IMPRESSIVE ... an artist's impression of the 2012 Olympic Stadium
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Chong Wei menang mudah
KEMENANGAN mudah dilakar dua pemain perseorangan negara, Lee Chong Wei dan Hafiz Hashim ketika badi kekalahan terus menghantui gandingan Fairuzizuan Tazari-Mohd Zakry Latif pada pusingan pertama badminton Siri Super Terbuka Hong Kong, semalam.
Chong Wei, beraksi pada kejohanan pertama selepas berehat hampir tiga bulan, menang 21-9, 21-12 ke atas pemain tuan rumah, Ng Wei ketika Hafiz hanya perlukan 26 minit untuk mengatasi pemain Jepun, Sho Sasaki 21-16, 21-7.
Turut mara ke pusingan kedua ialah tiga beregu lelaki negara, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng dan gandingan veteran, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah.
Cerita hampa sama turut mengganggu Wong Choong Hann yang akur kecundang 21-16, 19-21, 14-21 di tangan pemain Jepun, Kenichi Tago. - BH
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Koo-Tan are World No.1 again
By LIM TEIK HUAT
PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong have not only regained the No. 1 spot in the world rankings but they have also shot to the top of the Super Series standings.
In the latest list released by the World Badminton Federation (WBF) after the Super Series Open tournaments in Denmark and France, Kien Keat-Boon Heong are now ranked ahead of Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark and Olympic champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong emerged triumphant in the Denmark Open in Odense but missed out on back-to-back titles when they were beaten by defending champions Markis-Hendra in the French Open final last Sunday.
Back on top: Kien Keat-Boon Heong have regained the number one spot in the world rankings and are assured of making the cut for the Super Series Masters Final next month. With 48,520 points in the bag, Kien Keat-Boon Heong are assured of making the cut for the Super Series Masters Finals next month even if they skip the remaining two legs in Hong Kong and China.
Only the top eight after the 12-leg series will feature in the Masters Finals, which will be held from Dec 2-6 in Kuala Terengganu.
However, world championship silver medallists Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung are the notable pair in danger of missing the cut.
The South Korean top pair last featured in the Indonesia Open and have since skipped the last four Super Series tournaments. Yong-dae-Jae-sung are expected to play in the Hong Kong and China Opens to rake in ranking points to make the Finals.
The other Malaysian pairs still in the running to get among the top eight qualifiers are Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif (No. 12) and Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen (No. 14). But their chances to make it are slim as they have to win in either Hong Kong or Shanghai to get into the Finals.
Doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky is glad to see Kien Keat-Boon Heong following in the footsteps of Lee Chong Wei, who held on to his top ranked spot in the world and Super Series rankings despite not competing in the Denmark and French Opens.
“I hope they make their position stronger. They have had several disappointments in the past, including the world championships this year,” he said.
“The last time they held top place in the rankings, they failed to hold on to it. It was a good learning process for them and hopefully they do not make the same mistakes.”
Malaysia should have a smaller number of qualifiers for Finals this season compared to the inaugural edition in Kota Kinabalu.
Besides Chong Wei, Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, who are second in the women’s doubles rankings, are also assured of qualification.
World champion Lin Dan broke into the top four after lifting the French Open title and has the distinction of having won three out of the five Super Series events he competed in thus far. STARTuesday, November 3, 2009
Azizulhasni perjelas punca gagal
KUALA LUMPUR – Jaguh lumba basikal trek negara, Azizulhasni Awang menerima kegagalannya pada pusingan pertama Piala Dunia Klasik di Manchester yang berakhir kelmarin dengan hati terbuka walaupun pencapaiannya dikritik hebat.Pelumba kelahiran Dungun, Terengganu ini jelas pasrah dengan apa yang telah dilalui dan menyifatkannya satu pengalaman untuk mematangkan diri dan mengukur keupayaan sebelum menghadapi pusingan seterusnya.
Katanya, bukan mahu memberi alasan kerana jurulatih, John Beasley sendiri berpuas hati dengan pencapaiannya di Manchester.
Namun, dalam waktu sama, beberapa faktor perlu diambil kira dalam menilai kegagalannya di kejohanan itu.
“Saya terpaksa akur dengan catatan saya (dalam acara pecut) ini. John sendiri pun cakap permulaan yang bagus untuk musim ini.
“Walaupun kurang 0.002 saat untuk layak ke pusingan pertama, saya terpaksa terima keadaan yang berlaku. Kalau tidak, dah dapat lawan dengan Chris Hoy,” katanya.
Azizulhasni pada pusingan kelayakan itu mencatat masa 10.394s manakala pelumba di tempat ke-16, Andriy Vynokurov mencatat masa 10.392s.
Hanya 16 pelumba yang mencatat masa terpantas layak ke pusingan pertama daripada pusingan kelayakan yang dilangsungkan.
Menurutnya lagi, semua pelumba terutama dari Eropah telah menyertai banyak perlumbaan dan grand prix sepanjang musim panas yang lalu berbanding dirinya.
“Macam Chris Hoy, seminggu sebelum saingan di Manchester ini, mereka ada kejohanan kebangsaan Britain.
“Tapi macam kami di Melbourne, baru lepas musim sejuk. Jadi baru nak mula panaskan badan ditambah saya baru baik daripada demam kesan daripada cuaca sejuk tadi.
“Apa pun saya bersyukur, prestasi saya masih dapat dikekalkan dan tidak menurun. Saya masih berada di landasan. Insya Allah Piala Dunia berikutnya (Melbourne),” tegas pelumba berusia 21 tahun ini.
Mengenai kegagalannya dalam acara keirin, Azizulhasni menjelaskan, dia sepatutnya telah layak ke pusingan kedua sebelum penyertaannya dibatalkan.
“Saya menduduki tempat kedua di pusingan pertama. Maknanya saya layak secara automatik ke pusingan kedua tanpa perlu menyertai reper charge.
“Jadi saya balik ke hotel dulu kerana pusingan kedua di sebelah malam. Sampai di hotel, saya diberitahu kedudukan saya itu dibatalkan kerana dituduh menghimpit pelumba lain.
“Jadi saya kena beraksi dalam repercharge yang dilangsungkan lebih awal. Dengan terpaksa berpatah balik ke velodrom dan tanpa mempunyai masa untuk memanaskan badan, saya terus berlumba dan gagal dalam repercharge,” jelasnya.
Bagaimanapun beliau bersyukur kerana berjaya membuktikan sesuatu apabila meraih gangsa dalam acara jemputan keirin antarabangsa Jepun selepas itu.-UM
Azizul bounces back with bronze
AZIZUL Hasni Awang produced another sensational comeback from two major disappointments in Round One of the UCI World Cup in Manchester when he stormed to the bronze medal in the International Keirin that closed the meet on Sunday.
The 21-year-old had started off the weekend disastrously after being knocked out in the first round of the World Cup keirin and then failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the 200m sprint on Saturday.
The International Keirin, which gathered the world's top 21 keirin riders in a gala event to close the Manchester World Cup round, provided Dungun-born Azizul with the perfect opportunity to bounce back.
And he took it in style, breezing through the first round by winning his opening heat, then made it to the final with ease.
"At least we don't go home empty handed. I'm happy because there were many Malaysian supporters in the stands, including the Sports Minister (Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek), during my race, so they had something to cheer," said Azizul.
"I was disqualified from the keirin in the World Cup round on Friday. I still don't know what the reason was so I was very disappointed," said Azizul, who had gone back to his hotel right after the first round of that keirin, not knowing he was disqualified.
He finished third in the repechage to end his challenge in the keirin unexpectedly early.
"Even more disappointing for me was because of that I had no time to prepare for the repechage. I didn't even warm up.
"I rushed back to the velodrome and got straight on the bike as the event was about to start. I lost because of that."
Azizul said he tried to maintain his concentration although the proceedings had dealt a severe blow to his morale.
"I tried not to be overly stressed at that time. But then another disappointment came along when I failed to make the cut in the 200m sprint. It was just a 0.002s difference between qualifying for the knockout round and being out," said Azizul.
"If not for that, I would have met Chris Hoy in the first round. Just to race him would have been good."
World Championships 200m sprint silver medallist Azizul said he went into this World Cup leg with more emphasis on preparations for the keirin, and was satisfied with the tactical approach that he employed throughout the weekend.
"Thankfully, in the International Keirin, everything ran smoothly and there was no disqualification to ruin my day. Everything ran smoothly and my tactical race was beautiful."
In the scratch race, 18-year-old Adiq Husainie Othman proved his bronze medal in the World Junior Championships in August wasn't a fluke, when he became the first Malaysian to qualify for the World Cup final in that event and finished a creditable 11th.
The season will be a long one for the national squad with not only the World Championships to look at but also the Guangzhou Asian Games and New Delhi Commonwealth Games as their targets next year. -- ARNAZ M. KHAIRUL
Azizul and Co need to raise the bar to keep up with hot pace
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian top track cyclist Azizul Hasni Awang may have salvaged his weekend in Manchester by grabbing a bronze in the International Keirin Race held alongside the Track World Cup meet but there is certainly a lot of catching up to do over the next few months.
Britain and Germany laid down the markers by emerging as the top two ranked countries after the season-opening leg in Manchester. And Britain underlined their dominance by completing a clean sweep of the sprint titles.
Triple Olympic champion Chris Hoy made the biggest impact by winning the sprint and keirin from the front.
Hoy led his Sky HD professional trade team to secure the team sprint title in an all-British affair on Sunday.
Saddle king: Britain’s Matthew Crampton raises his arms after winning the men’s International Keirin at the Track World Cup event in Manchester on Sunday. — AP
The winning team was a second faster than the winning time recorded by France in the World Championships in Poland last March.
If the indications from Manchester are anything to go by, Azizul and the other Malaysian cyclists will need to put in more efforts on strength training to chase down the times if they are to harbour hopes of a strong showing in the world championships in Copenhagen in March.
The world championship silver medallist failed to make it to the 200m sprint elimination rounds even though he managed a time of 10.394 and he was knocked out in the keirin.
However, he bounced back to earn a big pay cheque of 10,000 with a bronze medal ride in the prestigious keirin race organised by the Japanese Keirin Association.
The only Malaysian selected to make up the international field of 14 to compete against seven Japanese, Azizul won his first-round heat and finished third in the second round to qualify for the final.
The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) deputy president, Datuk Naim Mohamad, said that it was certainly an eye-opener for Azizul and the other Malaysians who competed in Manchester.
“The British track cyclists gained in stature after their performances at the Olympics and we saw them rise to expectations on their own turf,” he said.
“Their standards and also those of the other top riders have gone up after the Olympics. In a way, it’s good for our riders as they have to raise the bar if they want to achieve something significant this season.
“Azizul needs to do 10.2 if he wants to qualify for the knockout rounds ... and that is averaging 70kph.”-STAR
Monday, November 2, 2009
Impian Kien Keat-Boon Heong musnah
IMPIAN beregu sensasi negara, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong untuk meraih kejuaraan kedua berturut-turut di pentas Eropah tidak kesampaian.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong yang baru sahaja menjuarai Kejohanan Badminton Terbuka Denmark minggu lepas, gagal mengulangi kejayaan sama di Paris apabila tewas pada perlawanan akhir Terbuka Perancis semalam.
Meskipun cemerlang di set pertama, Kien Keat-Boon Heong tunduk kepada beregu pilihan pertama dari Indonesia, Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan 21-15, 15-21, 14-21.
Kegagalan semalam juga meranapkan impian Kien Keat-Boon Heong untuk meraih kejuaraan pertama mereka sele- pas kembali dinobatkan selaku beregu No. 1 dunia minggu lepas.
Sementara itu, China pula mendomi- nasi tiga daripada lima kategori pada perlawanan akhir semalam.
Pemain No. 1 dunia, Lin Dan menepati ramalan apabila mudah menundukkan jaguh Indonesia, Taufik Hidayat 21-6, 21-15 pada perlawanan akhir perseorangan lelaki.
Juara perseorangan wanita pula menjadi milik pemain pilihan ketiga, Wang Yihan yang menundukkan rakan senegara yang juga pilihan pertama, Wang Lin 21-9, 21-12.
Perlawanan akhir beregu wanita turut menyaksikan pertemuan antara dua beregu dari China. Beregu pilihan kelima, Ma Jin-Wang Xiaoli menewaskan pilihan kedua, Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei 21-13, 21-8.
Begitupun, acara beregu campuran menjadi milik Indonesia apabila Nova Widianto-Liliyana Natsir yang diletakkan sebagai pilihan kedua menewaskan beregu senegara, Hendra Aprida Guna- wan-Vita Marissa 21-7, 21-7.
'Perlu wujud skuad penyokong'
SEBUAH jawatankuasa Penyokong Atlit Olimpik Malaysia akan ditubuhkan di London sebagai persiapan memberi sokongan kepada atlit negara pada Sukan Olimpik 2012 nanti.
Sehubungan itu, Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek mengajak pelajar dan seluruh rakyat Malaysia di United Kingdom untuk membuat persiapan bagi memberi sokongan kepada pasukan negara nanti.
Beliau yang hadir di Sukan Nottingham anjuran pelajar Malaysia di universiti-universiti di seluruh UK, berkata pasukan penyokong itu boleh dianggotai sesiapa yang berminat, bukan terhad kepada rakyat Malaysia sahaja.
“Kita memerlukan satu jawatankuasa di England dengan segera bagi membuat persiapan bagaimana untuk membina sokongan, bagaimana nak beritahu pada orang bila ada sukan, stadium mana, siapa nak beli tiket, apa pakaiannnya, nak duduk di mana.
“Ini yang mahu saya lakukan, untuk mengajak rakyat Malaysia di UK untuk bersiap ke arah itu.
“Saya akan menghubungi rakan-rakan di beberapa tempat. Pada peringkat awalnya, kita akan tubuhkan di London dan kita akan datang lagi beberapa bulan akan datang untuk melihat perkembangan bagaimana mereka beroperasi dan sebagainya.
Pada masa sama, Ahmad Shabery kecewa apabila mengetahui ramai pelajar Malaysia tidak tahu mengenai acara yang membabitkan atlit Malaysia seperti kejohanan berbasikal Piala Dunia UCI di mana Azizulhasni Awang dan pelumba lain mengambil bahagian.
Sementara itu, dalam lawatan sambil bekerja di UK, Shabery akan melawat Kampung Sukan di Bath dan juga kilang kereta Lotus di Norwich. - BHARIAN
Cyclist Azizul bounces back in style at International Keirin race
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top track cyclist Azizul Hasni Awang bounced back in spectacular fashion by grabbing a bronze medal in the International Keirin Race held alongside the Track World Cup meet in Manchester yesterday.
Azizul put up a blistering charge to win his first round heat comprising six other top riders.
The 21-year-old Malaysian subsequently reached the final after finishing third behind British rider Matthew Crampton and Australian Shane Perkins.
And in the top six final, Azizul was nicked to the silver by Christos Volikakis of Greece with Crampton successfully defending the title he won last year.
Beijing Olympic silver medallist Jason Kenny won the B final.
By virtue of finishing third in the prestigious race, which is organised by the Japan Keirin Association, Azizul collected a handsome cheque of ‚10,000.
Azizul, riding for Australian trade team BT Technologies, was the only Malaysian rider invited by the international cycling body (UCI) to make up the international field of 14 riders to take on the best of seven Japanese.
But money aside, the World Championships silver medallist enjoyed the satisfaction of redeeming his pride after a disastrous campaign in the 200m sprint and keirin at the World Cup.
He was eliminated early in the keirin and just missed out on the top 16 of the knockout stages of the 200m sprint.
World Junior Championships bronze medallist Adiq Husainie Othman raised a stir when he qualified second fastest for the men’s 15km scratch final.
Adiq went on to finish 11th in the final out of 12 riders and it was the best finish by a Malaysian in the track endurance event at the world level.
In the team sprint, Malaysian trio of Mohd Edrus Yunos, Hafiz Sufian and Hariff Saleh finished 16th in 47.364.
Fatehah Mustapa finished 16th with 36.942 in the women’s 500m time trial. - THE STAR
Azizul powers through
And 18-year-old Adiq Husainie Othman gave the Malaysian camp more cheer when he advanced to the scratch race final after finishing second in his heat, behind France's Matthieu Ladagnous.
The 21-year-old Azizul had suffered the disappointment of falling in the first round of the keirin on Friday and failing to make it through qualifying in the 200m sprint on Saturday
A determined Azizul entered the velodrome yesterday with Germany's Maximillain Levy and France's Francois Pervis as his main threats.
Azizul rose to the occasion to sweep the duo aside to win the first round heat and book himself a spot in the second round, held early this morning Malaysian time.
That revived Malaysia's medal hopes after the biggest ever Malaysian contingent to a World Cup leg stuttered in getting their season underway.
Adiq Husainie and Amir Mustafa Rusli finished 11th in their first round heat and thus failed to make the final of the madison on Saturday night.
Last night, a team sprint squad without Rizal Tisin were to take on Poland in the opening round of the event. Malaysia lined up Edrus Yunos, Hafiz Sufian and Harrif Salleh. - NST
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
