Vietnam Maintains Second Place at SEA Games 27

VIETNAM UPDATED. Shooter Nguyen Thanh Dat on December 11 won a gold medal at the 27 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 27), helping the Vietnamese shooting team fulfill it set target. 


The new decoration put the country second on the medal tally with ten golds, five silvers and seven bronzes, only after the host country Myanmar. 

Earlier, Dat and his teammates – Nguyen Duy Hoang and Phung Le Huyen scooped a silver medal at the 50-m rifle category with 1837.6 points.

Nine other gold medals were earned by Wushu artists Duong Thuy Vi, Hoang Thi Phuong Giang, Nguyen Thi Chinh, Nguyen Thu Hoai and Pham Quoc Khanh, and wrestlers Doi Dang Tien, Tran Van Tuong, Pham Thi Hue and Pham Thi Loan on the previous days.

Notably, the Vietnamese canoeing team contributed a silver and a bronze on December 10, making out-of expectation performance as the country is not regarded as strong in this game.

Vietnam set a goal of gaining at least 70 gold medals at the Games, which will last until December 22. 

Myanmar continues to lead with 18 golds, 8 silvers and 10 bronzes.
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Eddy Chew Ends 30-Year Wait for Men’s 50m Pistol Gold

MALAYSIA UPDATED. Eddy Chew was on target for Malaysia when he shot his way to gold in the Men’s 50m pistol individual event at the Myanmar SEA Games, here today.

It was the country’s first gold from shooting and ended Malaysia’s 30-year wait for gold in the event.

In the shooting competition at the North Dagon Shooting Range here, Eddy shot 186.4 points overall edging Myanmar’s Naung Ye Tun to the silver by just 0.7 points.

The bronze was also won by Malaysia’s Jonathan Wong who shot 166.0 points.
Malaysia last struck gold when Datuk Sabiamad Abdul Ahad, who happens to be the team manager of the shooting contingent here, won at the 1993 SEA Games in Singapore.

“I did not even expect to make it to the final what more win the gold medal, I am elated. Luck was on my side today.”

“The victory has also fired me up to go for more glory in future,” Eddy told reporters.

Meanwhile, Eddy teamed up with Jonathan and Abdul Hadi Abdul Malek to take bronze in the Men’s 50m pistol team event with a score of 1,618 points overall.

Gold went to Vietnam, while Singapore settled for bronze.

High Medal Target for Malaysian Shooters for SEA Games

MALAYSIA UPDATED. National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkples Embong wants to see Malaysian shooters on the winners’ podium every time they compete. 

And that’s why the NSC, he said, aims to support national athletes “as much as we can with high level facilities”.
 
Zolkples said this at the launch of the NSC Cup Air Gun Shooting Championships at the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex Gymnasium 3 shooting range on Wednesday.

This is the first competitive tournament to be held at the venue and 86 local shooters – both men and women – will be taking part. The three-day meet begins Thursday.

 
“The championships will help the Malaysian shooters to compete constantly and continue to improve,” he said.

Expectations are high on the national shooters to gun down gold medals at the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar in December.

The 14 national shooters, who will be led by team manager and former Olympian Datuk Sabiamad Abdul Ahad, can expect to come under immense pressure.

Twenty-nine-year-old Joseline Cheah, who is on a great run of form, is looking to go for gold in Myanmar so as to justify her selection to the national team.
 
Olympian Nur Suryani is also looking to shine in Myanmar.

“We have experienced shooters going to Myanmar. This new shooting range, which is a great investment and equipped with new technology, is certain to generate great interest from the younger generation and improve Malaysia’s chances of winning more gold medals,” said an excited Zolkples.

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Singapore Aim for 2 Gold Medals at Myanmar SEA Games

SINGAPORE. Singapore's national shooting team are targeting two gold medals at the upcoming Myanmar SEA Games.

They are hoping that this will set the way for a six gold-medal haul two years later -- when the SEA Games come to Singapore.

Twice Olympic trap gold medallist Michael Diamond has come on board to help prepare the local shooters -- including Singapore's top shooter Jasmine Ser.

She will be competing in the 50-metre prone rifle event in Myanmar.

Her pet event, the 10-metre air rifle and clay target shooting, will not be included this year, but Jasmine is looking ahead to 2015.

Jasmine said: "By shooting more prone events, it will actually help me in the 3 P (position) because the 3 P has a prone component too, so it will improve my skills in the 3 P for the next Olympics."

President of the Singapore Shooting Association Michael Vaz said: "I asked Michael (Diamond) to come and help us for 2015 because we don't want to look stupid on our home ground.

“I think we are on the right track, we will do well on our own home ground."
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