Malaysia Hockey SEA Games run up

The Star report

KUALA LUMPUR: Penalty corner drag specialist Zulkifli Rejab is down injured and it may dash his dream to play in the Champions Trophy hockey tournament.

The 22-year-old Kedahan injured his leg in training and he has not trained for the last few days. The injury could also rule him out of the SEA Games next month.

National coach Sarjit Singh said: “We will decide on his selection once the doctor has given his verdict. I have been told that the injury could take up to three weeks to heal. Zulkifli has gone to the hospital for some tests and they will inform us on Monday of the results.”

Sarjit confirmed that the MHF selection committee would meet tomorrow night to pick the team for the Champions Trophy, which will be played at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil from Nov 29-Dec 9.

He added that the Malaysian Hockey Federation could name 22 players and then drop two after the friendly series against China from Nov 23-26.

“At the moment, we have 30 players in training,” he said.

Those who failed to make the squad for the Champions Trophy will be in the team for the SEA Games competition, which will be played in Bangkok. They will be joined by several players form the Champions Trophy squad. >>More

# Woman shuttlers will deliver two golds

Sea Games from Vietnam

WHALE OF A TIME..........JIMMY WONG OF SABAH SPLASHING
HIS WAY IN 200M BUTTRERFLY


VIETNAM DEFENDER NGUYEN DUC THANG (LEFT)
CLEAR THE BALL AGAINST MALAYSIAN STRIKER
AZMAN ADNAN DURING MATCH AT SENAYAN
STADIUM. MALAYSIA WON 1-0.

Female fencers eye two gold medals

Vietnamese female fencers have set to win two gold medals at the forthcoming 24th SEA Games in Thailand in December as they did at the 23rd SEA Games.

Phung Le Quang, head of the Fencing Division, was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying that high hopes for gold medals were pinned on sabre.

The sabre is now dominated by Nguyen Thi Le Dung, Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu, and Nguyen Thi Thuy Chung, who are highly rated fencers in Southeast Asia.

At the 23rd SEA Games, Vietnamese sabre fencers brought home two gold medals in individual and team events. To help them prepare for the 24th SEA Games, key sabre players have participated in the Grand Prix China, the Grand Prix Hanoi, the Asian Championship in China and the Asian Junior Tournament in Kazakhstan.

Mr Quang also noted that the chance for gold medal in sabre at the 24th SEA Games was shared equally between both individual and team events.

The Vietnamese fencer team thrashed Thailand 45-14 at the Women’s Sabre Grand Prix 2006.

Team Singapore Gets Ready For the 24th SEA Games

MALAYSIA'S FADZLUN ABAS (LEFT/YELLOW) AND TEAMMATE
ARUNA SANTAPAN TRYING TO PUT THE BALL IN THE NET WHILE
TWO SINGAPORE PLAYERS DAWN TAY AND KOH KAI LING BLOCK
THE SHOTS DURING THE ASIAN YOUTH NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
AT JUARA STADIUM IN BUKIT KIARA. MALAYSIA BEAT SINGAPORE 44-42.

WET WEATHER................THAILAND'S JIRACHAI LINGLOM
(FAR RIGHT) LEADING THE REST TO WIN THE GOLD MEDAL
IN 400M HURDLES.

It's SEA Games' time. And Team Singapore is all geared up for the action in Thailand from 6 - 15 December. Following the opening ceremony on 6 December, the competition is expected to heat up among athletes from the 11 countries participating in this year's event.

A total of 360 Team Singapore athletes have earned the selectors' nod for December's SEA Games in Thailand, including many youth athletes from sports like sailing, swimming and gymnastics. Meanwhile, in a boost to our SEA Games chances, athletes from sports such as table tennis and fencing tasted recent success.

In all, 43 sports will be featured in this year's SEA Games. Singapore's athletes will be going all out for a good showing before the closing ceremony on 15 December. It will be a challenge but they will want to match or exceed the 42 gold medals that Team Singapore won at the Manila SEA Games in 2005. More>>

# TeamSingapore.Com

# Singaporeathelatics.com

SEA GAMES / PREPARATIONS

CHONLATHORN VORATHAMRONG OF THAILAND
SPLASHING HERS WAY IN 100M BACKSTROKE


TORWAI SETHSOTHORN OF THAILAND SPLASHING
HIS WAY IN THE 400M FREESTYLE.

Thailand seeking 150 golds at Korat Games

KITTIPONG THONGSOMBAT

Thailand expect to win up to 150 gold medals at next month's SEA Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, according to a poll conducted by the national athletes' preparation committee.

The committee, chaired by Adm Suravudh Maharom, has appraised Thailand's chances in the December 6-15 Games with 485 golds up for grabs.

''We expect to finish on the top of the medal table with about 146-150 gold medals,'' Suravudh said.

''Our main rivals are Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia respectively.''

In the last Games in the Philippines in 2005, Thailand finished second with 87 golds, 78 silvers and 118 bronzes. The Kingdom won 26 golds fewer than the hosts.

Suravudh is worried about the men's football team who are seeking a record eighth straight title. He said he was informed that the squad were not well-prepared. ''I talked to football officials who said our team's preparations may not be good enough,'' said Suravudh.

''Vietnam are tipped to be our opponents in the final. It would be tough for us to win gold this time.''

In 2005, Thailand beat Vietnam 3-0 to win their seventh crown in a row. The Thais also defeated the Vietnamese in the 2003 final in Hanoi.

Among the golds Thailand hope to win in the Nakhon Ratchasima Games are 15 in athletics, 12 in shooting, 10 in amateur boxing, 10 in Muay Thai, eight in aquatic sports, seven in gymnastics, seven in rowing and six in sepak takraw.

# Young Thais should unfold exciting results

# Boxing

History - Southeast Asian Games

The Southeast Asian Games owes its origins to the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP Games.
On May 22, 1958, delegates from the countries in Southeast Asian peninsula attending the 3rd Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan had a meeting and agreed to establish a sport organization.

The SEAP Games was conceptualized by Laung Sukhumnaipradit, then Vice-President of the Thailand Olympic Committee. The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event will help promote cooperation, understanding and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region.

Thailand, Burma (now Myanmar), Malaya (now Malaysia), Laos, South Vietnam and Cambodia (with Singapore included thereafter) were the founding members. These countries agreed to hold the Games biannually. The SEAP Games Federation Committee was formed.

The first SEAP Games were held in Bangkok from 12-17 December, 1959 comprising more than 527 athletes and officials from Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, South Vietnam and Laos participating in 12 sports.

At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation considered the inclusion of Indonesia and the Philippines. The two countries were formally admitted in 1977, the same year when SEAP Federation changed their name to Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), and the games were known as the Southeast Asian Games. Brunei was admitted at the 10th SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, and East Timor at the 22nd SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The last Southeast Asian Games (23rd SEA Games) were held in the Philippines from 27 November to December 2005. The Philippines hosted the event for the third time.

# Indonesia to register 517 athletes for SEA Games 2007

# Can Indonesia bounce back in SEA Games?

Run-up to the Korat Sea Games

NAtional Sprinter G.Shanthi finish in 100M Jakarta SEA Games.

National Weight Lifter Rozdimand Harun

Goh Yi We in action

This was my second posting and I am sorry I have not update my blog as I was busy preparing for Deepavali. As I was assigned to cover Korat SEA Games in Thailand next month together with Glenn Guan, perhaps it was wise to post some of my pictures taken in the last Sea Games.

The 24^th SEA games will be held in Korat Thailand, December 6 -15, 2007 at three
different venues. And the centre of action will be in Korat, the third largest city in Thailand. Bangkok and Pattaya will also play hosts.

The 1030 strong contingent is the biggest include 748 athletes who will compete in 41 of the 43 sports in the programme.

With more events staged this time, the atheletes are expected to rake in a better medal haul than they did in Manila two years ago. Then Malaysia won 61 gold medals and it was the best ever performance in a foreign country. This time there are 485 gold medals at stake. And I wonder how many gold medals that our players can get this time.

Happy Deepavali to my Indian friends!

Official Website : Korat SEA Games2007

SEA Games Updates:

# Women hold key to golden harvest in Korat

# Lee Wei boost for paddlers but silver chase remains tough

# M'sians protest, football fixture fixed