Monday, 28 December 2015
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
The Star : Saravanan: Costly to send athletes to Sarawak for Sukma
KUALA LUMPUR: The high cost of sending athletes, which includes flight expenses, to the Sukma (Malaysia Games) in Sarawak next year is one of the reasons why there are fewer athletes participating in the Games, the Dewan Negara was told.
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said the ministry was negotiating with several airlines to subsidise the cost of flying.
“We are aware of the constraints and we are looking for ways to reduce the cost and provide opportunities for more talented athletes to compete,” he said in reply to a supplementary question by Senator Datuk Ng Chiang Chin.
Saravanan said the ministry was planning to send athletes with the prospect of winning medals as well as to gain experience and exposure.
He added that Sukma, which started in 1986, had proved to be successful in achieving the objectives of developing athletes and constructing sports facilities.
“In terms of development, Sukma has managed to unearth and identify young talent with the potential to excel in various sports. It also allows each state an opportunity to build and upgrade its sports facilities.
“This is because the Sukma is hosted on a rotation basis every two years to ensure that every state has sports facilities for grassroots development,” he said.
Regarding the expenses involved in organising Sukma, Saravanan said the amount varies according to the state because it depended on the existing sports facilities and construction of new facilities.
Usually, the host state will apply directly to the Finance Ministry for allocations for the construction and upgrading of the sports venue identified, he added. — Bernama
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said the ministry was negotiating with several airlines to subsidise the cost of flying.
“We are aware of the constraints and we are looking for ways to reduce the cost and provide opportunities for more talented athletes to compete,” he said in reply to a supplementary question by Senator Datuk Ng Chiang Chin.
Saravanan said the ministry was planning to send athletes with the prospect of winning medals as well as to gain experience and exposure.
He added that Sukma, which started in 1986, had proved to be successful in achieving the objectives of developing athletes and constructing sports facilities.
“In terms of development, Sukma has managed to unearth and identify young talent with the potential to excel in various sports. It also allows each state an opportunity to build and upgrade its sports facilities.
“This is because the Sukma is hosted on a rotation basis every two years to ensure that every state has sports facilities for grassroots development,” he said.
Regarding the expenses involved in organising Sukma, Saravanan said the amount varies according to the state because it depended on the existing sports facilities and construction of new facilities.
Usually, the host state will apply directly to the Finance Ministry for allocations for the construction and upgrading of the sports venue identified, he added. — Bernama
Friday, 11 December 2015
The Star : Swimmer Cai Lin eyeing third Olympic outing
BY RAJES PAUL
KUALA LUMPUR: Two-time Olympic swimmer Khoo Cai Lin believes that the new year will bring good tidings.
The seasoned campaigner, who will turn 27 on Christmas day, feels that she’s ready to clock faster times and book her third Olympic Games ticket.
Cai Lin swam in the 800m freestyle event at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, but her participation in the Rio de Janeiro Games in Brazil next August is still in the balance.
The five-time SEA Games champion admitted that this had been a rough year for her.
“It has been a little rough for me. I did really well at the Malaysian Open (won the 800m freestyle). I wanted to do better at the SEA Games, but was diagnosed with tonsillitis just two weeks before the Games in Singapore (in June),” said Cai Lin.
“I stopped halfway through my 400m individual medley race ... I also pulled out of the 800m freestyle, which was a first for me since my debut in 2003,
“I only managed one silver medal (400m freestyle) in my seventh SEA Games.”
Cai Lin had never failed to win gold medals in the last four editions of the SEA Games – 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
At the World Championships in Kazan in August, Cai Lin clocked 4:18.75 to finish 31st out of 49 competitors in the women’s 400m freestyle heats.
Having seen youngsters like Welson Sim (men’s 400m freestyle), Wong Fu Kang (100m breaststroke) and Phee Jinq En (women’s 100m breaststroke) stepping up to the plate this year, Cai Lin believes she still has the fire in her belly to make an impact.
“My passion and love for the sport keeps me going. Swimming keeps me calm ... everything else just ‘drowns out’ when I’m in the water,” she said.
“I still believe that I have a chance to qualify for the Games. I managed to make the cut under the B category for the Rio Games during the SEA Games in the 400m freestyle. But those in this category will only know in July if we will be competing or not.
“I will start competing again next year to lower my times and hopefully get a place in the Olympics.”
Asked if the Rio Games will be her last, Cai Lin, who is pursuing a double degree in public relations and marketing at Taylor’s University, said: “I will see how it goes.”
KUALA LUMPUR: Two-time Olympic swimmer Khoo Cai Lin believes that the new year will bring good tidings.
The seasoned campaigner, who will turn 27 on Christmas day, feels that she’s ready to clock faster times and book her third Olympic Games ticket.
Cai Lin swam in the 800m freestyle event at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, but her participation in the Rio de Janeiro Games in Brazil next August is still in the balance.
The five-time SEA Games champion admitted that this had been a rough year for her.
“It has been a little rough for me. I did really well at the Malaysian Open (won the 800m freestyle). I wanted to do better at the SEA Games, but was diagnosed with tonsillitis just two weeks before the Games in Singapore (in June),” said Cai Lin.
“I stopped halfway through my 400m individual medley race ... I also pulled out of the 800m freestyle, which was a first for me since my debut in 2003,
“I only managed one silver medal (400m freestyle) in my seventh SEA Games.”
Cai Lin had never failed to win gold medals in the last four editions of the SEA Games – 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
At the World Championships in Kazan in August, Cai Lin clocked 4:18.75 to finish 31st out of 49 competitors in the women’s 400m freestyle heats.
Having seen youngsters like Welson Sim (men’s 400m freestyle), Wong Fu Kang (100m breaststroke) and Phee Jinq En (women’s 100m breaststroke) stepping up to the plate this year, Cai Lin believes she still has the fire in her belly to make an impact.
“My passion and love for the sport keeps me going. Swimming keeps me calm ... everything else just ‘drowns out’ when I’m in the water,” she said.
“I still believe that I have a chance to qualify for the Games. I managed to make the cut under the B category for the Rio Games during the SEA Games in the 400m freestyle. But those in this category will only know in July if we will be competing or not.
“I will start competing again next year to lower my times and hopefully get a place in the Olympics.”
Asked if the Rio Games will be her last, Cai Lin, who is pursuing a double degree in public relations and marketing at Taylor’s University, said: “I will see how it goes.”
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
The Star : Malaysian teenage swimmers rule the pool in Vietnam
BY LIM TEIK HUAT
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian teenagers Welson Sim, Wong Fu Kang and Phee Jinq En (pic, below) stamped their mark as the region's brightest prospects in the pool with record-breaking efforts in the 39th South-East Asian Age-group Swimming Championships in Danang, Vietnam.
Welson brought his memorable season to a close by completing a sweep of the middle and long distance titles in the boys' 16-18 age category for the second successive year.
He powered his way to a personal best of 15:35.66 in winning the 1,500m freestyle – and enjoyed the satisfaction of beating home favourite Lam Quang Nhat.
Welson improved on his previous meet record of 15:57.51.
The Vietnamese, who is also the reigning SEA Games champion and record holder for the 1,500m freestyle, came in second in 15:48.05.
The 18-year-old Welson had earlier beaten Quang Nhat to the 400m freestyle gold medal in superb fashion. He clocked 3:54.97 to shear nearly six seconds off his own meet record of 4:00.45, which he set last year.
On Saturday, Sarawak-born Welson started by smashing his own 200m freestyle meet record of 1:52.62 by clocking 1:49.32. He got his fourth gold in the 100m freestyle in 51.50.
Singapore SEA Games gold medallist Wong Fu Kang was not to be outdone. He won both the 50m and 100m breaststroke events in the same age group as Welson's.
The Phuket-based 17-year-old smashed Singaporean Darrin Lam’s record of 29.68 set in 2012 by winning the 50m breaststroke in 29.43, and completed his winning act by clocking 1:04.12 in the 100m event – erasing the previous mark of 1:04.85 set by Christopher Cheong of Singapore last year.
Jinq En was also in the mood.
She clocked 1:10.63 to break former Malaysian SEA Games champion Christina Loh’s record of 1:11.29, set in 2011, for the girls’ 100m breaststroke gold medal in the 16-18 age category.
The 18-year-old from Selangor secured her hat-trick of breaststroke titles by claiming the 50m (32.65) and 200m (2:39.86) gold medals as well.
“It’s been a long and exhausting season for these group of swimmers, starting from the Malaysian Open in March in Bukit Jalil ... credit to them for still being able to break meet records despite having little time to rest,” said national coach Paul Birmingham Thomas
Malaysia’s Foong Wei Tze finished joint champion with Singapore’s Teong Tzen Wei in the boys’ 16-18 age group 50m freestyle event. Both clocked 23.94, with Welson taking bronze in 24.23.
Sarawak-born Angela Chieng came out tops in the girls’ 16-18 age group 400m and 800 freestyle races while Nadia Adrianna Redza won in the girls’ 400m individual medley.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian teenagers Welson Sim, Wong Fu Kang and Phee Jinq En (pic, below) stamped their mark as the region's brightest prospects in the pool with record-breaking efforts in the 39th South-East Asian Age-group Swimming Championships in Danang, Vietnam.
Welson brought his memorable season to a close by completing a sweep of the middle and long distance titles in the boys' 16-18 age category for the second successive year.
He powered his way to a personal best of 15:35.66 in winning the 1,500m freestyle – and enjoyed the satisfaction of beating home favourite Lam Quang Nhat.
Welson improved on his previous meet record of 15:57.51.
The Vietnamese, who is also the reigning SEA Games champion and record holder for the 1,500m freestyle, came in second in 15:48.05.
The 18-year-old Welson had earlier beaten Quang Nhat to the 400m freestyle gold medal in superb fashion. He clocked 3:54.97 to shear nearly six seconds off his own meet record of 4:00.45, which he set last year.
On Saturday, Sarawak-born Welson started by smashing his own 200m freestyle meet record of 1:52.62 by clocking 1:49.32. He got his fourth gold in the 100m freestyle in 51.50.
Singapore SEA Games gold medallist Wong Fu Kang was not to be outdone. He won both the 50m and 100m breaststroke events in the same age group as Welson's.
The Phuket-based 17-year-old smashed Singaporean Darrin Lam’s record of 29.68 set in 2012 by winning the 50m breaststroke in 29.43, and completed his winning act by clocking 1:04.12 in the 100m event – erasing the previous mark of 1:04.85 set by Christopher Cheong of Singapore last year.
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| Malaysian freestyle swimmer Welson Sim at the Singapore SEA Games in June. - the STAR Filepic |
Jinq En was also in the mood.
She clocked 1:10.63 to break former Malaysian SEA Games champion Christina Loh’s record of 1:11.29, set in 2011, for the girls’ 100m breaststroke gold medal in the 16-18 age category.
The 18-year-old from Selangor secured her hat-trick of breaststroke titles by claiming the 50m (32.65) and 200m (2:39.86) gold medals as well.
“It’s been a long and exhausting season for these group of swimmers, starting from the Malaysian Open in March in Bukit Jalil ... credit to them for still being able to break meet records despite having little time to rest,” said national coach Paul Birmingham Thomas
Malaysia’s Foong Wei Tze finished joint champion with Singapore’s Teong Tzen Wei in the boys’ 16-18 age group 50m freestyle event. Both clocked 23.94, with Welson taking bronze in 24.23.
Sarawak-born Angela Chieng came out tops in the girls’ 16-18 age group 400m and 800 freestyle races while Nadia Adrianna Redza won in the girls’ 400m individual medley.
Monday, 7 December 2015
Results of 39th SEA Age Group Swimming Championship 2015, Vietnam
The results of the 39th SEA Age Group Swimming Championship 2015 which was held in Danang, Vietnam can be downloaded from the Swim Results Page.
IBSC lost grip of the 2015 President Cup champion trophy
It was disappointing to see IBSC giving up its top position to PADE in the recent 34th National Inter-Club Swimming Championship 2015 just last week at the Aquatic Stadium Hang Jebat in Melaka. The absence of many key swimmers in the meet could be partly attributable to the lost as many were away at higher level clashing meets in Asean School Games, Brunei and SIPMA in Perlis and some in the midst of having their SPM examinations.
PADE Supersharkz topped the points accumulation by earning 1,223 points trailed by IBSC (761) and DSA (549) in the third position.
With the absence of the seniors, IBSC will need time and effort to groom the younger groups' swimmers as many of younger age bracket have not been fully developed into their full potentials yet. Coaches and swimmers have much work to do towards achieving this goal.
In the 3-day competition for President Cup 2015, which started from 27 Nov to 29 Nov, 2015, Team IBSC scored poorly in terms of points as already foreseen. Nevertheless, each point counts and we are grateful to swimmers who were well focused in their swims to earn points for the club. The point achievers are as tabulated below.
Congratulations to high points achievers.
The full meet results can be downloaded here.
As a comforting factor, the spirit of team togetherness was commendable as swimmers camped and cheered in unity. The team has had a pleasant stay at Herald Hotel, Melaka and parents have chances of enjoying the sumptuous nyonya food in the historic city.
Thanks to the Team Manager, Mr Vincent Low, Assistant Team Manager, Mr Lim See Jeow and Ms Tanya and Puan Zainon as chaperons, in taking care of the swimmers during the meet. Coaches too have rendered their fair share of effort in making sure the team outing has ran smoothly.
We shall work towards getting back the trophy again next year. To achieve this, all swimmers need to work hard and be focus in training.
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| Team IBSC prior to departing to Melaka |
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| Ian James Barr collected most points for IBSC with 2 gold and 2 silver |
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| Yeong Zhen Yi, Ashley Ting and Pun Pei Jin |
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| Adam won a gold and a silver in his breaststroke events |
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| Steve Khiew obtained one gold and 2 silver |
*Photo credits to parents and swimmers of IBSC
For more photos, view the IBSC Gallery.
Friday, 27 November 2015
Keith broke 100m free record in SIPMA 2015
SIPMA 2015 in Perlis ended with a sweet note on 26 Nov, 2015 for the Lim siblings as Keith Lim broke the 100m free record when he swum the event with a record time of 51.86s erasing the old record set by Yeap Zheng Yang in 2013 of 53.38s. Chan Jie and Lee Zhe Yang took to silver and bronze respectively.
Keith's sister, Karla Lim took gold in her pet event of 100m backstroke when she touched home at 1:13.75 to win over Lo Meng Sum and Goh Weng Yee.
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| Karla with older brother Keith, proud with their SIPMA achievement |
Meanwhile, Nur Latifa Zahra managed a silver in her 50m backstroke after clocking 33.83 behind Caroline Chan (31.97).
Well done to all the IBSC swimmers! Congratulations!
Thursday, 26 November 2015
The Star : Welson and Asmalia deliver the goods in Asean Schools Games
By Lim Teik Huat
PETALING JAYA: Swimmer Welson Sim made a double sweep of the middle distance freestyle titles as Malaysia bagged three more gold medals in the pool at the 7th Asean Schools Games in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
The 18-year-old from Sarawak set a new meet record of 1:50.46 on his way to a comfortable win in the boys’ 200m freestyle final. Thailand’s Chakorn Wanphen, the previous record holder at 1:52.66, settled for silver in 1:55.41. Maurica Sacho of the Philippines took bronze in 1:55.61.
Having claimed the 400m freestyle title on Monday, Welson has clearly proved that he is the fastest middle distance swimmer in the region.
Welson won the Singapore SEA Games gold medal in 400m freestyle in June and has broken the national 200m freestyle record three times in the last two months.
His personal best of 1:48.26 for the 200m freestyle, posted at the FINA Swimming World Cup in Dubai early this month, is the fastest in the region this year.
Welson went on to anchor the 4x100m freestyle relay quartet to victory – and his third gold of the meet – later.
The Malaysian quartet of Brendan Yip, Yoo Zhi Qian, Foong Wei Tze and Welson clocked 3:32.28 to finish ahead of Indonesia (3:35.35) and Singapore (3:38.30).
Asmalia Filzati Redzuan provided more joy for Malaysia when she won the girls’ 200m butterfly final.
Bukit Jalil Sports School swimmer Asmalia clocked 2:21.79 to hold off Thailand’s Jutharnan Suthiwong (2:22.81) for the gold medal.
Malaysia also got a bronze from Jordan Yip, who clocked 1:00.69 in the boys’ 100m backstroke final.
After two days of competition, Indonesia are just ahead of Malaysia in the overall standings for swimming, with a haul of 6-8-3.
Malaysia have raked in 5-1-2 to be placed second, ahead of Singapore (3-1-2) and Thailand (2-5-5).
PETALING JAYA: Swimmer Welson Sim made a double sweep of the middle distance freestyle titles as Malaysia bagged three more gold medals in the pool at the 7th Asean Schools Games in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
The 18-year-old from Sarawak set a new meet record of 1:50.46 on his way to a comfortable win in the boys’ 200m freestyle final. Thailand’s Chakorn Wanphen, the previous record holder at 1:52.66, settled for silver in 1:55.41. Maurica Sacho of the Philippines took bronze in 1:55.61.
Having claimed the 400m freestyle title on Monday, Welson has clearly proved that he is the fastest middle distance swimmer in the region.
Welson won the Singapore SEA Games gold medal in 400m freestyle in June and has broken the national 200m freestyle record three times in the last two months.
His personal best of 1:48.26 for the 200m freestyle, posted at the FINA Swimming World Cup in Dubai early this month, is the fastest in the region this year.
Welson went on to anchor the 4x100m freestyle relay quartet to victory – and his third gold of the meet – later.
The Malaysian quartet of Brendan Yip, Yoo Zhi Qian, Foong Wei Tze and Welson clocked 3:32.28 to finish ahead of Indonesia (3:35.35) and Singapore (3:38.30).
Asmalia Filzati Redzuan provided more joy for Malaysia when she won the girls’ 200m butterfly final.
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| Malaysia's Asmalia Filzati Redzuan during the National Schools swimming meet last year. - The STAR Filepic |
Bukit Jalil Sports School swimmer Asmalia clocked 2:21.79 to hold off Thailand’s Jutharnan Suthiwong (2:22.81) for the gold medal.
Malaysia also got a bronze from Jordan Yip, who clocked 1:00.69 in the boys’ 100m backstroke final.
After two days of competition, Indonesia are just ahead of Malaysia in the overall standings for swimming, with a haul of 6-8-3.
Malaysia have raked in 5-1-2 to be placed second, ahead of Singapore (3-1-2) and Thailand (2-5-5).
Wednesday, 25 November 2015
IBSC swimmers on podium at SIPMA 2015
The 6th SIPMA (Sukan Institusi Pendidikan Malaysia) 2015 is currently being held in Perlis, with the swimming event taking place since 23 Nov, 2015.The contingents in SIPMA are :
1. MAJLIS SUKAN SEKOLAH MALAYSIA (MSSM)
2. MAJLIS SUKAN INSTITUSI PENDIDIKAN GURU MALAYSIA (MSIPGM)
3. MAJLIS SUKAN MATRIKULASI MALAYSIA (MSMM)
4. MAJLIS SUKAN UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA (MASUM)
5. MAJLIS SUKAN POLITEKNIK MALAYSIA (MSPM)
6. MAJLIS SUKAN KOLEJ KOMUNITI MALAYSIA (MASKOM)
7. MAJLIS SUKAN INSTITUSI PENDIDIKAN TINGGI SWASTA (MASISWA)
Selected IBSC swimmers representing either their schools or institute of higher learning have been doing well so far, up north. The meet is scheduled to end tomorrow on 26 Nov, 2015.
Take a glimpse of the results achieved by IBSC's swimmers for the past few days and today :
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| Karla Lim (right) was all smile winning the 200m backstroke with a new PB of 2:34.98 |
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| Keith Lim winning gold in 200m fly, way ahead of his competitors with a great time of 2:08.86 |
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| Keith in action to winning the 200m fly - Pic courtesy of Mrs Monica Goh |
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| Nur Iman Nabilah grabbed silver in long distance 800m free event |
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| Nur Latifa (right) managed a bronze in 50m free |
CONGRATULATIONS to Keith Lim and his sister, Karla Lim, Nur Iman Nabilah and Nur Latifa for such great feats.
For full results of SIPMA 2015, visit http://www.sipma2015.com/web_jadual_keputusan.php
Desmond added a bronze in Asean School Games 2015
Desmond Ng has done IBSC proud again as he added a bronze to his medal collection in the 100m breaststroke event today in the 7th Asean School Games (ASG) in Brunei. Desmond qualified in 5th position in the morning preliminary heats with a time of 1:07.58. In the afternoon final, he swam his best PB of 1:05.89 neck to neck with Indonesian swimmer, Ilham Turmudzi (1:05.36) and Thai swimmer, Jirapat Rimpranam (1:05.58) to grab the third placing.
Congratulations to Desmond for his awesome achievement.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian boys relay team, represented by Hollymax Bell, Desmond Ng, Jordan Yip and Welson Sim, also earned consolation third place in the 4x100m medley relay events, .
The ASG 2015 came to a close today after a 3-day competition in Bandar Seri Begawan and the games was championed by Team Indonesia with 9 gold, followed closely by Malaysia in second place (8 gold) and Singapore in third place (6 gold). See medal tally below.
Well done Team Malaysia.
Day 3 prelim and full results can be viewed here.
The Star : Welson and Yi Hao reign in the pool at Asean Schools Games
BY LIM TEIK HUAT
KUALA LUMPUR: Talented youngsters Welson Sim and Ng Yi Hao have splashed their way to golden victories for Malaysia in the swimming competition of the 7th Asean Schools Games in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
The 18-year-old Welson left Thailand’s Chakorn Wanpern trailing in his wake as he powered his way to win the boys’ 400m freestyle final in 3:57.16. The Thai clocked 4:01.73, with Singapore’s Wong Jun Bin settling for the bronze in 4:05.05.
Sarawak-born Welson also won the same event at the Singapore SEA Games in June and posted a new national record of 3:52.57 to finish eighth at the FINA World Cup leg in Doha.
The 16-year-old Yi Hao delivered the second gold for Malaysia in the boys’ 200m breaststroke event when he led all the way in the final to touch the wall in 2:21.78, ahead of Indonesian Ilham Turmudzi (2:22.63) and Thai Sophonwich Traiwijsutitong (2:24.99).
Yi Hao was named the best swimmer (for boys) in this year’s MSSM swimming championships in Shah Alam for breaking two meet records – the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.
Welson and Yi Hao were also fastest in their preliminaries.
Angela Chieng was the fastest qualifier for the girls’ 400m freestyle but could not maintain the momentum in the final. The Sarawak-born Angela settled for silver in 4:31.79, behind Indonesia’s Sagita Putri Krisdewanti (4:28.57). Another Malaysian, Nadia Adrianna Redza (4:31.88) got the bronze.
KUALA LUMPUR: Talented youngsters Welson Sim and Ng Yi Hao have splashed their way to golden victories for Malaysia in the swimming competition of the 7th Asean Schools Games in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
The 18-year-old Welson left Thailand’s Chakorn Wanpern trailing in his wake as he powered his way to win the boys’ 400m freestyle final in 3:57.16. The Thai clocked 4:01.73, with Singapore’s Wong Jun Bin settling for the bronze in 4:05.05.
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| National swimmer Welson Sim |
Sarawak-born Welson also won the same event at the Singapore SEA Games in June and posted a new national record of 3:52.57 to finish eighth at the FINA World Cup leg in Doha.
The 16-year-old Yi Hao delivered the second gold for Malaysia in the boys’ 200m breaststroke event when he led all the way in the final to touch the wall in 2:21.78, ahead of Indonesian Ilham Turmudzi (2:22.63) and Thai Sophonwich Traiwijsutitong (2:24.99).
Yi Hao was named the best swimmer (for boys) in this year’s MSSM swimming championships in Shah Alam for breaking two meet records – the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.
Welson and Yi Hao were also fastest in their preliminaries.
Angela Chieng was the fastest qualifier for the girls’ 400m freestyle but could not maintain the momentum in the final. The Sarawak-born Angela settled for silver in 4:31.79, behind Indonesia’s Sagita Putri Krisdewanti (4:28.57). Another Malaysian, Nadia Adrianna Redza (4:31.88) got the bronze.
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
Desmond scooped up gold in Asean School Games 2015 in Brunei
Well done to Desmond Ng for his powerful swim in 200m breaststroke yesterday at the 7th Asean Games 2015 at Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei where he scooped up gold in his pet event.
Desmond led all the way in the 4-lap race ahead of Indonesian rival, Ilham Turmudzi (2:22.63) and Thai swimmer, Sophonwich Traiwijsutitong (2:24.99) to touch the wall first at 2:21.78. Even though not his personal best time, Desmond was happy to have secured a gold medal on day 1.
Watch Desmond in action in 200m breaststroke.
Another IBSC swimmer, Wong Jun Bin, who is based in Singapore Sports School, also did well by getting a bronze in the 400m freestyle event where he clocked 4:05.05 behind national swimmer Welson Sim (3:57.16) and Thai swimmer, Chakorn Wanphen (4:01.73).
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| Wong Jun Bin - file pic |
Apart from the above swimmers, Anson Chew and Sebastian Soon are also in the contingent to Brunei. We wish them good luck!
Results of 7th Asean School Games 2015 are also be available on the Meet Mobile for those using iPhone and Android.
See the first day prelim and final results.
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
IBSC's Team Briefing for President Cup 2015
Dear IBSC swimmers,
Please note that there will be a team briefing by Team Manager, Mr Vincent Low this coming Saturday as follows :
Travel itinerary and school leave letter will be distributed during the team briefing.
Team members are advised to collect their swim kits and team attire from IBSC's office commencing Friday, 20 Nov, 2015.
Thank you for attention.
Swim Committee
Please note that there will be a team briefing by Team Manager, Mr Vincent Low this coming Saturday as follows :
Travel itinerary and school leave letter will be distributed during the team briefing.
Team members are advised to collect their swim kits and team attire from IBSC's office commencing Friday, 20 Nov, 2015.
Thank you for attention.
Swim Committee
Thursday, 12 November 2015
2016 PRAKL Age Group Swimming Championship
Dear All,The invite and info on PRAKL Age Group Swimming Championship 2016 is as below :
Date : 30th January – 1st February, 2016 (Sat - Mon)
Venue : Kuala Lumpur Swimming Complex,
Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur
Organizer : Kuala Lumpur Amateur Swimming Association (KLASA)
Rules : FINA Rules applies
Date of Age Reckoning : 1st January, 2016
Entry Closing Date : 4th January, 2016
Team Manager Meeting : 30th January, 2016 at 8.00 a.m.
Entries : No limit to the number of swimmers or events
Please download invite and documents here.
Order of Events are :
Entry form for IBSC swimmers is due on or before 23 December, 2015. In order to register for the competition, IBSC Entry Form must be accompanied by Membership Renewal Form.
Regards,
IBSC Swim Committee
Monday, 9 November 2015
The Star : Swimmers Welson and Jinq En shine again in Dubai
BY LIM TEIK HUAT
PETALING JAYA: Teenagers Welson Sim and Phee Jinq En cranked out new national records to cap off their seasons on a high at the FINA Swimming World Cup leg in the United Arab Emirates.
Welson clocked an impressive 1:48.11 for fifth place in the men’s 200m freestyle final in Dubai on Saturday. He agonisingly missed out on the Rio de Janeiro Olympic A qualifying time of 1:47.97 by 0.14 seconds.
But Welson managed to improve on his own national record of 1:48.26 set at the World Cup leg in Doha, Qatar, last week.
Sarawak-born Welson reached the top-eight final as the second-best swimmer after clocking 1:48.89 behind Olympic champion Yannick Agnel. The Frenchman clocked 1:48.85.
Britain’s James Guy, the world champion, took the gold in 1:46.60 ahead of Serbian Velimir Stjepanovic (1:46.63) and Brazil’s Jeremy Stravius (1:46.63). Agnel finished fourth in 1:47.28.
The 18-year-old Welson is on the reserve list for next year’s Rio Olympics, having earlier beaten the qualifying time of 1:51.75 but it is the A time he is eyeing for.
No Malaysian has qualified for the Olympics under the A time since Alex Lim Keng Liat in the men’s 100m backstroke at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Welson, the 400m freestyle SEA Games gold medallist in Singapore in June, is optimistic he can achieve his Olympic dream before the qualifying campaign ends on July 3.
“It’s my goal to compete in my first Olympics. I want to continue to improve bit by bit through exposure in high level meets like the World Cups,” he said.
Jinq En also had a good end to the season, becoming the first Malaysian to dip under 32 seconds in the women’s 50m breaststroke.
The 17-year-old posted 31.80 for sixth place in the final, improving on her national record of 32.01 registered at the World Cup leg in Singapore last month.
It was Jinq En’s second national record in Dubai as she clocked 1:09.64 to smash Siow Yi Ting's six-year-old mark of 1:09.82 in the 100m breaststroke on Friday.
Jamaican Alia Atkinson, the bronze medallist at the World Championships in July, claimed the gold in 30.26. American Molly Hannis clocked 30.54 for the silver while Australian Jane Pickett Leiston clinched the bronze in 30.79.
Two other Malaysians – Keith Lim and Ian James Barr – also competed in Dubai.
Keith finished 26th in the men’s 50m freestyle after clocking 23.88 while Ian was placed 13th in the men’s 200m individual medley with a time of 2:08.44.
PETALING JAYA: Teenagers Welson Sim and Phee Jinq En cranked out new national records to cap off their seasons on a high at the FINA Swimming World Cup leg in the United Arab Emirates.
Welson clocked an impressive 1:48.11 for fifth place in the men’s 200m freestyle final in Dubai on Saturday. He agonisingly missed out on the Rio de Janeiro Olympic A qualifying time of 1:47.97 by 0.14 seconds.
 |
| National swimmers Phee Jinq En and Welson Sim pose for a photo after finishing their events at the FINA World Cup leg in Dubai on Saturday. |
But Welson managed to improve on his own national record of 1:48.26 set at the World Cup leg in Doha, Qatar, last week.
Sarawak-born Welson reached the top-eight final as the second-best swimmer after clocking 1:48.89 behind Olympic champion Yannick Agnel. The Frenchman clocked 1:48.85.
Britain’s James Guy, the world champion, took the gold in 1:46.60 ahead of Serbian Velimir Stjepanovic (1:46.63) and Brazil’s Jeremy Stravius (1:46.63). Agnel finished fourth in 1:47.28.
The 18-year-old Welson is on the reserve list for next year’s Rio Olympics, having earlier beaten the qualifying time of 1:51.75 but it is the A time he is eyeing for.
No Malaysian has qualified for the Olympics under the A time since Alex Lim Keng Liat in the men’s 100m backstroke at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Welson, the 400m freestyle SEA Games gold medallist in Singapore in June, is optimistic he can achieve his Olympic dream before the qualifying campaign ends on July 3.
“It’s my goal to compete in my first Olympics. I want to continue to improve bit by bit through exposure in high level meets like the World Cups,” he said.
Jinq En also had a good end to the season, becoming the first Malaysian to dip under 32 seconds in the women’s 50m breaststroke.
The 17-year-old posted 31.80 for sixth place in the final, improving on her national record of 32.01 registered at the World Cup leg in Singapore last month.
It was Jinq En’s second national record in Dubai as she clocked 1:09.64 to smash Siow Yi Ting's six-year-old mark of 1:09.82 in the 100m breaststroke on Friday.
Jamaican Alia Atkinson, the bronze medallist at the World Championships in July, claimed the gold in 30.26. American Molly Hannis clocked 30.54 for the silver while Australian Jane Pickett Leiston clinched the bronze in 30.79.
Two other Malaysians – Keith Lim and Ian James Barr – also competed in Dubai.
Keith finished 26th in the men’s 50m freestyle after clocking 23.88 while Ian was placed 13th in the men’s 200m individual medley with a time of 2:08.44.
Saturday, 7 November 2015
The Star : All hail the new queen! jinq En breaks another national swim record
BY LIM TEIK HUAT
PETALING JAYA: Swimmer Phee Jinq En is the nation’s new breaststroke queen.
The 17-year-old smashed three-time Olympian Siow Yi Ting’s six-year-old national record on her way to finishing a respectable 10th in the women’s 100m breaststroke event at the FINA Swimming World Cup leg in Dubai.
Jinq En clocked 1:09.64 in the morning’s heat to dip under the previous national record of 1:09.82, set by Yi Ting at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos.
Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson, the silver medallist at the World Aquatics Championships in July, was the fastest qualifier in 1:07.35.
It wasn’t enough to see Jinq En make the top-eight final, but she was still all smiles after notching her second national record in two months.
Jinq En had smashed Christina Loh’s 2011 national mark of 32.11 by clocking a superb 32.01 to finish fourth in the women’s 50m breaststroke final at the World Cup meet in Singapore last month.
She was also happy to bounce back superbly after failing to get her act right in the Doha-leg earlier this week.
“I’m so happy to get the national record. I had a terrible time in Doha.
“My time in the 100m breaststroke was okay, but I wasn’t satisfied.
“For the 50m breaststroke, my hand slipped at the start and it cost me a place in the final,” said the Selangor-born swimmer, who was ranked 13th for both 50m (32.71) and 100m (1:11.84) breaststroke events in Doha.
Christina was the country’s previous top female breaststroke swimmer until she was displaced by Jinq En after she bagged the 100m breaststroke gold medal in her SEA Games debut in Singapore in June.
Christina, now based in the United States, tried for a few years to break Yi Ting’s national record set during the period of now-banned hi-tech swimsuit fabric.
National swimming coach Paul Birmingham Thomas was delighted for Jinq En, who is getting nearer to the Olympic A qualifying time of 1:07.85.
Jinq En is already inside the B qualifying time of 1:10.22 and has until July next year to dip under the A mark to guarantee a place in the Rio Olympics.
“She’s been improving so much in training. The goal was to break 1:10,” said the coach.
“It’s good that there’s a little bit of funding to get them to compete at high-level meets like these.
“There’s nothing better than actual race.”
Welson Sim failed in his bid to advance to the men’s 400m freestyle final after placing 10th with 3:53.72 while Kevin Yeap was ranked 18th with 3:57.96.
Keith Lim was ranked 35th in the men’s 100m freestyle (51.72) and Ian James Barr 15th in men’s 100m backstroke (57.58).
PETALING JAYA: Swimmer Phee Jinq En is the nation’s new breaststroke queen.
The 17-year-old smashed three-time Olympian Siow Yi Ting’s six-year-old national record on her way to finishing a respectable 10th in the women’s 100m breaststroke event at the FINA Swimming World Cup leg in Dubai.
Jinq En clocked 1:09.64 in the morning’s heat to dip under the previous national record of 1:09.82, set by Yi Ting at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos.
Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson, the silver medallist at the World Aquatics Championships in July, was the fastest qualifier in 1:07.35.
It wasn’t enough to see Jinq En make the top-eight final, but she was still all smiles after notching her second national record in two months.
Jinq En had smashed Christina Loh’s 2011 national mark of 32.11 by clocking a superb 32.01 to finish fourth in the women’s 50m breaststroke final at the World Cup meet in Singapore last month.
She was also happy to bounce back superbly after failing to get her act right in the Doha-leg earlier this week.
“I’m so happy to get the national record. I had a terrible time in Doha.
“My time in the 100m breaststroke was okay, but I wasn’t satisfied.
“For the 50m breaststroke, my hand slipped at the start and it cost me a place in the final,” said the Selangor-born swimmer, who was ranked 13th for both 50m (32.71) and 100m (1:11.84) breaststroke events in Doha.
Christina was the country’s previous top female breaststroke swimmer until she was displaced by Jinq En after she bagged the 100m breaststroke gold medal in her SEA Games debut in Singapore in June.
Christina, now based in the United States, tried for a few years to break Yi Ting’s national record set during the period of now-banned hi-tech swimsuit fabric.
National swimming coach Paul Birmingham Thomas was delighted for Jinq En, who is getting nearer to the Olympic A qualifying time of 1:07.85.
Jinq En is already inside the B qualifying time of 1:10.22 and has until July next year to dip under the A mark to guarantee a place in the Rio Olympics.
“She’s been improving so much in training. The goal was to break 1:10,” said the coach.
“It’s good that there’s a little bit of funding to get them to compete at high-level meets like these.
“There’s nothing better than actual race.”
Welson Sim failed in his bid to advance to the men’s 400m freestyle final after placing 10th with 3:53.72 while Kevin Yeap was ranked 18th with 3:57.96.
Keith Lim was ranked 35th in the men’s 100m freestyle (51.72) and Ian James Barr 15th in men’s 100m backstroke (57.58).
Thursday, 5 November 2015
The Star : Welson produces another record-breaking swim in Doha
By Lim Teik Huat
PETALING JAYA: It’s unheard of for a Malaysian swimmer to finish ahead of an Olympic champion.
But that’s what 18-year-old Welson Sim has done.
He beat not one, but two current stars of world swimming – Frenchman Yannick Agnel and South African Chad Le Clos – and then came within a whisker of grabbing the nation’s first-ever FINA World Cup swimming medal in Doha on Tuesday night.
Welson got kicking right from the start, clocking 1:49.93 to win Heat 4 of the men’s 200m freestyle at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. He made it to the final as the fifth fastest swimmer.
Reigning Olympic 200m freestyle champion Agnel (1:50.36) and Le Clos (1:50.54) came in second and third in the same heat – which wasn’t enough for them to make the top-eight final.
Le Clos, the reigning world champion for 100m and 200m butterfly, is best known for beating American Michael Phelps to take the 200m butterfly gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
Welson saved his best for last as he set a new national record of 1:48.26 to finish fourth in the final.
Britain’s James Guy, who is also the reigning world champion in the same event, posted 1:47.06 to complete a double in middle distance freestyle after winning the 400m event on Monday.
Serbia’s Velimir Stjepanovic, the 2013 European champion in the event, took silver in 1:47.56.
Welson was pipped to the bronze by American world junior record holder Maxime Rooney, who clocked 1:48.15.
Welson had, two months ago, equalled the national mark held by Daniel Bego since 2009 when he posted 1:49.22 in winning silver at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.
This is the second national record Welson has set in as many days, having set the national mark twice on his way to finishing eighth in the 400m freestyle on Tuesday.
Based on his current performances, Welson looks capable of making the A qualifying time for next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Welson, who is well inside the B qualification time of 1:51.75 for the 200m freestyle, needs to dip below 1:47.97 to qualify in the A category. He has until July 3 next year to do so.
“I’m trying for the A qualifying time as that will guarantee me a place in the Olympics in Rio next year,” he said.
“It’s a good experience for me to swim in these kind of high-level meets. I still have time to qualify ... I hope I’ll continue to improve.”
National coach Paul Birmingham hailed Welson’s “outstanding efforts”.
“Welson knocked off some big names in his heat,” said Birmingham.
“It’s good for his confidence ... not everyone can say he has raced against and beaten an Olympic champion.”
Singapore SEA Games gold medallist Phee Jinq En clocked a creditable 32.71 to be ranked 11th overall in the women’s 50m breaststroke, while Kevin Yeap was also placed 11th after posting 15:52.70 in the 1,500m freestyle.
PETALING JAYA: It’s unheard of for a Malaysian swimmer to finish ahead of an Olympic champion.
But that’s what 18-year-old Welson Sim has done.
 |
| Malaysian swimmer Welson Sim celebrates on the podium after winning the 400m freestyle event at the Singapore SEA Games in June. |
He beat not one, but two current stars of world swimming – Frenchman Yannick Agnel and South African Chad Le Clos – and then came within a whisker of grabbing the nation’s first-ever FINA World Cup swimming medal in Doha on Tuesday night.
Welson got kicking right from the start, clocking 1:49.93 to win Heat 4 of the men’s 200m freestyle at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. He made it to the final as the fifth fastest swimmer.
Reigning Olympic 200m freestyle champion Agnel (1:50.36) and Le Clos (1:50.54) came in second and third in the same heat – which wasn’t enough for them to make the top-eight final.
Le Clos, the reigning world champion for 100m and 200m butterfly, is best known for beating American Michael Phelps to take the 200m butterfly gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
Welson saved his best for last as he set a new national record of 1:48.26 to finish fourth in the final.
Britain’s James Guy, who is also the reigning world champion in the same event, posted 1:47.06 to complete a double in middle distance freestyle after winning the 400m event on Monday.
Serbia’s Velimir Stjepanovic, the 2013 European champion in the event, took silver in 1:47.56.
Welson was pipped to the bronze by American world junior record holder Maxime Rooney, who clocked 1:48.15.
Welson had, two months ago, equalled the national mark held by Daniel Bego since 2009 when he posted 1:49.22 in winning silver at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.
This is the second national record Welson has set in as many days, having set the national mark twice on his way to finishing eighth in the 400m freestyle on Tuesday.
Based on his current performances, Welson looks capable of making the A qualifying time for next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Welson, who is well inside the B qualification time of 1:51.75 for the 200m freestyle, needs to dip below 1:47.97 to qualify in the A category. He has until July 3 next year to do so.
“I’m trying for the A qualifying time as that will guarantee me a place in the Olympics in Rio next year,” he said.
“It’s a good experience for me to swim in these kind of high-level meets. I still have time to qualify ... I hope I’ll continue to improve.”
National coach Paul Birmingham hailed Welson’s “outstanding efforts”.
“Welson knocked off some big names in his heat,” said Birmingham.
“It’s good for his confidence ... not everyone can say he has raced against and beaten an Olympic champion.”
Singapore SEA Games gold medallist Phee Jinq En clocked a creditable 32.71 to be ranked 11th overall in the women’s 50m breaststroke, while Kevin Yeap was also placed 11th after posting 15:52.70 in the 1,500m freestyle.
Monday, 26 October 2015
Malaysia International Masters Swimming Championship 2015
The invite for the Malaysia International Masters Swimming Championship 2015 is out with details are follows :
Championship
Date
|
:
|
Saturday,
5th December 2015
|
Championship
Venue
|
:
|
Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre
(DEAC)
|
Entry
Closing Date
|
:
|
Sunday,
22nd November 2015, 12pm
|
Team
Captains Meeting
|
:
|
5th December, 2015 10 am.
|
Entry
Categories
|
:
|
Team and
individual entries
|
Entry
Fees
|
:
|
Registration fee RM50.00
per swimmer
RM10.00 per swimmer per
individual event
RM50.00 per relay team per
event
|
Date of Reckoning
|
:
|
31 December 2015
|
For more information, please visit
Facebook: facebook.com/MalaysiaInternationalMastersSwimming
Web: www.malaysiainternationalmastersswimming.com
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
The Star : School term set to start on Jan 4 next year
PETALING JAYA: Schools will reopen on Jan 4 next year in all states except Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. They will open a day earlier in these states.
According to the Education Ministry website, there will be 215 school days and 71 holidays (see chart).
School heads can apply for four days of “cuti peristiwa (occasional holiday)”.
These need not be replaced.
They can also apply for “cuti ganti (replacement holiday)”, which is subject to approval by the state education department.
The year-end break will start on Nov 26 next year, except in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, where the holidays start a day earlier.
According to the Education Ministry website, there will be 215 school days and 71 holidays (see chart).
School heads can apply for four days of “cuti peristiwa (occasional holiday)”.
These need not be replaced.
They can also apply for “cuti ganti (replacement holiday)”, which is subject to approval by the state education department.
The year-end break will start on Nov 26 next year, except in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, where the holidays start a day earlier.
Thursday, 15 October 2015
ASUM Hari Sukan Negara Short Course Meet 2015
Last weekend, in echoing the initiative of the whole nation in celebrating National Sports Day, the Klang Valley swimmers have had the chance to compete in the 1st ASUM Hari Sukan Negara Short Course Swimming Competition on 10-11 October, 2015.
The maiden meet was organised by the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Aquatic Centre with more than 500 participants from clubs and schools around Klang Valley. All meet records are the timings achieved in the first placings.
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| Team IBSC at short course meet |
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| Click to see Full Results |
IBSC swimmers did well overall and congratulations to the following swimmers for their awesome achievements.
OPEN BOYS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Ian James Barr
|
50 Back
100 Breast
100 Back
|
100 Free
50 Breast
|
50 Fly
|
Keith Lim
|
50 Fly
100 Fly
50 Free
|
100 Free
|
|
Welson Sim*
|
100 Free
|
50 Back
50 Fly
100 Fly
100 Back
|
50 Free
|
GROUP 1 BOYS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Foong Wei
Tze*
|
100 Breast
50 Breast
50 Free
|
50 Fly
100 Free
100 Fly
|
|
Ng Yi Hao
|
100 Breast
|
50 Back
|
|
Nicholas
Soon
|
50 Breast
|
||
Afiq Imran
b. Masron
|
50 Breast
|
||
Adam Afif b.
Faizal
|
100 Breast
|
||
GROUP 2 BOYS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Iqmal Muqhis
|
100 Free
50 Breast
|
100 Breast
50 Free
|
|
Low Ken Ji
|
100 Back
|
100 Fly
|
50 Back
50 Fly
|
GROUP 3 BOYS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Low Zheng
Yong*
|
100 Breast
50 Fly
100 Fly
50 Breast
50 Free
|
||
Steve Khiew
|
100 Free
100 Back
|
50 Back
50 Free
|
|
GROUP 4 BOYS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
NG K-Yang
|
100 Breast
50 Breast
|
100 Back
|
|
See Zhi-Hahn
|
100 Back
|
OPEN GIRLS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Tan Rou Ying
|
50 Back
100 Back
|
50 Fly
100 Fly
50 Free
|
100 Free
|
Erika Kong
|
100 Breast
|
||
GROUP 1 GIRLS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Farra Dyana
Arffin
|
100 Breast
100 Fly
|
50 Back
|
50 Fly
50 Breast
50 Free
|
GROUP 2 GIRLS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Nurlatifa
Zahra
|
50 Back
100 Back
50 Free
|
||
GROUP 4 GIRLS
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Ng Zi Syuen
|
100 Breast
50 Breast
|
The kids have experienced the meet in many angles. Some who are confident of their turnings and underwater kick techniques obviously have added advantage over their peers. Some got pretty confused with so many somersaults and laps to do. Unfortunately there are new learners who were given DQs and they ought to take this opportunity to learn from their mistakes so as not to repeat the same fault in future meets.
 |
| Some IBSC parents sitting in as Turn Judges during the 2-day meet |
Some esteemed IBSC parents who went through the ASUM course also volunteered their time and contributed to the meet as Turn Judges and Timekeepers. Bravo to them for their sacrifice and assistance.
Thanks to IBSC's Team Manager, Mr Ken Liew for a wonderful job done during the meet, taking care of more than 100 IBSC swimmers. Also appreciation goes to the coaches for coaching the swimmers on short course sprinting techniques and guiding them throughout.
 |
| Group 4 girls |
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| Tobin Sia (middle) taking a plunge simultaneously with his competitors |
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| Dyllon Ratchaga |
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| Team Manager, Ken with Chan Ka Ken who came first in his heat. |
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| Ian James Barr, won 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze |
 |
| Day 2 group photos |
See more pictures at IBSC Gallery
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