Takraw Squad Ready to Kick Into Gear

BRUNEI UPDATED. The national sepak takraw team will be looking to add to their tally at the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games with the start of the doubles team event today in Naypyidaw.

They are set to face Singapore in Group A today before taking on Cambodia and Vietnam tomorrow at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium B.

Group B is made up of Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos and hosts Myanmar.

Team manager Hj Zaman Hj Zamat had previously said that the aim was to make it into the semi-finals and to, at the very least, win another bronze medal.

The trio of Md Shukri Jaineh, Ismail Ang and Marzuki Munap are the returning players for the Sultanate from the previous edition in Indonesia two years ago.

They are joined by Humaidi Brahim, Abd Hadi Ariffin Matazi and Mohd Hafizzuddin Jamaludin.

A podium finish would be a good parting gift for national sepak takraw coach Ittiphol Chomchaissak, who is set leave to his position at the end of the biennial Games after 12 years at the helm in Brunei.

The sepak takraw team are also set to compete in the doubles event beginning on Friday.

They have been drawn alongside Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos in Group A while Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippine and Cambodia form Group B.

The team had spent two weeks of November in Thailand for intensive training with the best in preparation for the biennial Games.

They started off at the Suphan Buri province to spar with the Sports School team for a week before using the second week to train with the Thai national team.

The team had delivered the first bronze in the hoops event last Monday after finishing third with 430 points.

They were already guaranteed the bronze event prior to kickoff as there were only four teams for the competition.

The squad also bagged bronze in the same discipline at the 28th King’s Cup Sepak Takraw Championship 2013 in Thailand in September.

Brunei competed in the regu and double events at the last SEA Games in Indonesia but failed to advance to the semi-finals after finishing third in both their groups.
The Brunei Times

Vietnam Cruise Past Brunei in SEA Games

VIETNAM UPDATED. Vietnam started their SEA Games campaign with a strong signal of intent as they crushed Brunei 7-0 in the opening match of Group A

Brunei's unusual tactic of playing a high defensive line backfired spectacularly as the speedy Vietnamese raced to a 3-0 lead before the half-time break, courtesy of goals from Vu Minh Tuan, Minh Tuan Ha and Le Van Thang.

Apart from a few long-range efforts Brunei were largely restricted to defensive duties in the first-half.

The game was effectively killed off eight minutes after the restart as Thang grabbed his second goal of the game to make it 4-0.

Despite the scoreline, Brunei hung on to their defensive tactic and were woefully punished as Tran Manh Dung, Mac Hong Quan and Phi Son Tran got themselves on the scoresheet to make it a resounding 7-0 for the night.

Brunei's Korean coach Kwon Oh Soon lamented the lack of preparation for his team's poor display.

"We lacked preparation for the SEA Games, our team has a lot of weaknesses, and there's a big gap between our players and Vietnamese players," admitted Kwon as he spoke to Goal after the match.

"They are professional players, but we hope in the next match we will get a better performance than today."

Vietnam's Hong Van Phuc on the other hand was delighted with his side's showing and was hopeful of making it through to the next round."The opening match is very important for our team," Hong told Goal.

"We couldn't get good form till 15 minutes in and we lost two or three chances to take the lead. We played long balls but it was not effective, so we changed our style of play. I hope we will reach the semi-final."

Vietnam next face Singapore on Tuesday. The Young Lions could only register a disappointing 1-1 result in their opening fixture against Laos who played with 10 men for almost the entirety of the match.

Vietnam Rolls Past Brunei 7-0, Singapore Held Back by Laos with Late Equalizer

Vietnam schooled Brunei in the perils of playing a high line against a much better opponent on Sunday, beating their SEA Games’ rivals 7-0, with most of the Vietnamese goals coming on breaks from both right and left as Brunei’s defenders pushed forward.
Vietnam coach Hoang Van Phuc said after the match it was apparent Brunei was trying to catch his players offside.

“But we saw that tactic and were able to score three times from breaks and missed several other chances from the same position,” he said.

After a tentative first few minutes in which neither team seemed prepared to take the game to the other, Vietnam broke through with several shots that tested Brunei keeper Abdul Hafiz abdul Rahim from both flanks.

A fine save on Vietnam’s Tran Manh Dung on 12 minutes appeared to give the Bruneians some life, but the spark was quickly extinguished as Vu Minh Tuan finished after Dung collected a long ball from Vietnam goalie Tran NyugenManh and passed it onto Tuan for the goal.

Three minutes later Ha Minh Tuan put Vietnam up 2-0 and Le Van Thang made it 3-0 two minutes before the half.

Except for a flurry of long tries that never really threatened Vietnam keeper Manh, Brunei was held on the defensive throughout the first half.

In the second, Brunei pushed hard for the first seven or eight minutes, but a second goal by Thang on 53 minutes quickly deflated the Bruneians.

In the 59th minute, Brunei managed a shot on Manh, but he easily handled the long-range effort from Adi Said.

Even after being stung four times, Brunei’s back four continued to try to hold barely short of the centerline to support some sort of Brunei attack, but the obvious fitness and speed edges of Vietnam’s attackers left Hafiz abdul Rahim in the Brunei goal facing onslaught after onslaught of red-shirted Vietnamese.

Realizing Brunei simply had no attack worth worrying about, Vietnam flooded the box with up to six attackers on occasion.

On 65 minutes, Dung picked up his second goal of the evening, followed three minutes later by a blast from Mac Hong Quan that left Hafiz abdul Rahim with no chance.

Quan had come on only a minute or two earlier as Dung’s substitute.

Tran Phi Son wrapped up the Vietnamese scoring with a curling beauty from 20 meters on 82 minutes.

Brunei coach Kwon Oh Soon admitted after the match his players were outplayed, outclassed and out-trained.

“We really didn’t have the level of Vietnam,” he said.

Vietnam coach Phuc said he was satisfied with the day’s effort, but he warned the next matches will much tougher.

“The result doesn’t really tell us much because our opponent in the next game will be much better,” Phuc concluded.

In the late game Laos came back in the second half to fire home an equalizer and draw with Singapore 1-1.
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Vietnam Crush Brunei 7-0 in Football Match

VIETNAM UPDATED. Vietnam thrashed Brunei 7-0 in their Sunday opener in the men’s football event of the 2013 Southeast Asian Games, hosted by Myanmar, with a grace scored by a midfielder.
The clash was a Group A game at Zeyar Thiri Stadium of the event which is reserved for under-23 players.

In their crushing victory in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw, Vietnam dominated the game and pushed their opponents to their field most of the time.

Midfielder Vu Minh Tuan opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a powerful kick from outside the box.

Vietnam showed their absolute superiority three minutes later when striker Ha Minh Tuan fired home to double the score.

These goals helped strengthen the confidence of the Vietnamese and forced Brunei to rise up and fight back. But a third goal by Van Thang, another midfielder, in the 44th minute dashed the Bruneians’ hope right before the break.

Vietnam continued pressing their rivals in the second half and gave them no opportunity to score any goal.

Van Thang scored his second goal in the 52nd minute by kicking the ball into the empty net after Bruneian goalie Sullehuddin missed a cross from the left by young Vietnamese star Van Quyet.

Defender Manh Hung defeated the goalkeeper again 13 minutes later thanks to an assist from Van Thang and a mistake by a Bruneian defender.

The Vietnamese concluded their emphatic victory in the 82nd minute when substitute Tran Phi Son made a fabulous solo before beating Sullehuddin with a long-range shot. Another substitute Mac Hong Quan had earned Vietnam their sixth goal 13 minutes earlier, with a skilfull shot even when he was being surrounded by five Bruneian players.

Singapore and Laos drew 1-1 today in another game of Group A.

Vietnam will take on Singapore on December 10, Laos on December 15, and Malaysia on December 17. Two group leaders will advance to the semi-final round.

The event’s other group includes Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor Leste, and Indonesia.

Held every two years since 1959, the Southeast Asian Games boasts many sports and involves participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia.

The ongoing 2013 edition will take place until December 22. 
tuoitrenews.vn
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Brunei National Team Arrive in Naypyidaw

BRUNEI UPDATED. The national SEA Games contingent is safely in Naypyidaw and ready to start their campaign in Myanmar.

Led by chef de mission Hj Muhd Zamri Dato Paduka Hj Hamdani, the team arrived in Yangon on Monday and reached the country’s capital after a five-hour bus ride on Tuesday, according to yesterday’s daily report sent by the contingent’s secretariat.

The delegation - made up mostly of members from the national wushu team - were welcomed by officials from Brunei’s Embassy in Myanmar after arriving at the Athletes’ Village in Naypyidaw.

Brunei is sending a total of 61 athletes in 10 sports to Myanmar, all of whom will be based in Naypyidaw for the duration of the Dec 11-22 Games.

The country’s interest in the Games starts tomorrow when the duo of Faustina Woo Wai Sii and Lee YingShi compete in the duilian (duo sparring with broadsword and spear) event, a competition in which they have finished as runners-up in the previous two editions in Indonesia (2011) and Laos (2009)

Prior to boarding the bus to Naypyidaw, the wushu team – which is also made up of Ang Guat Lian and siblings Md Sufi Shayiran and Mohammad Adi Sya’rani Roslan – were able to get two hours of training under their belt in Yangon.

The wushu team also yesterday and hopes are high they will be able to secure Brunei a medal before Wednesday’s opening ceremony.

61 to Represent Brunei at SEA Games

BRUNEI will be sending a lean and mean team to the upcoming 27th SEA Games in Myanmar this month.

The Sultanate will be represented by a 101-member contingent, with 61 athletes, contesting in 10 sports at the December 11-22 biennial competition.

Brunei will participate in athletics, cue sports, cycling, football, karate, pencak silat, petanque, sepak takraw, taekwando and wushu.

His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council, handed over the national flag to the Chef de Mission of the national contingent, Hj Muhd Zamri Dato Paduka Hj Hamdani, at the Green room of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas yesterday.

 

Hj Muhd Zamri, who was also the CDM for the 2009 edition in Laos, is hoping that the Sultanate will be able to top their tally from the previous edition.

The Sultanate finished at the bottom of the 11-team table with their haul of four silver and 11 bronze medals in Indonesia back in 2011.

“We are sending a larger contingent and I’m hoping that we will be able to perform better than the previous editions,” said Hj Muhd Zamri.

“It would be great to be able to win a gold medal before the opening ceremony. Our wushu athletes have more experience now and hopefully we will be able to win it this time,” he added.

The wushu event will begin next Friday and all eyes will be on the duo of Faustina Woo Wai Sii and Lee YingShi as they tackle the duilian (duo sparring with broadsword and spear) event.

They finished second best to Singapore in the previous two editions, losing out by 0.01 points in both.

Meanwhile, the Brunei contingent were also given a boost with the presentation of sponsorships from five companies Infotrek (B) Sdn Bhd sponsored a total of 227 neckties and 150 t-shirts while Insurans Islam TAIB and Darussalam Holdings provided 120 travel bags. 

Hongkiat Trading & Company provided sports supplements (Pharmaton) which are approved by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Last but not least, Superwater Marketing Sdd Bhd sponsored the team with 400 cartons of Rainfresh Water.

Abd Mutalif Tahir, manager of Infotrek (B) Sdn Bhd; Hj Osman Hj Mohammad Jair, managing director of Insurans Islam TAIB; Hj Mahmud Hj Mohammad, managing director of Darussalam Holdings; Rosnani Abdullah Shim, medical sales representative of Hongkiat Trading & Company and Pg Hjh Mariam Pg Bendahara Pg Muda Hj Hashim, Director of Superwater Marketing Sdn Bhd, handed over the sponsorships to HRH.

Also present during the event was Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

The first batch of the contingent will depart tomorrow.

The Brunei Times

 

Battered But Still Standing

BRUNEI UPDATED. The national Under-23 football team are going through a rough patch in Thailand after failing to find the back of the net in their second friendly game and losing more players to injury. 

The team, who are set to open their SEA Games campaign on Dec 8 against Vietnam, will be in Myanmar without goalkeeper Md Fakhrul Zulhazmi Yussof after he fractured his finger in training – with the DPMM FC shotstopper since having returned to the Sultanate.

Md Fakhrul was unable to take to the field during last Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Thai national Under-23 team in the first of the team’s three friendlies in Thailand before they leave to Nay Pyi Taw on Monday.

The team then lost their second friendly 2-0 to Chiangrai United FC in Chiang Rai on Tuesday, the first of two games they will play against the Thai Premier League side – the second set for tomorrow.

Seven players were injured during the game; strikers Md Shafie Hj Md Effendy and Zulkhairy Hady Razali, midfielders Md Aqmal Hakeem Abd Hamid, Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos, Md Asri Hj Aspar and Mohammad Mazazizi Mazlan and left back Abd Mu’iz Sisa.

The team’s manager, though, is confident all the players will be able to play a part at the SEA Games.“The injuries are not serious.... Mostly tight muscles,” said Hj Feisal Hj Eusoff on Wednesday.

“It was a physical game and we went up against a side that have players from Spain, Holland and Australia.

“Though we lost the game, the players played well and were really spirited.

“We had three clear cut chances but we couldn’t score,” said the manager, adding that the team will field their first-11 in their last friendly tomorrow.

Speaking to The Brunei Times yesterday, Hj Feisal said that Mu’iz and Shafie have since recovered.

Brunei take on defending champions Malaysia on Dec 10, Singapore on Dec 13 and Laos on Dec 17 – all teams equally busy in their preparation for the biennial meet in which the Under-23 football tournament has long been considered one of its highlights.

Singapore are coming off a 1-0 win against Cambodia in a friendly at the Hougang Stadium in Singapore last Sunday while Laos finished as runners-up at last week’s MNC (Media Nusantara Citra) Cup in Jakarta after two wins and a loss at the four-team round robin tournament.

Laos beat Maldives 2-1 and Papua New Guinea 3-1 but their 3-0 loss to eventual champions Indonesia meant they had to settle for second.

Malaysia, meanwhile, will face either Johor Darul Takzim I or II tomorrow and Japanese third division side FC Ryukyu in Kuala Lumpur next Wednesday.

bruneitimes.com

Track and Field Championship to Kick Off

BRUNEI UPDATED. The 3rd Brunei Darussalam track and field open championship is set to kick off on Friday afternoon, 29 November.

The tournament will run over two days, with a full day of action on Saturday at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.

Brunei will be accommodating the Malaysian national team as well as teams from Sabah and Limbang in the open category.

Malaysia will be sending their Southeast Asian Games (SEA) squad, which will give both 400m runners Ak Hafiy Tajuddin Pg Rositi and Maziah Mahusin a solid warm up before next month’s Myanmar Games from Dec 11-22.

Sri Lanka, which confirmed their spot back in September, pulled out after the original dates of October 25-27 were moved to the present dates.

Despite Sri Lanka’s absence, national athletics assistant coach Azmize Abdul Rahman feels having the other foreign participants will be good for the local athletes’ motivation.

“It will spark fighting spirit to take on athletes from other countries,” Azmize told The Brunei Times.

“It will be a big challenge for the Brunei athletes but it will be good sparing for them.

“It’s another level of competition for the athletes because they will not only be competing amongst themselves – where everyone knows each other’s capabilities.

“They have prepared well this time and I know they can do well, but things may be harder for them depending on the schedule.

“Most athletes who do both 100m and 200m may face a tough challenge as they are on the same day. We’ve been there before and if we are tired we can’t perform well,” he said.

Speaking on 2012 London Olympians Ak Hafiy Tajuddin and Maziah, Azmize said that the team will have to manage their star athletes’ time on the track.

“It will definitely be useful for them and I am looking forward to it, but if they feel tired we will only let them run once,” said Azmize.

“The SEA Games are coming up really fast and we don’t want them to get injured,” added Azmize.

Four other teams joining the Open category are Brunei-Muara, Belait, Tutong and Santa Monica Club.

The Open category will host 18 events for men and 17 for women, making for a total of 37 gold medals.

Each athlete is allowed to take part in three individual events; two track and one field or vice versa.

The championship will also see the Junior category (1997-2001) athletes step up to the starting blocks.

They will be joined by Brunei-Muara, Belait, Tutong, Sports School, Jerudong International School, Lambak Kiri Secondary School and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College.

The Junior category will see both male and female contestants compete in 11 events.
bruneitimes.com.bn
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Thailand U23 Too Strong for Brunei Darussalam

THAILAND UPDATED. Thailand's SEA Games (U-23) team yesterday beat Brunei 2-0 in a warm-up match ahead of next month's tournament in Myanmar.

Praweenawat Boonyong scored the opening goal after 19 minutes and Naruebodin Weerawatdodom added the other in injury time against fellow SEA Games participants.

Thailand coach Kiatisak Senamuang was without three Buriram United players - Theeratorn Bunmathan, Charyl Chappuis and Adisak Kraisorn - whose club will play in today's League Cup final.

Thailand are desperate to regain the title at the biennial event. They won the gold medal eight times in a row before two consecutive first-round exits in 2009 and 2011.

At the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar, Thailand are in Group B along with the hosts, Indonesia, Timor Leste and Cambodia.

Thailand will open their campaign against Timor Leste on Dec 7 with the top two teams of each of the two groups advancing to the semi-finals.

Bangkokpost.com

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Faiq Jefri Bolkiah - The Brunei Rising Star

If the last name sounds familiar to you then that's because it is of Bruneian royalty. Faiq Jefri Bolkiah who is the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, is one of Brunei's most promising prospects. 

He performed very well at the AFF U19 Championship 2013 even though they failed to secure any silverware and caught the eyes of many as part of the Arsenal U16 team at the 2013 Lion City Cup in Singapore. 

A talented striker and best known for his good vision, he is just 15 and the youngest player in our top 20 list. 

Dengan mendengar namanya Anda langsung tahu kalau remaja ini termasuk keluarga kerajaan Brunei. Faiq merupakan keponakan Sultan Brunei sekaligus menjadi salah satu pemain sepakbola potensial. Dia tampil sangat baik pada Piala AFF U-19 2013 meski Brunei gagal meraih prestasi.

Penampilannya juga memukau publik Lion City Cup 2013 di Singapura saat tampil untuk Arsenal U-16. Striker berbakat dan dipuji karena visinya, Faiq menjadi pemain paling muda yang masuk dalam daftar ini.

Brunei National Coach Focused on SEA Games 2013

Brunei sepak takraw coach Ittiphol Chomchaissak will take no part in training the athletes for the International Sepak Takraw Federation Super Series at the end of the month.

Though Brunei have the Super Series in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, to look forward to from Oct 31-Nov 3, Ittophol said his main target is the Dec 11-22 SEA Games in Myanmar.

Ittiphol revealed that Brunei will be sending its junior team to Sabah for the final leg of the tournament. “Right now training is going well and I think we will have a chance at doing well this year,” said Ittiphol last night.

Brunei will be taking part in three of the five events on offer; double team event, double regu event and hoop event. Countries can also take part in the team event and regu event but are limited to three choices. “We have a good chance because Thailand who are the world champions aren’t taking part in the double’s event,” said Ittiphol.

“Myanmar and Indonesia are strong contenders to take first and second place but third is open for anyone to win. “I have been here for 12 years and haven’t won a medal in the SEA Games yet, so it would be a good feeling if we can. “We will be travelling to Thailand from November 4 to 20 for our pre-SEA Games warm-up and it will be good for us because we will be able to learn from them,” added the Thai.

Md Shukri Jaineh, Ismail Ang and Marzuki Munap are the returning trio from the previous edition in Indonesia two years ago. They are joined by Humaidi Brahim, Abd Hadi Ariffin Matazi and Mohd Hafizzuddin Jamaludin.

All six players will see action in both the team and hoop events while the players have yet to be determined for the doubles event.

Ittiphol was speaking on the sidelines of a thanksgiving ceremony, as well as Aidil Adha celebration, which the Brunei Darussalam Sepak Takraw Association (Pestabaru) organised last night.

The celebration was also held to congratulate the sepak takraw team for their recent achievements in the King’s Cup in Thailand and Borneo Games in Labuan.

“I’d like to congratulate the team for winning silver in the Division I team event and bronze in the hoop event during the Kings Cup in Thailand last month – and also to the Under-21 team that won gold in the regu and silver in the doubles event,” Pestabaru president Pg Ali Hj Hassan Pg DSLJ Hj Abas told reporters.

“So far this year we have hosted five tournaments and hopefully we will be able to hold one more in December,” he added.

Brunei lost out on gold in the Division 1 team event after losing to the Philippines in the final.

Brunei beat Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam en-route to winning bronze in the hoop event.

Right after the King’s Cup was the second round of the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) Super Series 2013, also in Thailand, where they finished ninth in the 12-team tournament.

Amongst others at the ceremony at the Multipurpose Hall of the Menglait Sports Complex were council members, coaches, referees and athletes.

The Brunei Times

Cycling Coach Yafiz Ready To Step Up SEA Games Training

National cycling coach Yafiz Jamaludin is ready to embark on the next step of training for his charges in preparation for December's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. 

The coach took home a number of positives after last week's Langkawi International Mountain Bike Challenge (LIMBC). 

Two of the SEA Games riders, Muhammad Raihaan Abd Aziz and Muhammad Rafiuddin Zikara finished in 32nd and 56th respectively. 
 Muhammad Raihaan completed the competition with a total time of 12:35:56 while Muhammad Rafiuddin crossed the like just one hour behind with a time of 13:37:38. 

Mohd Nurjamri Johari who also competed in the race ended with 42nd on 13:14:33. 

I'maadi Abd Aziz, Ahmad Rifa'ie Hj Johor, Azmi@Loqman Hadzid and Reduan Yusop are the other four SEA Games riders that moved into Sungai Kebun Sports Complex yesterday for their intensive training. 

Yafiz's schedule will see the team stay there till October 30th.
The national team will then head to Kundasang, Sabah, for high altitude training from October 30th to December 6th. 

The two-month long training will allow the riders to peak just in time for the SEA Games in Myanmar. 

Yafiz told The Brunei Times, "After returning from the LIMBC, I have found a lot of weaknesses in my cyclists compared to those from the other top ASEAN countries." 

"The ASEAN countries that competed were Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar and Singapore. Our top contenders (in the LIMBC) were Thailand and Indonesia for the ASEAN country rankings," said the coach.
"We stayed in the top five for the rankings so I know who our best challengers will be at the SEA Games," added Yafiz. 

Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos did not send any of their national cyclists for the LIMBC. 

"Even though Vietnam didn't join, I know that they have some strong riders," said Yafiz. 

"The other three countries to look out for in the SEA Games are Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia," he added.

Brunei are set to take part in five different events in Myanmar. I'maadi, Muhammad Raihaan and Muhammad Rafiuddin will be taking on the cross country Olympics. 

Loqman, I'maadi, Reduan and Ahmad Rifa'ie will take part in the team time trial. Muhammad Raihaan will be the only national rider in the individual team trial. All six riders will enter the individual road race and team road race. 
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Football: Brunei Win Gold at 5th Borneo Games

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, The Brunei Under-23 team picked up a certain sense of psychological confidence ahead of the SEA Games when they beat  East Kalimantan 10-9 on sudden death penalties at the recently concluded 5th Borneo Games that was held in Labuan.
The score at the end of the regulation was 1-1 while after extra time, it was 2-2.

But in the end, Hazwan Hamzah was the toast for Brunei when he scored the winning goal in sudden-death penalties.

“Our plan after this is to get back to Brunei and continue training for the upcoming SEA Games and hope we can make Brunei proud again,” said Brunei coach Zainuddin Kassim.

“It was all them. The other coaches and I are only here to guide them but it was all them who made the efforts. They didn’t let their spirits down, fought to the very end and finally proved victorious.”

The Sultanate had begun their campaign with a slim 1-0 win over Sabah in their first game at the Stadium Labuan before beating East Kalimantan 2-1 at Matrikulasi Stadium in their second tie.

In the third match, Brunei were held to a 1-1 draw by hosts Labuan at the Dataran Labuan field before drawing Sarawak scoreless at the same venue.

138 Atheles to Compete in SEA Games Myanmar

Brunei athletes were yesterday reminded of the importance of the Borneo Games ahead of today's journey to this year's edition in Labuan.

Brunei will be sending a contingent of 138 athletes, coaches and officials from 11 sports to fly the flag for the country at the Sept 13-22 event, a tournament whose significance should not be underestimated despite it being an inter-state competition for Under-21 athletes.

"The Borneo Games is as important as any other tournament because looking at its history and relationship with Brunei, it is the first competition that Brunei has been involved in," said the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah at yesterday's flag-handing over ceremony.

"Brunei competed in the Borneo Games before sending athletes to regional and international tournaments such as the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics.

"It was a meeting between three territories in Borneo and contributed to the development and excellence of sport in the country.

"The Borneo Games has provided our athletes and sports fans with many sweet memories and is also a sub-region tournament which helps in encouraging the ties of goodwill and cooperation among all the participating territories," he added.

According to an article published in The Brunei Times in 2009, the current permanent secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Hj Mohd Rozan DP Hj Mohd Yunos wrote that the first Borneo Games was held at Seria Recreation Club (SRC) in 1954 with the three British Borneo states Brunei Darussalam, Sarawak and North Borneo taking part.

This year's event will see Labuan and Brunei joined by Sabah, Sarawak and four territories from Kalimantan, Indonesia at the Games.

The minister, who also added that he hoped the Games would help prepare the nation's athletes for bigger events, presented the national flag to the contingent's chef de mission Kifli Hj Jaafar at the VIP Room of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.

The country will be competing in athletics, basketball, gasing (top-spinning), football, futsal, karatedo, lawn bowls, pencak silat, sepak takraw, swimming and tug-of-war during the meet with 10-pin bowling and archery the only two sports Brunei will not have a representative in.

Hosts East Kalimantan won the last edition of the eight-team tournament in 2011 after grabbing 57 gold, 32 silver and 37 bronze medals.

Brunei's haul of eight gold, six silver and five bronze medals saw them finish fourth two years ago. The Sultanate sent a 54-member contingent to the 2011 edition, where a total of 636 athletes competed for glory in 13 sports. Brunei recorded their best finish in the event in 2009 when the hosts won 13 gold, 15 silver and 18 bronze medals.
The Brunei Times

BDNOC 10 Sports Named for SEA Games 2013

BRUNEI. The national wushu, karatedo and pencak silat squads are expected to head the list of medal hopefuls at December's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar, where the Sultanate is once again set to compete in the all-important football competition.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports' national selection and evaluation committee yesterday approved the nomination of 63 athletes from 10 sports to the Dec 11-22 regional meet in a meeting attended by His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BDNOC).

The meeting saw the committee trim the number down from June's 231 athletes from 18 sports to the 63 athletes from 10 sports ahead of Sunday's deadline for entry of names.

The taekwondo team which won bronze in 2011 was also nominated to go to the 27th edition of the Games, as were the athletics, billiards & snooker, cycling, sepak takraw and petanque squads.

Among the top achievers at the last edition of the biennial games in Indonesia, yesterday's news that wushu, karatedo and pencak silat will be among the 10 sports Brunei will have representatives in at Naypyidaw is hardly surprising though nominations of all athletes and teams are still pending approval from the ministry.

Though none of the three teams returned with medals from the 2011 edition where Brunei was the only country not to clinch a trip to the top of the podium after finishing with four silver and 11 bronze medals the pressure will be on them to deliver at the end of the year.

The wushu team finished with one silver losing out on gold by an agonising 0.01 point and one bronze in 2011, the karatedo squad one silver and two bronze medals and the pencak silat side three bronze, making their inclusion perhaps the first ones on the list as the committee chaired its deciding meeting on the SEA Games at the Conference Room of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.

The continued faith the committee has placed in the football team, which competed in the 2011 edition after an absence of 10 years and saw their campaign end in the group stage, is sure to attract the most attention with every game sure to be discussed and analysed by the legions of local football fans.

A surprise has been the exclusion of the kempo team, whose four exponents claimed a country-best of two silver medals at the last edition in Jakarta and that despite the sport only being introduced to the county at the beginning of the year.

Popular sports such as futsal, golf and chess joined boxing, body-building, canoeing and traditional boat race as the others which failed to make the grade this year.

The 63-athlete, 10-team list was compiled based on five criteria; passes in fitness tests, good disciplinary records, improvements during training, satisfactory attendance records and potential to win medals.

In addition, their achievements over the past two years and current form was also taken into consideration, according to a press release issued by the committee.

The press release went on to add that continued training and guidance from coaches and their respective sports associations is still needed in order to ensure the athletes are fully prepared to represent the country and provide a fight.

Also present at the meeting were the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah and Deputy Minister Datin Paduka Hjh Adina Othman and other officials from the ministry and government agencies.
The Brunei Times

Football Team Deep into SEA Games Preparations

Brunei football coach Kwon Oh-son is pleased with the progress of his players as they step up their preparations for December's Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.

"We (national Under-23 team) managed to prepare quite early for the SEA Games this year and I feel that we are progressing well and steady," said Kwon yesterday.

"We have trained every day since April and the players are in good condition.

"When we first started training we had 40 players with us, but now we only have less than 20.

"Most of them are from the (Under-21) team that won the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy (HBT) last year, while some of them are new players from local clubs in the national league," he South Korean.

Kwon added that three DPMM FC players Adi Said, Azwan Ali Rahman and Md Fakhrul Zulhazmi Yussof will also be a part of the squad for the SEA Games.

"Key players such as Adi, Azwan and Fakhrul are currently training with DPMM FC (and) I have no worries about these three players as they are training and playing with the best club in Brunei," said the coach.

"I hope that we will be able to welcome them to train with the rest of the squad by the time DPMM FC finish their Singapore League campaign (in September).

"We will try hard and give our best, and I hope that we will be able to achieve a good result for Brunei this year," he added.

Brunei failed to progress past the group stage at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia, where they played out to one win, one draw and three losses.

Brunei started their campaign with a 2-1 loss to Timor Leste before drawing 2-2 with Laos.

They then fell 4-0 to Myanmar and 8-0 to Vietnam before winning their last match against the Philippines 2-1.

Brunei is working on a friendly game with the Indonesian SEA Games team scheduled for August 14, a match against the 2011 runners-up which, if works out, Kwon will welcome with open arms.

"I heard about the friendly and it will be a very good opportunity for the players if it happens," he said.

"Indonesia are currently preparing for the SEA Games too and they are one of the best teams in the region, so it will be a very interesting match.

"Over the past few months we have only been focusing on physical and tactical training and this friendly match will give us very good match practice," he added.

Kwon's last international outing was in October for the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2012 qualifiers in Myanmar, where the senior team finished with six points from two wins and two losses.

The Wasps started off with a 1-0 loss to hosts Myanmar, bounced back with a 3-2 victory over Cambodia and followed that with a disappointing 3-1 loss to Laos.

The Sultanate then went on to put in a convincing performance to stun Timor Leste 2-1 in their final match of the tournament.The Brunei Times

Kwon Oh Son: Indonesia Mampu Berbuat Banyak di SEA Games Myanmar

INDONESIA UPDATED. Pelatih Timnas Brunei Darussalam, Kwon Oh Son, berpendapat, timnas Indonesia U-23 bakal menjadi tim yang tangguh di SEA Games 2013 yang digelar pada Desember mendatang.

Hal tersebut disampaikan pelatih asal Korea Selatan tersebut usai timnya ditekuk 0-1 oleh Indonesia dalam laga uji coba di Stadion Maguwoharjo, Yogyakarta, Kamis (15/8/2013) malam. Gol tunggal Garuda muda diciptakan Andri Ibo melalui kemelut di depan gawang Brunei menyusul tendangan sudut pada menit ke-51. 

"Saya ucapkan selamat kepada Indonesia. Itu adalah performa yang baik. Saya yakin mereka akan berbuat banyak di SEA Games," jelas Kwon.

Kwon juga tak lupa memuji penampilan anak asuhnya. Adi Said sebagai ujung tombak tampil cukup mengesankan. Beberapa kali, pemain bernomor punggung 20 tersebut melakukan penetrasi yang cukup merepotkan pertahanan lawan.  

"Pertandingan bagus ya. Banyak pemain kami yang baru berusia 16-17 tahun. Kita nantikan Indonesia di Brunei untuk uji coba gantian," beber Kwon.

Kwon menjadikan laga ini untuk mengukur perkembangan pemusatan latihan jangka panjang timnya sejak April 2013. Ia menyeleksi 40 peserta pelatnas yang kemudian dikerucutkan menjadi sekitar 20 pemain pada Juni.

Sebagaian besar pemain merupakan skuad U-21 yang membela kejuaraan Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy (HBT) 2012. Beberapa pemain inti yang dibawa ke Indonesia adalah ujung tombak Adi Said, gelandang Azwan Ali Rahman, dan penjaga gawang Fakhrul Zulhazmi Yussof. Ketiga pemain itu membela klub DPMM FC yang berkompetisi di Liga Singapura. Adi Said merupakan pencetak gol terbanyak di HBT dengan enam gol.

Kwon bertugas meloloskan Brunei dari fase grup di SEA Games 2013. Brunei gagal lolos dari fase grup di SEA Games 2011 dengan hasil sekali menang, sekali kalah, dan tiga kali kalah.