My first University Games

-by Keith Lim, 19

Recently, I’ve participated in the 18th Asean University Games 2016 held at the prestigious OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore. I was excited to go to the meet not only because it was my first experience at a varsity meet but also because most of my swim mates were in the same team proudly representing Malaysia.

Team MAS

There was a little anxiety in me as I have not competed for a while. We crossed the border 2 days earlier before the competition and my coach advised me to continue training instead despite the immediate race confronting me as I have another more important competition very soon, the SUKMA XVIII in Sarawak.

Prior to the start of the meet, I wasn’t feeling too good in the water. So during the 2 prep days, I swam more distance than I usually would in my regular training to get a better feel in the water.  Still, I had all the doubts running in my mind; I hesitated if I had trained enough for this meet or if I would have the slightest luck to improve on my PBs.

On the first day of the meet, I had an important event for me. Important because it is my pet event - 100m freestyle. I suddenly felt intimidated seeing my opponents who were much faster, older and obviously more experienced than me. I kept reminding myself to keep my mind clear because if I didn’t, I know it was going to affect my race adversely.

But guess what? I swam with my hardest kick ever and slashed my PB from a 51.2s  down to a 50.7s to my own astonishment, grabbing a silver for that event which I never thought would be within my reach. I was so happy with my result, it immediately boosted the confidence I needed to complete my remaining events for the next few days.

The scoreboard showing all 3 top positions milliseconds away

At the end of meet, I improved all of my freestyle events and got 1 gold, 3 silvers and 2 bronze from all of the events I swam. A fruitful trip indeed, and I couldn’t have done it without the support from my friends, family, team mates and especially my coach, Mr Birmingham.

Now, I learned that it is of utmost importance to have strong mentality during competitions. I learned what my weaknesses were and confronted it with my absolute best. If you think you can do it, then you can!

Remember to always give your best during a race because, hey, you can’t go wrong with giving all you’ve got, right?

Medal presentation for 100m freestyle where I (left) earned my silver

Proud golden relay moments for 4x200m freestyle

Together with my peers, we grabbed gold in our relays. From left , Zhen Yang, Kevin, myself and Wei Tze

Winning silver for 4x100m free relay with team mates Zhen Yang, Daniel Bego and Wei Tze 

* photos credit to Ms Sow Yee

The Star : A tepid display in the pool at Asean University Games

BY TAN MING WAI

PETALING JAYA: It was a quiet day in the pool for the Malaysian swimming camp at the Asean University Games (AUG) in Singapore.

After bagging five gold medals in the first two days, Malaysia ended the third day with just a silver and three bronzes at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore.

Yea Zheng Yang helped the 4x100m freestyle quartet to the silver medal.

The silver came courtesy of the men’s 4x100m freestyle quartet of Keith Lim, Daniel Bego, Yeap Zheng Yang and Foong Wei Tze. They clocked 3:27.01 to finish behind Indonesia (3:26.72), who were anchored by 2013 Myanmar SEA Games double gold medallist Triady Fauzi Sidiq.

Thailand took bronze in 3:28.35.

Kevin Yeap failed to win a third gold medal at the Games.

The 28-year-old, who has already won the 1,500m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle golds, finished third in the 400m freestyle after clocking 4:00.96.

Singapore’s Pang Sheng Jun was in a class of his own as he touched the wall in 3:56.01 to clinch the gold ahead of Indonesia’s Aflah Prawira (3:58.52).

Malaysia’s two other bronze medals were delivered by Chan Yang in the men’s 50m butterfly and the women’s 4x100m freestyle quartet of Chui Lai Kwan, Khoo Cai Lin, Erika Kong and Chris Tan Li Ling.

Chan Yang claimed his first medal of the Games by finishing behind Triady (24.40) and Thailand’s Wongcharoen Navaphat (25.23).

Former SEA Games gold medallist Cai Lin made up for missing the women’s 400m freestyle podium by leading her team-mates to third placing finish in the relay by clocking 4:02:67. Thailand won in 3:65.66 followed by Indonesia (3:55.82).

The NST : Asean University Games: Malaysian swimmers power ahead with three gold medals

BY FADHLI ISHAK - 13 JULY 2016 @ 11:56 PM


SINGAPORE: The national swimmers did well to deliver another three gold and a bronze as the medals started to rack up for Malaysia at the Asean University Games (AUG) here today.

Wong Fu Kang, who settled for bronze in the men's 100m breaststroke yesterday, left no room for error as he powered to the 50m breaststroke gold in a time of 28.91 seconds at the OCBC Aquatics Centre.

Indonesia's Nathaniel Gagarin (29.08s) and Dennis Josua Tiwa (29.15s) took silver and bronze in the event.

Keith Lim, Kevin Yeap, Yeap Zheng Yang and Foong Wei Tze defended Malaysia's gold in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay with a close win over Indonesia. The quartet clocked 7:34:21s to edge Indonesian's Putera Muhammad Randa, Aflah Prawira, Satrio Bagaskara Putra and Triady Fauzi Sidiq (7:34.66s) to the win.

From left, Yeap Zheng Yang, Kevin Yap Soon Choy, Keith Lim Kit Sern and Foong Wei Tze defended Malaysia's gold in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay with a close win over Indonesia at the Asean University Games (AUG) in Sinagpore.

Thailand (L. Peerapat, Jiarapong Sangkawat, Navaphat Wongcharoen, Seree Phansomboon) took the bronze on 7:39.64s. Pencak silat exponents Rosli Mohd Sharif and Mohd Taqiyuddin Mohd won Malaysia's first ever seni doubles gold at the AUG.

The duo's routine scored 569 among the judges, giving them a close victory ahead of Indonesia's Haidir Agung Faletehan-Dede Setiadi who were just six points adrift.

Laos pair Singsouvong Alisack and Amphonh Khounchaleun took the bronze on 554. As expected,

Malaysia settled for bronze in both the men's and women's category of the badminton team event.

Both teams defeated Singapore in the third-place playoff with a 3-2 scoreline for the men and 3-1 for the women.

Malaysia lived up to expectations in the football competition, emerging champions of group 'B' with a 4-0 drubbing of Cambodia thanks to goals from Helmi Hariri Ibrahim, Muhd Naim Mukhtar, Mohd Hazizi Mazuki and Taufiq Mohd Zaki.

They will play either Myanmar or Timor Leste in the final four on Friday. Thailand face Singapore in the other semi-final.

The national contingent have won a total of six gold, three silver and four bronze medals at the games so far, with more expected from the pool as well as the shooting, fencing and athletics events which begin tomorrow.



Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/07/158093/asean-university-games-malaysian-swimmers-power-ahead-three-gold-medals

The Star : Malaysia add three more golds from the pool at Asean Uni Games

BY LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia continued to make a splash in the pool, with the swimmers hauling in three more gold medals in the Asean University Games (AUG) at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore.

Erika Kong completed a breaststroke double when she won the women’s 50m final on Wednesday in 32.87 seconds.

Thailand’s Jenjira Srisa-Ard (33.15) took silver ahead of Indonesia’s Marga Kretapradani (33.92).

Erika, who bagged the 100m breaststroke gold medal on Tuesday, was happy to have contributed another gold for the nation in the biennial Games.

Erika completed a breaststroke double when she won the women’s 50m final. She had won the 100m breaststroke gold on Tuesday.

“I was nervous before the race, but I didn’t let it affect me. I’ve been competing against them since I was 15 at the SEA Games and other age-group meets. So, the competition is always close. I still have the 200m individual medley on Friday,” said 20-year-old Erika, who is from Sarawak.

Kevin Yeap earned his second gold as part of the successful 4x200m freestyle Malaysian quartet. The team of Keith Lim, Yeap Zheng Yang, Kevin and Foong Wei Tze clocked 7:34.21 to snatch the gold ahead of Indonesia (7:34.66) and Thailand (7:39.64).

Kevin came out tops in his pet event – 1,500m freestyle – on Tuesday to deliver Malaysia’s first gold.

Wong Fu Kang gave Malaysia the third gold of the day in the men’s 50m breaststroke event. In the final, the Johor-born Fu Kang touched the wall first in 28.91, not far off his national record of 28.67 which was set when he took silver for Malaysia at the same venue during the Singapore SEA Games last year.

Nathaniel Gagarin of Indonesia (29.08) took silver and his team-mate Dennis Josua (29.15) the bronze.

Khoo Cai Lin, Erika, Chris Tan and Chui Lai Kwan took bronze in the women’s 4x200m freestyle in 8:56.34.

The Malaysian contingent also bagged a gold in silat after Rosli Mohd Sharif and Taqiyuddin Hamid combined to win the men’s Ganda event (non-sparring).

Muhd Afifi Nordin took silver in the men’s Tunggal event (non-sparring).

Malaysia have won six golds, three silvers and four bronzes so far in the 11-nation AUG.