SUKAN MALAYSIA 2013

2 July 2013

ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS: Farah stars in Selangor win

  SELANGOR made it a double in the Malaysia Games team events when they defended their women's artistic team gold at the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

 

National gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi (pic) proved her pedigree with a standout performance which allowed Selangor, also represented by Letitia Ng Weiqi, Nur Afiqah Rosnan, Nur Azira Aziri, Nur Eli Ellina Azmi and Sarah Aneesa Mazwan, to clinch victory with a respectable 185.850.

Second place went to Sarawak's Esmelda Arecia Menti Alfred Geling, Linda Lin, Nur Amira Idayah Hayadi, Sufi As Sofiyah Kadir and Syahzani Izzati Wan Yusof who managed 182.750.

Malacca (Cheong Yan Ling, Deifrin Choo, Emily Tan, Tan Ing Yueh, Tracie Ang, Yap Chien Wen) settled for bronze on 179.550.

Selangor had on Sunday clinched the men's team artistic gold ahead of Penang and Pahang.
Despite her strong performance, which saw her emerge the top qualifier for individual all-around competition today with 51.65, Farah praised the Selangor team for their concerted effort in defending their title.
"We won the title by only a one point margin last year so stretch it to three points this time is a positive improvement for us," said the 19-year-old.

"I am very proud to have a strong team like this, not only the gymnasts, but also the team management and parents who have supported us.

"It was not easy to beat Sarawak as they have improved a lot since last year. They have a lot of quality and I am sure they will be a force in the future."

The victory sees Farah Ann, who is competing in her fifth Malaysia Games, take her personal haul in the competition to an impressive eight gold medals.

She, however, is hoping to make it nine through the individual all-around event today.

"My goal is always to go out and give it my best shot and hopefully do well. It would be nice to get a ninth gold medal here.

"However, anything can happen on the day and sometimes things do not work for you. It happens to even the top gymnasts in the world."

The men's and women's individual apparatus events will be held tomorrow.

By Fadhli Ishak

 

Read more: ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS: Farah stars in Selangor win - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/artistic-gymnastics-farah-stars-in-selangor-win-1.311369#ixzz2XqtSZ3hO

SUKAN MALAYSIA 2013

1 July 2013

GYMNASTICS: Sweet revenge for Selangor

SELANGOR gained revenge for their defeat to Penang last year with a fine performance from Daniel Iskandar Richard as they secured the men's team artistic gold in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Daniel's stand-out effort and the contributions of teammates Tan Fu Jie, Benjamin Cheong, Chau Jern Rong, Chin Ah Di and Gan Gang Wern saw Selangor amass 291.75 points to secure gold.

Last year's winners Penang, led by Jeremiah Loo, settled for silver with 279.0 points with the bronze medal going to Pahang who scored 263.80.

The team competition also saw a keen contest between Daniel and his teammate Fu Jie in the team competition as the former will be looking forward to asserting his authority again in the individual all-around final tomorrow.

Daniel, 19, who also won the pommel horse gold, said the team gold has given him the confidence to defend the two gold he won last year.

"We lost closely to Penang last year but we have been training very hard and I am very happy to have performed well to help Selangor win the team gold," said Daniel.

"My target is to win two more gold medals in the individual all-around final and the pommel horse but there will be a stiff competition this time."

Daniel was the top qualifier for the individual all-around with 75.45 points but Fu Jie's score of 74.40 and Penang's Saw Chao Wei's 72.50 is an indication that there will be tough competition tomorrow.

The women's team final will be held today while the individual apparatus finals will be held on Wednesday.

By K.M. Boopathy


Read more: GYMNASTICS: Sweet revenge for Selangor - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/gymnastics-sweet-revenge-for-selangor-1.310806#ixzz2Xqruse7N

National Artistic Gymnastics Teams To Be Disbanded And New Coaches Brought In

KUALA LUMPUR: The national artistic gymnastics teams are set to be disbanded and new coaches roped in to develop fresh talent.

These are some of the drastic measures set to be implemented when the powers-that-be meet on Dec 18 to check the rot – following the men’s and women’s artistic teams dismal showing at the recent SEA Games in Indonesia.

China’s former chief coach Gao Jian and instructors from Romania may be hired to nurture and produce a new crop of calibre gymnasts.

In Palembang, the lack of depth in the men’s and women’s teams stood out like a sore thumb as all of them failed to make an impact.

Malaysia had never before failed to win a gold medal in the event at the regional Games but, this time, the artistic gymnasts returned home with their pride bruised and image battered.

The men’s team were probably the biggest letdown. Despite undergoing several training stints in China over the past year, none justified the big bucks spent on them by the National Sports Council (NSC).

A slew of injuries to potential gymnasts also slowed their progress. But it is debatable whether the injuries were caused by the coaches pushing the gymnasts too hard or related to weight issues.

A year ago, the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) had been on the verge of engaging Gao Jian, the man behind China’s golden gymnastics triumph at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, to oversee the national squad’s training. Unfortunately, the plan fell through due to financial constraints.

MGF secretary N. Shanmugarajah said yesterday that it was time to look at alternative ways to revive the artistic teams’ fortunes.

“Our exco meeting next week will look into ways to improve standards. We can’t go on doing the same thing as it obviously isn’t working. We have to come up with other ideas and submit our plans to the NSC,” he said.

“Gao Jian has a wealth of experience and is no longer with the China national team. We could certainly use his services. If we manage to hire him as our chief coach, he will be given a free hand to chart the course of the artistic teams.

“Romania has also informed us that it is prepared to provide coaches.”

Shanmugarajah said it was also time to review the status of the national gymnasts.

“Those without a future will have to go. There are plans to open up new training centres in different states. We will absorb new talents into the national squad,” he said.

“Our programmes will have to be geared towards preparing a solid team for the 2016 Olympic Games.”

The men’s team to the SEA Games comprised Mohd Irwan Miskob, Mohd Akmal Hakim, Mohd Azlan­shah Ismail, Lum Wan Foong, Hairi Zaid and Mohd Hamzahruddin Nordin.

The women were Farah Ann Hadi, Noor Hasleen Fatihin Hasnan, Nur Ily Ilyana Azmi and Tracie Ang. Of the four, Farah did well to win a silver medal despite being injured. But, overall, it was a disastrous outing.

Malaysian gymnastics has clearly lost its artistry.

Not That Bad A Show Considering All The Injuries

PALEMBANG: No gold medals for the first time since the 1985 SEA Games in Bangkok is generally seen as a failure for Malaysian gymnastics.

On Monday, Malaysia’s best hope for a gold, artistic gymnast Farah Ann Hadi, suffered a recurrence of an old thigh injury during the individual all-around and could only finish fifth while team-mate Nur Eli Ellina placed sixth.

Vietnam’s Thi Ha Thanh won the gold while compatriot Thi Ngan Thuong Do took the silver.

A day later, the 17-year-old Farah failed to finish among the medals in her pet event, finishing fourth in the floor exercise.

She did, however, grab a silver on the uneven bars, the same apparatus which caused her injury, while Nur Eli denied another Vietnamese 1-2 when she took silver in the balance beam.

The Malaysian men fared even worse, placing fifth out of six teams.

However, the national squad have been plagued by injury and were severely weakened even before the Games started.

Top rhythmic gymnast Lee Wan Nin was ruled out just days before the Games while the women’s artistic team were already without the likes of Chan Sau Wah, gold medallist in Korat 2007, and Cheong See Teng, who retired prematurely due to persistent injuries.

Top gymnast Tracie Ang arrived at the Games half-fit heaping all the pressure on Farah, Nur Eli and Noor Hasleen Fatih.

With only three fit gymnasts, Malay­sia could not compete in the team event. Perhaps if they had five gymnasts in the team, instead of just four, it could have allowed for a bit of rotation and rest for Farah, Nur Eli and Hasleen and a better shot at gold.

The men too showed fighting spirit despite suffering injuries throughout the Games. Mohd Hamzaruddin Nordin, 18, had a bad fall during the floor exercise but bravely returned to compete in the pommel horse before the injury took its toll on him.

So two silvers are not too bad considering the injury jinx that dogged the squad.

SEA GAMES: Girls Keep Medals Ticking

FARAH Ann Hadi and Nur Eli Ellina Azmi saved Malaysia the blushes in artistic gymnastics when they secured a silver medal each in the women's individual apparatus finals at Jakabaring Sports Complex yesterday.

An injury sustained on Monday hampered Farah's performance but she was able to score 12.375 points in the uneven bars to finish second to Vietnam's Do Thi Ngan Thuong who scored 12.900m.

Indonesia's Nefy Nurbaety was third (12.175).

Eli, 16, also surprised with a silver in the balance beam scoring 12.075 where again Ngan Thuong denied Malaysia the gold with a score of 12.300.

The bronze went to Vietnam's Thi Ha Thanh (12.050).

Farah also competed in the floor exercise but finished fourth.

"I came here with high hopes so I am disappointed to have not won a gold. I have some consolation as I have at least silver," said Farah.

"I would have done better if not for the injury. Floor exercise is my favourite event but I couldn't do well but I aim to do better in the next Games."

Eli was also happy to win a medal in her Sea Games debut.

"My target was actually to win gold and I came close in the balance beam which is my favourite event," said Eli.

"It was a very good experience competing here."

Read more: SEA GAMES: Girls keep medals ticking - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/sea-games-girls-keep-medals-ticking-1.6586#ixzz1dqDWFxjf