The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Quake causes evacuation at New Haven tennis venue
- MGA set a modest silver target for SEA Games team events
- Youngsters bag six golds in the Asia Pacific Rim Junior Invitational
| Quake causes evacuation at New Haven tennis venue Posted: 23 Aug 2011 06:11 PM PDT NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP): Play was stopped and the venue evacuated at the New Haven Open on Tuesday after an earthquake that originated in Virginia shook the stadium on the Yale campus, sending fans bolting to the aisles and delaying play for more than two hours. The earthquake swayed the stands during the third game of a match between Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Elena Vesnina of Russia. "I never had experienced that before," Vesnina said. "It was so weird. On the court, we didn't feel anything, but I saw the upper level, and it was shaking. I said, 'Oh, my God, what is going to happen?' I was really scared." The 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Virginia, shook much of Washington D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City. After evacuating more than 4,000 people from the stadium, New Haven's fire marshal and building inspector checked the structure for damage and declared it structurally sound. Play resumed at 4:15 p.m. when chair umpire Sandie French said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the resumption of play of a match suspended because of an earthquake." Fans in the stands chuckled, and Vesnina then prepared to serve. Vesnina was leading 2-0 when the quake hit and went to win 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. "It turned out to be just like a two-hour rain delay," said tournament director Anne Worcester. When the quake struck, fans weren't quite sure what to make of it. Bob Pallaziolla, from Danvers, Massachusetts, said he thought there might have been a crash outside the stadium. "Then there was another shake, and another shake and I realize it was an earthquake," he said. "It wasn't a truck that hit the stadium or somebody underneath us. It was actually an earthquake. The stadium cleared pretty quickly. Within five seconds people were running." Gerard Murphy, 69, from Guilford, Connecticut, was sitting on a deck in a hospitality suite at the time. He felt the movement and thought perhaps youngsters were shaking the deck. "Then I looked down at the fans in the seats in front of me and they were all leaving their seats and rushing up the aisle," he said. "I asked the girl for a beer on the way out." By the end of the afternoon, the gift shop was already selling T-shirts that read, "I survived the 2011 New Haven Open." |
| MGA set a modest silver target for SEA Games team events Posted: 23 Aug 2011 05:28 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) is only targeting a modest silver medal target for both the men's and women's teams in the upcoming Jakarta SEA Games in November. MGA vice president Low Teck San has admitted that Phillipines, Thailand and Indonesia will be the ones to beat and getting silver is just a realistic target. "As of now we have yet to finalise our team for the Games. "We will only announce the team at the end of September," said Teck San after the venue launch of the 100Plus Malaysian Junior Open at the Saujana Golf & Country Club yesterday. "For the men, so far we only have Gavin Kyle Green and Mohd Arie Irawan Ahmad Fauzi who are committed in participating in the event." "We are also aware that Kelly Tan has an hectic schedule in the US but we're trying to persuade her to play in the Games as well because that will surely give our women's team an edge," said Teck San. Kelly is the top national junior golfer in the country and is currently training in Florida where she competes in amateur tournaments there. Meanwhile, 110 junior golfers from over 10 countries including Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, India and Taiwan will be participating in the Malaysian Junior Open which begins from Sept 12-15. In the boys' event, last year's overall category runners-up Jeremiah Kim will lead the Malaysian challenge while Isza Fariza Ismail will be tasked with winning the girls' title in the absence of Kelly who has opted out due to a hectic schedule. However, Isza who finished third in the Under-16 category last year will find it tough to win as defending champion Sarah Ababa of the Philippines is also competing. Sarah is bidding to become the first golfer in the tournament's history to retain the overall crown. |
| Youngsters bag six golds in the Asia Pacific Rim Junior Invitational Posted: 23 Aug 2011 05:28 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: It was not just the senior divers who flew the flag high for Malaysia at the World University Games in Shenzhen but the juniors were also making their presence felt on the other side of the globe. Malaysian back-up divers did well to bag six golds, five silvers and six bronze medals in their first participation in the Asia Pacific Rim Junior Invitational Championships held in Wellington over the weekend. Back-up diver Jasmine Lai Pui Yee underlined her talent with an upset performance in the girls' Group A (16-18) platform competition. Jasmine finished with 404.05 points to take the gold ahead of fellow team-mate Kam Ling Kar (385.95 points) while Traisy Vivien, who took part in the World Championships in Shanghai last month, only managed fifth place (351.50 points). Jasmine also partnered Ling Kar to take gold for Malaysia in the girls Open 3m springboard synchro with 274.68 points. Ooi Tze Liang, who also competed at the world meet in Shanghai, won the boy's Group A 1m springboard competition with 537.15 points ahead of Zhi Dongwei of Shandong province. Another Malaysian Chew Yi Wei was fourth with 448.90 points. Tze Liang failed in his bid to complete a sweep of the platform titles in Group A when he settled for silver with 426.60 points behind Dongwei (505.95 points). The Penang-born diver was not to be denied his second gold medal as he teamed up with Yi Wei to win the boy's Open 3m springboard competition with 323.49 points. Loh Zhaiyi came out tops for Malaysia in the girls' Group B (14-15) platform and 3m springboard competitions. Zhaiyi failed in her bid to make it to the podium in the 1m springboard where she finished fourth. The biggest New Zealand diving event of the year brought together 60 junior elite springboard and platform divers with competitors from China, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India and Croatia. Malaysia sent four boys and four girls for the meet accompanied by coaches Yao Fu Ling and Huang Qiang. The strong showing certainly bodes well for the youngsters ahead of the Asian age-group diving championships in Palembang at the end of next month. Diving head coach Yang Zhuliang was happy with the performance of the second echelon divers in their first major competition outside the country this year. "With the exception of Tze Liang and Traisy, the others still have a long way to go to catch up with the seniors but they are on the right track. "Their goal is to be ready for the World Junior Championships in Adelaide next year. "Some of the back-up divers performed well and they might be going for the SEA Games in Indonesia but it will be decided later," he said. |
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