Hockey: Malaysia Create History By Beating Pakistan To Win Junior Asia Cup

MELAKA, May 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia created history by emerging champion in the Junior Asia Cup for the first time after beating three times former champion Pakistan 2-1 in a thrilling encounter at the Bukit Serindit hockey stadium here Sunday night.

Pakistan, winners of the trophy in 1987 (Pakistan), 1992 (Ipoh) and 1996 (Singapore) were stunned in the second minute of the match with a superb penalty corner strike by Faizal Saari while Mohd Syamim Mohd Yusof made it 2-0 in the 17th minute with a field goal.

More than 7,000 hockey fans who filled the stadium to the brim, including Sultan Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, Malaysian Hockey Confederation President Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Melaka Yang Dipertua Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob were treated to an entertaining match.

Malaysia started the match aggressively and earned a penalty corner which Faizal placed to the far left hand corner beyond Pakistan goalkeeper Mazhar Abas' stretched arms.

Malaysia Lakar Sejarah Dengan Rangkul Piala Remaja Asia

MELAKA, 13 Mei (Bernama) -- Malaysia melakar sejarah apabila muncul juara Kejohanan Hoki Piala Remaja Asia 2012 buat julung kali selepas mengalahkan Pakistan 2-1 pada perlawanan akhir di Stadium Hoki Bukit Serindit di sini, Ahad.

Malaysia mengakhiri penantian 20 tahun untuk merangkul kejuaraan itu dengan jaringan minit kedua Faizal Saari dan jaringan padang oleh Mohd Syamim Mohd Yusof pada minit ke-17.

Pakistan, juara tiga kali pada edisi pertama 1987, 1992 dan 1996, menjaringkan gol tunggal pada separuh masa kedua menerusi Muhammad Irfan pada minit ke-42.

Skuad bimbingan Dhamaraj Abdullah itu memadam kekecewaan pada aksi final edisi 1992 di Ipoh, Perak, apabila tewas 0-3 kepada Pakistan.

Perlawanan sengit dan penuh debaran itu disaksikan oleh lebih 7,000 penonton termasuk Presiden Persekutuan Hoki Asia (AHF), Sultan Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, presiden Konfederasi Hoki Malaysia (MHC) Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah serta Yang Dipertua Negeri, Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

Malaysia bermula agresif sebaik wisel perlawanan bermula dan menerusi serangan pertama menghasilkan pukulan sudut penalti.

Selepas menerima hantaran, Faizal melakukan tolakan deras ke penjuru kiri gol Pakistan yang dikawal oleh Mazhar Abas untuk gol peribadi keenam sepanjang kejohanan itu.

Hasil itu membolehkan Faizal berkongsi kedudukan sebagai penajring terbanyak bersama pemain Korea Selatan, Seong Ju Lee.

Malaysia memperkukuhkan kedudukan menerusi jaringan Mohd Syamim dan keadaan tidak berubah sehingga waktu rehat masa pertama.

Bagaimanapun, Pakistan tidak berputus asa dengan ketinggalan dua gol dan bangkit semula pada babak kedua dengan melakukan asakan bertali arus ke pintu gol Malaysia yang dikawal oleh Mohamad Hazrul Faiz Ahmad.

Malaysia memperkemaskan semula bentang pertahanan selepas jaringan gol oleh Muhammad Irfan dan mempertahankan kedudukan sehingga wisel penamat.

Dhamaraj berkata anak buahnya beraksi dengan cemerlang pada separuh masa pertama tetapi leka pada babak kedua.

Terdahulu, pada perlawanan penentuan tempat ketiga, juara bertahan India mengalahkan Korea Selatan 2-1 dalam masa tambahan.

Kisah R.Arumugam Bakal Dibukukan

SHAH ALAM: Kisah bekas penjaga gol kebangsaan mendiang Datuk R. Arumugam bakal dibukukan peminatnya dalam usaha mengetengahkan kegemilangan bola sepak negara pada era 70-an hingga 80-an kepada orang ramai, khususnya belia.

Datuk Sheikh Rajesh Sheikh Ahmad berkata antara lain, pihaknya berusaha mendapatkan maklumat mengenai Arumugam menerusi Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia dan rakan mendiang untuk dimuatkan dalam buku yang bertemakan "Semangat Bola Sepak Malaysia" itu.

"Saya mengharapkan penerbitan buku ini akan dijadikan sebagai bahan bacaan dan rujukan oleh golongan belia mengenai kegemilangan sukan bola sepak tanah air sekitar tahun 1970-an dan 80-an," katanya kepada pemberita pada sidang akhbar di sini Selasa.

Sheikh Rajesh, yang juga penganjur Kempen 'Saya Benci Rasuah Bola Sepak' Selangor, berkata buku itu akan diterbitkan selewat-lewatnya penghujung tahun ini.

"Selain diedarkan ke sekolah dan Institut Pengajian Tinggi, hasil jualan buku ini akan diserahkan kepada keluarga mendiang bagi mengurangkan beban mereka," katanya.

Sepanjang hayatnya, mendiang yang turut dikenali sebagai "Spiderman" kerana ketangkasan menjaga gawang gol, pernah membantu skuad negara merangkul pingat gangsa pada Sukan Asia 1974 di Tehran, Iran.

Arumugam, yang meninggal dunia pada 1988 ketika berusia 35 tahun akibat kemalangan jalan raya, merupakan anggota skuad kebangsaan yang layak ke Sukan Olimpik 1980 di Moscow, Rusia namun Malaysia tidak menyertainya kerana membuat bantahan serangan Soviet Union ke atas Afghanistan ketika itu.

Mengulas penganjuran kempen itu di Klang Ahad ini, Sheikh Rajesh, yang juga pengerusi sebuah kelab bola sepak swasta, berkata beberapa aktiviti dirancang bagi memeriahkannya.
"Antara aktiviti yang bakal dijalankan ialah Jelajah Fiesta bola sepak tujuh sebelah, persembahan artis dan juga gerai jualan.

"Selain itu, kita turut menyediakan kain rentang bersaiz besar bagi mengumpul sebanyak mungkin tandatangan daripada para belia yang hadir pada hari itu untuk menyatakan sokongan mereka terhadap kempen yang kita jalankan," katanya.

Kempen itu dilancarkan Timbalan Menteri Belia dan Sukan Datuk Razali Ibrahim di Muar, Johor pada 1 April lepas dan ia bertujuan menghapuskan rasuah dalam sukan bola sepak.  

Book On 'Spiderman' Arumugam's Life Story To Be Published

SHAH ALAM, April 10 (Bernama) -- A book, describing the life story and achievements of the late Datuk R. Arumugam or better known as 'Spiderman' will be published soon.

Arumugam, born on Jan 31, 1953 in Port Klang with exceptionally long arms and brilliant saves, earned him the nickname "Spiderman".

Datuk Sheikh Rajesh Sheikh Ahmad who initiated the move to publish the book said to ensure the book was published, he would gather material and pictures from Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia as well as collect pictures and paper cuttings from friends and those who knew him.

"I hope the published book can be used as a reading material and reference for youths to relive the glory days of Malaysian football during the Golden Era of the 70s and 80s," he told reporters here Tuesday.

Mat Boeing — the speed legend

KELANA JAYA: The passing of former international M. Viatilingam has shocked many, especially Negri Sembilan coach Azraai Khor Abdullah.

The Kedahan died at around 5am yesterday in George Town after battling brain cancer for almost two months. He was 60.

Viatilingam and Azraai go a long way back as they were childhood friends who grew up playing football in Alor Semagom — a small village in Alor Star.

“In fact, Viatilingam and I were neighbours. We lived just one kilometre away from Darulaman Stadium,” recalled Azraai.

“We started playing football at the same time, when we were nine or 10-years-old and we went on to play for our kampung. Our team was known as the Hospital Rangers.”

Both lads went on to represent the state youth team in the Burnley Cup in 1968.

“The first Burnley Cup we played in 1968 was in Malacca followed by the 1969 (Negri Sembilan) and 1970 (Sarawak) editions. Both of us were promoted to the senior squad a year later and we both also joined LLM (now known as TNB) in 1972.”

However, Viatilingam first represented the country at the 1975 Bangkok Sea Games but joined Azraai in the King’s Cup tournament held at the Thai capital two weeks after the regional Games.

“We did many things together but he represented the country before I did. But we played alongside each other in the King’s Cup.”

Viatilingam’s final national cap was at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok while the defender last donned Kedah’s Hijau Kuning colours in 1982.
He retired from TNB in 2008.

“It’s really sad as his wife passed away months ago and he now leaves behind a son,” Azraai added.
Former internationals Reduan Abdullah, Datuk Soh Chin Aun and Datuk Santokh Singh also had fond memories of Viatilingam.

“We called him Mat Boeing as he was a very speedy player, just like the Boeing airplane,” said Reduan.
“It’s really sad to hear of his passing. He was a good player.”

Chin Aun was shocked when told of the news.
“I’m sad, really sad. I didn’t know about it,” said Chin Aun.

Santokh said he was informed of Viatilingam’s death yesterday, adding that the latter was a hard tackler but a nice man off the pitch.

“It’s a sad day for all of us,” Santokh added.

How Milo became the catalyst to sports development

The clarion call for sports in our country is “Malaysia Boleh” which, in a way, is synonymous with “Milo Boleh”.

And Milo, a fortified food drink from Nestle, has certainly made its mark in Malaysian sport. Probably most of us have gingerly lined up for the drink from a van or a container during our school’s sports day. And how we almost died of thirst when we don’t see the green-coloured van.

And Milo is certainly Nestle’s success story as it has transcended all boundaries to become a household name synonymous with children and sports in Malaysia.

Today, Nestle, a leading specialist in nutrition, health and wellness products, will be celebrating their 100th anniversary, a milestone which few companies in Malaysia can reach.

In retrospect, there’s always the Milo presence in any sports in our country. And then came the “Malaysia Boleh” slogan which was formulated by Milo in 1992.

Familiar sight: Children lining up to get a drink from the Milo van which visits schools on sports day.

 

It was coined after a brain-storming session between former Nestle sports marketing manager Datuk Dina Rizal and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).

Dina, who has been with the company for 30 years and who retired in 2003, fondly said reminiscently: “In 1992, former Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah asked us to look at ways to encourage and support the Malaysian athletes during overseas competitions like the SEA Games. So after a brain-storming session, we came up with several slogans.

“At the end we selected “Malaysia Boleh”. It was to be launched for the 1993 SEA Games in Singapore. It involved getting signatures and messages of support from people of all walks of life – from the King to the common people. It proved to be a massive success with more than 1.5 million signatures collected.

“In 1998, for the Commonwealth Games which was held here in Kuala Lumpur, we managed to get a record five million people involved. I am sure it is still in the Guinness Book of Records.”

Schools, districts, states and even national level sports have Milo either as sponsors or partners in their development programmes. Many of today’s top athletes like bowler Shalin Zulkifli, world squash champion Datuk Nicol David and Ong Beng Hee and the swimming contingent have taken part in Milo events before bursting into the national scene.

So, what has made Nestle’s Milo such a popular brand and how did they reach out to the masses, especially the kids?
It was first introduced in 1950 and their early catch phrase was “It’s Marvellous What MILO Can Do For You” and then it evolved into “MILO Brings Out The Champion In You” in 2000. Currently, it is just two words – “Go Further” .

They have certainly gone further to walk the talk in helping, motivating and supporting sports in our country.
Ng Ping Loong, who took over from Dina, said that the success of the brand is also due to the policy in helping kids develop their skills in sports. Nestle’s commitment to the brand has never wavered and the policy to play a part in the development of sports is an ongoing process.

“We also believe that sports is a great way to bring people together and that there is a champion in every kid. The question is finding it and nurturing them to become one,” said Ping Loong.
Ping Loong said the hard work in promoting the Milo events has paid off.

“We are into almost all the development programmes in sports. And we plan to continue doing so. Nestle has a long-term interest and its 100 years in Malaysia is proof that we plan to stay much longer” he added.
Ping Loong wishes to invite readers to celebrate the 100th anniversary at Dataran Merdeka from 2pm to 10pm.

OCM secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, who has dealt with Milo over 40 years, said there is no question about Milo’s ability to sustain their partnership in sports.

“I was the secretary of the Selangor Swimming Association in 1971 when I first dealt with them.
“And until today, we find that Milo has remain faithful to the sports development programmes.”

Former National Olympian Nashatar's Health Improves

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 (Bernama) -- The health of former national Olympian Datuk Nashatar Singh has shown signs of improvement after he was warded for a week at the Kuala Lumpur Gleaneagles Hospital.

The 73-year-old who went to the Olympics for two games, suffered back and nerve pains and needs a wheelchair to move about.

Currently, he is undergoing special physiotherapy as part of rehabilitation.

"Maybe, in a few days, I could go home after finishing my physiotherapy," Nashatar was quoted as saying, in a statement issued by the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb).

Among his greatest achievements were two gold medals (javelin) in the 1965 SEAP Kuala Lumpur, one gold (javelin) in Asian Games in Bangkok (1966), six gold medals (javelin) from 1967 to 1975 in Sea Games and also gold medal in shot put (1967).