The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Diver Ken Nee realises dream of going to his second Olympic Games
- Hafizh registers his first win of season in Kluang
- Dutchman ends seven-year drought with majestic seven-shot victory
| Diver Ken Nee realises dream of going to his second Olympic Games Posted: 25 Sep 2011 05:34 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: Diver Yeoh Ken Nee can look forward to a good farewell outing at the London Olympics next year. The seasoned campaigner realised a dream to make another Olympic appearance after winning the men's individual 3m springboard event at the FINA Diving Asia Cup at National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil. He thus joins Bryan Nickson Lomas and Pandelela Rinong as the divers who have qualified early for the London Olympics next year. Back-up divers Pardika Indoma-Ooi Tze Liang also brought more cheers for Malaysia when they surprised the strong field to win the men's 10m platform synchro competition. But the attention was on the 3m springboard individual discipline as a place at the London Olympics was up for grabs by virtue of being the continental champion. All four winners in the individual disciplines (men's and women's 3m springboard and 10m platform) will qualify for the Olympics. Three Chinese back-up divers pulled out at the last minute to hand Ken Nee an easier route and the Malaysian did not waste the opportunity. Ken Nee completed the six-dive attempts with a total of 456.55 points to finish ahead of fellow Malaysian Tze Liang, who garnered 387.50 for the silver. Singapore's Timothy Lee got the bronze with 310.10 points. Ken Nee said he knew the Chinese divers were not competing during the warm-up session at the pool before the start of the competition. "But I was more concerned with giving a good performance. I was ready to fight with them even if they were taking part. "I'm happy to go for another Olympics and my scores are also better than what I managed at the World Championships in Shanghai," said Ken Nee, who missed out on qualification at the world meet in July after failing to even make the top-18 semi-finals. "I just hope to stay free of injuries until the Olympics. It's my last competition as I have said earlier I wanted to quit as I'm not getting any younger," added Ken Nee, whose only outing at the Olympics was way back in Sydney in 2000. Tze Liang-Pardika won the men's 10m platform synchro gold medal earlier with a total of 374.34 points. China's Wang Anqi-Li Di took the silver with 371.70 points. Malaysia also got a silver and a bronze in two more finals contested. The silver came from Kam Ling Kar-Jasmine Lai Pui Yee in the women's 10m platform synchro and the bronze from Cheong Jun Hoong in the women's 1m springboard, which is not an Olympic event. |
| Hafizh registers his first win of season in Kluang Posted: 25 Sep 2011 05:32 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: Defending champion Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah showed that he is still the man to beat in the CP130 category after taking his first chequered flag of the season in Round 7 of the Petronas AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship at the Kluang Stadium yesterday. The Petronas Syntium Moto Yamaha Raceline rider, who only started his season in Round 5 (Teluk Intan), dictated the race from start to finish. He clocked 11:49.723. Mohd Zamri Baba (Petronas Syntium Moto Yamaha AHM) and Ahmad Fazli Sham (Pennzoil Fastrac Racing) were second and third respectively. They stopped the clock at 11:51.917 and 11:52.215 respectively. "I am absolutely pleased with my results today and it's a great feeling to win a race again," said Hafizh who started on pole position. "I started off the race well and by the sixth lap I knew I was half a second ahead of my rivals. I didn't pile pressure on myself but just to remain focus and maintain my pace." With the win, Hafizh moves up from 15th to 12th in the overall standings with 54 points, only nine adrift of Mohd Affendi Rosli (Harian Metro TEQ SCK Honda Racing). Affendi's team-mate, Norizman Ismail who finished ninth in the race, still tops the standings with 94 points while Fazli is second on 79 points. In the CP115 category, Shahril Izzuwan Mohd Noor made up for his disappointing outing in the previous round by winning the 12-lap race in 9:41.750. The Petronas Syntium Moto Yamaha AHM rider had a slow start but put on a strong fighting spirit to snatch the lead from Mohd Emir Firdaus Hasan in the sixth lap. Emir of M-Seki Liberty Honda Racing had to settle for second place with a time of 9:45.241 while Shahril's team-mate, Mohd Hafieenaz Mohd Ali came in third in 9:45.995. |
| Dutchman ends seven-year drought with majestic seven-shot victory Posted: 25 Sep 2011 05:30 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk ended a seven-year winless run with a majestic seven-shot victory at the PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Classic on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). The 31-year-old comfortably retained his overnight seven-shot cushion at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club's West course to sign off with a closing one-over 73 to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the RM200,000 (approximately US$66,000) tournament. Filipino Gerald Rosales failed to mount a challenge as he settled for second place in what was the eighth and final leg of the 2011 ADT season, closing with a 73. With three Asian Tour cards at stake for the top-three finishers of the ADT Order of Merit, American Jonathan Moore comfortably finished top of the rankings with US$29,579 after coming in fourth here. Taiwan's Chiang Chen-chih took second place with a season haul of US$23,341 but countryman Kao Shang-hung had to endure a nervous wait before sealing third spot with US$19,874 when closest rival Takafumi Kawane of Japan failed to secure the top-four finish required to pip Kao to a priceless Asian Tour card. Van Der Valk was over the moon with his victory, which was his career fifth but first since the Dutch PGA Championship in 2004. He accumulated a four-day total of seven-under 281. "It's awesome, it's a good feeling," smiled Van Der Valk, who came into the week in good form after finishing tied second in the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic on the Asian Tour earlier in the month. "It was nice to stay in control and it was nice to finish the job. "It's my first wire-to-wire win and I'm happy," added the Dutchman, who earned US$10,594. Rosales reduced the lead down to four shots after the sixth hole but never got closer than that. "Guido didn't start good but when he birdied the seventh and eighth holes, it settled him down. "He did what he had to do," said the Filipino. Moore, a former US Walker Cup player and competing in his debut season in Asia, was delighted to top the rankings in a season which included one victory in Malaysia and four other top-four performances. "This is unexpected. I'm thankful as over a year ago, I started a new plan with some new coaches and things started to click. I've played well in the ADT events and it is awesome," said the American. "When I first got to Qualifying School in Thailand in January, I was nervous coming out of the airport and the quality of competition has been strong here. "I'm thankful that my wife Claire caddied all year for me as it's really hard work to carry that bag in this heat." The best Malaysian finisher in the PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Classic was Nicholas Fung, who was fifth after a closing 77 for a 296 total. The ADT was launched last year by the Asian Tour with five tournaments where the aim is to create a career pathway for professional golfers to get into the Asian Tour. |
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