The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Veteran cyclist grabs two gold medals in empty velodrome
- Rizal rides to a silver medal in comeback trail
- Chong Wei survives scare in Indonesia Open first round
| Veteran cyclist grabs two gold medals in empty velodrome Posted: 12 Jun 2013 05:19 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran cyclist Josiah Ng powered his way to two gold medals in the National Track Championships at the Cheras Velodrome as favourite Azizulhasni Awang, who finished empty-handed, made a passionate plea to cycling fans to fill up the venue. The cyclists battled it out amidst empty stands on the opening day of the national track meet, which is being held for the first time. And Josiah, who came out tops in the 1km time trial and sprint, voiced his disappointment at the lack of support. Together with Azizul, the duo even contacted their sponsors to provide some attractive prizes in a bid to woo the public to come for the final day tomorrow. "This is the inaugural national cycling meet ... too bad no one knows about this," said the 33-year-old Josiah, the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in keirin. "Having it is a step in the right direction but I'm disappointed to see the empty stands. "We have a two-time World Championships silver medallist in Azizul, we have a two-time Asian woman champion and a rising star in Fatehah (Mustapa) and an old dog like me who is still racing at the top level. "We are right up there with the established cycling nations like Australia, Germany and Britain in the top 10 rankings. "It's incredible when you think that Australia started their national cycling championships in 1910 and this is just our first one ... so we must be doing something good. "We made phone calls to our sponsors and they've agreed to give out prizes. There is going to be opportunities for fans to win two fixed gear bicycles and Nike shoes. "The 100Plus drinks are available free flow as well ... so, there's no excuse not to come ... not even the searing heat. "We'll be available for autographs after the keirin finishes on Friday ... we're trying to get a deejay to come and drum up the entertainment. "We're doing all this because we love our sport and I just want fellow Malaysians to come and support us. "It's not every time we get to race here. We hope they can spare three hours to come and watch us race." Josiah, riding for Sarawak, blitzed his way to the 1km time trial gold medal in 1:07.927, ahead of Perak's Muhd Edrus Yunos (1:09.490) and Malacca's Arfy Qhairant Amran (1:09.731). |
| Rizal rides to a silver medal in comeback trail Posted: 12 Jun 2013 05:22 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: Former World Champion-ships bronze medallist Rizal Tisin announced his comeback to competitive cycling after a two-year hiatus with a silver medal as part of the Selangor team pursuit quartet in the National Track Championships at the Cheras Velodrome. Rizal, who won the 1km time trial bronze medal in the 2009 World Championships, only returned to the track in March after getting clearance from his employers – the Public Services Commission – to attend training. Rizal combined with Muhd Elmi Jumari, Hamdan Hamidun and Muhd Imran Mohd Zubir to take the silver behind the Kelantan quartet of Muhd Syafiq Syazwan, Muhd Al-Ghazali Abdul Hamid, Loh Sea Keong and Mohd Azwan Nik Zulkifle. "It's a good start for me as I only started training in March. I shed a few kilogrammes after joining Graham Seers (as part of the endurance track squad)," said Rizal, who last competed on the track in the 2011 Asian Championships in Korat, where he won the 1km time trial. The Selangor-born cyclist has set his sights on making it to the team pursuit and team sprint squad for the Asian and Commonwealth Games next year. |
| Chong Wei survives scare in Indonesia Open first round Posted: 12 Jun 2013 05:20 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei survived a nerve-wracking encounter against China's Wang Zhengming before moving into the second round of the Indonesian Open in Jakarta. The 30-year-old Chong Wei, seeking his fourth title of the year – after the Korean, Malaysian and India Opens – won 20-22, 21-4, 22-20 yesterday. There was also some good news for the troubled world No. 3 pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong when they defeated Indonesia's Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki-Hendra Gunawan 21-15, 21-11 in the first round. Their reward is a second round date with another Indonesian pair – Alvent Yulianto-Markis Kido. The wretched form of world No. 7 Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong continued as they lost to the scratch Indonesian pair of Andrei Adistia-Gideon Markus Fernaldi despite taking the first game. Thien How-Wee Kiong, who have yet to get past the quarter-final stage of a tournament this year, went down 21-10, 18-21, 15-21. The day, however, belonged to Chong Wei. "Zhengming played his best game and put me under a lot of pressure early on," said Chong Wei. "I had to work really hard to stay focused and control the match." National singles coach Tey Seu Bock admitted that Chong Wei was "sluggish initially but improved as the match wore on". "Zhengming is a top player and a very tough first round opponent. So, it's normal to see Chong Wei slow off the block," said Seu Bock. "Once he got used to the draught and the court, he picked up his game ... that's what matters." Meanwhile, it was also a day of upsets with world No. 2 Chen Long being sent packing by home favourite Tommy Sugiarto 21-11, 21-18. Tommy will take on Hong Kong's Wong Wing Ki next. Fifth seed Kenichi Tago of Japan, sixth seed Hu Yun of Hong Kong and seventh seed Jan O Jorgensen also bit the dust in the first round. The biggest upset in men's doubles was the loss of world No. 2 and reigning Olympic silver medallists Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen in the men's doubles. The Danish pair were well and truly beaten 17-21, 23-25 by Russia's Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov. RESULTS FIRST ROUND Men's singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Wang Zhengming (Chn) 20-22, 21-4, 22-20; Boonsak Ponsana (Tha) bt Viktor Axelsen (Den) 2-1 rtd; Sho Sasaki (Jpn) bt P. Kashyap (Ind) 21-7, 21-8; Du Pengyu (Chn) bt Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) 21-19, 21-15; Takuma Ueda (Jpn) bt Hu Yun (Hkg) 21-13, 12-21, 21-19; Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Ina) bt Vladimir Ivanov (Rus) 17-21, 21-6, 21-18; Alamsyah Yunus (Ina) bt Kenichi Tago (Jpn) 24-22, 16-21, 21-17; Ajay Jayaram (Ind) bt Riyanto Subagja (Ina) 22-20, 8-21, 21-12; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Chen Yuekun (Chn) 21-17, 10-21, 21-19; R.M.V. Gurusaidutt (Ind) bt Andre Kurniawan Tedjono (Ina) 22-20, 21-16; Wong Wing Ki (Hkg) bt Rajiv Ouseph (Eng) 21-7, 24-22; Kazumasa Sakai (Jpn) bt Jan O Jorgensen (Den) 21-16, 21-19; Tommy Sugiarto (Ina) bt Chen Long (Chn) 21-11, 21-18. Men's doubles: Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov (Rus) bt Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen (Den) 21-17, 25-23; Chris Landgridge-Peter Mills (Eng) bt Rasmus Bonde-Mads Conrad Petersen (Den) 19-21, 21-15, 21-12; Andrei Adistia-Gideon Markus Fernaldi (Ina) bt Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 10-21, 21-18, 21-15; Shin Baek-cheol-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) bt Guo Zhendong-Shen Ye (Chn) 21-17, 23-21; Alvent Yulianto-Markis Kido (Ina) bt Wijaya Rendra-Rian Sukmawan (Ina) 18-21, 21-14, 21-14; Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) 21-15, 21-11; Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) bt Gan Teik Chai-Ong Soon Hock (Mas) 14-21, 21-8, 21-11; Ricky Karanda Suwardi-Muhammad Ullinoha (Ina) bt Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang (Kor) 4-1 rtd; Lee Sheng Mu-Tsai Chia Hsin (Tpe) bt Angga Pratama-Ryan Agung Saputra (Ina) 21-17, 21-16; Ko Sung-hyun-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) bt Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata (Jpn) 21-18, 19-21, 21-9; Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan (Chn) bt Hiroyuki Saeki-Ryota Taohata (Jpn) 21-15, 16-21, 21-19; Mohd Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) 20-22, 21-18, 21-18; Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) bt Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari (Mas) 21-14, 18-21, 21-14; Maneepong Jongjit-Niphitphon Puangpuapech (Tha) bt Lukasz Moren-Wojciech Szkudlarczyk (Pol) 21-16, 21-18. |
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