Sarawak out to end Selangor’s 12-year domination

PETALING JAYA: Sarawak have in their Sukma contingent several prominent national athletes and they are looking at ending Selangor's 12-year domination at the 12th edition of the biennial Games in Terengganu.

Selangor have topped the standings since 1996 when they ended Sarawak's reign. Sarawak were the champions for three consecutive editions since 1990 when they were the hosts.

Golden boy: Sarawak are banking on Daniel Bego to deliver in the pool.

The champions of the Games in Terengganu will be decided by the gold medal count instead of points as in previous editions. Sarawak finished second in the standings at the last Games in Kedah and they had a medal haul of 36-42-55. Selangor had a tally of 53-44-56.

The Games in Terengganu are offering 404 gold medals, Sarawak have a contingent of 605 athletes and they will compete in 29 of the 31 sports in the programme.

The Sarawakians, who will not be represented in equestrian and petanque, are strong in athletics and aquatics – the two sports offering many gold medals. There are 45 gold medals at stake in athletics while aquatics offer 48 (38 in swimming and 10 in diving).

A national athlete can compete in a maximum of two individual event and Sarawak have Beijing Olympics-bound Daniel Bego to get gold medals in the men's 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly races. And his presence should help Sarawak challenge strongly for three relay gold medals.

In the women's swimming competitions, Sarawak can bank on two promising youngsters – Erika Kong and Hii Siew Siew in the breaststroke races and 200m butterfly respectively.

Sarawak have in their ranks Beijing-bound diver Bryan Nickson. They also have Elizabeth Jimie and Pandelela Rinong and are odds on favourites to grab the lion's share of the gold medals at stake.

Wushu offers 20 gold medals and this is another sport where Sarawak will be banking on to add to the golden count.

Leading their charge are World Championships silver medallist and Korat SEA Games champion Diana Bong and Loh Jack Chang, who took silver in the Asian Championships in Macau last week.

Sarawak earned four gold medals in Alor Star two years ago but their wushu chief coach James Ting said they were hopeful of a much better haul in Terengganu.

“While the competition now is equally spread out because most of the other states also have Chinese coaches, we will be happy if we can secure a repeat of our performance in 2004 in Kedah where we took home seven gold medals,” he said.

Sarawak athletes have traditionally excelled in field events of the athletics programme and this is expected to continue in Kuala Terengganu while national paddler Chai Kian Beng will lead their charge to extend domination in table tennis.

Other national athletes expected to shine are recurve archer Noor Aziera Taip and golfer Michelle Ting.

Sarawak also have national triathlete and two-time SEA Games champion Kimbeley Yap to help their cause and she will also compete in the women's road cycling time trial.

Koh Chye’s wish is for athletes to remain injury-free

KUALA LUMPUR: Chef-de-mission Datuk Ho Koh Chye has one wish for the Beijing Olympics-bound athletes as they move into the final phase of their preparations for the Games in August. He wants them all to remain injury-free.

Malaysia now have 32 athletes in their contingent and they will compete in eight sports – aquatics (swimming and diving), athletics, archery, track cycling, badminton, sailing, shooting and taekwondo.

The latest to make the grade is high jumper Lee Hup Wei, who met the qualifying mark of 2.27m in winning the gold medal at the China Open in Beijing on Sunday. The effort by Hup Wei also broke the national record of 2.24m, set by Loo Kum Zee at the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai.

For the 2004 Athens Olympics, Malaysia were represented by 26 athletes in 10 sports.

Koh Chye said that their greatest concern now was athletes coming down with injury in the run-up to the Games.

A breather: Chef-de-mission for the Beijing Olympics, Datuk Ho Koh Chye, having a light moment with the badminton team during his visit to the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil Monday.

“At this level, remaining injury free is half the battle won. If they suffer injuries, they have to spend precious time on rehabilitation and we will not know whether they will be able to peak in competition,” said Koh Chye after visiting the Olympic-bound shuttlers at the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

The number of athletes in the Malaysian contingent may increase. The women recurve archers will bid to make the grade from the world qualifiers in France at the end of next month while triathlete Kimbeley Yap is hoping for a wild card.

Malaysia, who have no qualifiers for team sports, are looking at ending a medal drought in two previous Games.

Badminton remains the best bet for medals but recent good performances from Malaysian track cyclists and archers have raised hopes of surprises in Beijing.

The men's recurve team emerged with silver medal finishes in the Olympic test event and Asian Championships in Xian last year.

In track cycling, Azizul Hasni Awang stamped his mark by taking two gold medals in the Asian Championships in Japan in April. He retained his keirin title and also won the 200m sprint.

“In track cycling and archery, our male athletes have showed their competitiveness against some of the best in the world. There is hope that they can rise to the occasion,” said Koh Chye.

2008 Guanzhou ASTC Triathlon Asian Championships 2008-05-02

Kimbeley Yap finished 11th in the ASTC Asian Championships held in Guanzhou, China, on 2 May 2008.


Japan took home both the men’s and women’s gold medals. Ai Ueda won the women’s crown while Ryosuke Yamamoto took the men’s title in a stunning upset over Kazakh Daniil Sapunov. Both Ueda and Yamamoto earn automatic spots on the Japanese Olympic team as the event was a pre-determined Olympic qualifier by the Japanese Triathlon Union. Winning continental championships guarantees the country at least one spot on the Beijing start line.

Ai Ueda led a Japanese sweep in the women’s field of the 2008 Ueda crossed the line with a time of 2 hours 3 minutes and 18 seconds to claim her second elite Asian title and guarantees Japan at least one Olympic spot in Beijing.

“Being down by a minute was a big difference for me but I believed in my hard training and never gave up," said Ueda after the race.

It was a decisive win for Ueda who was more than a minute a head of Kiyomi Niwata who took silver. Juri Ide completed the podium sweep for Japan taking bronze, just nine seconds ahead of China’a Zhang Yi.

Ide, who wore the number one start number, emerged from the water first. After the swim, the first pack comprised of ten athletes that included Chinese Xing Lin, Yi, Teng Chunchun, Liu Yun, and Japanese Niwata, Akane Furutani, Keiko Tanaka, Ide along with Kimbeley Yap of Malaysia and Lee Hyun-Ju of Korea.

The Chinese team tried to escape on the bike but the Japanese women refused to let them go. Nine of the athletes moved to run segment except for Yap who had been dropped.

After transition, Ide lead the field, however, Niwata caught up and overtook Ide on the third lap. But it wasn’t long before Niwata was overtaken by compatriot Ueda who was behind by more than a minute at the end of bike segment. Ueda posted the fastest run of the day by more than a full two minutes to take the title.

2008 Guanzhou ASTC Triathlon Asian Championships
1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run
Elite Women – Final Results

1 Ueda, Ai (JPN) 02:03:18
2 Niwata, Kiyomi (JPN) 02:04:26
3 Ide, Juri (JPN) 02:05:20

Click here for full results.

Kimbeley splashes to easy win

MARANG: National triathlete Kimbeley Yap beat 196 competitors from Malaysia and abroad to emerge the overall winner of the Kapas-Marang International Swimathon 2008, organised by the Terengganu Tourism Action Council, here yesterday.

She also won the above 20 years category after finishing the 5.6km swim from Pulau Kapas to Pantai Kelulut in 1'27:23.

For her effort, she took home RM3,000 apart from other prizes provided by the sponsors.
Kohing Antak, also from Malaysia, won the men’s above-20 category after posting a time of 1'38:44s.

In the men’s 36-49 years category, Elmar Schuberth of Austria was first in1'28:14, Yap Yee Ming (Malaysia) second (1'36:04s) and Aley Tung (Singapore) third (1'42:50s). - Bernama

Kimbeley a step closer to Olympics

Top triathlete Kimbeley Yap brightened her hopes of making it to the Olympics with an impressive sixth-placed finish in the ITU Asian Cup in Chonburi on Sunday.

Kimbeley, competing in the elite women’s category, was fourth after the 1.5km swim leg.

She continued to stay within sight of the leaders to end her first major assignment for the year in 2’03:45.

Besides the swim leg, a triathlete also has to cycle 40km and run 10km.

Considering that Kimbeley clocked 2’12:14 en route to retaining her SEA Games title in Korat last year, the 23-year-old surely has good reasons to be pleased with her season-best performance.

“The course was slightly different because we were swimming downstream and finishing faster. But they made it up with a little bit longer bike and run routes.

“Nevertheless, I’m very happy with my time because I finished ahead of the Kazakhstan and Hong Kong competitors, who are also fighting for the extra Asian slot for the Olympics,” said the former national swimmer, whose half-brother Daniel Bego has already qualified for the swimming competition in the Beijing Olympics in August.

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) will award one place to the highest ranked Asian, whose country has yet to earn a quota spot in the Olympics.

Kimbeley, who had a month-long training stint in Sydney earlier in the year, also achieved her target of finishing within eight per cent of the winning time in the Asian Cup.

Rosie Clarke of Britain won the race ahead of two Japanese competitors in 2’00:26.

Kimbeley should know whether she will be the first Malaysian to take part in the triathlon competition in the Olympics by July.

Her next assignment is the Asian Championships in Guangzhou in May.

Kimbeley aims to do well in Asian Cup to win Olympic wild card

By LIM TEIK HUAT of THE STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: It is better late than never but triathlete Kimbeley Yap is hoping to join her stepbrother, swimmer Daniel Bego, in making a first appearance in the Olympics in August.

The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) have applied for a wild card for the two-time SEA Games champion but whether it is accepted by the International Triathlon Union (ITU) will very much depend on the results of the Asian Cup in Chiangrai at the end of the month.

The race on March 30 will be Kimbeley's first major assignment for the year and she has to prove her worth to be the wild card entry for Asia.

The 23-year-old Kimbeley, who just returned home from a month-long training stint in Sydney, hopes to finish within eight per cent of the winning time in the Asian Cup.

“That will give me ranking points. Due to my current position, I would prefer the option of going to the Beijing Games on a wild card. This would allow me time to prepare better before the competition in August,” she said.

Kimbeley: The 23-year-old hopes to be the first Malaysian triathlete to compete in the Olympic Games.

“If I were to try to qualify on merit, I would need to do six international races in the next three months. It would be too exhausting for me.”

Kimbeley's current situation is due to the fact that she only picked up triathlon in 2005 and needed time to establish herself first before starting to go out for more overseas competitions.

Kimbeley was a national swimmer and won two SEA Games bronze medals before she switched to competing in triathlon (1.5km swimming, 40km cycling and 10km running).

“The Olympic qualification period began in 2005. I was still doing local races and it was only from last year that I went out for top races on the international circuit.

“No Malaysian has competed in the Olympic triathlon and I certainly hope to be the first,” she added.

Last December in Pattaya, Kimbeley successfully defended the SEA Games title she won in Manila in 2005.

Kimbeley Yap's Blog

Malaysia's very own triathlon queen has a blog!

http://kim3athlete.blogspot.com

Triathlete Kimbeley retains gold medal to silence her critics

TRIATHLETE Kimbeley Yap proved a point to her detractors by successfully defending her SEA Games title in Pattaya yesterday.

She won the 1.5km swimming, 40km cycling and 10km running event in 2'12:14, two minutes faster than her winning time in Manila two years ago. The Philippines’ Alessandra Araullo and Lucas Maria Melliza Gayle took the silver and bronze respectively in 2'13:35 and 2'13:56.

Yesterday, the 22-year-old Kimbeley was aware that she needed to put in the extra efforts to ward off the challenges of her rivals.

“I knew that I will be the first out of the water but I had to work hard on the bike and in running to keep my overall lead,” said the former national swimmer, who won two SEA Games bronze medals as part of the relay team in 1999 and 2001.

Kimbeley sought professional help to improve on her time-trial skills on the bike and it benefited her yesterday.

She was first out of the water and had a one-minute lead over her nearest rival. Her times in cycling and running were slower than the two Filipinos but they were good enough to take her first across the finish line.

“Its a relief that I got home first.

“There was a lot of pressure on me to win again. It was not so easy for me to handle it when some people told me that my win at the last Games was a fluke. But it fired me up and I am really happy to win it in a better time,” she said.

Having emerged as the regions champion twice, Kimbeley is looking at featuring in the Olympics. But she will find it difficult to make it to Beijing next year.

“My goal is to work towards getting to the 2012 London Olympics because I don't think I will get enough world ranking points to get to Beijing.

“I have not done as many international races as the others, she said.

“I'm aware that there is a chance to get a wild card for Beijing but I hope to make it on my own. It's more gratifying.”

Following her success yesterday, Kimbeley left Pattaya for Korat to lend support to her younger half-brother Daniel Bego in the swimming competition.

In the men's triathlon race, Malaysia's Mohd Razani Husain and Wei Kuo Hau finished fourth (2'12:23) and fifth (2'13:03) respectively.

Singapore's Mok Wing Ren took gold in 2'05:08.

Golden Kim

Kimbeley Yap retained her SEA Games title this morning and grabbed the gold medal. Finishing the swim in the lead with a margin of over two-and-a-half minutes over Maria Lucas (PHI) allowed Kim to post only the third fastest ride and run splits yet still win over a minute ahead of runner-up Alessandra Araullo (PHI).

1. Kimbeley Yap (MAS) - 2:12:14
2. Alessandra Araullo (PHI) - 2:13:35
3. Maria Lucas (PHI) - 2:13:56

Full results HERE.

Air Asia to Sponsor Kimbeley

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia will be the official airline of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).

The winner of the Airline of the Year award will be flying the Malaysian contingents to international sporting events in a two-year sponsorship deal.

AirAsia will send over 400 Malaysian athletes and officials to the Korat SEA Games. It will also fly the Malaysian contingent to the Olympic Games in Beijing next year.

Group chief executive officer of AirAsia, Datuk Tony Fernandes said: "Sports has always been my love and it was my dream to represent Malaysia at the Olympics."

"That never happened, however, I am thrilled that we will be taking our athletes to the SEA Games. As we move towards being an Asean airline we are pleased to be involved in the Games and who knows one day, AirAsia may fly all Asean athletes to the Games," said Fernandes.

"We have world-class athletes right here in Malaysia worthy of recognition and we will use the sponsorship to communicate this to the world.

"It is also about bridging countries under the banner of sports and bringing people together and to foster friendships through exchanging cultures, something we passionately believe in at AirAsia, especially with our counterparts in Thailand and Indonesia," said Fernandes after signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OCM president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar yesterday.

Tunku Imran said: "While international participation is crucial to athletes development, travelling takes up a massive portion of the council's budget and with AirAsia on board we look forward to sending more athletes for training and competitions through the airline's extensive network."

AirAsia also announced their sponsorship of national triathlon athlete Kimbeley Yap, who is eyeing a place in the Beijing Olympics.

AirAsia lauded Kimbeley for her efforts in winning the 2005 Manila SEA Games gold, finishing a creditable sixth in the Doha Asian Games and also for finishing her race at the Moololaba World Cup triathlon series.

Kimbeley said a burden has been lifted off her shoulder with the sponsorship.

"Now I can concentrate fully on winning a place in the Olympics," she said.

Kimberley all out to defend title

IT took some time for Kimberley Yap to adjust her personal matters to suit her Sea Games preparations, but she is now 100 per cent focused on every inch of detail in the defence of her gold medal.
The 22-year old triathlon champion said she had gone into self-imposed exile to distance herself from distractions in order to concentrate on her tasks.

"There were just so many personal things to attend to when I returned after two months in Europe. All that meant I lost focus for a while," said Kimberley, a former national swimmer.

"I wasn't actually feeling down, but having to run around doing errands and handling all sorts of personal matters, my rhythm was really unsettled."

The detail by which Kimberley has charted her course towards the Sea Games is now well sorted out and a plan has been established.
"I had to look closely at the strategy I'm going to be using. When competing in Europe, I needed a different strategy, because there everybody focused on a strong run and used the cycling leg to save energy for that," said Kimberley.

Kimberley is usually strong in the swim, which is the first leg of the triathlon, but not so on the bike which comes next, before an average run to the finish.

"But in the Sea Games it will be different. I'm about 90 per cent sure that in the Sea Games, I'll be the first out of the water and that means I have to work alone on the bike if I want to maintain the lead," she said.

For that, Kimberley sought help from Le Tua Cycling Team coach Johari Nayan, who has helped her improve her time-trialling skills on the bike, meaning she will be able to put in a strong performance without benefit of drafting.

"If I'm in front, I'll have to ride alone all the way. There will be no chance to draft or work with other competitors.

"So, I've had to improve on that area and then look seriously at how I'm going to have strong enough legs to finish with a strong run," said Kimberley.

Triathlon: Kimberley in secret training

LESS than a month before she begins the defence of her triathlon gold medal at the Sea Games, Kimberley Yap's approach seems rather dramatic. So worried that she's gone into exile, training under Le Tua Cycling Team coach Johari Nayan in her bid to improve her major weaknesses.

Extremely worried about her abilities in the cycling leg, former national swimmer Kimberley has looked to the continental team's coach to improve on her overall performance.

"She said she doesn't want to be disturbed and she wants to keep full focus in the build-up to the Sea Games. Kimberley came to me rather distraught and seemed very worried," said Johari.

"I think she needs a morale boost, so we all have to be considerate when dealing with an athlete in this state. I've started training her and the only way she can get a boost in confidence is by seeing improvement in training," said Johari.
Johari said he believes Kimberley's form will be on the up by the time the Sea Games come around, with some drastic improvements to be seen in her cycling leg, previously her achilles heel.

Kimberley, 22, had in September finished 28th in the under-23 class of the World Championships in Hamburg, Germany.

She returned to Malaysia last month after completing a scholarship programme provided by World Championships and World Cup organisers the BG Group, in which she trained in Hungary and competed in several rounds of the World Cup.

"She was really down after returning from Europe. She felt her form was dropping and was very worried about the Sea Games and she said she needed help," said Johari.

"So, I agreed to take her under my wings and I've dedicated several hours a day just to focus on Kimberley's programme. I give my guarantee that she will be in shape for the Sea Games."

Triathlon: Kimberly and Shahrom best bets

KIMBERLY Yap and Shahrom Abdullah are the two best bets to win gold medals in the triathlon at the Sea Games.

Winner of the only gold for the sport in the 2005 Manila Sea Games, Kimberley will be defending her title in the women's category.

In fact, Kimberly is the No 1 women's triathlete in Southeast Asia and also the Asian No 33.

Kimberly has represented Malaysia in swimming previously and has two Sea Games bronze medals as a member of the 4x100 and 4x400 quartets.

But after the 2001 Sea Games, the Sarawakian started competing in a few events that had both triathlon (swimming, cycling, running) and duathlon (cycling and running) disciplines and she got hooked.
In the men's category the Triathlon Association of Malaysia (TAM) is pinning its hopes on Shahrom, who has been involved in the sport for six years, to land its first gold medal.

"We are sending eight athletes to Pattaya, and we hope that they will do well," said TAM secretary Chan Chee Seng.

"I am sure Kimberly will deliver and, hopefully, Shahrom will also."

The Sea Games-bound athletes are in competing in the Lumut Challenge which begins today.

"Based on Kimberly and Shahrom's performances they are a class above the Sea Games level, and they should deliver."

Duathlon: World class field to compete

MALAYSIA’S Shahrom Abdullah, Mariana Mohamad and Kimbeley Yap will be up against a world class field in the Malakoff Powerman Malaysia 2007.

The event, to be held on Nov 11 in Seri Manjung, Perak, will see more than 560 participants, including over 200 duathletes from abroad.

The run-bike-run multi-sport event consists of a 11km run-64km bike-10km run, and offers a prize purse of RM132,000.

As duathlon will make its debut in the Korat SEA Games, duathletes from Southeast Asia will use Malakoff Powerman Malaysia 2007 to gauge their performance prior to the games.

Shahrom Abdullah, the sport’s local strongman of many years, is gearing up to contend with a field that includes International Triathlon Union Duathlon World Champion Joerie Vansteelant of Belgium, and the Philippines’ top duathlete, Ryan Mendoza.

Shahrom and Ryan are expected to slug it out for Southeast Asian supremacy, barring surprises from less fancied competitors.

“I will be training in Kuantan to get away from the constant questions on what are my medal prospects for the Sea Games. The right frame of mind is as important to winning as physical training,” Shahrom said.

World champion Joerie Vansteelant said the race route is fast, but the heat, humidity and fierce competition would be a big challenge.

Mariana Mohamad, Malaysia’s top ranked female duathlete, will be representing the country at the Sea Games with Stephanie Chok.

The 29-year-old mother of two, finished fifth in last year’s Malakoff Powerman Malaysia race and will be aiming to better her finish against an even stronger international field.

Mariana’s brother, Heidilee Mohamad, will also be part of the Sea Games squad but will be sitting out the Malakoff Powerman Malaysia due to injury.

Kimbeley Yap, triathlon gold medallist at the last Sea Games, will be competing as preparation for the Korat event.

“Although there is no swimming leg, the Powerman duathlon will be an excellent race for me to raise my running and biking speed. I need strong competition to go faster,” the final-year student at the Bukit Jalil Sports Academy said.

Kimbeley's Hong Kong Result

In the recent OSIM 2007 ITU Triathlon Asian Cup held in Hong Kong, Kimbeley Yap was 7th out of the water (out of 23 swim finishers) in 21:22, 32 secs down on the top swimmer Mariko Adachi from Japan, but 24 secs ahead of eventual winner Saori Ohmatsu, also from Japan.

Kimbeley was the only Malaysian in either of the Elite categories, and unfortunately was a DNF for this race.

Click here for the full race result.

Kimbeley in need of more money for Beijing bid

By S. SIVABALAN of The Star

Top national woman triathlete Kimbeley Yap will be requesting for more funds from the BG Group to prepare for the World Cup series events in her bid to qualify for the Beijing Olympics next year.

The reigning SEA Games triathlon champion was selected by the International Triathlon Union (ITU) as one of the eight recipients of the BG Group Scholarship Project last December.

The US$10,000 scholarship was used by Kimbeley for training and preparation for this year’s World Cup series season.

It is, however, insufficient for the entire season. Kimbeley has had to use her own money as well as to rely on her family.

“I really appreciate the funding which I received this year because it helped me prepare for the races. The two organisations were happy with the way I spent the money,” said Kimbeley. “Since it’s a one-year scholarship, I have to re-apply and the closing date is Nov 24.

“I will request for more money since the funds are not enough for the entire year. I have had to come up with my own money and my mom chipped in too.

“But I need to talk to my coach James Turner before deciding on the amount to request for based on next year’s race schedule, which is not out yet.”

Kimbeley is expected to compete in about 10 races next year in her bid to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

“I plan to compete in six Asian Cup races and three or four World Cup races next year. The funds will be used for these races. I will know by Christmas if my scholarship is approved.”

Meanwhile, Kimbeley is hoping to take part in the Powerman series in Lumut on Nov 11 to prepare for the Korat SEA Games in December.

“I am on a break after competing in the Hong Kong triathlon last month and I will resume full training in two weeks. I want to compete in the sprint event (750m swim, 20km cycling and 5km run) in Lumut as a tune-up,” she said.

“I have to make a special request to the organisers since I am not eligible to compete in the sprint event.”

I’ll be stronger and better in Pattaya, says Kimbeley

KUALA LUMPUR: Triathlete Kimbeley Yap will also be out to prove that her gold medal-winning effort in the last SEA Games in Manila was no flash in the pan.
Kimbeley said that she had improved gradually over the last two years and she was confident of an even better showing in Pattaya in December.

“When I won the gold medal two years ago, I clocked 2'14. I now have a personal best of 2'06, which I clocked at the World Cup in Hungary last September. I want to retain the SEA Games gold medal and I believe that I will be stronger than I was in Manila two years ago,” she said.
The other female triathlete for the Games is Ooi Chiew Wei. In the men's competition, Malaysia will be represented by Razani Husain and Wei Kuo Hau.

Duathlon will make its debut in the Games. The Malaysian male competitors are Shahrom Abdullah and Heidlee Mohamad. The women in the team are Mariana Mohamad and Stephanie Chok Kui Eng.

Meanwhile, Razani and Stephanie were named as the Power Bar National Triathlete of the Year. They duo were the best overall performers from five triathlons on the local circuit this year.
Stephanie won four legs – in A'Famosa (April), Bukit Merah (May), Kenyir Lake (May) and Desaru (Aug). Razani was the winner in A'Famosa, Kenyir and Bukit Merah. As the overall champions, they each received RM5,000.