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Tag: SEA Games 2015

  • Several Arrested For SEA Games Footbal Match-Fixing In Singapore

    Several Arrested For SEA Games Footbal Match-Fixing In Singapore

    A Singaporean alleged match-fixer and several “co-conspirators” of different nationalities have been arrested in a match-fixing operation, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) announced on Friday (May 29).

    The arrests were conducted during an operation that began late in the evening on Thursday and lasted through the morning, CPIB said in a press release. The authorities added that some members of the Timor Leste SEA Games football team, who are scheduled to play against Malaysia on Saturday evening, are also assisting them in investigations.

    Investigations are still ongoing against those arrested, for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to CPIB. Channel NewsAsia understands that some of the suspects will be charged in court on Saturday.

    CPIB said the operation was mounted in response to information received and that authorities had been “proactively monitoring” football match-fixing activities in Singapore particularly with the kick-off of the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games commencing on Friday.
    In a statement, the South East Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) and the Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) confirmed that the SEA Games football matches will continue as planned and Timor Leste will play against Malaysia in their opening group match on Saturday.

    “We met with the Timor Leste National Olympic Committee (NOC) officials to confer on the continuing participation of their football team. In consultation with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), SEAGF and SINGSOC have accepted their decision to proceed,” they said in a statement.

    “The SEAGF and SINGSOC take a firm view on match fixing and any actions by unscrupulous persons that bring the 28th SEA Games into disrepute. We will work closely with the Singapore authorities to uncover such intentions.”

    The news came two days after several high-ranking football officials, including two current vice-presidents of football governing body FIFA, were indicted on federal corruption charges. While FIFA President Sepp Blatter was not among those arrested, there has been international discussion on whether he should step down before the next World Cup tournament.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • TNP Readers: Fandi Ahmad Our Choice To Light Cauldron

    TNP Readers: Fandi Ahmad Our Choice To Light Cauldron

    I support Godfrey Robert’s call to give Fandi Ahmad and son, Irfan, the honour of lighting the SEA Games cauldron.

    I am an ordinary female Singaporean in my 50s who does not usually pay too much attention to sports news, but I felt compelled to write to support Fandi for this key SEA Games assignment.

    Fandi is a son of Singapore and his name is immediately recognisable to all Singaporeans.

    So much so that even a non-sports fan like me is aware of how much he has contributed to Singapore in football.

    Like Godfrey pointed out, Fandi earned this honour by dedicating his life to his sport and, in doing so, put Singapore on the international sporting/football arena.

    His time is now! Fandi! Fandi! Fandi!

    – Soo Kim Bee

    I totally agree that Fandi is the right man to light the cauldron. Everyone can associate with him – young and pioneer.

    – Robert Chitty

    I’m in support of giving Fandi Ahmad and his son Irfan the honour of lighting the cauldron on June 5.

    These are the reasons:

    1 Football is the No. 1 sport in Singapore.

    2 He is the most recognisable sportman in Singapore.

    3 He is an inspirational icon with humility and kindness.

    – Rasheedy Hamid

    I fully support Fandi Ahmad and his son, Irfan, to light up the SEA Games cauldron.

    Fandi is the most famous sports personality in Singapore that all Singaporeans are familiar with.

    He is humble, a gentleman and a family man. And not forgetting football can bring the whole nation together, so Fandi’s the right man for the job.

    Hopefully, the footballers can be inspired by him and win the elusive gold medal on home soil.

    – Jason Hc

    I would like to thank Godfrey Robert for standing up for Fandi Ahmad.

    I’ve travelled to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Australia and some parts of Europe and, 
when some people I meet in those countries find out that I’m from Singapore, they smile and ask me if my name is Fandi Ahmad!

    A lot of people who know football, especially those from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, have very high regard for Fandi.

    Fandi is not only popular and famous in Singapore, but he also put Singapore on the world map (when he signed for FC Groningen in Holland) long before Marina Bay Sands got famous.

    – Azariamin

    Fandi Ahmad is Singapore’s favourite footballing son.

    He is humble and a popular figure in the local football community.

    But since it’s SG50, the honour to light the SEA Games cauldron should go to someone who has won an Olympic medal before.

    My choice to light the cauldron is pioneer citizen Tan Howe Liang (who won a silver medal in weightlifting at the 1960 Rome Games).

    – Chiang Ging Seng

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Singapore Silat Banking On Dark Horses For More Medals

    Singapore Silat Banking On Dark Horses For More Medals

    The Republic’s pencak silat athletes have never won more than three gold medals at any SEA Games and competing on home ground will not be much of an advantage when Singapore hosts the biennial event from June 5 to June 16, said Singapore Silat Federation (SSF) chief executive officer Sheik Alau’ddin Yacoob Marican.

    Traditional powerhouses Indonesia and Malaysia have always dominated the sport, but with Vietnam fighting the two countries for supremacy since 2005, winning medals, let alone gold, has become difficult, he added.

    When the silat competition starts on June 10 at the Singapore Expo, Sheik Alau’ddin is banking his hopes on 2013 Games gold medallist Nur Alfian Juma’en in the Class F event, and 2012 world champion Shakir Juanda in Class H.

    Despite the stiff competition, he said there are “dark horses” in his seven-man and six-woman squad capable of springing a surprise or two.

    They include Class E fighter Sheik Ferdous, Iqbal Abdul Rahman in the artistic singles event for men and the women artistic team.

    “Although I am not expecting more than two golds from Nur Alfian and Shakir, anything can happen when the home crowd get behind our athletes,” said Sheik Alau’ddin.

    “Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam will dominate silat here, but emotions run high when friends and families are shouting and cheering on our guys and girls. When this happens, it can push them to perform beyond themselves. So while I am realistic about our chances, I am not writing off the possibility of getting more than two gold medals.”

    Keeping focus and following instructions are two areas Nur Alfian needs to strengthen if he is to defend his Games gold medal. These weak spots unravelled in January at Phuket where he failed to get past the Class F quarter-final of the World Pencak Silat Championship.

    Said the 18-year-old: “I did not follow the game plan of my coaches because I was too eager to get the points. This allowed my opponent to take me down several times.

    “By the time I came to my senses and was able to score points, it was not enough to win the match.”

    To help the host team put on a good showing for the competition, the SSF hired two Indonesian coaches, Muhammad Fiqri and Muhammad Hamdi, in April last year to sharpen their techniques.

    Fiqri said they have been pushing the athletes to use more of what they have in their armoury when they step onto the mat to do battle.

    “For example, although they know how to use the scissors technique to bring down an opponent, many have not been using this as much as they should,” he added.

    “They also tend to use the same style and this makes them predictable. So what Hamdi and I have been doing is to get them to train a lot more in other areas so that they will have more weapons to use next month.”

    Although Nurul Suhailah has not been mentioned as one of the medal hopefuls, the 19-year-old is hoping to make an impact in her second attempt at the Games after returning home empty-handed from Myanmar two years ago.

    “I am going for gold, no matter what,” she said defiantly. “We are competing in Singapore and my family and friends are coming to watch me. Although there is pressure to do well in front of them, this is good pressure because it will push me to win something.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Di Manakah Peminat-Peminat Silat Dan Sepak Takraw?

    Di Manakah Peminat-Peminat Silat Dan Sepak Takraw?

    Sementara penjualan tiket bagi beberapa acara di Sukan SEA Ke-28 hangat, sambutan bagi enam sukan yang bakal diadakan di Singapore Expo, termasuk silat dan sepak takraw, kelihatan dingin.

    Ini berbanding tiket bagi pertandingan lawan pedang dan renang telah pun laris sebanyak 80 peratus.

    Namun, kurang 50 hari sebelum Sukan SEA bermula, penjualan tiket bagi pencak silat, sepak takraw, tinju, judo, taekwondo dan wushu masih muram, menurut jawatankuasa penganjur Sukan SEA (Singsoc).

    Dihubungi Berita Harian, Setiausaha Agung Persekutuan Sepak Takraw Singapura (Perses) Abdul Halim Kader berkata pihaknya mengambil berat akan keadaan ini.

    “Kami prihatin dan akan mencari jalan terbaik bagi menggesa warga turun dan memberi sokongan kepada anak muda yang mewakili negara,” katanya.

    Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) Persekutuan Silat Singapura (Persisi) Sheik Alau’ddin Yacoob Marican turut menggesa masyarakat setempat daripada pelbagai peringkat usia supaya menyokong pasukan Sukan SEA.

    “Kami tidak bimbang kerana yakin penggemar silat akan tampil memberi sokongan,” ujar beliau.

    Kededua sukan tradisional Melayu itu antara enam sukan yang bakal mengisi dua dewan di Singapore Expo.

    Ruang itu mampu menampung 4,800 penonton secara serentak. Tiket bagi kesemua acara berharga $5 sebelum diskaun.

    “Saya ingin melihat respons yang lebih baik. Persatuan sukan nasional (NSA) memberitahu saya tiada masalah, tetapi saya rasa mereka perlu mempertingkat usaha,” ujar pengerusi Singsoc Encik Lim Teck Yin kepada The Straits Times kelmarin, walau beliau akur warga setempat mempunyai kebiasaan membeli tiket di saat akhir.

    Bersependapat ialah presiden Persatuan Tinju Amatur Singapura Syed Abdul Kadir. Menurutnya, beliau yakin sambutan bagi tinju akan meningkat lebih dekat kepada tarikh pertandingan, berdasarkan pengalamannya apabila Singapura menganjur Sukan SEA 1993.

    “Tinju ada ramai pengikut, terutama dalam kalangan pekerja asing dari Filipina dan Thailand,” katanya.

    Persekutuan Judo Singapura (SJF) sedang mempergiat usaha mendekati masyarakat.

    Pengerusi jawatankuasa penganjur acara judo, Encik Stephen Loh, berkata pihaknya berusaha mendekati pihak berkepentingan seperti kelab judo dan sekolah menerusi lawatan dan e-mel.

    “Jika boleh, saya ingin dewan penuh apabila kami beraksi nanti,” kata Encik Loh.

     

    Source: http://beritaharian.sg

  • Lim Teck Yin’s Fan Criticism Unfair

    Lim Teck Yin’s Fan Criticism Unfair

    Football fans, former internationals, as well as the community, were divided yesterday as they responded to criticism that Singaporeans are fair-weather supporters of the national team.

    This came in the wake of comment on Wednesday by Sport Singapore’s chief executive, Lim Teck Yin, who said that the time had come for fans here to show their mettle and come out in force to support them during the SEA Games.

    Some felt the comment was too harsh and that they had the right to expect commitment from players, whether they were the Lions or the under-23 side, to win matches.

    Both the Lions and the under-23 side have lost a string of matches in the run-up to the World Cup qualifiers and the Games in June.

    “I feel that, though he meant well, (Lim) was a little harsh with his words. It is almost as though he feels nobody really supports local football,” said Ian Ding, 24-year-old Lions fan.

    Deepanraj Valluvan, 19, said fans had a right to feel disappointed when their sides do not perform to expectations.

    “Fans do go through highs and lows in supporting the team, but this doesn’t mean we can’t expect a win,” he said. “As fans, we want our team to go as far as they can succeed.

    “The SEA Games are no different and we want to make sure our country performs and we will be cheering for them whether they win or lose. But we do have a certain level of expectations from our national teams and are be disappointed if they don’t meet them.”

    Win or lose, Kumaravel Selvom will be behind the team when they kick off their SEA Games campaign. He told TODAY: “Any sport, and especially football, thrives with supporting fans. Whether it’s a team at its best or worst, it will always be good to know that there are people watching and hoping the best for you.”

    Former national and S-League footballers whom TODAY spoke to were also divided.

    Aleksandar Duric remembered only too well the fickle support from fans. They were solidly behind the Lions in their triumphant years in the Suzuki Cup in 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012, but he felt the desertion when they were knocked out of the group stages of the 2010 tournament.

    This, he said, can have an adverse effect on young athletes, especially the under-23 side heading for the coming SEA Games.

    “I agree with Teck Yin totally. I only retired recently from football, and I know our fans very well, and they like it when we are winning. But this is not good, and the mentality of Singapore fans is something we wish we can change.

    “If you are a fan, you should follow your team all the way, win or lose, and you share their happiness and sorrows. These are young boys and they need our support. Singaporeans should back our young athletes, because they need it. There is no better chance to do that than at the SEA Games, right here in front of the home crowd.”

    However, former S-League player and coach Shasi Kumar said the players needed to improve to get fans back in the stadium. “You cannot blame the fans as well, because we had a really poor run of results,” he said. “How can a fan stand by their team without feeling disappointment or even angry when we cannot even beat a team like Guam, and (we) lose to Syria? It is a chicken and egg situation, because at the moment, the team is not performing, and fans are understandably disillusioned.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com