Yen Mei wants to make impact in her final junior meet

This will be Ho Yen Mei's last outing in the World Junior Championships starting in Alor Setar on Monday. - Filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Ho Yen Mei is focused on one thing – to achieve a top-eight finish in the girls’ singles in her last World Junior Championships, which start in Alor Setar on Monday.

A quarter-final berth will guarantee Yen Mei a place in the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, in August.

Despite being under the weather, the 17-year-old Yen Mei has vowed to give her best. The other Malaysians competing are S. Kisona, Lee Ying Ying and Goh Jin Wei.

The World Junior Championships will start with the mixed team event on Monday followed by the individual events.

“This is my last year as a junior. I want to make it a memorable one. Unfortunately, I am down with flu right now ... hopefully, I will be able to bounce back quickly,” said Yen Mei, who reached the top 16 last year.

A player who finishes in the top eight will get an automatic entry into the Youth Olympic Games – but one country cannot have more than two representatives in one event.

If Yen Mei or other Malaysians fail to make the top eight, they can qualify based on the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) May 1 world junior rankings list.

Yen Mei is now ranked 24th but she will stand a better chance if she breaks into the top 15.

Only 27 boys singles and 27 girls singles will qualify for the Youth Olympic Games.

In order to give her more time to recover, Yen Mei may be rested when Malaysia begin their campaign in the mixed team event against Australia in Group Z2 on Monday.

Malaysia have the option of fielding Ying Ying, Kisona and the 13-year-old teenage star Jin Wei.

“We have a good draw and all the players are very motivated. We did not do very well in the Asian Junior Championships (Malaysia lost in the quarter-finals in Taiwan in February) but we aim to do better this time,” said Yen Mei.

The eight group winners will advance to the knockout stage.

Malaysia to be top three in badminton by 2020

   
Rashid Sidek (right) is chief coach for the singles department, while BAM have yet to find a leader for the doubles.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have promised to propel Malaysian badminton to a top-three position in the world by 2020.

For now, that target is good enough for Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin after finally meeting up with BAM president Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff and several other top badminton brass on Wednesday to clear the air on where Malaysian badminton is heading.

Khairy had voiced his concern over the lack of talents coming through the ranks and BAM’s failure to find capable successors for world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei during the Malaysian Open in January.

For now, Khairy has accepted BAM’s lofty goal.

Currently, the countries ahead of Malaysia are China, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Denmark. Thailand – and even India, Germany and Singapore, to some extent.

“The BAM’s top brass came to see me yesterday and they displayed a strategic road map. They hope to become the top three badminton nation by the year 2020,” said Khairy after the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM)-100Plus awards ceremony on Thursday.

“They have sought my assistance to help develop the sport as they want to partner the schools. I will discuss this with the Education Ministry. BAM are looking at many programmes to broaden their talent base, which I think is pertinent.”

Khairy had also queried the coaching set-up which has gone through change after change. After seven months, BAM are now back to their original structure of having one chief coach each for the singles and doubles departments.

Rashid Sidek heads the singles department, while BAM have yet to find a leader for the doubles.

“The BA of Malaysia have put in place a new coaching system. They have also established a new player analysis system in partnership with the National Sports Institute. For now, I am pleased with what they have presented,” he said.

On Chong Wei’s status in the national team, Khairy has asked BAM to persuade the player to stay on until the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The 31-year-old Chong Wei, who is eyeing his first Asian Games gold in Incheon, South Korea, in September had indicated his desire to quit by the end of the year.

If Chong Wei does quit, and with no quality players to pass the baton to, Malaysia could return home from the Rio Games without any medal.

That is something Khairy is not prepared to accept. 

  

• Marina Chin

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NAMA Marina Chin tidak perlu diperkenalkan lagi dalam arena sukan ranah air. Meskipun lebih 30 tahun berlalu, lagenda yang mencipta gelaran ratu pecut dan lari berpagar dalam sukan olahraga ini meraih banyak rekod sukan yang mengagumkan.

Pengetua Sekolah Sukan Bukit Jalil ini tidak pernah terduga bakal terlibat dalam dunia sukan sekali gus menyandang gelaran olahragawati Malaysia, namun, menyedari diri berkebolehan dalam bidang ini, beliau memutuskan untuk memanfaatkan zaman remajanya demi mengharumkan nama negara.

Dalam masa sama, keghairahan mengejar cita-cita sebagai cikgu tidak pernah luntur dan dikejar, meskipun terlalu sibuk dengan jadual latihan sukan dan pertandingan.
"Penglibatan dalam sukan telah membantu dalam pembangunan karakter saya. Sebelum menceburi bidang sukan, saya pemalu. Sukan mengajar saya pelbagai nilai murni yang tidak dapat dipelajari daripada buku sahaja.

“Cita-cita dan tanggungjawab kepada negara berjalan seiring. Saya gembira kerana saya memperoleh kedua-duanya. Sebab itu, selepas mengambil alih sebagai pengetua saya terapkan nilai keseimbangan antara sukan dan akademik kepada pelajar-pelajar." kata bekas cikgu Pendidikan Jasmani dan Bahasa Inggeris ini.


Cabaran tadbir sekolah sukan

Sistem pembelajaran sekolah sukan sama seperti sekolah biasa yang menyenaraikan mata pelajaran wajib. Mereka diberikan fleksibiliti menerusi pembelajaran berdasarkan modul, di mana pelajar boleh membawa modul itu ke mana-mana mereka pergi termasuk ketika latihan atau temasya luar negara.

Ternyata, pendekatan diambil Marina membolehkan 467 pelajarnya menyusun waktu belajar lebih sistematik.

“Waktu belajar juga fleksibel. Pada malam Isnin, Selasa dan Rabu ada kelas malam dari jam 8.30 hingga 9.50 malam. Sabtu Ahad juga akan ada kelas gantian.

Pelajar yang terlibat dengan kejohanan pula akan diberi kelonggaran mengambil peperiksaan sebelum atau selepas kejohanan. Tiada pengecualian. Malah, sekiranya kejohanan di luar negara, pihak sekolah akan aturkan guru untuk pergi ke tempat latihan mereka agar tidak ketinggalan dalam pelajaran,” katanya.


Anugerah sukan dan akademik peringkat sekolah

Ditanya bagaimana beliau mendorong para pelajarnya memperoleh keputusan cemerlang dalam kedua-dua bidang, Marina berkata, sekolah menyediakan anugerah bulanan dan tahunan.

“Sekolah juga bekerjasama dengan Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG) mengadakan majlis Anugerah Gemilang yang diadakan setiap tahun.” katanya.

Bagi pelajar yang mewakili Malaysia dan wakil negeri dalam Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) juga diberikan ganjaran lain. Bagi Marina, ini adalah perubahan mengikut zaman.

“Zaman saya dulu semuanya sendirian berhad. Nak pergi latihan pun kena duit sendiri. Inisiatif sendiri. Tapi semangat bersukan tu tinggi jadi kami tak pentingkan soal kewangan. Selagi boleh sara sendiri, saya sara diri sendiri. Ada masanya bapa turut membantu. Pada zaman sekarang tak boleh.

" Saya ingin berterima kasih kepada jenama korporat seperti MILO kerana banyak memberi sumbangan kepada kanak-kanak Malaysia untuk berjaya dalam bidang sukan.Sokongan yang diberikan oleh MILO turut membantu membakar semangat pelajar kami untuk terus berjaya dalam sukan,” sambungnya.


Zaman kanak-kanak paling indah

Berkongsi cerita di zaman kanak-kanaknya, Marina dengan mesra berkata, beliau bercita-cita menjadi cikgu dan kerana itulah sejak kecil, beliau selalu menjadi cikgu kepada kawan-kawan sekampung di Sentul, Kuala Lumpur.

“Masa kecil saya memang tomboi sedikit. Tubuh badan saya tinggi dan besar dari rakan sebaya dan budak lelaki. Waktu petang kami selalu main cikgu-cikgu dan saya akan jadi cikgu untuk ajar budak-budak lain. Lepas main cikgu-cikgu kami main lumba lari. Masa tu kawan-kawan perempuan tak lari sepantas saya jadi saya selalu bersaing dengan budak-budak lelaki. Kami berlari dari satu pokok ke satu pokok untuk lawan siapa menang,” katanya disusuli ketawa.

Ternyata, kenangan zaman kanak-kanaknya begitu manis untuk dikenang. Begitu juga zaman remaja yang mana sebahagiannya dimanfaatkan dengan memenuhi jadual latihan. Semangat dan keinginan untuk mengharumkan nama negara itu menjadi matlamatnya yang paling utama.

“Terus terang sebagai atlet Malaysia saya amat serius dengan sukan. Saya sanggup korban banyak perkara termasuk pergaulan dengan kawan-kawan. Saya tak ada teman lelaki. Dan saya tak ada masa nak layan orang yang kacau-kacau saya.

“Selepas tamat tingkatan lima saya menyambung pengajian di Maktab Perguruan Seri Kota, Kuala Lumpur sebelum mengajar di Sekolah Menengah Perempuan Jalan Ampang pada 1976.

“Ketika itu saya masih ingat, saya mengajar sesi petang jadi sebelah pagi saya akan naik dua bas dari Sentul ke Kampung Pandan untuk sesi latihan berlari. Saya mandi dan bersiap di sana kemudian naik dua bas lagi untuk ke sekolah di Ampang. Begitulah rutin harian saya sehingga bapa belikan kereta pada tahun kedua saya jadi cikgu.


Berhenti jadi atlet?

Ditanya adakah gelaran atlet telah memberikan pengaruh besar kepada pelajar-pelajarnya, Marina berkata, ia pernah berlaku

“Saya mengajar Bahasa Inggeris dan Pendidikan Jasmani. Semasa saya menang pingat di Sukan Sea 1977, saya disambut dengan sebilangan pelajar perempuan  memotong rambut ala rambut saya. Saya betul-betul terharu dan tak sangka ada kelab peminat,” katanya

Pemilik wajah cantik yang menjadi rebutan ramai jejaka ini dikhabarkan tidak lagi meneruskan karier selepas melanjutkan pelajaran ke Amerika Syarikat pada 1980, Marina bagaimanapun menafikan.

“Saya masih training dan wakil universiti. Pada 1980 sepatutnya kita pergi ke OLIMPIK tapi Malaysia boikot sebab Rusia masuk Afganistan jadi tak balik Malaysia untuk sebarang kejohanan besar. Pada 1981 saya ke Jepun dan mewakili Malaysia dalam Asia Track & Field dan dapat pingat emas dalam 4 x 400 meter. Kerana alami kecederaan saya tak dapat masuk sukan SEA,” kata graduan Sarjana Muda Sains dan Sarjana Kesusasteraan bidang Pengurusan Sukan ini dari Ohio State University ini.

Marina menyumbang khidmatnya di Kementerian Pendidikan, selain terlibat sebagai aktivis dalam usaha memartabatkan sukan Malaysia.

Pesanan Marina kepada pelajar-pelajar agar sentiasa konsisten dan tidak perlu memilih antara sukan dan pelajaran.

“Lakukan kedua-duanya dengan keyakinan dan pengorbanan tinggi. Saya yakin anda mampu mengembalikan kegemilangan Malaysia dalam sukan sepertimana suatu ketika dahulu,” katanya.

INFO PENCAPAIAN

- March 1972, Marina memperbaharui rekod kebangsaan acara 200 meter dengan catatan 26.6 saat, 0.2 saat mengatasi rekod lama pada Kejohanan Allcomers Persatuan Olahraga Amatur Selangor di Stadium Merdeka.

- Pingat Perak lari berpagar 400 meter Kejohanan Olahraga Asia di Seoul, Korea Selatan.

- September 1972 sekali lagi memperbaharui rekod kebangsaan, acara lari berpagar 100 meter dengan catatan 15.2 saat, serta acara 400 meter lari berpagar dengan catatan 64.9 saat di Kejohanan Olahraga Terbuka Singapura.

- Meraih emas acara 100 meter lari berpagar dengan catatan 15.3 saat Kejohanan Olahraga Jemputan Filipina di Manila.

- Memperbaharui rekod kebangsaan dengan catatan 28.4 saat dalam acara lari berpagar 200 meter pada Kejohanan Olahraga Terbuka Malaysia di Alor Star, Kedah pada Ogos 1976.

- Dinobatkan selaku Olahragawati Kebangsaan dan Selangor untuk dua tahun berturut-turut, 1976 dan 1977.

- Sukan Sea 1977, Marina meraih emas berganda acara 100 dan 200 meter, dan hampir menyamai pencapaian sifunya, M Rajamani dengan meraih emas ketiga jika tidak gara-gara kerana kesilapan pengadilan.

- Pada 1979 pula, gandingan Marina bersama Saik Oik Cum, V.Angamah dan Zaiton Othman menghadiahkan Malaysia pingat Perak acara 4x400 meter pada Kejohanan Antarabangsa Trek & Padang Asia Tokyo.

- Emas acara lari berpagar 100 meter, dan 4x400 meter pada Kejohanan Sukan Sea ke-10 Jakarta.


http://www.sinarharian.com.my/personaliti/marina-manfaat-sukan-zaman-remaja-1.221724

ASEAN SCHOOLS GAMES 2013

2 July 2013

Yen Mei bags gold in ASEAN meet in Hanoi

KUALA LUMPUR: Youngster Ho Yen Mei got a timely boost ahead of the Asian Junior Championships when she nailed the girl’s singles title in the ASEAN Schools Games at Hanoi, which ended on Sunday.

Yen Mei, an aspiring badminton shuttler from Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS), staved off strong resistance from compatriot Yap Rui Chen 21-19, 17-21, 21-14 in the final.

She will now head to Sabah with extra impetus to show that Malaysia have talents in the girls singles department when she takes part in the Asian Junior meet starting on July 7. Malaysia have never featured in the final of the girls’ singles event.

The 17-year-old Yen Mei will be joined by five other singles shuttlers — Rui Chen, Sylvia Kavita Kumares, S. Kisona, Lee Zii Yii and Lee Ying Ying for the Asian junior meet.

Meanwhile, in the Asean Schools Games, Malaysia also won another gold medal in badminton through the boys’ doubles Chua Khek Wei-Mohammad Amzzar.

Malaysia returned home from the ASEAN meet with a medal haul of 25-30-30 to finish second overall behind champions and hosts Vietnam. Vietnam ended the Games with a massive haul of 50-27-23 to top the eight-country field.

Besides badminton, the other sports contested were aquatics, athletics, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, sepak takraw, pencak silat and artistic gymnastics.

100PLUS NATIONAL JUNIOR CIRCUIT GRAND PRIX FINALS 2013

PRESTASI ATLET SSBJ

Tarikh: 12 - 16 Jun 2013
Tempat: Kompleks SUKPA, Kuantan, Pahang

	Kategori Umur B-14 tahun
Perseorangan Lelaki	Johan: Leong Jun Hao
	Naib Johan: Chia Wei Jie
	Ketiga: Sim Fong Hau
	Ketiga: Rooben Raj V.
Perseorangan Perempuan	Johan:
	Naib Johan: Toh Ee Wei
	Ketiga: Pearly Tan
	Ketiga: Eoon Oi Xuan
Bergu Lelaki	Johan: Leong Jun Hao & Rooben Raj
	Naib Johan:
	Ketiga: Chia Wei Jie & Lim Chong King
	Ketiga:
Bergu Perempuan	Johan:
	Naib Johan: Pearly Tan & Ng Wan Win
	Ketiga: Seah Lin & Wong Kah Yan
	Ketiga: Toh Ee Wei & Yap Ling
	Kategori Umur B-16 tahun
Perseorangan Lelaki	Johan: Satheishtharan
	Naib Johan: Tan Teck Han
	Ketiga: Aaron Chia
	Ketiga: Tan Jia Wei
Perseorangan Perempuan	Johan: Kisona S.
	Naib Johan: Thinaah M.
	Ketiga: Lee Ying Ying
	Ketiga: Yap Yee
Bergu Lelaki	Johan: Chen Jia Huo & Goh Tze Fei
	Naib Johan: Sim Guo Zheng & Tan Jinn Hwa
	Ketiga:
	Ketiga:
Bergu Perempuan	Johan: Kisona S. & Lee Ying Ying
	Naib Johan: Anna Cheong & Tew Jia Jia
	Ketiga: Eng Pui Yee & Thinaah M.
	Ketiga: Ooi Shi Han & Yap Yee
	Kategori Umur B-18 tahun
Perseorangan Lelaki	Johan:
	Naib Johan:
	Ketiga: Zairul Nizam Zainuddin
	Ketiga:
Perseorangan Perempuan	Johan: Ho Yen Mei
	Naib Johan:
	Ketiga: Lee Zii Yii
	Ketiga: Yap Rui Chen
Bergu Lelaki	Johan:
	Naib Johan: Eric Jong & Ng Di Hua
	Ketiga: Chua Khek Wei & (Woon MC)
	Ketiga:
Bergu Perempuan	Johan:
	Naib Johan: Goh Yea Ching & Peck Yen Wei
	Ketiga:
	Ketiga:

100Plus National Grand Prix Finals

 

Tuesday June 18, 2013

Kisona stays focused ahead of Asian Junior Championships

KUALA LUMPUR: Young shuttler S. Kisona looks like any other ordinary Indian girl but when she speaks, she makes heads turn with her fluent Mandarin.

“Yes, I do get those surprised looks,” giggled the 15-year-old Kisona.

“I studied at the Yuk Hua Primary Chinese School in Jelebu, Negri Sembilan and so naturally, I speak the language. In fact, I converse in Mandarin with my three siblings at home and with most of my team-mates in Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) too. Knowing Mandarin does help to build stronger camaraderie in the team.”

Kisona is one of the promising girl singles players in BJSS and on Sunday, she underlined her talent by winning two titles – the Under-16 singles and doubles events in the 100Plus National Grand Prix Finals. She won the doubles with Lee Ying Ying.

She had also swept a double in the Under-14 category in the GP Finals last year.

For her consistent performances, she won the right to represent the country in the Asian Junior Championships from July 7-14 at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. She will be joined by Ho Yen Mei, Yap Rui Chen, Lee Zi Yii, Sylvia Kavita Kumares and Lee Ying Ying.

If all goes well for Kisona, the slender policeman’s daughter may be able to arrest one of the current problems in the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) – the lack of quality women singles star coming through the ranks.

Kisona wants to make it big but she realises that she needs to be disciplined and diligent.

“I am very focused in my badminton career now. I have been playing in many junior tournaments to sharpen my game and I do hope to become a top player one day,” said Kisona, who admires and aspires to be like India’s Saina Nehwal.

In fact, since coming under the charge of Indonesian Rony Agustinus in April, Kisona has shown improvement. She won the girls’ Under-16 and Under-18 titles in the Thailand International in Trang.
Her strong supporters and motivators are her parents –Selvaduray and Valarmathi.

“My father is a policeman and he is strict. He has encouraged me since I took up the sport when I was four years old. And when I first won a title in the National Close as a Standard Two student, I knew, this was the direction that I wanted to take,” said the Form Three student.

“Currently, juggling between studies and sports is a challenge because I am hardly here. I am going to the Asean School Games next (in Hanoi from June 22-30) but my ultimate goal is to do well in my second Asian Junior championships. If I do well, I have better chance of representing the country at the World Junior championships (in Bangkok from Oct 23-Nov 7),” she added.

For the record, last year, Malaysia had only one representative in the final of the Asian Junior meet but Soong Joo Ven lost to Kento Momota of Japan in the final of the boys’ singles and failed to defend the title won by Zulfadli Zulkifli in 2011.

GERMAN JUNIOR

SEMI FINALIST

• Soong Joo Ven (Men's Single)
• Ho Yen Mei (Women's Single)
• Darren Issac and Ong Yew Sin (Men's Double)

QUARTER FINALIST

• Yap Cheng Wen and Chua Khek Wei (Mix Double)
• Joyce Choong Wai Chi and Darren Issac (Mix Double)
• Soo Teck Zhi and Cheam June Wei (Men's Double)
• Chua Khek Wei and Woon Mun Choon (Men's Double)