The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Argentine Boero killed in Dakar Rally opening stage
- Zamri shows Olympic mettle
- Boon Heong enters new year with aim of burying ghost of 2011
| Argentine Boero killed in Dakar Rally opening stage Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:48 PM PST (Reuters) - Argentine motorcyclist Jorge Martinez Boero was killed when he crashed on the first stage of the Dakar Rally in Argentina on Sunday, organisers said. Boero, 38, crashed near the end of the special section among dunes on the Atlantic coast on his Beta RR450 on the stage from Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province to Santa Rosa in La Pampa in the centre of the country. The son of a former national motor racing champion and taking part in his second Dakar rally, he suffered serious injuries to his thorax and cardiac arrest. "The rider suffered a cardiac arrest following his fall and was attended five minutes after the accident by the medical staff, who reached the place of the incident by helicopter," said a statement on the official race website ( "Despite their best efforts, the doctors were unable to resuscitate the pilot (rider), who died while he was being taken to hospital." The rally, which moved from Africa to South America for security reasons four years ago, is notoriously dangerous and has claimed several lives in the past. "However experienced the racers may be, they know the Dakar is high risk and that unfortunately this (kind of accident) can happen. Any error can cost you your life," Ignacio Crotto, race coordinator for the province of Buenos Aires, told TN television news. Boero made huge efforts to be able to take part, including selling his apartment having had to pull out last year after getting lost on the fifth stage in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. "I'm going to give it everything to get to Lima... What doesn't kill (you), strengthens you," he told friends and family on what was to be his last ever message on his twitter account (@jmboero) More than 20 competitors have lost their lives since the first Paris-Dakar rally in 1979 with Boero the second in Argentina after Frenchman Pascal Henry in 2009. There have also been numerous deaths among spectators, organisers including race founder Thierry Sabine and members of the media. During last year's race a man died after his car was hit by another taking part in the rally and in 2010 a woman watching the rally died after being hit by a participating vehicle. In the years the race was held in western Africa, there was often the threat from gangs or bandits, finally the cause for the race to be moved to South America. Previously raced in Argentina and Chile, this year's rally has been extended to include Peru and covers a distance of nearly 9,000 km, finishing in Lima on Jan. 15. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:48 PM PST MUAR: Terengganu's Mohd Zamri Salleh started his new year with a bang when he sealed the overall win in the national cycling Grand Prix here yesterday. Zamri, who was kicked out from the national team last year, landed the title after finishing eighth in the final leg yesterday to finish with 49 points. Terengganu Pro-Asia duo Mohd Nur Umardi Rosli and Mohd Saufi Mat Senan finished second and third respectively with both on 44 points. The 174.1km race was won by Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki of Terengganu-Pro Asia in 4'25:42.112 followed by Selangor's Mohd Zulhilmi Afif, 1.371s behind. Zamri, who is now back in the national fold and in the running for the two spots for the road race in the London Olympic Games, was happy to take the overall win after Umardi could only finish 11th yesterday. "This is the result of my hard training in Terengganu after I was kicked out from the national team," said the 28-year-old. A good all-rounder, Zamri hopes his win will boost his chances of making the trip to London in July. Others in the running for the two Olympic spots are Mohd Adiq Husainie Othman, Anuar Manan, Mohd Harrif Salleh, Amir Mustafa Rusli and Ng Yong Li. "The course in London is designed for sprinters, but I'm not one. What I can do is help out in the final run towards the finish line, ... if I am given the chance," said Zamri. Former national champion Mariana Mohamad won the 121.7km women's race ahead of Masziyaton Mohd Radzi of Kedah. However, it was the Kedahan who walked away with the overall title. Masziyaton amassed a total of 89 points to be crowned champion while Mariana finished second overall on 71 points. Sofian Nabil Omar Bakri of Terengganu bagged the boys' title with 85 points despite finishing in 21st spot. RESULTS Men: 1. Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (Terengganu Pro-Asia) 4'25:42.112, 2. Mohd Zulhilmie Afif (Sel) 1.371secs behind, 3. Muhd Khairul Azizi Abdullah (Ter) 1.420. Women: 1. Mariana Mohamad (Sel) 3'46:52.300 2. Masziyaton Mohd Radzi (Ked), 3. Muslihah Salim (A. Forces) all same time. Boys: 1. Mohd Al Azani Zainal (Joh) 3'20:37.782, 2. Muhd Syazwan Aliff Zaidy (Ter) 0.225sec behind, 3. Abdul Ariff Abdul Rahman (Ter) 0.306. FINAL STANDINGS Men: 1. Mohd Zamri Salleh (Navy) 49pts, 2. Mohd Nur Umardi Rosli (Terengganu Pro-Asia) 44, 3. Mohd Saufi Mat Senan (Terengganu Pro-Asia) 44. Women: 1. Masziyaton Mohd Radzi (Ked) 89, 2. Mariana Mohamad (Sel) 71, 3. Ju Pha Som Net (Per) 54. Boys: 1. Sofian Nabil Omar Bakri (Ter) 85, 2. Mohd Al Azani Zainal (Joh) 59, 3. Mohd Azrul Taufiq Anuar (Joh) 31. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Boon Heong enters new year with aim of burying ghost of 2011 Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:19 PM PST PETALING JAYA: Top doubles shuttler Tan Boon Heong intends to enter the new year with a positive mindset and bury the nightmare of 2011. Boon Heong and his partner Koo Kien Keat endured a dismal year, winning only one title – the Malaysian Open GP Gold – in May. They were largely disappointing in several tournaments, including losing in the first round of the Malaysian and Denmark Opens. They also failed to live up to expectations in the World Championships last August. Boon Heong-Kien Keat were also powerless against the likes of China's Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng and Koreans Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae and Ko Sung-hyun-Yoo Yeon-seong. That prompted the BA of Malaysia to bring in Korean coach Yoo Yong-sung to stop the rot. The Korean's presence has yet to have its desired effect and the duo have since dropped to No. 6 in the world rankings. But Kedahan Boon Heong says they are working hard to change things and he is also adamant that the expertise from Yong-sung is gradually paying off. "We're working extra hard to change things and I thought we did pretty well against Jae-sung-Yong-dae in the Superseries Finals ... it was only due to mistakes in the end that we lost," said Boon Heong. "Our problem is our inconsistency. "I don't want to dwell too much on the past. I'm looking forward to the new year, starting with the Korean Open ... which I hope will bring us better fortune." Fortune certainly seems to be favouring Boon Heong-Kien Keat in the Korean Open, which begins tomorrow, as second seeds Jae-sung-Yong-dae have withdrawn from the competition. They were initially scheduled to meet the world No. 2 Korean pair in the quarter-finals and a defeat would have seen the duo, who reached the semi-finals of the same tournament last year, slide even further down the rankings. The Koreans' absence should come as a tremendous relief for Boon Heong-Kien Keat, who have lost 11 of their 12 clashes against Jae-sung-Yong-dae. But that isn't the case as the Malaysians seemed more concerned about their first round opponents – Koen Ridder-Rudd Bosch of Holland. "Actually, it doesn't really bother me that the Korean pair have withdrawn because my focus is solely on the first round," said Boon Heong. "We're trying not to think too far ahead because usually it's the opponents in the first and second rounds that can derail you." A win over the Dutch pair should pit them against Taiwan's Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu in the second round and they should have an easier run-in to the semi-finals where they should face Denmark's Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen. The withdrawal of Jae-sung-Yong-dae has also allowed rising Malaysian pair Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah to skip the qualifying rounds and proceed to the main draw. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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