Kejutan Olivia

23.05.2012
Oleh Wan Noriza Meor Idris
wannoriza@nstp.com.my

OLIVIA Tai Qing Tong umpama pencetus harapan baru arena sukan gimrama apabila berjaya menduduki ranking 10 terbaik kategori remaja pada pentas akhir Siri Piala Dunia di Tashkent, Uzbekistan yang berakhir, kelmarin.

Meskipun tidak meraih sebarang pingat, atlet cilik yang baru saja menyambut ulang tahun kelahiran ke-13, bulan lalu disifatkan berada di landasan tepat untuk menyerlah di temasya utama akan datang khususnya di Olimpik Remaja (YOG) 2014.


Pada kejohanan antarabangsa remaja yang turut dinamakan ‘Happy Caravan’ itu, Olivia menduduki tangga keenam dan kelapan acara gelung dengan catatan 25.125 mata serta bola (24.9).

“Olivia digilap untuk beraksi di Olimpik Remaja 2014 dan dengan kejayaan menduduki 10 tempat terbaik kategori remaja dalam acara bertaraf dunia seperti ini, dia seolah-olah memberi bayangan mampu menyumbang pingat di temasya bertaraf dunia.


Ketua jurulatih negara, Elena Kholodova bangga dengan kejayaannya hingga menganggap Olivia berpotensi menjadi gimnas elit yang berkaliber sekiranya kekal konsisten.


“Ini kerana pada awal usia 13 tahun, Olivia sudah mampu berdiri seiring dengan 10 gimnas terbaik dunia dan menaikkan lagi nama Malaysia di peringkat remaja,” kata Penyelaras Hal Ehwal Atlet Gimrama Persekutuan Gimnastik Malaysia (MGF), Petrina Low yang turut mengiringi Olivia ke Tashkent.

Olivia diberi kepercayaan ke Tashkent selepas berjaya membuktikan kewibawaan dalam kategori berpasukan bersama Shak Yuki dan N Shasangari Sivaneswary dengan menduduki tangga ke-15 daripada 35 negara pada Siri Kedua di Pesaro, Itali, bulan lalu.


Siri Piala Dunia yang membabitkan empat saingan itu bermula di Kiev, Ukraine sebelum ke Itali dan Corbeil Assones, Perancis (11-13 Mei). Saingan terakhir berlangsung di Tashkent, Uzbekistan (15-20 Mei). Kejohanan berprestij itu membariskan gimnas berstatus dunia dari 40 negara, antaranya Russia, China, Azerbaijan, Austria, Argentina, Belarus, Uzbekistan, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Sepanyol, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Cyprus dan Perancis.

Three Sukma riders to join elite track cycling squad

13.03.2012
By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Three riders who shone at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Kuala Lumpur last year — Mohd Fattah Amri Zaid, Mohd Arfy Qhairant Amran and Ju Pha Somnet — have been recruited into the elite track cycling squad currently based in Melbourne.

The trio earned the nod of head coach John Beasley to join London Oly­mpic bound cyclists Azizulhasni Awang, Josiah Ng, Mohd Edrus Yunos and Fatehah Mustapa in the elite squad.

With Azizul and Josiah focusing on the keirin leading up to the Olympics, Beasley is likely to opt for Fattah and Arfy to combine with Edrus in the team sprint.

Malaysia are virtually out of the running for the team sprint event at the Olympics as they are far behind China and Japan in the world rankings. But it is the right time to build a new squad for the future.

Only the top two nations from Asia will qualify for the Olympics in the various sprint disciplines, compared to three in Beijing previously.

"The addition of Fattah, Arfy and Ju Pha is part of our long term planning for the next Commonwealth and Asian Games in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

"It takes six to eight years to groom a world class rider, They need to put on some muscles and it takes three to four years to do that.

"We teach them the craft of racing and, hopefully, they will be ready to complement the seniors in a few years," said Beasley, adding that the juniors are doing what Azizul and Fatehah went through.

Azizul has emerged as Asia's best sprinter with two World Cham­pion­ships silver medals and an Asian Games gold since joining the elite squad in 2007.

Fatehah, who joined around the same time, reached the World Cham­pionships keirin final in Holland last year and basked in the glory of becoming the first Malaysian woman cyclist gold medallist at the Asian Cham­pion­ships in Kuala Lumpur in February.

"Fatehah has blossomed into a good rider and has grown in confidence after winning the gold at the Asian championships. I expect more good things from her," said Beasley.

The Melbourne training base will also welcome the trio of Ummi Hami­mah Mohamad, Malek Marcus Mac­crone and Mohd Firdaus Suardi, who will train with the elite cyclists until August before heading for the World Junior Track Championships in Inver­car­­gill, New Zealand, from Aug 22-26.

Tiga pelapis galas cabaran Remaja Dunia

Metro
3/3/2012

Pelapis galas cabaran Remaja Dunia


TIGA atlet pelapis berbasikal negara menggalas cabaran negara pada Kejohanan Trek Remaja Dunia di Invercargill, New Zealand, Ogos ini.

Pengarah Cawangan Pelapis MSN, Jefri Ngadirin berkata, tiga atlet itu ialah Ummi Hamimah Mohamad, Muhamad Firdaus Suahrdi dan Malek Marcus McCrone.


Kejohanan remaja itu diadakan di Velodrom ILT, Invercargill dari 22 hingga 26 Ogos dan dijangka disertai 400 pelumba dari lebih 30 negara.

Sementara itu, Jefri berkata seramai 22 atlet pelapis kebangsaan di naik taraf sebagai atlet elit berikutan pencapaian cemerlang di beberapa kejohanan sepanjang tahun lalu.


"Mereka mula diserap ke kelompok elit mulai bulan lalu dan tempat mereka di unit pelapis akan diisi atlet pelapis negeri," katanya ketika dihubungi Bernama, semalam.


Daripada jumlah 22 atlet itu, tujuh adalah dari sukan angkat berat, tiga masing-masing dari acara berbasikal dan menembak, dua masing-masing dari acara wushu, boling, terjun, sukan layar dan satu dari acara karate (kata).

71 gimnas ikuti kem pemilihan

22/02/2012
71 gimnas ikuti kem pemilihan


BUAT julung kali, 71 gimnas lelaki mengikuti kem pemilihan dan penilaian sukan gimnastik di Gimnasium Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN).

Pengarah Cawangan Pelapis MSN, Jefri Ngadirin berkata, ini kali pertama pihaknya menganjurkan program seumpama itu bagi mencungkil bakat baru gimnas lelaki dari Pusat Pelapis Negeri, Pelapis Serantau dan Pelapis Kebangsaan.


Beliau berkata, kem latihan yang berakhir esok mendapat sambutan menggalakkan dan berharap ia dijadikan program tahunan MSN. “Selain sesi penilaian, atlet juga mengikuti beberapa aktiviti lain termasuk program latihan dikendali bekas jurulatih kebangsaan China, Gao Jian yang juga panel penilai," katanya.

Jefri berkata, pihaknya turut mengadakan sesi pemilihan bagi gimnas elit dan pelapis kebangsaan.


“Saya harap usaha ini dapat mengatasi masalah kekurangan gimnas lelaki berusia antara 10 dan 12 tahun,” katanya.


Beliau berkata, kem itu antara program persiapan atlet negara bagi menghadapi Sukan Sea Myanmar 2013 dan Sukan Sea Singapura 2015. Gimnas lelaki negara, Mohd Irwan Miskob pernah merangkul dua pingat emas pada temasya Sukan Sea Kuala Lumpur 2001 namun beliau gagal meraih sebarang pingat pada Sukan Sea Indonesia, November lalu.

Adiq’s lone medal the saving grace for Malaysia in road cycling

The Star
20/02/2012
By SHAMSHUL FITRI

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia ended the Asian cycling championships road racing with just a silver medal, won by Mohd Adiq Husainie Othman in the men's Under-23 event.

It was definitely a better performance than last year in Thailand where the contingent came home with their tail between their legs after failing to win a single medal from the road events.

However, it has to be noted that there was no Under-23 category last year and Adiq, who is plying his trade with Asian professional continental team Champion System, was a favourite to reach the podium in the race.

National junior riders at the meet generally lacked the tactical acumen to read the race and position themselves in a good spot to counter any attacks from the peloton.

In the men's junior race, the team's strategy went up in smoke after Malek Marcus McCrone, sprinter for the team, crashed out with four laps to go in the 115.2km event.

Coach Soud Hussain had predicted a bunched finish and Malek was their ace in the hole for the final surge.

A number of breakaways took place, but no Malaysian riders were among them.

And it was the riders in the final breakaway group that finished ahead of the peloton, albeit with just a four-second advantage.

In the women's junior race, Noor Azian Maslin Sazali went on a solo breakaway as early as in the second lap of the 76.8km race. But as the peloton increased their pace to catch Azian, her team-mates failed to play an active role in the chase.

The focus of riders and coaches was also subject to question in the dismal performance of the team. Prior to the men's elite time trial, coach Syed Mohd Husaini Syed Mazlan indicated that Mohd Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi would not give his best so as to save himself for the Le Tour de Langkawi which starts on Feb 24.

As a result, Fauzan finished in ninth place, almost four minutes behind winner Eugen Wacker of Kyrgyzstan. Surprisingly, Fauzan was a minute down from Tuguldur Tuulkhangai of Mongolia who finished fifth.

In a race against time with no tactics involved, it was a pity that Malaysia conceded defeat even before the race. And yet, he was satisfied with his performance.

In the men's junior time trial, a blunder by team officials put paid to Ahmad Firdaus Abdul Karim performance.

Prior to the race, Firdaus took his bike out from the holding area after he went for a bike check, meaning that he had to undergo a check once again before the start.

But the team officials overlooked the matter and when Firdaus took to the ramp for the start, race commissaires pulled his bike down for the mandatory check while the clock was already ticking for him.

He finished seventh in 35:46.003 after losing a minute due to the slipup, which otherwise would have produced a medal.

Malaysia finally clinch a road racing medal

Star
18/02/2012
By SHAMSHUL FITRI

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia finally won their first road racing medal in the Asian Cycling Championships, thanks to Mohamed Adiq Husainie Othman.

It was only a silver but there were smiles all around in the Malaysian camp as Adiq finished just half a bike's length behind gold medallist Tomohiro Kinoshita of Japan in the 128km race in the men's Under-23 category. Iranian Arvin Moazemi took the bronze. All three clocked 3'02:05.

"I was actually expecting a gold in the race.


Close fight: Japan's Kinoshita Tomohiro (left) celebrates after crossing the finish line ahead of Malaysia's Mohd Adiq Hussainie Othman (centre) and Iranian Arvin Moazemi in the 128km event at Putrajaya yesterday. — S.S. KANESAN/The Star
"But I just had nothing left in the tank in the last 300 sprint to the finish," said Adiq, a silver medallist in the same event in the junior category in Indonesia in 2009.

Adiq paid tribute to his team-mates – Ahmad Fakhrullah Alias, Mohd Aulhilmie Afif Ahmad Zamri and Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkiflie – for helping him end Malaysia's drought.

"I owe them a lot of thanks. I couldn't have done it without them," said Adiq.

In the women's elite race, Masziyaton Mohd Radzi was the best Malaysian finisher in 14th spot in 3'16:49.

Taiwan's Hsiao Mei Yu took the gold while Gu Sung-eun of South Korea bagged the silver. Thailand's Jutathip Maneephan settled for the bronze. All three also clocked 3'16:49.

Results:

Men's Under-23 (128km): 1. Tomohiro Kinoshita (Jpn) 3'02:05, 2. Mohd Adiq Husainie Othman (Mas), 3. Arvin Moazemi (Iri) all same time; Selected: 10. Ahmad Fakhrullah Alias (Mas) 3'04:03, 29. Mohd Zulihilmie Afif Ahmad Zamri (Mas), Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkiflie (Mas) all same time.

Women's elite (115.2km): 1. Hsiao Mei Yu (Tpe) 3'16:49, 2. Gu Sung-eun (Kor), 3. Jutatip Maneephan (Tha) all same time; Selected: 14. Masziyaton Mohd Radzi (Mas) 3'16:49, 24. Suryani Mohd (Mas) same time, 36. Mardiana Mohd Radzi (Mas) 15 seconds behind, 38. Muslihah Salim (Mas) 23.

Harun: Karim ordered me to tell six sprinters to skip dope test

Star
18/02/2012

KUALA LUMPUR: Former national chief coach Harun Rasheed revealed yesterday that Malaysian Athletic Union (MAU) deputy president Datuk Karim Ibrahim had instructed him to tell six sprinters not to submit their urine samples to the National Sports Institute (NSI) in May last year.

Harun dropped the bombshell during an interview in a sports programme on TV.

"Karim instructed me to tell the six sprinters not to go for the doping test. I told him that it was a big offence to skip the test," said Harun.

"But Karim insisted that I follow his instruction and not to reveal it to the media."

The six sprinters involved are Norjannah Hafiszah Jamaluddin, Siti Fatimah Mohamed, Siti Zubaidah Adabi, Yee Yi Ling, Nurul Sarah Abdul Kadir and Noor Imran Hadi.

Harun, who resigned from the MAU on Nov 17 last year, added that Karim wanted the six sprinters to go for a training-cum-competition stint in Bulgaria.

"However, Siti, Zubaidah and Yi Ling declined to go to Bulgaria after skipping the dope test."

Harun said he also questioned a Bulgarian doctor what kind of vitamins he was giving to relay runner Mohd Yunus Lasaleh but he refused to answer.

"Karim also sent letters to all state associations to tarnish my image.

"I was sad with what was going on in MAU and tendered my resignation after the Indonesia SEA Games.

"However, I was suspended for one year as MAU found me guilty of asking the six sprinters to skip the dope test.

"But it was Karim who instructed me to tell the sprinters not to go."