Ying Ting strikes gold at World Juniors

Ying Ting strikes gold at World Juniors

BY LIM TEIK HUAT

Loh Ying Ting bagged golds at the changquan and gunshu event at the World Junior Championship in Antalya, Turkey. - filepic

   

PETALING JAYA: Youngster Loh Ying Ting was the toast of the Malaysian team at the World Junior Championships in Antalya, Turkey.

The 17-year-old was victorious in two girls’ Group A (16-18) events – the changquan (barehands northern style) and gunshu (cudgel) – on the opening day on Saturday.

There was more joy for Malaysia as Calvin Lee Wai Leong also struck gold in the boys’ Group A nandao (broadsword).

Malaysia also picked up five silvers and one bronze. The silvers came from Ong Qi Yue (boys’ Group B (13-15) jianshu and qiangshu), Khaw Jun Lim (boys’ Group A gunshu), Si Shin Peng (boys’ Group C (10-12) jianshu) and Pang Pui Yee (girls’ Group B jianshu). Tan Cheong Wan earned the sole bronze in the boys’ Group B changquan.

With the three golds, five silver and one bronze in the three-day champions, Malaysia have improved on their previous best haul of 2-5-6 at the 2012 meet in Macau.

For Ying Ting, she now has the unique distinction of having emerged champion in the World Junior Championships under different categories. She was also a gold medallist at the last championships in Macau, winning the Group B (13-15) changquan event.

Besides the world junior meet, Ying Ting also won golds at the last two Asian Junior Wushu Championships. In her debut in Singapore in 2011, she was victorious in gunshu and daoshu. In Manila last year, Ying Ting triumphed in the girls’ Group A daoshu (sword).

Former international Lim Yew Fai, who is now in charge of the juniors in the back-up squad, was pleased to see Ying Ting rise to the occasion again.

“Ying Ting fared even better this time although it gets tougher when you moved up. She has good potential but I am happy the others also won medals so far,” he said.

Junior cyclists making their mark on world stage‎

PETALING JAYA: The junior track cyclists are beginning to make their mark on the international stage.

Mohd Firdaus Zonis and Farina Shawati Mohd Adnan have vaulted into the top 10 of the world junior rankings for keirin.

Firdaus is now ranked second in the world behind Jaroslav Snasel of Czech Republic, thanks to his storming run in the keirin events in Hong Kong and Japan last month.

The 17-year-old Firdaus also won the sprint and 1km time trial at the Hong Kong Track Cup and both keirin races at the Japan Track Grand Prix Series in Shizuoka.

Firdaus was previously ranked 11th while another junior, Mohd Sahrom Shah, improved from No. 22 to No. 11 in keirin.

Firdaus is also second in the world junior rankings for the 1km time trial, behind Russia's Aleksandr Dubchenko of Russia. In the sprint, Firdaus is ranked fifth.

Farina, meanwhile, improved 10 spots to No. 5 in the girls' world junior rankings for keirin. The 17-year-old won the race in Hong Kong and finished runner-up in Shizuoka the following week.

She is ranked ninth for sprint and 11th for the 500m time trial.

Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) deputy president Datuk Naim Mohamad was pleased with the emergence of Malaysians in the top tier of world rankings for junior track cyclists.

"We've been talking about Azizulhasni (Awang), Josiah (Ng) and Fatehah (Mustapa) enjoying good world rankings positions all this while," he said.

"It's good that the juniors are now up there as well after doing well in Hong Kong and Japan, which are UCI-santioned events.

"We need to show there is continuity ... after Azizul and Josiah.

"The cyclists in the Pelapis (back-up) programme are doing well and we hope they will shine at their next big assignment – the Asian Cycling Championships in Kazakhstan at end of May."

Firdaus and Farina will lead the challenge for medals in the junior ranks.

Firdaus achieved a fantastic treble in last year's edition in New Delhi and will seek to retain the sprint, keirin and 1km individual time trial titles in Kazakhstan.

Farina has yet to climb to the top of the podium at the Asian meet. She got a bronze in sprint but finished fifth for keirin and 500m time trial.

The juniors train under former national coach Junaidi Nasir.

MGF: We need funds for our pre-juniors

BY ASHREENA PILLAI

Junior rhythmic gymnast Olivia Tai Qing Tong won a gold medal recent 13th Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior Asian Championships in KL. - Filepic

   

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PETALING JAYA: Get behind us now and we'll show you the results.

That's the appeal made by Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) vice-president and rhythmic gymnastics technical chairman Petrina Low.

Bouyed by the success of gymnast Olivia Tai Qing Tong who became the first Malaysian to win the gold at the recent 13th Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior Asian Championships, MGF are now looking for corporate sponsorships to mobilise their various development projects.

The MGF currently have projects involving pre-juniors (aged 10-12 years old), but they want to expand their programme by including the group exercise event. SportExcel has agreed to organise a local circuit catering to the group exercise competition.

"Right now, the funds allocated by the National Sports Council are only used for the seniors and juniors for competition. We don't have much funds for the pre-juniors, which is a shame. We'd love for a corporate body to come forward and take gymnastics under its wing – help nurture and propel the sport to greater heights," said Petrina.

Unlike powerhouses Russia, Malaysia start grooming talents roughly from age six onwards. In comparison, Russia groom their gymnasts at the age of four and they have produced individual and group all-around champions for the past four Olympic Games.

"We hope to take in gymnasts at a much younger age. With enough funds, we hope to make them into top class gymnasts," said Petrina.

Juniors like 15-year-olds Olivia and Shasangari Sivaneswary as well as Wong Poh San, 18, have benefited from early competition exposure overseas via sponsorships.

"There are lots of competitions overseas (for pre-juniors), but the girls can't take advantage of that due to the lack of funds. They were lucky enough to be able to compete at the Hibiscus Cup (their first international competition) in Okinawa, Japan, in January this year," said Petrina.

"We won two golds and two silvers there. We've got the talent and a great team of coaches. What we need is to invest in these gymnasts to churn out better champions and keep our development projects going," she added.

Diver Zhiayi qualifies for Youth Olympics

Diver Zhiayi qualifies for Youth Olympics

BY LIM TEIK HUAT

Filepic of Loh Zhiayi. She qualified for the Youth Olympics in August after finishing 7th at the qualifying tournament in Mexico over the weekend.

PETALING JAYA: Loh Zhiayi failed to secure a medal but managed to secure Malaysia a berth at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, in August.

In the Youth Olympic qualifiers for diving in Guadalajara, Mexico, over the weekend, Zhiayi finished seventh in the girls’ platform final.

She was in contention for a medal as she was placed third with two dives to go. But the Asian Youth Games silver medallist failed to score well enough in her last two dives, chalking only 48.00 and 62.40 attempts for a 402.80 total.

Huang Xiaohui of China won with 487.95 points. Mexican Alejandra Orozco, who bagged the silver in the 10m platform synchro at the 2012 London Olympics, took the silver with 480.35 points. Ingrid Oliveira of Brazil finished third with a 411.55 total.

But the goods news was that the 16-year-old Zhiayi ensured Malaysia a representative in diving for the second consecutive time at the Youth Olympics. All the top nine divers are automatic qualifiers for the Nanjing competition.

Malaysia coach Yang Zhuliang was pleased Zhiayi did everything in the book to earn Malaysia the quota spot.

“Zhiayi used the same difficulty level as when she competed at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing last year.

“She did well to make the final and finish in the top nine to qualify for the Youth Olympics.

“It was her only chance as she would not be eligible in four years’ time,” said Zhuliang.

Mohd Nazreen, however, failed in his bid to earn a quota spot for Malaysia in the boys’ 3m springboard.

Nazreen, a two-gold medallist in his SEA Games debut in Myanmar last December, finished 13th in the preliminaries with 466.55 points.

Rodrigo Diego Lopez earned cheers for hosts Mexico by winning with a 630.75 total

For the record, Pandelela Rinong made history for Malaysia when she captured two silvers in the girls’ 3m springboard and 10m platform at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010.