ARMWRESTLING SETS FOOT IN MALAYSIA

25 May 2012, KUALA LUMPUR - The inaugural International Armsport Championships Malaysia 2012 to be held at Exchange Trade Centre International (ETCi) in Dataran Merdeka on 24 to 26 August was launched today with the hope of steady growth for the sport in Malaysia.

The fast growing sport will be actively promoted in Malaysia and steps towards that have been taken with the successful organisation of a technical and refereeing seminar which was attended by 60 participants including representatives from Singapore and Indonesia.

The seminar was conducted by World Armsport Federation (WAF) Secretary-General Willy Deneumostier from Belgium and was organised by Amiranz Armsport Academy (AAA), which was represented by its president Amir Ahmad.

WAF Secretary-General Willy Deneumostier was impressed with the seminar organised by AAA, “I would like to see Malaysian armwrestlers competing outside Malaysia in WAF-sanctioned championships, I feels that Malaysian armwrestlers have lots of potential based on the enthusiasm I saw during the seminar, the possibilities are endless.”

“The upcoming IACM 2012 is a good start to expose Malaysians to a championship with international participation. At the same time, we hope that armwrestling will gain new fans all over Asia. For a start I hope to see Malaysians at the upcoming championships in Belgium, held at my city, Rochefort on 27th July this year, winning or losing is not a priority, what is more important is the exposure.” He added.

The objectives of the seminar was to spur the growth and promotion of the sport in the region, with participants given the technical knowhow and qualifications to officiate armsport competitions. AAA targets to develop Malaysia into a hub for armsport in the region.

IACM 2012 will be the first such competition of international stature to be held in Malaysia and its participants will comprise those from the 56 member countries of the WAF.

Amir said the objectives of the competition are for to provide another platform for the promotiof the country to achive tourism objectives, while at the same time it will help develop the sport in the country with the aim of discovering talents that can represent the country on the international stage.

Also present at the launch were Mr. Ismail Kassim, Deputy President of Malaysian Armwrestling Association, venue sponsor representative Ms Devi Ram, Chief Marketing Officer of ETCi, IACM 2012 travel partner Mr. Syed Saifuddin Bin Syd Ahmad, Manager Corporate Services – Exteral Relations & Stakeholder Management and Pn Rozita Binti Mohd Razali, Executive - Exteral Relations & Stakeholder Management of Malaysia Airlines and participants of the training seminar.

BERSANTAI DENGAN PERSONALITI TERKENAL DI CELEBIRITY PLANET

21 Mei 2012, PUTRAJAYA ; Sempena sambutan Hari Belia Negara pada 23 hingga 27 Mei ini, para pengunjung khususnya golongan belia berpeluang untuk melihat personaliti terkenal tanah air yang menjadi pujaan mereka dengan lebih dekat lagi.

Malah bukan itu sahaja, mereka juga berpeluang untuk bersantai dan beramah mesra dengan idola mereka di khemah Celebrity Planet, yang menjadi stesen pengumpulan (gathering station) kesemua artis dan penghibur yang turut sama menjayakan sambutan Hari Belia Negara 2012 di Putrajaya ini.

Bertempat di khemah Celebrity Planet, yang dihias penuh gaya glamor selebriti, khemah marquee seluas 200 kaki persegi itu, akan memuatkan ruang untuk mengadakan sesi bertemu peminat, gerai-gerai artis yang ingin memperkenalkan produk mereka di samping pentas untuk artis mengadakan persembahan mereka untuk menghiburkan para pengunjung.

"Kira-kira sepuluh booth akan dibuka di bawah Celebrity Planet nanti. Turut sama adalah booth penaja seperti Celcom, RHB, Agro Bank, Naza, Genting dan TM. Ini adalah aktiviti terbesar yang mengumpulkan ramai artis dan personaliti terkenal tanahair untuk memberi peluang kepada para pengunjung terutama anak-anak muda untuk bersantai dan mendekati idola pujaan mereka dengan lebih dekat lagi.

"Kita mensasarkan jumlah pengunjung yang ramai. Ruang khemah yang besar ini juga dapat memberikan keselesaan kepada artis dan juga peminat untuk beramah mesra serta aktiviti lain sepeti mengambil gambar bersama artis dan pertunjukkan pentas," kata En. Roslan Hj Salikon, Pengarah Urusan Stadium First Sdn Bhd.

Bersempena dengan penyertaan penganjur pada sambutan Hari Belia Negara 2012 ini, satu memorandum persefahaman (MoU) ditandatangani hari ini di antara Stadium First Sdn Bhd dan Majlis Belia Malaysia dalam majlis yang diadakan di Kementerian Belia dan Sukan, di Putrajaya.

Stadium First Sdn Bhd diwakili oleh En. Asri Idris manakala Majlis Belia Malaysia pula diwakili oleh En. Khairul Anuar Mansor. Majlis hari ini turut dihadiri Menteri Belia dan Sukan Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Belia dan Sukan Datuk Mohid Mohamed dan Presiden Majlis Belia Malaysia Mohamed Maliki Mohamed Rapiee.

Himpunan lima hari sempena sambutan Hari Belia Negara 2012 ini akan melibatkan kawasan seluas 6 kilometer sekitar kawasan Putrajaya, 1000 orang artis dan penghibur, 22 buah pentas dan sasaran penyertaan seramai dua juta belia.

Pada tahun ini lebih 500 program dan aktiviti diadakan daripada 38 segmen.

KARAMJIT IS STILL KING

13 MAY 2012, KANGAR - Karamjit Singh is the undisputed winner of the Kangar round of the Malaysian Rally 2012 championship.

Over two legs, Karamjit, the defending overall champion, found himself fending off the challenge of the rest of the field to win both the rounds, covering a total distance of an estimated 125km race over 16 stages.

Together with co-driver Nicole Ann Gill in their Mitsubishi Lancer, the pair clocked a total time of 1hr 20:50.7secs with New Zealander Brian Green and co-driver Fleur Pedersen in a Subaru Impreza who did a total time of 1hr 22.50.03secs.

Third was Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya of the MRU Racing team in a time of 1h 26:15.9secs. On Saturday in the opening round, Karamjit was hardly in trouble as he raced away to take the crown and on Sunday, it was also business as usual for the man whom they call the Flying Sikh.

He got off to a flying start in the opening stage on Sunday, which is Stage 9, covering a distance of 8.02km and he was in his element. From then on it was smooth sailing, minus a little hiccup here and there.

"But in the end we came good. The stages were a bit too straight for my liking and it could play havoc with the handbrakes. But we kept clear of trouble and I am happy," said Karamjit.

The action shifts to Johor Baru for the third round of the 2012 Malaysian Rally which also co-incide with the Asia Pacific Rally Championship(APRC) where some big names from the region are expected to take part.

But by then Karamjit will have a "new" car to handle. A three-year old Mitsubishi Lancer which his team GSR Repsol Air Asia have bought for him from New Zealand.

"I am looking forward to driving the new car and it will be a totally refreshing experience. I have not test driven it yet but I am sure it will be fast," said Karamjit.

And the return of China's Fan Fan, last year's winner of the Malaysian leg of the APRC in Johor Baru, will only add competitiveness to the championship.

Fan Fan's million ringgit Mitsubishi Lancer was supposed to have raced in Kangar but because of it's late arrival due to customs clearance, the car did not see action in Kangar.

"But I will be back. The car is still in Malaysia (Kangar and then Kuala Lumpur) and I will be ready to race in Johor Baru," said the Beijing based Fan Fan.

KARAMJIT VICTORIOUS ON DAY 1

12 MAY 2012, KANGAR - Karamjit Singh or better known as the Flying Sikh does what he do best - Winning rally that is.

He swept to victory in the opening day of the Kangar round of the Malaysian Rally in Kangar leaving his opponents wondering what it will take to dislodge him.

Together with co-driver Nicole Ann Gill in their Mitsubishi Lancer they completed the 62 km course across the sugar plantation of Chuping to win in a total time of  40mins 39secs leaving New Zealander Brian Green and Fleur Pedersen in a Subaru Impreza  in second place in 41mins 22.6secs.

Third was the 2010 Malaysian Rally champion Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya also in a Subaru Impreza in  42mins 59.3secs.

The day had started off reasonably well for Karamjit in the 2.68km special stage where he finished thirdfastest but from then on there was no looking back.

He brushed aside the challenge of the rest of the field to win comfortably and then declared that he is looking forward to the next round in Johor Baru in two months time.

"I have a new car, a Mitsubishi Lancer  which we brought from New Zealand. It is now in Port Klang and once we take it out from there will will prepare the car. I am looking forward to driving it.

It will surely be better given it's condition as compared to the present car," said Karamjit who is driving under the GSR Repsol Air Asia banner.

But for now Karamjit is still the man to beat.

Even China's Fan Fan, the winner of the Malaysian round of the Asian Pacific Rally Championship last year, could not catch up with him.

But then again, Fan Fan ran into some problems yesterday. His Mitsubishi Lancer which he brought from China was delayed by the Port Klang strike recently and it was ony an hour or two before the rally flagged off yesterday that his car arrived in Kangar.

"Obviously we could not get the car certified because of the late arrival and we had to get him another car. Obviously he struggled with some one else's car. It's a pity really because he is such a talented driver," said Gunaseelan Rajoo, the team leader of the GSR Repsol Air Asia Team under which Fan Fan is driving.

EXHILARATING ACTION AWAITS MRC FANS IN PERLIS

11 MAY 2012, KANGAR - China's Fan Fan, the winner of the Malaysian leg of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship last year, is down for the second round of the Malaysian Rally Championship in Kangar over the weekend.

And his participation has added a touch of glamour and add to the competitive spirit as the rest of the field gather in the Northen capital ovet two days of action across the sugar cane plantations of Chuping.

Fan Fan, who was a familiar name in Malaysian Rally in the nineties, has pushed competitive rallying into the background to concentrate on his online business in the past couple of years.

"But I guess he has a bit more time on his hands now and that's why he accepted our invitation to race in Malaysia this weekend. He is such a talented driver and his victory in the Malaysian leg  of Asia Pacific Rally Championship in Johor Baru in April last year, is ample proof of that.

"I am sure he will be give the rest a fight in his Mitsubishi Lancer. No doubts about that," said Gunaseelan Rajoo, leader of the GSR Repsol-Air Asia team under which Fan Fan and his co-driver Fang Jun Wei will be racing in.

But for now New Zealander Brian Green and co-driver Brian Fleur of the MRU Racing team are the leader after their impressive opening round performance in Manjung, Perak two months ago.

There is also the 2011 Malaysian Rally Champion Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya in his Subaru Impreza who is now lying second overall and given his experience, on and off the track, he and his co-driver Sean Gregory are always going to be a threat.

"I have always believe that if you prepare the car well and drive to the best of your ability without the need to take uneccessary risks, then there is always a chance, "said Muhammad Rafiq.

And then there is Karamjit Singh, the undisputed King of Malaysian Rally with twelve overall titles under his belt.

But a disastrous opening round, opening day performance in Manjung where his Mitsubishi Lancer broke down early in the race, meant that even his victory in the second day was not enough to see him in the top five overall classification as the 15-car participation list heads for Kangar.

"We have lot of catching up work to do from now on. No more breakdowns and we have set ourselves a target of finishing first in every race from now on," said Karamjit.

The Kangar round will also see the young driver Kenneth Koh with the veteran Jagdev Singh alongside him, racing in a brand new Proton Satria Neo, which he hopes will help provide his fledgling career a boost.

Kenneth, 22 is a former Malaysian Rally Junior champion and  was placed fifth overall in the 2012 Malaysian Rally Championship.


"I am still learning but I will get better each year and I hope the new car will give me the extra push," said Kenneth.

ZAGORODNIY WINS FINAL STAGE, TORCKLER SECURES OVERALL VICTORY

1 MAY 2012, KOTA KINABALU - UKRAINE'S Volodymyr Zagorodniy won the final stage of the Tour of Borneo after succeeding with a breakaway that began early in the stage that descended from Kundasang into Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of Sabah.

The Suren Uzbekistan Team rider registered his team's first win in the UCI Asia Tour this season after he beat Team Plan B's Luke Joyce and Genesys Wealth Advisers' Blake Hose to the finish line as the trio split from an initial breakaway group of 11 riders.

The breakaway group included Genesys Wealth Advisers' Jonathan Lovelock and they managed to open up a gap of more than five minutes on the main peloton as they entered Kota Kinabalu, which would have put Lovelock into the overall lead.

But Michael Torckler's Pure Black Racing Team realised the gap had widened just in time to put in an extra effort to cut the gap and keep the New Zealander in the overall lead to register his second ever personal overall victory.

Torckler, 25, was the winner of the opening stage of the Tour of Borneo and selfless efforts from his teammates had ensured that he kept the lead to the finish.

"We didn't have a day off from the start of the Tour and not today either. We decided to allow the breakaway to go as the riders from Genesys were there but it wasn't Nathan Earle (second overall)," said Torckler after the stage.

"There was a lack of information about the time gaps as we descended the hills. At the last check we saw it was just over a minute, which was still okay. Then suddenly the next information we received, it was more than five minutes, so we panicked.

"I asked my teammates to push harder to chase and cut the time gap, that was at about 30km to go and luckily it was just enough.”

"It is a great feeling to have won here after so long, especially with the effort that the team had to put in from the first stage. It really is a memorable one for me."

Earle finished second to Torckler in the final general classification, but he also emerged the winner of the mountains classification, having won the mountain stage from Sepilok to Kundasang the day before. Earle's Genesys Wealth Advisers team also emerged the overall teams classification winners, having registered victories in three out of the five stages, two through Earle in Stage Two and Four, while Stage Three was won by Anthony Giacoppo.

The breakaway also included Polygon-Sweet Nice's Bambang Suryadi of Indonesia, who would have taken over the Asian riders, but the work by Pure Black Racing ensured that the victory remained with Kazakhstan's Sergey Kuzmin.

Terengganu Cycling Team's Shahrul Mat Amin, the reigning Malaysian national road champion, aptly won the Malaysian riders' classification with a handsome seven minutes and 59 seconds advantage over Mohd Nazri Mohamed of Kuala Lumpur.

The 2.2 category Tour is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is listed in UCI Asian Tour calendar, it is hoped to promote Sabah as the ultimate sports tourism destination in Malaysia, and promote cycling in the state.

Tour of Borneo covers a total distance of 758.4 kilometer, will start from Semporna and will pass through pictureque locations of Tawau, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Sepilok, Kundasang and ends in Kota Kinabalu. 19 professional teams consisting of continental, national and club teams have confirmed their participation and will be accompanied by over 520 race officials.

In addition to a challenging route, Tour of Borneo will also held at a time of various festivals held in Sabah such as Regatta Lepa Lepa, Sabah Fest, Borneo International Marathon and Kadazan Harvest Festival celebrations which kicks off on 1st May, providing an opportunity for fans from within and outside the country to experience the joy of a holiday in the state.


Tour of Borneo is monitored by UCI President Commissaire from New Zealand, Zac Prendergast. The organizer’s main objective is to promote interest in cycling among the younger generations in Sabah, and expose Malaysian riders to more international level competition, thus contributing to the development of cycling in Malaysia.