WIRA WIRA NEGARA

CHONG WEI JUARA TERBUKA INDONESIA

Daripada Dan Guen Chin

JAKARTA, 13 Mei (Bernama) -- Lee Chong Wei muncul juara perseorangan lelaki Kejohanan Badminton Terbuka Indonesia selepas menundukkan pemain China, Bao Chunlai 21-16, 21-15 pada perlawanan akhir di Stadium Istora Senayan di sini hari Ahad.Kemenangan ke atas pemain pilihan kedua kejohanan itu mengembalikan semula kehebatan pemain Malaysia itu selepas gagal melakukannya dalam beberapa kejohanan sebelum ini.Selepas enam bulan bergelut dengan kemerosotan prestasi dan ranking pemain berusia 25 tahun itu jatuh, memang sepatutnya Chong Wei terlalu gembira dengan kejayaan hari ini.Persembahan cemerlang Chong Wei hari ini ke atas pemain China berusia 24 tahun itu, menjadikan beliau pemain Malaysia kedua memenangi perseorangan lelaki di sini selepas Yong Hock Kin melakukannya pada 1998.Beliau membawa pulang wang tunai US$20,000 (RM70,000) dan dijangka lebih banyak lagi imbuhan di bawah skim insentif Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) yang menawarkan tambahan 20 peratus akan menyusul selain RM10,000 di bawah skim imbuhan Presiden, yang keseluruhannya dijangka berjumlah RM92,000.Bagaimanapun, apa yang lebih penting kepada Chong Wei adalah kemenangan ini mengembalikan semula keyakinannya yang semakin pudar selepas kegagalan demi kegagalan sebelum ini.Bagi Chong Wei, Terbuka Indonesia menyaksikan kecemerlangannya terutama pada pusingan kedua apabila mengetepikan pemain tuan rumah Simon Santoso dan kemudian pada separuh akhir menundukkan Cheng Hong dari China.Pada perlawanan akhir, Chong Wei mempamerkan semangat juang yang tinggi dengan tidak memberikan banyak ruang kepada Chunlai untuk melakukan gerakan berbahaya dan memaksa pemain lawan lebih tertumpu di tengah gelanggang dengan gerakan pantasnya." Perancangan saya untuk membiarkan pemainan rally dan bersabar. Akhirnya dia melakukan banyak kesilapan. Saya perlu menang perlawanan ini dan sekarang saya kembali yakin. Saya mahu kembali menjadi pemain nombor satu dunia," kata Chong Wei." Saya gembira dengan kejayaan Chong Wei. Beliau menghadapi terlalu banyak tekanan sejak enam bulan lepas dan diharapkan kemenangan hari ini akan memberikan semangat untuk mencapai lebih banyak kejayaan," kata jurulatihnya Misbun Sidek.Harapan untuk melihat kejayaan satu lagi wakil Malaysia pada perlawanan akhir tidak kesampaian apabila pasangan beregu lelaki Zakry Latiff dan Fairuzizuan Tazari tewas kepada pasangan China Cai Yun dan Fu Haifeng.Pasangan nombor satu dunia itu menang 21-17, 22-20 untuk merangkul kejuaraan kedua dalam masa seminggu selepas memenangi Terbuka Singapura dengan menundukkan satu lagi pasangan Malaysia Choong Tan Fook dan Lee Wan Wah." Kami agak gopoh dan saya kena akui kami agak gementar juga. Bagaimanapun, kekalahan ini satu pengalaman berguna buat kami. Kami akan belajar daripadanya dan akan cuba perbaiki," kata Zakry.Perseorangan wanita menyaksikan kejutan apabila pemain Hong Kong, Wang Chen menewaskan pilihan ketiga dan juara bertahan Zhu Lin dari China 21-14, 21-13.

FOOTBALL - ANCHOR SPORT

Football to be 'anchor sport' at proposed training centre in London

PUTRAJAYA: Football will act as the "anchor sport" in one of the several proposals for the government's aim to set up a High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Brickendonbury, London.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who chairs the Cabinet committee on sports, said although the proposal was still in the planning stages, they have narrowed down several sports including football.
They have identified four basic areas which could benefit and be developed at the 48-acre centre.
But Najib reiterated the Prime Minister’s statement last week that the Government would wait for the decision of the British authorities before making a final decision on the setting up of the centre.
"We have looked at several proposals and there are many benefits for our teams in having the HPTC.
"Football and cycling are two sports, which can gain from a long stay at the HPTC.
"Here they will get to compete against Europeans and also there is wide range of competitions for the cyclists to take part.
"We also want to see our junior football teams to be exposed in UK, especially the Under-17 and the Under 20 boys," said Najib at a press conference here on Thursday.
The plan also includes getting the junior football teams to play in as many matches against the local club sides out there and also to take advantage of the numerous competitions found in the Europe region, which they lack back at home.
Football, one of the eight core sports under the national agenda, has come under fire for the national team's poor showing in international matches.
Besides football, the Cabinet committee felt sports like archery, squash, cycling, badminton and swimming would also benefit from the facilities (to be upgraded) at this centre, which include a football field, swimming pool, an open land for archery and other indoor sports.

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PLPT mula operasi April’

[ Oleh Lukman Salleh ]

Kemudahan diperbaiki dengan kos tidak melebihi 10 juta pound: Najib

PUSAT Latihan Berprestasi Tinggi (PLPT) di Brickendonbury, dekat London akan mula digunakan seawal April ini selepas kerja pemulihan dan meningkat taraf dengan kos tidak melebihi 10 juta pound (RM69 juta) siap dilaksanakan.

Bola sepak bakal menjadi penghuni pertama PLPT sekiranya cadangan latihan skuad bola sepak remaja kebangsaan dengan kelab Liga Perdana Inggeris, Arsenal menjadi kenyataan.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak, yang juga pengerusi jawatankuasa itu, berkata, sebuah asrama akan dibina di PLPT selain daripada menaikkan taraf padang bola sepak di pusat itu.

“Jawatankuasa ini bersetuju supaya kemudahan asrama dibina dan padang di pusat itu diperbaiki dengan kos tidak melebihi 10 juta pound (RM69 juta),” kata Najib selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat jawatankuasa itu di Putrajaya, semalam.

“Pusat ini boleh digunakan April ini dan hasil perbincangan antara Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) bersama sembilan persatuan sukan kebangsaan, PLPT ini akan digunakan sebagai tempat untuk latihan jangka panjang dan juga transit sebelum atlit mengambil bahagian dalam kejohanan di sana.

“Selain itu, FAM (Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia) memaklumkan Arsenal pada dasarnya bersetuju untuk membuka akademi bola sepaknya kepada pasukan kebangsaan untuk menjalani latihan dan mereka (skuad negara) boleh menggunakan Brickendonbury untuk penginapan,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun, butiran persetujuan antara FAM dan Arsenal masih samar dengan belum ada sebarang perjanjian atau persefahaman antara kedua-dua pihak.

HPTC : WISE DECISION AND SOUND INVESTMENT

By David ChelliahKUALA LUMPUR, March 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has made a wise decision and a sound investment in the proposed High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Brickendonbury, London, according to an Australian sports scientist.In face of criticism that the HPTC will result in a waste of funds, Hallam Pereira said that, on the contrary, it can emerge as a lucrative long-term money spinner while producing world-class Malaysian athletes."It is a wise decision and a sound investment as foreign athletes can rent the premises for acclimatisation purposes for a substantial amount ahead of the 2012 London Olympics as well as other international tournaments," he told Bernama in a recent interview in Perth, Australia.Pereira, the International Project Director, Sports International Western Australia, said that with such potential, Malaysia has the ability to sustain the HPTC financially as foreign countries clamour for such faciliites.He said the HPTC would also not sacrifice the needs of Malaysian athletes as the centre could adequately meet their requirements and those of other athletes through proper scheduling.He said Malaysian sports has a bright future following the setting up a Cabinet Committee for Sports Development headed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak."This is the best that can happen to sports in a country. You have high-powered management to steer sports to greater heights. No country in the world has such a Cabinet committee," said Pereira, who is attached with the Western Australian Department of Sports and Recreation.Asked if the Brickendonbury HTPC centre would save money for Malaysian athletes to train and compete in Europe, Pereira said it would as the cost to send athletes for training abroad on a piecemeal basis is ever increasing.According to the National Sports Council (NSC), they have spent a total of RM52.3 million for overseas training and competitions from 1999 to 2005.Pereira said that by having a HPTC abroad, Malaysian sports authorities can reduce expenditure for overseas training and offer more athletes to experience such stints under foreign coaches. "The savings however can be channelled into medical and sports science facilities at the centre."Pereira explained how Australia set up such a centre in Italy two years ago to train its athletes and enable them get used to the cold climate of the Alps and compete in European championships.He said that in May 2005, Australia set out to build a A$11 million (RM30.22 million) European training base in the northern town of Varese in Italy. Varese, with a population of 93,000, is located at the base of the Alps and is 382 metres above sea level.Pereira said the initiative was primarily with a dual purpose -- training base for Australian athletes in the Northern Hemisphere and a sports science and medical rehabilitation centre.The training base has no sports facilities on site but, by arrangement with local authorities, Australian athletes have access to several facilities, including an acquatic centre, and rowing at a nearby lake. The place is ideal for cyclists to train on the slopes of the Alps.Pereira said the training base, owned by Italians, was leased to Australia for 10 years with two five-year renewal-of-lease options.On sports science, Pereira said, Malaysia ought to emphasise it at all levels and apply it to further improve athletes' performance.He said Malaysia has the expertise in sports science and the NSC has a world-class facility for sports science at the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex. "Malaysia has a fantastic sports facility infrastracture and has capable people in sports science. The Bukit Jalil complex is a like a Rolls Royce."However, Pereira, whose ideas are often sought by many countries, said he observed that sports science has not filtered to people on the ground who train athletes in Malaysia."I know the NSC has done an excellent job in sports science to boost athletes' performance but the trainers or coaches simply brush aside the results and train their athletes in the conventional way," he said.Pereira praised Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said for having put a lot of effort into raising the standard of sports and finding solutions to plug the ills that hinder sports development.-- BERNAMA