Atlet Malaysia in the NEWS: May 2014

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Natahsya notches a first for Perlis

NATAHSYA Soon won Sabah's first gold medal in Perlis after coming out tops in the Malaysia Games, BMX competition, yesterday.

“I used to ride my bike for 100 Kilometres once every two days, to maintain my stamina.

“This medal means a lot to me, because I only managed to finish in eighth position at the previous 2012 Games (Pahang).

“I couldn’t perform then, because I injured myself during training just before the competition,” Natahsya said after the race.

Natahsya, 19, who clocked 59.673 seconds in the 400m event, admitted that she was more cautious this time around, as she wanted to avoid a similar scenario.

Pahang’s Siti Aisyah (1.01.288s) won silver, while Terengganu's Siti Shahirah Hashim (1.01.474s) settled for bronze.

Another Sabahan, Akmal Abdullah, completed the state's clean sweep in the BMX event, when he clocked 52.287 to win the men's event.

“I suffered cramps from the preliminary stages, and I guess it's due to loss of liquid from the extreme heat,” said Akmal, who crashed right after crossing the finish line.

The 18-year-old defeated 23 other riders in the 400M race.

“I’m glad I pushed myself towards to end of the race, I won by a mere 0.175s,” added Akmal.

Terengganu’s Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah (52.462s) and Mohd Ibnu Hasyimie Omar (55.468s) won the silver and bronze respectively.

Kedah score 1-2 finish in mountain bike race

Published: Monday May 26, 2014 MYT 4:55:00 PM
Updated: Monday May 26, 2014 MYT 5:07:46 PM

Kedah score 1-2 finish in mountain bike race

BY SHAMSHUL FITRI

Kedah's Siti Fatimah Ismail (left) in action during the Sukma 20km women's mountain bike race on Monday. - IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/ The Star

KANGAR: Kedah’s Siti Fatimah Ismail scored an emotional win in the women’s mountain bike cross country race at the Pauh Putra track.

Kedah were banking on hot favourite Mardiana Mohd Radzi, the silver medallist at the 2012 Pahang Sukma, to land the gold on Monday. But Mardiana had a fall during the BMX race on Sunday and was ruled out from Mon day’s race with a dislocated shoulder.

The 21-year-old Fatimah, unheralded in the mountain bike fraternity, duly shouldered Kedah’s challenge in the race. She won the 20km race in 1’12:26. Team-mate Siti Nur Adibah Akma Mohd Fuad grabbed the silver in 1’12:56 while Noor Fadilah Saiedin of Sarawak finished third in 1’14:31.

“Mardiana was supposed to ride. So, this win is for her,” said Fatimah who broke into tears with Mardiana and the rest of her Kedah team-mates at the finish line.

The men’s 28km race was won by Terengganu’s Mohd Zulhafiz Saipuddin. The 2012 Pahang Sukma bronze medallist clocked 1’20:11 to win the gold. Sabahan Alvin Leong grabbed the silver in 1’23:41 while Sarawak’s Garry Tay clocked 1’25:22 for the bronze.

The 20-year-old Zulhafiz credited his win to a month-long intense training camp with South-East Asian mountain bike legend Chandra Ariavijaya of Indonesia in Bandung last month.

“I’m so happy that everything I did to prepare for this paid off. After failing to win the gold in my first try (2012 in Pahang), I’m glad I made it this time,” said Zulhafiz.

Akmal’s pain brings him glory in BMX

Sabah’s Akmal Abdullah is treated for his injured hip after winning the gold medal in Sukma BMX cycling on Sunday. - FAIHAN GHANI/ The Star

KANGAR: Sabah’s Akmal Abdullah is one tough cookie.

The 18-year-old went against doctor’s orders, enduring the searing pain from a hip injury, to compete in the final of the men’s BMX cycling event at Sungai Batu Pahat on Sunday.

He pipped favourite Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah of Terengganu in the last few metres to win the gold medal with a time of 52.287.

Ahmad Syazrin clocked 52.462 to bag the silver while another Terengganu rider Mohd Ibnu Hasyimie Omar clocked 55.468 to bag the bronze.

Akmal had injured his hip in the semi-finals of the event yesterday.

Akmal, who had won the bronze medal in the same event at the last Sukma in Pahang two years ago, said that he was in a lot of pain after winning the semi-finals.

“I was advised by my doctor not to compete in the final as it could risk aggravating my injury.

“I went against the doctor’s orders but it paid off as I surprised myself and everyone to win the gold,” said Akmal.

Despite being born in Malacca, he has been representing Sabah since the 2012 Sukma after Malacca dropped him from the squad in 2011.

It was double joy for Sabah on the first day of the cycling events as they also won the women’s BMX event.

Natahsya Soon clocked 59.673 to finish ahead of Siti Aisyah Alias of Pahang (1:01.288) and Terengganu’s Siti Shahirah Hashim (1:01.474).

The 19-year-old Natahsya from Kota Kinabalu said that she was confident of bagging the gold in Sukma after winning the event at the Pattaya Open BMX challenge in March.

“This in my fourth Sukma and I will be going all out to win both the cross country and downhill events as well,” said Natahsya, who won the gold in downhill in Pahang two years ago.

Triple treat for Firdaus at Asian champs

Published: Monday May 26, 2014 MYT 11:14:00 PM
Updated: Monday May 26, 2014 MYT 11:21:17 PM

Triple treat for Firdaus at Asian champs

BY TAN MING WAI

Muhd Firdaus Zonis (left) and Azizulhasni Awang (right) pose with their 200m sprint gold medals in the junior and men's categories at the Asian Cycling Championships in Kazakhstan on Sunday.

PETALING JAYA: Muhd Firdaus Zonis bade farewell to the Asian junior cycling scene on a high note as he completed an unprecedented double treble at the Asian Cycling Championships (ACC) in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The 17-year-old Firdaus, a triple gold medallist in the last championships in New Delhi, lived up to his status as the world No. 2 by winning the men’s junior keirin on Monday for his third gold in Astana.

Firdaus was expecting Jung Jae-hee of South Korea to challenge him in the final. Instead, it was Fadhil, his younger brother who gave him a run for his money. In the end, Fadhil grabbed the silver while Jae-hee had to be satisfied with the bronze.

Mohd Shariz Efendi Mohd Shahrin, the other Malaysian finalist, finished fifth.

“It was a glorious moment for me, having fulfilled what I wanted to achieve here by winning the sprint, keirin and 1km time trial,” said Firdaus.

“I’m proud of Fadhil as he gave Malaysia a 1-2 finish. We’re close to each other. My father (Mohd Zonis Mokhtar, a grocery store operator) and mum Zanariah Mohd Basir (a housewife) must be very proud of us.

“It’s the first time we stood on the podium of a major international stage together. We hope to be as good as China’s Zhang brothers (sprinters Zhang Miao and Zhang Lei) one day,” added Firdaus.

Three Malaysians also contested the men’s elite keirin final, but only Azizulhasni Awang managed to finish in the top three.

Yuta Wakimoto of Japan grabbed gold, leaving Azizul with the silver and Im Chae-bin of South Korea the bronze.

Josiah Ng, the champion in 2012 and 2013, was placed fourth while Muhd Shah Firdaus Sahrom finished last of six competitors.

There was no joy for Fatehah Mustapa in the women’s keirin elite event. Fatehah, a silver medallist last year and champion in 2012, failed to secure a place in the final. She had to settle for eighth place after finishing second in the seventh-12th classification race.

The national track team concluded their campaign with four golds, three silvers and four bronzes.

The competition resumes on Tuesday with road cycling, but Malaysia are not expected to mount a strong challenge for the four golds at stake.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Ivan and friends kick their way to kata gold

Published: Sunday May 25, 2014 MYT 4:40:00 PM
Updated: Sunday May 25, 2014 MYT 4:49:16 PM

Ivan and friends kick their way to kata gold

BY ASHREENA PILLAI

Penang's Ivan Oh (left), Hoe Thomson and Joshua Wong (on the ground) in action during the men's Team Kata (demonstration) final at the Sukma Games in Perlis. - GARY CHEN/ The Star.

KANGAR: Penang’s Ivan Oh Theng Wei is not afraid of a little blood, sweat and tears – not if it means landing a gold medal at the Malaysia Games (Sukma).

The 17-year-old, along with Hoe Thomson, 21, and Joshua Wong Jia Yi, 20, clinched the gold in the men’s team kata event at the Sri Kayangan Hall, Perlis Matriculation College in Arau on Sunday.

The Penangites delivered an impressive performance for a 5-0 victory over a Perlis team comprising Howart Tan Lia Jie, Ong Yi Kai and Yong Ryotaro.

The bronze went to Johor’s Chun Jet San, Loh Zheng Xi and You Yew Quan and Sabah’s Einstien Majanil, Eric Lo Yann Shin and Reginals Alexander.

“I had made a vow to myself to win today (yesterday),” said Ivan, who is with the national development squad.

The Form Five student of Chung Ling High School in Air Itam will be sitting for his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination this November but that didn’t stop him from training for three to six hours daily at the dojo in Transfer Road.

“It’s not a chore for me to attend training. It’s tough, but I know it’s something that I have to do. Thomson and Joshua are of a much-higher standard ... so, I have a lot of catching up to do. I’m in this for the long haul and I’ll keep competing even when I go to college,” said Ivan, who plans to take up accountancy.

It was clean sweep by Penang in the kata competition as they also bagged the women’s team kata event.

The trio of Celine Lee Xin, Khaw Yee Voon and Zoe Wong Jia Rou beat Sarawak’s Dayangku Nurdiyana, Nadzirah Tuwah, Nurjannaj Tuwah 5-0.

Johor’s Lim Sin Yi, Tan Hui Ling and Tan Hui Yi and Sabah’s Gloria Ho, Vellenda Agustine and Patrina Saidin took home the bronze.

On Saturday, Thomson and Celine bagged the men’s and women’s individual kata golds respectively.