sport 쐽 THE STRAITS TIMES MONDAY, JANUARY 5 2009 PAGE B12
‘SEA GAMES
A CIRCUS’
Axing of Olympic sports,
inclusion of capteh,
upsets Malaysian minister
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Sports Minis-
ter Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has la-
belled the South-east Asia Games a cir-
cus.
Incensed that first-time host Laos,
who will stage the next edition in Decem-
ber, has dropped Olympic sports such as
gymnastics and hockey, but included
events such as fin swimming and shuttle-
cock kicking (capteh), he said the biennial
regional sports fest will no longer be a pri-
ority for Malaysia.
SEA Games hosts have historically had
a big say in the number and type of sports
that feature in each edition. Among the
reasons cited are the lack of facilities,
equipment or technical expertise.
The SEA Games’ previous edition in
Korat, Thailand, featured 43 sports, from
which Malaysia took 68 golds, its best
“away” showing.
But this year’s edition in Laos is expect-
ed to feature only 25 sports.
As such, Malaysia has already “lost”
some 34 golds as the country’s traditional
Creating a buzz for action
AROUND 30 youth ambassadors of Create Action Now!
(CAN!), a youth initiative in celebration of the Singapore 2010
Youth Olympic Games (YOG), took to the streets along
Orchard Road and the Bugis area yesterday.
Dressed in lime-green T-shirts and freezing momentarily in
various poses with their signboards and placards, they were
out to raise awareness and interest for Saturday’s CAN! youth
event at the Singapore Management University (SMU)
Campus Green.
The event is jointly organised by the four local universities
– SMU, Nanyang Technological University, National
University of Singapore and Singapore Institute of
Management. It is supported by the Singapore Youth Olympic
Games Organising Committee.
The activities lined up include a non-competitive 2,010m
run, a sports carnival featuring three YOG sports and a music
concert featuring local bands.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community
Development, Youth and Sports, will be the guest of honour
for the festival. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Next 72 hours
Today
Football
English FA Cup: Blyth Spartans v Blackburn
(Live, Ch24, tomorrow, 3.55am).
Tennis
Hopman Cup: USA v Slovakia (Live, Ch24,
5pm)
ATP Qatar Open: Day 1 (Live, Ch24, 9pm).
Tomorrow
Football
Dubai Football Challenge: Hamburg SV v AC
Milan (Live, Ch27, 10.55pm)
English League Cup s-finals: Tottenham
Hotspur v Burnley (Live, Ch24, Wednesday,
3.55am).
Tennis
Hopman Cup: France v Italy (Live, Ch24,
9.30am)
ATP Qatar Open: Day 2 (Live, Ch24, 9pm).
Wednesday
Football
English League Cup s-finals: Derby County v
Manchester United (Live, Ch27, Thursday,
3.40am)
Tennis
Hopman Cup: USA v Germany (Live, Ch24,
9.30am)
ATP Qatar Open: Day 3 (Live, Ch24, 9pm).
gold prospects, such as tenpin bowling
and squash, have been sidelined.
“What is the use of concentrating on
the SEA Games when it does not offer
popular sports which are in the Olympics,
Asian Games and Commonwealth
Games,” The New Straits Times quoted
Datuk Seri Ismail as saying after he
launched the Youth Square at Bukit Jalil
on Saturday.
“Even in a hundred years, fin swim-
ming will not make it to the Olympics,
and so, it is better that our preparations
be watered down.”
Bernama quoted the minister as saying
that Malaysia might send second-string-
ers to Laos, although his ministry would
discuss the matter with the National
Sports Council and the Olympic Council
of Malaysia before making the decision.
He was also upset with the cancella-
tion of cycling, although The Straits
Times could not confirm this. He noted:
“If Laos say that they can’t organise in-
door cycling because they do not have a
velodrome, it is understandable. But they
have even done away with the road races,
and I am sure they have roads there.
“It is fast turning into a community
Games, and that is why it is better we con-
centrate on the 2010 Commonwealth and
Asian Games as they are good stepping
stones to excel at the Olympics.”
Safin triumphs despite
sporting two black eyes
PERTH: Marat Safin (right) has admitted being
involved in a brawl in Moscow last week, but
wasted no time declaring he had won the fight.
The Russian tennis star stunned fans when
he turned up late at the Hopman Cup sporting
two black eyes, but he recovered in time to
beat Italian Simone Bolelli 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in his
opening match yesterday.
“I won the fight, I’m good, I’m okay,” he
said. “I got in trouble in Moscow but it’s okay,
I can survive. I just wasn’t in the right place at
the right time.”
He and younger sister Dinara Safina teamed
up to beat the Italian pair of Bolelli and Flavia
Pennetta 2-1 in the Group B tie.
He later confirmed 2009 would likely be the
last year of a career that has netted two Grand
Slams, two Davis Cups and the No. 1 ranking,
and also left a long trail of broken rackets.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
“This is what dreams are made of.”
Striker Matthew Green, after scoring the
winner for non-league side Torquay in their 1-0
upset over Blackpool, a Championship team 60
rungs above, in the FA Cup’s third round.
“What is the use of concentrating on “If Laos say that they can’t organise
the SEA Games when it does not offer indoor cycling because they do not
popular sports which are in the have a velodrome, it is
Olympics, Asian Games and understandable. But they have even
Commonwealth Games? Even in a done away with the road races, and I
hundred years, fin swimming will not am sure they have roads there.”
make it to the Olympics.”
DATUK SERI ISMAIL, Malaysia’s Sports Minister
Games relevant to S’pore: Teo
BY LIN XINYI although the result is that the SEA Games
are perceived as less competitive and
“more social”.
SINGAPORE’S Senior Parliamentary Sec-
ST FILE PHOTO Singapore National Olympic Council
retary (Community Development, Youth
and Sports) Teo Ser Luck says the secretary-general Chris Chan also feels
that the SEA Games are not in danger of
South-east Asia Games are still relevant
to the Republic. losing their significance.
SEA Games 2009 He explained: “The SEA Games can be “For the man in the street, the SEA
Games have a lot of meaning because of
a test bed for us to identify good athletes
the rivalry among neighbours,” he noted.
to groom.”
*Sports that will feature: Athletics, aquatics “It’s a big thing when Singapore beat
However, he conceded that they are Malaysia in football. More so than if we
(diving, swimming), archery, badminton,
now secondary to higher-level meets like were to beat a team, like say, Bahrain.”
billiards and snooker, cycling, boxing, fin
the Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic He also said that it is important that
swimming (above), football, golf, judo,
Games. Singapore accommodate their neigh-
karate, muay thai, petanque, sepak takraw,
He explained that Singapore’s sporting bours, and take into account their histori-
shooting, shuttlecock kicking, silat, table
success over the last two years, including cal background.
tennis, taekwondo, tennis and soft tennis,
the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where the For example, it would be natural for La-
volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu.
women’s table tennis team clinched the os – a former French protectorate – to in-
Olympic sports that are missing: Fencing,
Republic’s first medal in 48 years, and clude petanque, a game that originated in
gymnastics, handball, hockey, rowing, sailing.
swimmer Tao Li finished fifth in the France.
Other sports that have been dropped:
100m butterfly final, signalled the need He added that if Singapore were to
Baseball, bodybuilding, bowling, dance sport,
for Singapore to look beyond the SEA host the SEA Games, tenpin bowling and
rugby, softball, traditional boat race.
Games. netball are likely to feature, even though
Status to be decided before the Dec 9-18
However, unlike Malaysian Sports Min- they are non-Olympic sports.
Games: Basketball, canoeing, water polo.
ister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Mr He said: “Some sports are more popu-
* List as of Nov 13, 2008, following SEA
Teo said that he had no qualms about the lar within this region. It wouldn’t be fair
Games Federation meeting in Vientiane.
inclusion of non-mainstream sports such for us to say that a game like petanque,
as fin swimming and shuttlecock kicking, for example, is silly.”
Nizam, 17, joins the Young Lions
BY WANG MENG MENG but he is not afraid to take on defenders
and take shots.
IT IS all change at the Young Lions with “He’s very young and it can be a risk
a new tactician at the helm and a new playing him in the national Under-23s
marksman firing the bullets. but when you have a talent who has
In a sparring match between what is something extra compared to his peers,
essentially the national Under-23 side, you have to take a chance on him.”
and the Lions, the eager youngsters put Nizam, who donned the red No. 17
up a spirited fight before going down shirt made famous by Fandi – Singa-
2-3 to the seniors at the National Stadi- pore’s favourite footballing son – yester-
um yesterday. day, was discovered as a 14-year-old
The gritty Young Lions show was pre- playing for Sengkang Punggol’s U-16s
sided over by their new handler Terry three years ago.
Pathmanathan, the former national Un- He is excited about his new adven-
der-21 coach, who has swopped roles ture with the Young Lions.
with last season’s coach, V. Sundramoor- He said: “The training has been very
thy.
And making a big impression was
striker Khairul Nizam, who bagged a
tough. Fitness coach Aleksandar
Bozenko really pushed me to my limits.
“But I’m enjoying myself. I want to
learn and I’m happy to make new
goal and proved to be a handful for Rad-
friends.”
dy Avramovic’s seasoned players. Nizam’s introduction is just one of
The 17-year-old is yet another bright many in an overhauled Young Lions
prospect given the “new Fandi Ahmad” squad. According to Pathmanathan, just
label but several Football Association of 10 players were retained from last sea-
Singapore officials believe he could be son’s squad of 30.
the real deal, even though he has yet to With the South-east Asia Games to
make his S-League debut. be played in Laos in December, the
With his team trailing to a former national captain is on a mission
24th-minute volley from Muhammad to whip his rookies into shape.
Ridhuan, Nizam came on as a sec-
ond-half substitute and made an imme-
He said: “Most of this year’s new
players were recruited from the Prime
diate impact, outjumping Baihakki League.
Khaizan to a corner kick before heading Nizam (left) has been labelled the “new Fandi
Ahmad”. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE “It will be a test of their confidence in
wide. the S-League. They are the best young
The former Home United trainee also players in the country and we’ll see if
demonstrated his footwork by turning Juma’at Jantan before beating the ad- they can live up to expectations.”
past centre-backs Baihakki and Precious vancing Lionel Lewis with a ferocious Singapore won a bronze, their first
Emuejeraye. right-footed shot. SEA Games football medal since 1995, at
Strike partner Eugene Luo equalised It took another long-range missile the 2007 edition in Korat, Thailand.
in the 50th minute but midfielder Shi from Shi seven minutes from time to Meanwhile, the senior national team
Jiayi put the Lions ahead once more in win the bout for the seniors. will depart for Dubai tonight for a train-
the 69th with a long-distance attempt. “Nizam has the makings of a very ing tour before meeting Iran in Teheran
That lead lasted barely a minute be- good striker,” observed Pathmanathan. on Jan 14 to begin their 2011 Asian Cup
fore Nizam dispossessed left-back “He struggled a bit with his fitness qualification campaign.
Scoreboard
Basketball
NBA Indiana 122 Sacramento 117, Atlanta 103
Houston 100, Charlotte 102 Milwaukee 92,
Miami 101 New Jersey 96 (OT), Minnesota 102
Chicago 92, San Antonio 108 Philadelphia 106,
Denver 105 New Orleans 100.
Singapore Challenge Series Singapore
Slingers 97 Bantang Pier Harbour Centre 72.
Cricket
Third Test Second day in Sydney: Australia
445 (M. Clarke 138). South Africa 125-1.
Second Test Second day in Chittagong,
Bangladesh: Sri Lanka 384 all out (T. Dilshan
162, C. Kapugedera 96, M. Warnapura 63) and
13-0. Bangladesh 208 all out (M.Mortaza 63).
Football
Spanish Primera Liga Barcelona 3 Real
Mallorca 1, Valencia 3 Atletico Madrid 1.
Tennis
Abu Dhabi c’ship Final: Andy Murray (Gbr) bt
Rafael Nadal (Esp) 6-4 5-7 6-3.
ATP/WTA Brisbane International Men’s
singles: Julien Benneteau (Fra) bt Robby
Ginepri (USA) 3-6 6-3 7-5, Robin Soederling
(Swe) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-3 6-3, Taylor
Dent (USA) bt Steve Darcis (Bel) 7-6 (7-0)
6-2, Richard Gasquet (Fra) bt Marc Gicquel
(Fra) 4-6 6-2 6-2. Women’s singles: Alisa
Kleybanova (Rus) bt Kaia Kanepi (Est) 6-1
6-4, Marion Bartoli (Fra) bt Monica Wejnert
(Aus) 6-1 6-2, Victoria Azarenka (Bel) bt
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukr) 6-0 6-2, Jarmila
Gajdosova (Slo) beat Peng Shuai (Chn) 6-4
6-2, Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) bt Monica
Niculescu (Rom) 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-4.
PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS