape,” said Arul Selvaraj.
The “new” coach found himself in the hot-seat after the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) removed K. Dharmaraj 40 days before the Asian Games.
Arul now has a daunting task of not only making sure Malaysia do not lose to Singapore in their opening match on Sept 20, and then winning three more points against Bangladesh the next day, but also taking his team into the final.
Malaysia are in Group A with Singapore, Bangladesh, Japan and South Korea. In Group B are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Oman and China.
The good thing is that Malaysia have a three-day rest before they play South Korea on Sept 25, followed by Japan on Sept 27 after another rest day.
The formula would be to beat Singapore, Bangladesh and Japan which would be enough to take Malaysia into the semi-finals.
And if they make the semi-finals, Malaysia are highly likely to meet either India or Pakistan in the knock-out cross-over.
There are 20 players in training now, and they will only play against the National Juniors, and train on their fitness back home.
There is much at stake in Incheon, as the champions will advance to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, while the silver medallists and the rest of the Asian teams would have to qualify through the World League format, which is much more challenging.
Coach Arul Selvaraj’s team, preparing for the Asian Games in South Korea from Sept 19-Oct 4, lost 2-0 to Incheon City and drew 1-1 with the National Korean Sports University and the two clubs did not have any national players.
Both the matches may only be friendlies, but it brought back that kind of unpleasant feelings like being beaten 4-2 by Trinidad and Tobago in the Scotland Commonwealth Games.
It was a grim and expensive (considering the money spent in going there) Korean lesson, as well as a wake-up call for the Malaysian side who won silver at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou, China, and are looking to play in the final in Incheon.
“We went on a four-day tour and played at the Games venue, as well as checked out the Games Village as part of our preparations.
“Even though we lost to club sides, but at this stage, results do not matter yet as I get the team back into playing shape,” said Arul Selvaraj.
The “new” coach found himself in the hot-seat after the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) removed K. Dharmaraj 40 days before the Asian Games.
Arul now has a daunting task of not only making sure Malaysia do not lose to Singapore in their opening match on Sept 20, and then winning three more points against Bangladesh the next day, but also taking his team into the final.
Malaysia are in Group A with Singapore, Bangladesh, Japan and South Korea. In Group B are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Oman and China.
The good thing is that Malaysia have a three-day rest before they play South Korea on Sept 25, followed by Japan on Sept 27 after another rest day.
The formula would be to beat Singapore, Bangladesh and Japan which would be enough to take Malaysia into the semi-finals.
And if they make the semi-finals, Malaysia are highly likely to meet either India or Pakistan in the knock-out cross-over.
There are 20 players in training now, and they will only play against the National Juniors, and train on their fitness back home.
There is much at stake in Incheon, as the champions will advance to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, while the silver medallists and the rest of the Asian teams would have to qualify through the World League format, which is much more challenging.
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