Sepak Takraw Teams Seal Glorious Double

THAILAND UPDATED. In the women's regu _ each side has one team of three players _ round-robin tournament, Thailand beat Laos 21-16, 21-14 in their final match for their fourth straight win.

Wanwisa Jankaen, Sasiwimol Janthasit, Kaewjai Pumsawangkaew, Sunthari Rupsung and Payom Srihongsathey helped Thailand win the event for a seventh successive time.

Myanmar took silver while Laos and Vietnam were joint third.

In the men's event, also a round-robin competition, Thailand beat Malaysia 21-16, 21-8 in their last match for their fourth win in a row.

It was the Thai men's fourth straight gold medal and 11th overall.

The Thai players were Pornchai Kaokaew, Thanawat Chumsena, Siriwat Sakha, Sahachat Sakhoncharoen and Pattarapong Yupadee. Malaysia were second while Myanmar and Laos third.

There are 10 events in sepak takraw at the Myanmar Games with each country allowed to take part in a maximum six events. Thailand have won five of their six events.

Thailand, who had won in the men's and women's team events and men's hoop takraw, are hot favourites to triumph in their last event _ the women's doubles.

Thawat Kumutpongpanich, a Thai sepak takraw official, said Thailand should meet their six gold medal target.

"Having won five gold medals, the women's doubles event should not be too tough for us," he said.

While Thailand have been the dominant force in Southeast Asia for years, Thawat said it would be tougher at the Asian Games because several countries have improved considerably.

"South Korea are probably stronger than Malaysia," he said. "The Koreans have trained very hard and learned a lot from us."

There are six gold medals up for grabs at the 2014 Asian Games to be held in South Korea and Thawat said the hosts were good enough to win some.
bangkokpost.com

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

Thais Sweep Aside Malaysia To Clinch Sepak Takraw Gold

MALAYSIA UPDATED. Malaysia sepak takraw squad again found the Thais too tough when they lost tamely in the final of the men's regu at the 27th Myanmar SEA Games, here today.
Playing in the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium, the Malaysian regu comprising Izurin Refin, Mohd Hanafiah Dolah and Mohd Muqlis Borhan appeared shaky, especially in the second set.
The squad began well in the first set but had not enough fire power to beat the Thai regu led by Pattarapong Yupadee, Pornchai Kaokaew and Siriwat Sakha, losing 16-21.

In the second set, the national trio were completely overwhelmed by their opponents and lost 8-21 to settle for the silver medal.
Coach Jamaluddin Hassan said the silver was an improvement from the bronze medal Malaysia won in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Myanmar and Laos shared the bronze medal for the event when they were defeated in the semi-finals yesterday.
The national squad will continue their challenge in the team doubles, tomorrow and the doubles event on Friday.
nst.com.my

Embarrassing Losses by Sepak Takraw Squad Expected - Khairy

MALAYSIA UPDATED. The disappointing losses of the national sepak takraw squad in the men's team event at the 27th SEA Games were expected, said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.

Khairy said he was not shocked at all when the squad under Jamaluddin Hassan performed badly and failed to win any matches.

"I could see it coming...," he told reporters after presenting the gold medal to national karate exponent Lim Chee Wei at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium in Naypyitaw, Friday.

After losing 0-3 to Thailand and 1-2 to Myanmar Thursday, the national squad suffered a 1-2 defeat in the hands of the Indonesians on Friday putting the Malaysian team at the bottom of the table.

Khairy said he did not wish to worsen the situation or point fingers at anyone over the fiasco and on the other hand was prepared to assist the association to develop the sports.

"I will meet the association in January to discuss the future direction of sepak takraw.

"The defeat here is bad enough but when we are hosts in 2017, such a defeat will be even more shameful. So we have to ensure in 2017, our sepak takraw squad will be the champion," he said.
bernama.com
 

Thailand’s Chinlone Women & Men Took Home Gold in The Same Strokes

Thailand’s Chinlone women and men took home gold in The Same Strokes competition at Wunna Theikdi Indoor stadium today, th women beating Laos 202-192 in the final, the men topping Cambodia 258-238.

Malaysia got bronze in the three-team women’s event, Laos (215) and Malaysia (188) gained the men’s bronze medals.

The gold-medal winning team women’s members are JIRAPORN Palasri, POYIM Gatesinee, JAISUE Yaowares, PAENTHONG Pornpairin, SOCHAIYAN Kantinan, JSUKCHIT Wiphada and JAISUE Yaowvalux.

Members of the silver-medal winning Laos team are SILIVANH Bounlay, PHOMMACHANH Pathoumphone, CHANDALA Santisouk, CHANTHASILI Philavank, SAMOUNTRY Noly, VILAYSOUK Ludsamu, DOUANGTA Southavone and MALATHIP Lucky.

The bronze medalists from Malaysia are HARUN Alice, SOMCHOK Asumalin Rattana, SUHAIMI Norazira, ISMAIL Nor Farhana, ROSLI Nurazila, ISMAIL Nur Liyana, ABDULRASHID Nurrashidah and ZULKIFLI Nurul Izzatul Hikmah.

In the morning preliminaries, Thailand (200) and Laos (180) won the right to fight for the gold medal, while Malaysia secured the bronze with 110.

In Men’s action Thailand reached the final with a top score 256 in the morning preliminary round. Cambodia made the gold-medal match with 246.

Laos had 215 and Malaysia 188 for the bronze medals and Singapore, on 109, completed the five-team preliminaries.

The gold medal-winning Thai team was composed of JEMPHARA Eekkawee, PRASERT Kamol, JNGROT Khanawut, LONON Komin. NALLAONG Kosol, DNGTHAWTHONG Noppaton, ETHON Pongphan and RISAWAT Witsarut.

Silver medalists Cambodia are SOPHEAK Johnny, CHEAT Khemrin, TREUNG Ly, UNG Narith, HENG Rawut, REAM Sokphearom, NANG Sopheap and CHIN Sovannarith.

The bronze medalists from Laos are PDR KITMALY Viengnakhone, INTHILATH Phourisay, SOMBATPHUTONE Yothin, VIENGDAVONG Phouthone, SAIKHAM Saikham, SOMBATHPHUTHONE Viriyan, KEOLA Soulivanh and CHANTHAVONG Chanthalak.

The Malaysian team is composed of AMBA Daut, LINGGONG Harryson, AZLAN Izuan Efendi, ALIAS Mohammad Azlan, ZAINAL Mohd Shafirul Nizam, TUNKU ISHAK Tunku Noor Azwari and SUMARI Zuleffendi.
27seagames2013.com
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Myanmar Women’s Chinlone Plug First Gold of Games

Myanmar’s women’s chinlone team has provided additional motivation for the host country’s athletes, as the side claimed the first gold of the 27th SEA Games.

The medal was won in the primary level same skills event, with Myanmar finishing ahead of second place Thailand by some 160 points.

Myanmar bested the Thai team’s score in each of the three sets of the final.

Primary same skills event (women) Final. 

27seagames2013.com

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Myanmar Got The First Two Golds at SEA Games

MYANMAR UPDATED. Myanmar took the first two golds at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in the sport of Chinlone.
The first gold was won by the Myanmar women's team in the Linking Event of Chinlone. Thailand took the silver medal while Cambodia and Malaysia shared the bronze medal.

The last gold event was also won by Myanmar in Men's category for the same event. Thailand snared the silver while Laos and Malaysia were awarded Bronze medal.
Chinlone is a traditional Burmese sport and it is popular in Myanmar. 
Sports Minded
 

Singapore Attempts Chinlone at SEA Games, Goes Down Fighting to Malaysia

SINGAPORE UPDATED. There is no Singapore national chinlone team. In fact, there may not be any chinlone players in Singapore to begin with.

But that didn’t stop the republic from gamely sending its sepak takraw team to take part in the traditional Burmese sport at the Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar on Wednesday.

The six-man team from Singapore was promptly kicked out in the preliminary rounds by neighbours Malaysia, losing all three sets 50-79, 55-85 and 51-82 in an overall 156-246 beating.

A valiant effort and not bad at all for their first time ever competing, according to captain Muhammad Magrib.

“Some of us only tried it three hours before the game,” said the striker. “The Myanmar people didn’t expect us to score above 100 points even.”

Granted, chinlone – which is making its SEA Games debut – bears similarities to sepak takraw, with both employing the lower limbs to move the same rattan ball.

But the thousand-year-old sport does not involve a net nor direct competition with another team: its objective is for players in a circle to take turns keeping the ball airborne while performing tricks at the same time.

“It’s such a happy game,” said Singapore sepak takraw coach Salleh Nanang. “When Myanmar asked, the players really wanted to try their hand at it.”

The team still has two more chinlone events to play over the next two days, before their sepak takraw contest begins proper on 10 December.

And Magrib, clearly passionate about anything involving the keepie-uppie, told Yahoo Singapore he hopes that Singapore’s willingness to participate in such an obscure sport will promote its inclusion at future SEA Games, including the 2015 edition to be held in the Lion City.
yahoo.com

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