Cup Champions To Battle

Copa Indonesia champion Sriwijaya FC said Sunday it might play a friendly match against Selangor FC of Malaysia in Jakabaring Staduim in Palembang.

"We need to play more friendly matches before the upcoming season, as our plan to hold the Inter Island Cup early next month has been cancelled," Sriwijaya FC president director Dodi Reza Alex said as quoted by Antara state news agency.

He said his management had talked with Selangor FC to try to arrange the match.

Sriwijaya played a friendly against Perlis FC on Aug. 18.

MOONLIGHTING

There has been talk within the squash fraternity of some foreign coaches doing private coaching sessions , thereby contradicting their terms of the contracts.

It seems that these coaches when questioned have claimed that the Squash Rackets Association of Malaysia have granted them permission to conduct private coaching sessions.

If that is true, then other foreign coaches just need the consent of their national bodies and not the NSC to do the same.

You have your work cut out upon your expected return to work on Sept 7 Dato Zolkples.

BENG HAI TALKS...

Tai Beng Hai is a man under pressure. Appointed to the hot seat of National Coach some eight months ago, Beng Hai has been given the tough task of taking Malaysia to the 2010 New Delhi World Cup via the qualifiers that will be played in October/November this year. For the record Malaysia last played in the World Cup when it was held in Malaysia in 2002 and on merit Malaysia has only made it to the World Cup twice since 1980, the 1982 World Cup in Bombay and the 1998 World Cup in Utrecht.

A task not for the fainthearted but Beng Hai has put his neck on the chopping block. Failure in the qualifiers, to be played in France, New Zealand or Argentina could well result in Beng Hai joining the likes of Paul Lissek, Sarjit Singh, Wallacca Tan, Stephen van Huizen and Yahya Atan as the former national coaches, all within a space of 9 years.

In a no holds barred interview with Malaysian Hockey, Beng Hai talks about the teams chances at the qualifiers, the preparation so far and what is lacking as well as the problems he faces within the team.

Read about it at www.malaysianhockey.blogspot.com, the only site that caters for Malaysian hockey without any assistance from MHF/MHC/MWHA.

NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE?

Word has it that a senior official of a national sports body has been accused of soliciting money to endorse some equipment.

While there has been not been any substiantated proof put forward by the aggrieved party, there cannot be smoke without fire. Still we should give the benefit of doubt to the accused in the absence of clear cut evidence as Malaysian sports is all too famous for making unwarranted allegations to bring down those in power.

It has also been alleged that the supplier has not been paid his dues for work done as this official has stopped payment to the supplier out of revenge for some form of dues owed to him as a result of favours granted.

This sort of thing gives sports a bad name and the sooner the top guns of the national sport body take the appropriate action, the better it will be for all quarters. Such attitude should not be condoned if its true and if there is no evidence of it happening, then the rumours must stop and let the personality lead his life accordingly.

However if there is any truth to it, the official should do the honourable thing and vacate his position....

BOON HUAT - NO GO TO NZ

National player Chua Boon Huat has decided to turn down the offer to play in the New Zealand hockey league. He shares his reasons in an exclusive chat with this blog. Details to follow later today at www.malaysianhockey.blogspot.com

FAM+MHF+BAM+SRAM

What that does equal, failures to say the least. That is the sad state of affairs of Malaysian sports as we usher our 52nd year of independence.

The nation was born on sporting grounds at the stroke of midnight on Aug 31, 1957, at the Selangor Padang (now known as Dataran Merdeka) and at the Merdeka Stadium, where the proclamation of independence was held the next morning. Such is the rich history of sports in this country that we remember our regional and international achievements over the years which has united Malaysians in our pride for the nation.

So what did really go wrong? Does it have to do with the prophecy of Tan Sri Abu Samah, one time Law Minister who was later the OCM President as he was said to have regretted the formation of the NSC by saying that he had created a monster?

FAM has a litany of failures and what was written by Eric Samuel in the Sunday Star was just the tip of the iceberg. Can we construe the decision of not making changes to the competition structure after being directed to do so by the President Sultan Ahmad Shah as "menderhaka"?

But one thing is certain, MHF and FAM have something in common, and its not that it is being headed by the Pahang royalty, but both of them do not have Assistant Secretaries. Are we to assume that both the Secretaries are afraid of their own shadows and that is why prefer to leave the position vacant.

BAM, it has to thank Lee Chong Wei for all the financial support its having as one look down the ladder will show a pitch black hole with no light at the end of the tunnel. They have their priorities wrong and the President should just hand over the Chairmanship of the Coaching Committee to a technical man.

As for SRAM, Tunku Imran was spot on as he said that squash may well end up as it did in Singapore, here today, no where tomorrow. Wonder what former Exec Director of SRAM Kol (B) Wong Ah Jit will have to say as squash has no development to show for the past few years. And before some lays claim about Low Wee Wern, her path was planned when Nicol David won the 2001 Junior title in Penang.

How can we forget the glorious years when our national soccer team used to whip the daylights out of South Korea and Japan in the famous Merdeka Tournament, which was the idea of Tunku Abdul Rahman who was also responsible for the Merdeka Stadium being built in record time for the Merdeka celebrations.

The national team played in the 1972 Munich Olympics and again qualified in 1980 for the Moscow Games, but boycotted the Games for political reasons.

It was not only soccer that Malaysia excelled in but we had the likes of Wong Peng Soon and Eddy Choong dominating the All-England badminton championships from 1950-57, while Tan Aik Huang won in 1966. Malaya also dominated the Thomas Cup from 1949 to win thrice (1949, 1952, 1955) and then again in 1967, before last winning the cup in 1992.

We had the likes of Datuk Dr M. Jegathesan and Ishtiaq Mubarak reaching great heights in athletics in the Olympics. And who can forget the electrifying 1975 World Cup hockey semifinals played at the Merdeka Stadium where Malaysia achieved its best outing in the championship.

Happy Merdeka everyone...

HUMPTY DUMPTY WANNA BE

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king's horses,

And all the king's men,

Couldn't put Humpty together again

That will be the appropriate way to describe FAM's decision to make minor changes to the M-League after such a hue and cry over the past three months. It was a royal command that initiated the changes in the first place but to be honest there is nothing positive that has come out of it.

The requirement to have deposits in FAM is nothing new, and while teams did this in the past, they had a tough time getting their money back from FAM after the ruling was scrapped. As so far as the deposit is concerned, it is a sham as all the states have to do is ask FAM to retain it from the subsidy they are to receive from FAM, so there goes that regulation.

MALAYSIAN CONNECTION TO CARDIFF

PROPERTY tycoon Dato Chan Tien Ghee could be the businessman who ends the mysterious Langston link to Cardiff City.

The Bluebirds owe Langston £15m as part of the club’s £24m debt – and Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale (left) believes getting Malaysian magnate Dato Chan on board will play a significant part in City’s future.

Though yesterday’s developments only went as far as announcing a “strategic marketing alliance with [Dato Chan’s] Football Focus Asia”, Ridsdale believes the partnership will eventually go much further than that.

“We think this is a huge coup for this football club, it really is,” said Ridsdale.

“We know that they have talked to other football clubs in the past about such an alliance and such an investment.

“Having discussed the way we need to repay the debt, we have a great opportunity here.

“The deal will almost certainly include sponsorship and we are already talking about shirt sponsor, stadium naming rights and an investment.

“But I must stress you don’t do things overnight.

“It’s a case of them trusting us and getting to know what we are all about.

“But the Far East market is one of the largest in the world, representing over half the world’s population, and their appetite for football is already proven.”

Already christened ‘TG’ by Ridsdale, Dato Chan is expected to be a special guest at one of Cardiff’s Championship fixture next month.

It is understood the tycoon is keen to see the new Cardiff City Stadium in all its glory and take the opportunity to conduct more talks that could firm up potential sponsorship streams.

But Dato Chan’s business links in Malaysia may be as crucial to securing investment at City as his own personal wealth.

His partner on the $700m Lido Boulevard Waterfront City project in Johor is one of the richest men in Malaysia.

Vincent Tan is worth an estimated $1.3bn and is Malaysia’s ninth richest person, according to the Forbes rich list.

Property investments in Vietnam, which have jumped in value this year, propelled Tan to billionaire status and onto the Forbes rich list.

Lawyer businessman Dato Chan’s links to the Malaysian establishment is given away in his title – Dato is a title which roughly corresponds to the British knighthood.

It can be granted by the ruler or governor in each Malaysian state and is an honorary, non-hereditary title.

The development he is leading at Johor, on the banks of the Straits of Johor, is massive.

It covers 122 acres and will include a 2.4 km boardwalk along Lido Beach, possessing four main components – luxury condominiums, waterfront office suites, a hotel and a shopping mall.

BLOG ON HOCKEY

With no dedicated hockey website on Malaysian Hockey, I am creating this blog , www.malaysianhockey.blogspot.com,to provide readers with an option to read stories on hockey, be it domestic or worldwide. The purpose is to provide info to hockey fans in the country as the governing bodies, be it men, women or the combined body may have their website but remain largely dormant. I will try to upload news from all over the world, news that affects Malaysia and at the same time provide updates on the domestic scene. Thus I hope when one lifts stories from this blog, they will have the decency to credit the blog as well. Wish me luck as I do not earn a single cent from doing this but it is passion for sports that drives me.

MIXED DOUBLES COACH DOWN WITH H1N1?

A Malaysian mixed doubles badminton coach at the World Championships is suspected to have contracted the Influenza A(H1N1).

The coach, believed to be Jeremy Gan, arrived in Hyderabad several days ago was tested negative for the H1N1 initially.

However as he had yet to recover, he has been admitted to the Chest Hospital in Erragadda, about 10km from the Gawchibowli Stadium and results of his second test will be known later today.

Two Malaysian journalists who were to cover the World Champs did not make the trip as the employers felt that the H1N1 threat was serious enough to keep them home. Looks like the decision proved to be right.

REVAMPING M-LEAGUE

There have been many reports with regards to FAM revamping the M-League, all with the same conclusion, that FAM will do all they can to ensure Pahang remains in the top flight of Malaysian football next season.

The survival of clubs also has been brought into question with the general consensus being that clubs will be out of the Super League and made to play together in the Premier League. I have one question though, who came up with the title Super and Premier Leagues? While FAM are at it, changing the structure, could they also just change the name of the divisions to First, Second and so forth so as to stop the confusion.

Do we blame the Competitions Committee for any changes that are being proposed or isn't it the responsibility of the FAM secretariat to provide them with the input and suggestions pertaining to improvements of the league.

It is the responsibility of the paid staff to advise the Sub-Committee's accordingly but then again if the paid staff have the interest of their state of origin at heart, then what can we do but hope and pray that Malaysian football will rise from the ashes some day.

So, going by my learned friends in the blogsphere, FAM will retain Pahang, demote PDRM, promote one team from the Premier League, maybe T-Team. But if the story of clubs moving down to play on their own is true, then the likes of MyTeam FC and Johor FC will have to vacate their places in the Super League, thereby only 11 teams remain in the Super League.

Confusing to say the least, but I will leave it to the experts in football to speculate on what FAM will do as for me it is a sheer waste of time talking about FAM.

Lights Out

We have four hockey stadiums in the Kuala Lumpur area but only one of them is fully operational at the moment, that is the Tun Razak Stadium in Jalan Duta.

The second stadium at Bukit Jalil has been under repair as the lights are being replaced and the national mens team had to share half a pitch with the womens squad upon returning from Dublin.

The first pitch at Bukit Jalil has a depression on the pitch that has yet to be repaired and also has yet to get it's lights fixed.

At the Pantai KLHA Stadium the facility is unable to cater for night matches as many it's bulbs need to be replaced.

So the national team that is to train at night has no where to go, unless it's Kuantan, JB or Ipoh as a training ground. And yes I forgot about the Deputy Presidents home turf in Malacca

TUN RAZAK CUP

The 47th edition of the Tuz Razak Cup has created a record of sorts, not only will there be 16 teams participating, but there will be three venues used, namely the Tun Razak Stadium, KLHA Stadium Pantai and the National Hockey Stadium.

Trust MHF to complicate matters as they have opted to play the matches at three venues when all they had to do was to modify the competition, move 2nd Division the runner-up of the last tournament Selangor into the top division, thus having eight teams in each division. That would mean 28 matches in each division, and that will lead to each team playing a minimum of seven matches, worth their while in spending all that money coming down for a hastily organised tournament that CLASHES with the MASUM tournament that will be held in Perak over this weekend, thus preventing many talented players from institutions of higher learning to play in the Razak Cup, wonder if the President is aware of this.

As it stands, some team will play only five matches, including the placing matches, which in reality are a sheer waste of money. But who cares as long as the calander is fulfilled right.

MATCH SCHEDULE

Thursday, 13.08.2009

0730- KLHA Singapore vs Brunei
0900- KLHA PDRM vs Sabah
1530 - KLHA Selangor vs Pahang
1730- KLHA Perlis vs Kedah
1500 - STR K. Lumpur vs Projek 2013
1700 - STR Johor vs N. Sembilan
1900 - STR Perak vs Melaka

Friday, 14.08.2009

1530 - KLHA Brunei vs PDRM
1730 - KLHA ATM vs Singapore
1500 - STR N. Sembilan vs Projek 2013
1700 - STR Perak vs Penang
1900 - STR Melaka vs Johor

Saturday, 15.08.2009

0730 - NHS Pahang vs Kedah
0930 - NHS Perlis vs Selangor
1530 - KLHA ATM vs Brunei
1730 - KLHA Singapore vs Sabah
1500 - NHS Penang vs Melaka
1700 - NHS Projek 2013 vs Perak
2030 -STR Johor vs K. Lumpur

Sunday, 16.08.2009

1530 - KLHA ATM vs Sabah
1730 - KLHA PDRM vs Singapore
1500 - STR Johor vs Perak
1700 - STR K. Lumpur vs Melaka
1900 - STR Penang vs N. Sembilan

Monday, 17.08.2009

0730 - KLHA Selangor vs Kedah
0900 - KLHA Pahang vs Perlis
1530 - KLHA Sabah vs Brunei
1730 - KLHA PDRM vs ATM
1500 - STR K. Lumpur vs Penang
1700 - STR Projek 2013 vs Johor
1900 - STR N. Sembilan vs Perak

Tuesday, 18.08.2009

0730 - KLHA 3rd Grp A vs 4th Grp B
0900 - KLHA 3rd Grp B vs 4th Grp A
1530 - KLHA 1st Grp A vs 2nd Grp B
1730 - KLHA 1st Grp B vs 2nd Grp A
1500 - STR N. Sembilan vs Melaka
1700 - STR K. Lumpur vs Perak
1900 - STR Penang vs Projek 2013

Wednesday, 19.08.2009

1530 - KLHA Loser 32 vs Loser 33
1730 - KLHA Winner 32 vs Winner 33
1500 - STR Melaka vs Projek 2013
1700 - STR Johor vs Penang
1900 - STR K. Lumpur vs N. Sembilan

Thursday, 20.08.2009

0730 - KLHA Loser 34 vs Loser 35
0930 - KLHA 5th Placing vs 6th Placing
0800 - STR 3rd Placing vs 4th Placing
1500 - STR Winner 34 vs Winner 35
1700 - STR 1st Placing vs 2nd Placing

Less Funding For Development

While the sports fraternity over the weekend celebrated the discussion about sports industry, Sportexcel is wondering if they can survive the economic crisis as they are fast losing charter members who finance their programs. And what is more surprising is that some of those withdrawing are big boys in the corporate world that feel giving a measly RM15000 towards development will affect their profits.

A look at the Sportexcel website will show you some 20 charter members, of which it is learnt that three big guns will be withdrawing their support soon or have withdrawn. Two are gaming companies while the other is a bank.

So how do we expect sports in the country to achieve greater heights when you have some people who think that taking RM15,000 and letting kids play competetively at a young age a sheer waste of funds. Over to you main stream media to unveil it.

Kiwis whip Malaysia

No, that is not what you are thinking, a Malaysian player showing a vulgar sign but just Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin losing his stick during the first test match against New Zealand which Malaysia lost 3-0, the first of their five test matches. Below is the report from NZ Herald.


By Terry Maddaford

The Black Sticks men stormed back into the international arena with an encouraging 3-0 win over Malaysia in Napier yesterday.

Ahead 2-0 at halftime, the New Zealanders were rarely under pressure in winning the opening match of the five-test series.

After the match, defender Dean Couzins said it was a good day for the side and a good start to the series after a break.

"They played pretty much as we expected," said Couzins, who shared the fullback duties with Blair Hopping. "They played a lot of ball through their right and left halves down the side lines and, as usual, they counter-attacked well."

The Black Sticks forced two penalty corners to one but without either threatening to score. Dominating from the outset, the home side went ahead in the 25th minute. Captain Phil Burrows dribbled deep into Malaysian territory before finding Simon Child, who provided the finishing touch.

From a similar move just before the break, local player Nick Wilson set up Wellington's Joel Baker.

The only goal in the second spell was scored by Child after good lead-up play from Ben Collier - one of five players used off the bench by coach Shane McLeod.

With only 16 players to be named for each match, McLeod, with a squad of 20, has to rest four players. Injured striker Dave Kosoof was joined on the sideline yesterday by back-up goalkeeper Stephen Graham, Richard Petherick and Casey Henwood.

The second test is in Palmerston North tomorrow night.

WHY BOTHER MHF,MWHA?

Malaysia had mixed fortunes in the AHF indoor championships as the men lost to Iran but the womens team won the title in Ipoh.

The fact of the matter, irrespective of the results is that MHF and MWHA did not bother about this tournament to start with. Both knew about the tournament yet their "tidak apa atitude" towards the tournament.

Let's take MHF, they only told Sapura that they were participating sometime mid July, and they were to field one team. The participation of the second squad was only done at the MHF Council meeting held on July 18. So what kind of preparation would you expect from them. Sapura did well to make the final, winning it was not going to happen as Iran are far too good given the shoddy way MHF approaches these tournaments.

And now we move on to MWHA. It was a KLHA squad that participated and nothing to do with MWHA except for the fact that they insisted that it be a MWHA official who manages the squad. How did the second team come about, well it had to take a stern phone call from Tan Sri Alagendra to get MWHA moving and thats how a bunch of school girls had to fill the spot. Want more, well the second Malaysian team stayed in the school hostel, representing Malaysia as MWHA did not want to foot their bill.

Custodians of hockey in the country, yeah right...

ER SUBRA QUITS FAM

One of FAM's longest serving servants, ER Subramaniam has resigned effective August 19, 2009. Subra who is the head of the Youth Department had served FAM for 14 years, having served under five General Secretaries. He has taken up the position of CEO of the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia, a body that was set up a few months ago.

The brain drain continues in FAM, but that one person who will contribute much to improve Malaysian football standards just refuses to budge...

KISMAS DAY ONE

Malaysia needs to gather data on its sports industry before it can determine the sector's contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said that without such information, it was difficult for the government to make any plans for the industry although the sports sector had been identified by the government as one of the major contributors to the national economy.

"We have to gather the data and download it into a database before any plans can be made," he told reporters after opening the Malaysian Sports Industry Convention 2009 (Kismas 09), here Friday.

The two-day convention, which began today, is attended by 500 participants who are involved directly or indirectly in the sports industry, aimed at identifying the role of the sports industry in the national economy.

Najib said the contribution of the sports sector in generating the economy of a nation could not be denied because in the United States, the sports industry generated almost USD40 billion (RM1.4 trillion) to the national economy.

The Prime Minister said in line with the government's plan to declare 2011 as the Sports Industry Year to boost the development of the sector in the country, the sports industry must be managed properly.

Before that date, all plans that could boost the sector must be drawn up, Najib said.

He said that in order to develop the country's sports sector, which was still dependent on the government and private sector, efforts must be made to churn out athletes of world standard.

This was because the private sector liked to be associated with success, and in order to get the sector's support, particularly in terms of funding, the country must continue to churn out athletes of world standard.

In his opening address, Najib outlined six perspectives that could transform sports into a lucrative industry in Malaysia.

Firstly, he said sports was based on the performance of the individual athlete in achieving success in his or her respective sports.

Secondly, he said sports was a strong element in national unity where sports went far beyond religious, racial and political barriers.

Thus sports was a form of nation building, citing a good example when China hosted the Beijing Olympic Games last year, the Games became a great pride for the country and its people, he said.

In the fourth perspective, Najib, who is also a sports enthusiast, said sports could promote a healthy lifestyle among the populace.

Additionally, he said sports could further enhance tourism by promoting the country's interesting destinations.

Lastly, he said, sports was an industry by itself, and "we can ensure that sports can turn into an industry and contribute to national economic growth."

PM AND MILO

The Prime Minister at the KISMAS Convention provided a good example as to how marketing actually helps brands prosper.

He said, in the 60's one had a chance to chose between Milo and Ovaltine. But today there is no such chance left, but only Milo. Simply because Milo must be associated with sports. In the annual school sports, all one had to do was ask and Milo sent their trucks to give out free Milo. Over time it became synonymous with sports, as it provides energy (which the PM said was debatable). Therefore Milo started to dominate sports as those in the associations started supporting Milo.The taste of Milo in this country is very much different from other countries and during his time as defence Minister, many personnel from Bangladesh and India took home Milo from Malaysia as they liked its taste.

YAKEB, WHAT ARE ITS INTENTIONS?

Yakeb was formed to look into the welfare of its athletes and sometime in January this year about 100 odd ex-international athletes signed up as members at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil. From then on it has been all systems go for Yakeb and it has got the government to award it RM3 million during its launch last month. Several other corporate giants too provided funds.

It was reported thatYakeb will also introduce a special emergency aid scheme annually. To help athletes, who are doing business, Yakeb will assist in the formation of Koperasi Atlet Malaysia Berhad.

Here is where it gets interesting as the Koperasi Atlet Malaysia Berhad was launched on August 1 at the Bukit Jalil Sports school where some 70 to 80 athletes were present, as was the former Sports Minister Ismail Sabri who governs co-operatives these days.

A total of 9 Board Members were elected, with the likes of Datuk Paduka Mumtaz Jaafar, Zaiton Othman, Datuk Nashater Singh, P. Selvarani, Malik Noor and Maninderjit Singh amongst them.
What was funny was there was a list circulated with a select group of names to be nominated to the Board and nominations were closed the moment it reached the required nine candidates. And there was even auditors appointed even before the Koperasi Board Members were appointed.

And if it interests you, then note this, the expected income for the Koperasi was RM50 million with RM44 million stated as miscelanous expenditure. And there was even an entry for RM1 million for depriciation of assets, even though before they get started. And of of this happened in broad daylight...

MALAYSIAN SPORTS INDUSTRY CONVENTION

KISMAS 2009 or as it is known, Malaysia Sports Industry Convention 2009 will commence tomorrow at the Berjaya Times Square Convention Centre, KL. Sadly there has not been much coverage of this event that could provide fresh impetus for our sports industry that has only been result driven ever since the 1998 Commonwealth Games

The opening speaker for the convention is Martin Toomey. Marty is SPARC's High Performance Manager, and is directly accountable for the implementation of SPARC's high performance strategy. Before joining SPARC in 2002, he was a Performance Director with the New Zealand Sports Foundation. He worked as Fitness Trainer with Team New Zealand (1998-2000) and the All Blacks (1994-1999). Early in his career, he established and led the Human Performance Centre at Otago University (1989-1996). Immediately after graduating with a Masters Degrees in Physical Education, Marty worked as a raft guide, white-water canoeing instructor and ski guide. He remains a keen recreational skier, cyclist and runner. He lives in Wellington with his wife and 2 children.

Another keynote speaker is Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich, founder and president of the United States Sports Academy, has been a major figure in sport around the world for over 40 years as a coach and an educator. Interestingly Rosandich was a national track coach for Malaya, Laos, Singapore, Borneo, and Indonesia in Olympiads from the 1956 Games in Melbourne to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He was a consultant for the Panamanian Olympic Team in 1968, attended the 1972 Munich Olympics as a consultant for the Philippines, and was a Bahrain representative at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. In 1995 Dr. Rosandich was Team Leader of the U.S. Team Handball teams at the Pan American Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dr. Rosandich was also responsible for the founding of what is now called the South East Asia (SEA) Games. He founded the United States Sports Academy in 1972. He has served as its Chief Executive Officer since 1976. He presently serves on the USOC's Education Committee, the Athlete Identification and Development Committee, and the International Relations Committee.

In 1997, Dr. Rosandich received the highest award of the International Olympic Committee, The Olympic Order. The Olympic Order is "bestowed upon persons who have illustrated the Olympic ideal through his action, has achieved remarkable merit in the sporting world, or has rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause."

Friday, August 7th 2009

9:00am - 10:30am
1) Keynote: The Impact of the Sports Industry on a Nation’s Performance
Speaker : Mr. Martin Toomey
General Manager for High Performance in New Zealand (SPARC).

11:30am - 12:30pm
2) Keynote Address by: The Most Honorable Prime Minister
Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Abdul Razak

2:45pm - 3.45pm
3) Keynote: Sports Education – Empowering the Industry
Speaker: Dr. T.J. Rosandich (United States Sports Academy, USA)
Chairperson: Y.Bhg. Dato’ Nik Mahmud bin Nik Yusoff (PJS)

3:45pm - 4:45pm
4) Panel Discussion: Business Strategies in Sports Industry - The Malaysian Scenario
Panels:
a) Y.Bhg. Dato’ Radha Krishnan (UFL)
b) Y.Bhg. Dato’ Dina Rizal (SportsUnite)
Chairperson: Y.Bhg. Dato’ Syed Nadzri (NSTP)

4:45pm - 5:30pm
5) Panel Discussion: Sports Medicine & Sports Science in Malaysia - Ringing the Changes
Panels:
a) Dr. Khairi Zawi (UiTM)
b) Assoc. Prof. Dr. John George (UM)
Chairperson: Prof. Rabindarjeet Singh (USM)

5:30pm - 6:15pm
6) Panel Discussion: Sports Marketing and Media Strategies in a Challenging Economy
Panels:
a) En. Azran Osman Rani, CEO AirAsia X Sdn. Bhd.
b) Mr. Manu Sawhney, ESPN STAR Sports
Chairperson: Mr. Sanjay Raina, VP Marketing Astro


Saturday, August 8th

9:00am - 10:00am
7) Keynote: Managing the Commercialization and Maintenance of Sports Facilities
Speaker: a) Mr. Steve Jones (Australia Institute of Sports)
Chairperson: YBhg Dato' Abd Wahab Maskan (Sime Darby Berhad)

10:00am - 11:00am
8) Panel Discussion: Optimizing Private Enterprise in Sports Development
Speakers:
a) Mr. Ted Meekma (Consultant Sime Darby, formerly IMG)
b) YAM Tunku Tan Sri Imran Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Jaafar (Sports Excel)
Chairperson: Y.Bhg. RAdm Dato’ Pahlawan Danyal Balagopal Abdullah (Deerama Corp)

11:00am—12:00pm
9) Panel Discussion: Event Management and Sports Tourism - Marketing Destinations Through Sports
Panels:
a) Mr. Keld Kristiansen (Carbon Worldwide)
b) Y.Bhg. Dato’ Peter Gilmore (T-Best)
Chairperson: Puan Wan Zaleha Radzi (Asia Promote)

12:00pm - 1:00pm
CLOSING :
Luncheon Address by The Honourable Youth & Sports Minister
YB. Dato’ Ahmad Shabery Cheek

SHAIFUL AZLI MYANMAR BOUND

Former Malaysian International Shaiful Azli Abdul Rahman will be coaching the Myanmar Under 18 team for the AHF Under 18 tournament to be held in November this year.

AHF Hon. Secretary Tan Sri P. Alagendra confirmed that Shaiful Azli will be taking up the position in the middle of August.

However what is more interesting is the MHF Coaching Committee had in its stormy meeting held on July 11 made a ruling that all coaches desirous of taking up foreign appointments must get the necessary approvals from MHF.

CHUA CALLING IT QUITS?

After Azlan Misron announced his retirement some 10 days ago, another national player, Chua Boon Huat is expected to throw in his towel soon. It is believed that Chua has commenced work with a company and wants to concentrate on his career. He was one of the players "rested" for the Down Under Tour as well as Test Matches with New Zealand. While national coach Tai Beng Hai was diplomatic by stating his decision to leave out some seniors was to provide them with an opportunity for rest, his assistant Nor Saiful Zaini was more outright, stating that these players had played badly in the Champions Challenge Tournament in Dublin early last month. When contacted Chua neither confirmed or denied his quit decision stating that he was to meet Team Manager George Koshy.

While the loss of these seniors will have an adverse effect on Malaysia's chances at the World Cup Qualifiers in November, there is something else brewing as well placed sources expect Beng Hai to throw in his towel soon.

Interesting times for MHF whose officials were conspicously missing from the AHF Indoor Championships in Ipoh...

AHF INDOOR DAY 2

Malaysia 'A' scored their second win in as many days in the 2nd Asian Hockey Federation Indoor Championships at the Indera Mulia Stadium in Ipoh when they outclassed Thailand 10-1.

However their counterparts Malaysia 'B' were given a lesson in indoor hockey when Iran whipped them 6-1.

Mohd Rodhanizam Mat Radzi scored in the 6th minute off a penalty corner to put Malaysia ahead and then the goals flowed freely.

Malaysia were awarded seven penalty corners in the first half and scored four goals. Besides Rodhanizam, the others who scored off penalty corners were Kevan Raj (7th minute), Ahmad Kazamirul Nazamudin (12th minute) and S. Kuhan (17th minute). Ahmad scored the other of a delightful deflection in the 10th minute for a 5-0 lead at halftime.

Kuhan scored his second in the 23rd minute of Malaysia's ninth penalty corner to make it 6-0. Malaysia's other goals were scored by Keevan (27th minute), Kuhan (33rd minute) and Redza Maadun (38th and 39th minutes). Thailand scored their consolation through Thanop Kampanthong in the 36th minute.

In the women's competition, Malaysia 'A' outclassed Uzbekistan 8-2 but the Malaysia 'B' side lost 3-0 to Iran.

Iran were made to work hard by the young Malaysia 'B' side who were made up of school girls from Raja Perempuan School. Experience won it for Iran who scored through Azar Teimouri Tollabi (11th and 37th minutes) and Fatemah Kohan Sal (30th minute)

Meanwhile Kazakhstan defeated Thailand 7-0. Natalia Gataulina who scored a hattrick in their win over Malaysia 'B' on Monday was in her element, netting five out of the seven Kazak's goals.

Natalia scored in the 2nd, 27th, 29th, 32nd and 38th minutes while Yelena Velyanova scored a brace in the 8th and 31st minutes.

IRANIAN WOMEN SHOW THE WAY

The Iranian women's hockey team at the AHF Indoor Championship's have created an impact though it is only day two of the competition. After holding the Malaysia 'A' team to a 3-3 draw yesterday, Iran defeated the Malaysian 'B' team 3-0 today at the Indera Mulia Stadium in Ipoh.

But it is not only their performances that have got the spectators take notice and watch. Coming for a strict muslim country, the apparel worn by the Iranian team too is "eye-catching" as they are covered in accordance with the requirements of Islam, but it has not hampered their performances on the pitch.

For the record, only Indoor Hockey is played in Iran and there are 24 teams competing in their league. Though they have four artificial outdoor pitches, women's hockey is not played outdoor.

Their apparel could be a source of inspiration to muslim girls in Malaysia who want to take up sports. Even some state sports council's could look into copying the attrire for Sukma next year.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

When Zalina Md Zahid in not in her office at the second stadium of the National Hockey Complex, she is on the pitch, training with the national women's team.

Zalina is the Executive secretary of the Malaysian Women's Hockey association and is considered the right hand women to Hon. secretary S. Shamala. The 25 year old who represented Malaysia from 2002 to 2006, and has 54 international caps to her credit hails from Johor.

She is currently representing Malaysia 'A' in the AHF Indoor Championships and can be seen looking after administrative matters for both the teams, even though she is here as a player. MWHA is fortunate that there are ex-players in the likes of Zalina that still contribute towards women's hockey in the country.

Zalina can probably lay claim to being the only Executive Secretary of a national sports association that is still actively playing. MWHA should also deserve some credit for allowing Zalina an opportunity to represent the nation and giving employment opportunities to their players to excel in administration.

AHF INDOOR IN PIXS

AHF SEC GEN TAN SRI ALAGENDRA WITH M'SIA 'B' TEAM

MALAYSIA 'A' v UZBEKISTAN

MALAYSIA 'A" v UZBEKISTAN

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Berikkazy Seksenbayev may not be a familiar name to the current era of Malaysian hockey fans, but he was one of those who set alight the Malaysian Hockey League in the early 1990's.

And that was not all, for Berik, then playing for Russia in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, scored two goals in Malaysia's 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Russians.

He represented Detas in the 1991/92 season of the MHL and moved on to play for MBF until 1996, and in the process won the best player award for a record five times. Berik is in Ipoh for the AGF Indoor Championships, heading the Kazakhstan team.

And though this my come as a surprise of many, Berik is now the First Vice President of the Kazakhstan Hockey Federation, a position he assumed last year.

"I wanted to help hockey in my country and what better way but to get involved with the hockey federation," said Berik who is attached to the Kazakhstan Natural Resources Ministry.

"There is much potential in terms of talent but we lack the necessary exposure and believe it or not we do not even have a single artificial pitch in the country.

"Maybe my friends from Malaysia can help us secure a pitch as we have the infrastructure in place but lack the funding for a pitch."

Berik represented Russia from 1984 to 1992 before the split of the CCCP and played for Kazakhstan in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima. Although he was shortlisted to play in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, his youth, for he was only 18 then, worked against his favour.

Tha father of two girls and a boy is a staunch muslim and in memory of his father, Berik built and named a mosque in Almaty after his late father Tomobek Kazu. Infact the complex surrounding the mosque has a number of halal food outlets.

Berik is all for the promotion of club hockey as Dynamo Almaty, the club Berik played for in the CCCP league won the Russian title for 19 times, with Berik having played in 7 of those wins. The club also won the European Club Championship twice in the early 80's.

"Coming to Malaysia is like coming home for me as there are so many fond memories of this country for me," said Berik who has two books published in Kazakhstan about his exploits in international hockey.

"Some of my best hockey moments were in Malaysia and I do hope Malaysian hockey will rise again as it has the potential to do well.

AHF INDOOR DAY ONE

The 2nd Asian Hockey Federation Indoor Championships got underway at the Indera Mulia Stadium in Ipoh with the Malaysian girls teams having mixed fortunes in the morning matches and the men's "A" team getting off to a winning start.

Malaysia 'A' got off to a winning start when they edged Malaysia 'B' 2-0 , but the performance of the day belonged to Uzbekistan who gave Thailand a lesson in indoor hockey, blanking them 13-1.

Malaysia 'A' represented by Sapura relied on old hands in the likes of S.Kuhan and Keevan Raj to net the goals in either half.

The win gives Malaysia 'A' sufficient match practice they need ahead of their game against the Thais tomorrow.

In the women's event, the hastily assembled Malaysian “B” team, represented by players from Raja Perempuan School Ipoh went down 6-2 to Kazakhstan while the Malaysia “A” team were held to a 3-3 draw by Iran.

Malaysia “A” dominated the opening half and forced six penalty corners but only found the net once, that through a penalty stroke converted by A. Kanagi in the 13th minute.

Comprising mostly of ex-internationals in the likes of Nor Saliza Ahmad Soobni, Kanagi, Nurul Nabila Burhanudin, the Malaysia “A” side were guilty of holding on to the ball for too long and not making use of the boards. And Iran capitalized by netting the equalizer in the 26th minute through Somayeh Yuosefi. Iran were awarded a penalty stroke in the 30th minute and Leila Rahimi made no mistake from the spot to give Iran the lead.

In the 32nd minute Kanagi slotted home from a penalty corner set piece to draw Malaysia “A” level before a mesmerizing run by her led to Malaysia being awarded a penalty stroke in the 34th minute which Nurul Nabila duly converted to put Malaysia 3-2 ahead. But Iran managed to equalize with two minutes left through Azar Teimouri Tollabi who converted a penalty corner.

Credit though must be given to the Malaysian “B” side as they only knew that they were required to participate last Thursday and with two days of training they gave the Kazak’s a good fight, despite the flattering scoreline.

Their spirit was further epitomized by the fighting display of Siti Rohayu Hashim (pix) who was determined to play on despite receiving a knock on her hand that required an x-ray to be done. She carried on playing with the hand swollen.

Malaysia “B” opened scoring through Amirah Waklif Ramlee in the 6th minute, but after that Kazakhstan took over. Gulnara Imangaliyeva equalized in the 13th minute before Yelena Velyanova put Kazak’s ahead in the 16th minute. By halftime they were 4-1 ahead thanks to goal by Natalia Gataulina (18th minute) and Vera Domashneva (19th minute).

Imangaliyeva put Kazak 5-1 ahead in the 30th minute before Mashitah Mohd Nasir reduced the deficit in the 33rd minute. Gataulina completed the scoring for Kazak in the next minute to give her team a comfortable 6-2 win.

In another match Uzbekistan defeated Thailand 4-2 thanks to a hattrick by Kristina Sereda.

She scored in the 13th, 24th and 33rd minutes to give Uzbekistan the valuable three points. Though Uzbekistan were the superior side though the Thai girls did create enough goal scoring chances but failed to capitalize. Uzbek’s other goal was scored by Difuza Sharipova in the 3rd minute while Thailand’s solitary goal was scored via Jirawana Nasaree in the 26th minute.

UNSUNG HEROES

I spent a better part of the day watching a tournament held in Seremban to honour former hockey player, the late Jispal Singh who died in an accident in 2006. The tournament, being held for the second year of running was organised by friends of Jispal, brothers Keshminder and Daljit from Seremban.

The tournament is catered for those above 36 years and the invitational tournaments saw 10 teams participating. It was`nice to see the likes of the Fidelis brothers Gary and Derek, Ajitpal and Ranjit, Datuk Poon Foke Loke, Colin Sta Maria, Raymo9nd Tio, I,Vikneswaran, Mohd Nor (the 56 year old former RMR player who.is now a successful businesman and grandfather), Harbinder Singh and a host of others,

But one personality caught my eye, William Fidelis, a man who has contributed decades of his life for Negri hockey.

The 74 year old William was frail, recovering from injuries he suffered in an accident two years ago, but still had a lot to talk about todays hockey standards. Neglecting development says William is why we are in the doldrums and who can say he is wrong? This is a man who is on the pitch from 2.30pm daily coaching the youngsters of Negri.

William's fond memory of a tournament was in the Razak Cup in Terengganu in 1991 when he coached NS to defeat the KL side which was represented by 16 national players coached by Sri Shan and Selangor who were helmed by C.Paramalingam.

Before I forget another hockey great Lawrence van Huizen celebrates his 79th birthday today, Happy Birthday Oji.