LETTING FLY: Queenie Ting has her sights on rewriting the national Girls U18 discus record. — Photos by Teo Chi Wei

KUCHING: It will be a day of reckoning for state athletes who are looking to make breakthroughs in the 55th Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Track and Field Championship that commences today at Darulmakmur Stadium in Kuantan, Pahang.

For sprinter Norris Foo, her aim is to break the Girls U15 100m national record of 12.37s set by Johor’s Siti Fatimah in 2000.

Norris, 15, and now studying at State Sports School SMK Tabuan Jaya, stole the limelight at the 41st Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) Track and Field Championship in Bintulu when she rewrote the Girls U15 100m record with a new amazing time of 11.87s, thus erasing the old record of 12.7s set by Kee Siew Lian of Miri in 2007.

“I am quite confident of breaking the record by dipping under 12s in Kuantan,” Norris said when met during training at the Sarikei Stadium on Wednesday.

She finished fourth in the same distance in the national meet last year in Kangar, Perlis.

“I have done the 100m in 12.20s at the Melaka sports carnival in November last year and I have been training very hard for the MSSM meet,” said Norris who will also compete in the 100m hurdles, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay.

“If possible, I would want to win gold in all events,” she declared.

In Kangar last year, Norris won the 100m hurdles gold, 200m hurdles bronze and silver in the 4x100m relay.

She was already competing in the MSSM in 2010 when she was 12 years old when she took the silver in the Girls U12 200m, and gold in the 4x100m relay.

In 2011, Norris bagged the gold in the 4x200m relay.

ON TRACK: Norris Foo is gunning for the 100m record.

The lass from Sibu, who is of mixed Chinese-Papua New Guinea parentage, said she would also want to race in the Asean schools meet and eventually Sukma and SEA Games.

“I want to become an athletics coach when I retire from competitive athletics,” she added.

Queenie Ting Kung Ni, 16, from SMK Tinggi Sarikei, will also be eyeing to better her record throw of 40.99m in the Girls U18 discus.

She achieved this mark while competing at the MSSS meet in Bintulu.

The mark surpassed the national record of 38.75m set by Sarawakian Phang Mei Hua in 2006 and the MSSS record of 35.44m set by Ngu Mee Zing of Miri in 2009.

Queenie became the second Sarawak female athlete to have beaten the 40m mark
after Lee Chiew Ha of Miri in the 1980s.

Having won the Girls U15 discus gold in 2011 and 2012, Queenie wants to complete a ‘three-peat’ by winning the Girls U18 discus this year in Kuantan.

She was also the two-time discus champion in 2011 and 2012 at the Little Athletics Championship that was competed by Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

Competing along Queenie in the Girls U18 discus is Loo Li Jun from Miri who will be going all out to beat her personal best of 34.85m and break the national record.

Loo, who is trained by Ngu Kit Ming and Kong Pei Chun, won the bronze in the women’s discus at Sukma XV in Pahang last year.

Sarawak’s rising star Grace Wong Xiu Mei is another athlete to watch at the Darulmakmur Stadium.

The 13-year-old, who won the Girls U15 shot putt gold in Bintulu with a record throw of 11.28m, will be aiming to better this mark in the MSSM meet.

If she can throw beyond 11.28m in her U15 debut, she should ink her name in the MSSM record book.

The current national MSSM record is 11.22m set by Siti Norain in 2005.

“I am aiming for two golds and two records,” said the soft-spoken Grace who will also compete in the Girls U18 hammer throw, a discipline that she had taken up since last year.

For the record, Grace was the gold medallist in the women’s hammer throw with a distance of 44.37m at MSSS meet in Bintulu.

LETTING GO: Grace Wong is strongly tipped to win the Girls U15 shot putt gold.

Admitting that she is a bit nervous and feels some pressure to perform, Grace promised to give a good account of herself in Kuantan.

Seventeen-year-old Faradillah Raznie, who hails from Kampung Bungin, Spaoh, is also eyeing to win medals in the Girls U18 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 4x400m relay.

“I am expecting stiff competition in the middle distance races but I will try my very best to win medals for the state contingent,” she said.

Today’s competition will start at 2pm with the first gold medal of the championship to be won in the Girls U18 shot put final.

Liu, China’s first Olympic track and field gold medallist, became a national hero with his victory at Athens 2004 but caused heartbreak in Beijing four years later when he pulled out of the final with a right Achilles injury.

Another dramatic exit with a similar problem followed at London 2012 and his Achilles troubles mean he will miss the entire 2013 season, leading some media reports in China to question whether he will ever return.

Now many Chinese fans are pinning their hopes on Xie Wenjun, who came third in the 60m hurdles at February’s Athletics Grand Prix in Birmingham.

“China has a lot of top athletes, especially in the men’s 110m hurdles,” the 22-year-old told reporters at a news conference in Shanghai, in response to questions about Liu’s future.

“Liu Xiang is not here, and we all hope he returns, but he is not the only one. I hope that tomorrow Chinese athletes show the world that we are also talented and can achieve very good results.”

Reigning Olympic champion Aries Merritt and silver medallist Jason Richardson go head-to-head in the 110m hurdles again in Shanghai, one of the most hotly anticipated events of the meeting.

Merritt said he expected that if Liu chose to return he would come back “in tip-top form”, as he did when beat both the London 2012 top two with a stunning performance at last year’s Shanghai Diamond meeting.

But the world record holder expected new stars to come through in Liu’s absence if he decided to call it a day, saying: “I think the hurdling game will continue to thrive.”

His rival Richardson added: “This event has been taken to another level, another place, another time, so there is always going to be another hurdler that emerges.”

Merritt is one of seven current Olympic champions in Shanghai, where British long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford is also competing against champions from Athens and Beijing — as well as the silver medallist from London.

The meeting, the second in the Diamond calendar, will also see a men’s 400m duel between Olympic champion Kirani James from Grenada, and Luguelin Santos of Dominican Republic, who claimed silver in London.

Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will compete in the 100m women’s event against world title-holder Carmelita Jeter, whom she beat into second place in London.

Ethiopia’s two-time Olympic champion Meseret Defar heads a talented 5,000m field, and Yelena Isinbayeva, considered the greatest ever woman pole vaulter, is another headliner. — AFP

GOOD LUCK: State Education Department director, Abdillah Adam (second left) presenting the MSSS flag to Tan Kiang Tuang (second right) as Ellen (left) and others look on during the sponsorship and flag presentation ceremony at SM St Anthony in Sarikei on Monday.

SARIKEI: Defending champion Sarawak is capable of winning the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Track and Field Championship for a record 17th time when the event kicks off in Kuantan, Pahang this Sunday.

Team manager Hassan Wa’Gani expressed his optimism for the state’s athletes to make Sarawak proud once again in the five-day event which ends on May 23.

“We have done our preparations well and we are all set for the challenge in Kuantan. We have even prepared our athletes for night competitions,” he told the Borneo Post yesterday.

While predicting on the possibility for the state team to capture between 17 and 20 gold medals, Hassan admitted that it may also be tough for Sarawak this year when other teams are looking forward to defeat local athletes.

“This is because other states have taken action to field strong teams to break our dominance in the championship after being “given a warning” by the Education Ministry director-general Tan Sri Abd Ghafar Mahmud last year,” he said.

He predicted states like Johor, Perak and Pahang were the ones to watch out for and they may give Sarawak a hard time in Kuantan.

Hassan had visited state athletes who were training at Sarikei Stadium for the past 11 days and was happy to see that they were in good health and high spirit.

“They have been training very hard and are looking forward to going all out and giving their counterparts a good challenge come this Sunday,” he said.

Cash incentives are said to be offered for athletes who break records and win medals during the five-day national meet.

For every record broken, RM100 will be offered and they will get RM100, RM50 and RM40 each for every gold, silver and bronze won. On top of that Bank Rakyat will also give RM50, RM30 and RM20 respectively for each of the medals won.

Apart from that, the chef de mission Tan Kiang Tuang and State Education Department director Abdillah Adam will also be giving out incentives to the medallists.

Hassan said Sarawak’s main strength is that it has a very balanced track and field team.

“Our U15 boys and U15 girls teams are quite okay and I am confident that Norris Foo, Grace Wong, Shelma Sharon Anthony James, Quek Lee Yong, Faradillah Raznie and Johnathan Tinggang can deliver gold medals for the state team,” said Hassan.

He is also expecting a few gold medals from hammer throw, shot put and discus and triple jump and maybe some surprises in the relay events.

Meanwhile, chief coach Lim Eng Hooi is also optimistic for Sarawak to win the championship once again.

“There is a very good chance for us to become champions again but I must admit that it is getting more difficult every year because we need to better every year to stay ahead of others,” he said.

He added “We have got a pool of good athletes but we do not know the strengths of other teams.”

“We are going in for a good fight and I hope the athletes can all rise to the occasion and win more glory for the state,” said Lim, adding that the coaches had been very cooperative and united in working towards a common cause.

“We are looking for another good performance and there is a very good chance of our athletes cracking a few national records too,” he said.

He is assisted by Rasia Lutang while the coaching line-up include Donny Dahlan, Wan Almizan, Philip Nyepa, Mustapa Hassan, Sharon Keezia, Apong Abib, Chang Siang Seng, Mat Assan, Mawan Lalen, Noor Hisham, Samawi Manang, Julietine, Liong Shuen Keong, Ling Neng Thung, Arefelani, Spencer Eddy and Jasmine Ling.

Team officials comprised of State Education Department’s Human Resource Development Sector head Ellen @ Manium Engang who is also MSS Sarawak secretary, contingent leader Tan Kiang Tuang who is Bintulu District Education Officer, Sports Unit coordinator Apo Latit, Sports Unit assistant director Johnny Rasit, MSS Sarawak athletics technical and development chairman Ting Siew Nguong and chaperon Sho Lina Sakai.

The competition will start at 2pm on Sunday with the first gold medal of the championship to be won is in the Girls U18 shot putt event.

GOOD FORM: Norris Foo (left) training in the sprints with teammates at the Sarikei Stadium yesterday. Foo has been showing good form in the Girls U15 100m recently. — Photo by Teo Chi Wei

SARIKEI: The centralised training for the Sarawak contingent for the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Track and Field Championship is going on smoothly at the Sarikei Stadium and will end today.

MSS Sarawak technical chairman Ting Siew Nguong said training for the 80 athletes started on May 6 and everything has been going well for the athletes and their coaches.

“Although this year’s centralised training was a bit short, I am still quite confident the athletes can do well in at Darulmakmur Stadium in Kuantan, Pahang from May 19 to 23,” he said yesterday.

The state athletes have been training for two sessions daily, from 2pm to 4pm and from 6:30pm to 8pm.

“We are training the athletes at night because many events, especially the track events, will be held at night so we need to get them adapted to the conditions,” said Ting, adding that this is the first time in MSSM history that competitions are also held at night.

Ting admitted that it would be a tough task for Sarawak to defend the overall championship title as other teams especially Perak, host Pahang, Sabah and Kedah are all keen on giving Sarawak a good run for their money.

“Perak have set a target of winning 17 gold medals and they really mean business because they have started their preparation by training their athletes since last July and I heard they have already undergone several phases of training,” added Ting.

Ting felt that Sarawak is capable of winning 20 gold medals provided all the athletes perform up to expectations and maintain their form at the MSS Sarawak Track and Field Championship in Bintulu recently.

He is also hoping that three athletes namely Queenie Ting Kung Ni, Norris Foo and Grace Wong Xiu Mei can repeat their record-breaking feats in Kuantan.

The trio had surpassed MSSM records in Girls U18 discus, Girls U15 100m and Girls U14 shot put at the recent state meet in Bintulu.

Organising secretary, Jalaluddin Ismail said during the annual meet which will see participation from 16 contingents, including Federal Territories, Labuan and Putrajaya, 90 gold medals would be up for grabs.

“There will be 21 sports contested, featuring 270 overall medals and contingents from various states are expected to start checking in starting Friday (tomorrow),” he told Bernama yesterday.

He said the Minister of Education will officially launch the meet on Saturday at 8pm (Darul Makmur Stadium).

Jalaluddin said the mascot for the championships would be ‘Sendo’ which replicate the elephant which is synonymous to Pahang who as the host would be sending an 80-member contingent comprising 47 men and 33 women athletes.

In the 54th championships hosted by Perlis last year, Sarawak emerged as the overall champion with 13 gold medals while Pahang finished in ninth spot with six gold medals. — Bernama

KEY PLAYERS: Lora (left) and Michell will be representing Sarawak in the upcoming national championship.

MIRI: Miri Under-18 Girls Hockey team continue to produce good players despite the poor infrastructure and facilities.

Team spokesman Ahmad Faisal also disclosed that two of their key players, Lora King and Michell Gelayan, have been picked to represent the state in the upcoming national level tournament.

“We are so proud that these two students from SMK St Columba here were picked to join the others.

“We believe that they have shown … that Miri actually have a lot of young and talented hockey players ready to be sent out for tournaments,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post recently.

Faisal lamented the long-standing lack of facilities and infrastructure for hockey in Miri.

“It is really a waste that we could not give them intensive training because we do not have enough space to accommodate all of them,” he added.

The Miri team came in third in the recent Sarawak State Schools Council (MSSS) hockey meet in Kuching after beating Kapit 2-1.

A total of seven teams took part in the state tournament.

YOU CAN DO IT: Abdillah (centre, seated), guests and other officials gesture in a show of strength and spirit together with the athletes and coaches on Monday.

KUCHING: Sarawak are gunning for their 17th win in the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Track and Field Championship at Darulmakmur Stadium in Kuantan, Pahang from May 19 to 23.

State Education Director Abdillah Adam said the 83-member state team, accompanied by 27 officials, will be going all out to defend the overall championship crown at the annual national meet.

He said although Sarawak are capable of retaining their title again this year, they should not be complacent and take their opponents lightly.

“The host and other states have also made good preparations and I believe they are keen to dethrone us,” Abdillah said during the flag presentation ceremony to the state team at SMK Tinggi Sarikei on Monday.

He added that those selected to the state squad were the best among the best in Sarawak and everyone has the potential of winning medals to enable Sarawak to finish as the overall champions again.

Abdillah also announced that incentives will be given to those who break records and win medals in the meet.

For every gold medal won, the athlete will get RM100 while the silver and bronze medalists will get RM50 and RM30 respectively.

The director also advised the athletes to display the spirit of sportsmanship and portray a good image of themselves in Kuantan.

Among the athletes who have shown potential tocreate new MSSM records are Norris Foo, Queenie Ting and Grace Wong.

The three girls had surpassed the national marks in the U15 100m, U15 shot putt and U18 shot putt at the recent Sarawak Schools Sports Council Track and Field Championship in Bintulu.

Sarawak have won the MSSM championships since 1997 except for 2011 in Perak when the state finished third. They bounced back last year in Kangar, Perlis to win the championship and their 16th title with 15 golds, 20 silvers and eight bronzes.

“I am excited to go back to Zurich. I love the electric atmosphere at the stadium and both the competition and the events during the week of the meeting are always extremely well-organised,” he said in a statement on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) website.

The fastest man on the planet and defending 100m and 200m champion from the Beijing and London Olympics said he will decide whether to run the longer or shorter sprint nearer the time of the meeting on Aug 29.

Bolt’s appearance will be his first outing after the World Athletics Championships in Moscow from Aug 10-18, where he will be hoping to regain the world title he lost to training partner Yohan Blake in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011.

Bolt won last year’s 200m at Zurich in 19.66secs. In 2009, he won the 100m in 9.81secs and the previous year in 9.83secs. In 2007, he was second in the 200m in 20.19secs. — AFP

Rudisha won in 1min 43.87sec with Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman, the only man to have beaten the Kenyan in the last three years, taking second in 1:44.21.

The Kenyan broke his own world record at the London Olympics last summer with a time of 1:40.91.

“It’s a season-best, but I can do better in the coming weeks,” said Rudisha.

In the men’s 100m, America’s 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin won in Doha for the second successive year.

The 31-year-old, whose career was interrupted by a four-year doping ban, timed 9.97sec to beat fellow American Michael Rodgers with Jamaica’s Nesta Collins in third, both men 0.02sec behind.

However, the 100m field was missing Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt as well as world champion Yohan Blake.

“I have had a cold these last few days, but I am happy with this time at the start of the season,” said Gatlin, who was the bronze medallist at the London Olympics.

Elsewhere, America’s Dawn Harper-Nelson, the 2008 Olympic 100m hurdles gold medallist and silver medallist in London last year, improved her season’s best to 12.60sec.

Harper-Nelson, who had run 12.62sec in Jamaica last weekend, finished ahead of compatriots Kellie Wells (12.73) and Queen Harrison (12.74).

Ethiopia’s Hagos Grhhiwet, who has only just turned 19, celebrated his birthday in style by winning the 3,000m.

The world junior champion won in a time of 7min 30.36sec to hammer home his status as the natural heir to four-time Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele.

Kenya got one over their historical rivals in the 1500m, with one of the pre-race favourites, Asbel Kiprop, bringing home the win.

“The crowd was fantastic, cheering and shouting all the time – I want to say thank you to these amazing fans,” acknowledged the Beijing 2008 winner.

Commenting on his 3min 31.13sec win, he also added: “It was a good race – it’s great to come out of it with the world Lead.”

Compatriot Bethwell Birgen was second, ahead of Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman.

Allyson Felix, who collected triple gold — 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m — in London, was defeated in the 400m by world champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana.

“The Doha Diamond League is such a fantastic meeting,” Montsho after a winning time of 49.88sec with Felix timing 50.19sec.

“The fans helped me run this fast, and it’s a great way to start the season. I am confident I can run below 49 seconds and retain my World Championship title in Moscow.”

Other Olympic champions taking victories on Friday were Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic in the discus, thanks to a throw of 68.23m and America’s Christian Taylor with a 17.25m leap in the triple jump.

Former basketball player Brittney Reese, the Olympic gold medallist in the long jump, won with 7.25m.

Reese, also the world champion, finished ahead of Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare (7.14m) and America’s Janay DeLoach (7.08m). — AFP

IN HIGH SPIRIT: Muktalib (ninth right, front row) with the athletes and ISN Miri Unit offi cials on the fi rst day of the motivational camp in Lambir on Thursday.

KUCHING: One hundred and seven athletes including 23 women from 12 sports are attending a motivation camp at Lambir in Miri from last Thursday to next Monday in preparation for Sukma XVI in Kuala Lumpur from June 28 to July 7.

However, the indoor volleyball and basketball teams are not attending the camp as they are either busy with their own training and taking part in exposure competitions.

Motivation camp operations director Abdul Muktalib Mohamad said he was satisfi ed with the turnout of the athletes for the camp.

“This is the fi rst time that we are organising the motivation camp outside Kuching and I am conf ident that this new experience in Miri will inject a fresh dose of confidence in our Sukma athletes and boost their morale,” said the Sarawak State Sports Council deputy director.

Muktal ib added that the programme for the motivation camp was conducted by the National Institute of Sports (ISN) Miri Unit for the fi rst time since it was set up two years ago.

STRENGTH, SPEED AND STAMINA: Grace Wong in action during the Girls Open hammer throw competition at the MSSS Track and Field Championship in Bintulu last month. She threw a distance of 44.37m to land the gold medal.

KUCHING: Sarawak’s rising star athlete Grace Wong Xiu Mei has set her sights on breaking the 47m barrier in the hammer throw at the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Track and Field Championship in Kuantan, Pahang from May 19-23.

If she can attain that distance, Wong will qualify for the World Youth Athletics Championship in Ukraine in July this year.

The 13-year-old transition class student of SMK Tinggi Sarikei registered a throw of 44.37m to win the Girls Open hammer throw at the recent 41st Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) Track and Field Championship at Bintulu Stadium.

According to her coach and mentor Thomas Ling Neng Thung, Wong’s golden opportunity to make the cut for the world youth meet will be at the MSSM meet in Pahang this month.

“I really hope that she can achieve the target and get the chance to compete in an international championship,” he said.

Ling, who is from the Sarawak State Sports Council’s Centre of Excellence for throw events in Sarikei, said for a 13-year-old, Wong has very good qualities to make an excellent athlete.

“She has the speed, stamina and strength, and has only trained in the hammer throw for six months,” he said, adding that 44.37m is only the beginning of greater things to come.

“Wong started out in shot putt but because of her height which is 160cm, she is at a disadvantage when competing against taller and bigger opponents.”

“For this reason, I have switched her to throwing the hammer as strength, speed and stamina are vital factors that decide how far you throw the hammer,” he explained.

Wong will also be looking to better her record throw of 11.28m in the Girls U15 shot put at the national meet in Pahang.

The MSSM record still stands at 11.22m set by Siti Norain in 2006.

Head coach Mohammad Mantali expects to identify the players after all members of the shadow squad have attended the Kem Semangat programme which will be held in Miri starting this week.

“We do have players indentified but it’s still really unconfirmed for now. We are working hard to identify the best players for the team,” said Mohammad yesterday.

Mohammad is expected to trim the current shadow team of 17 players to 14 players before wrapping up the selection process.

Sarawak will only send the men’s team for this year’s Sukma. The women’s team did not meet the qualification standards set by the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS).

Mohammad is optimistic that the men’s team, having won the bronze medal in the previous Sukma, have the potential to bring home medals in the coming Sukma next month.

Sarawak sent both the men’s and women’s teams to Kuala Lumpur in 2011. But the women went home empty-handed.

Meanwhile, the men’s squad have been busy lately with training programmes and competitions in preparation for Sukma in June.

The squad was at Bintulu last month to compete in a competition.

They were also in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year to compete in the National Futsal League which was jointly organised by the Malaysia Football Association (FAM) and FELDA.

The Sukma XVI, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur again this year, starts on June 28.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS: Sarikei athletes posing with Abdul Mu’in (fifth right), Nguang (fourth right), head coach Julietine Halim Entoi (second left) and Sarikei MSSM athletics technical chairman Jungan Manga (second right).

KUCHING: Sarikei had a very fruitful outing at the just concluded 41st Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) Track and Field Championship at the Bintulu Stadium.

The division’s 83-member team captured 25 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze medals to accumulate
283 points in finishing ahead of Sibu in third place out of 11 teams.

According to team manager Nguang Seng, this result had exceeded expectations and was a historic achievement for Sarikei.

“Our target was 18 golds but we have succeeded in surpassing the target by seven more golds.

“This is a very good performance as we have only 12 secondary schools which are active in athletics and we have more than 40 primary schools but the majority are not so active in sports,” he told The Borneo Post in a telephone interview yesterday.

Nguang said in the past Sarikei were never able to win more than 20 gold medals.

“Most of our gold medallists are still eligible for next year’s competition and I believe they can still pose a stronger challenge for medals,” he said.

He attributed Sarikei’s excellent performance to the dedication and strong commitment of the coaches, schools, parents and the athletes.

“We would also like to thank our Sarikei District Education Officer Abdul Mu’in Abdul Kassim and school principals for their support.

“The active schools have been doing a very good job in developing their talented athletes and I do hope more schools will follow suit,” he added.

Nguang also said that three Sarikei athletes produced excellent performances when they broke the MSSS records and even surpassed MSSM records.

They are Queenie Ting Kung Ni and Grace Wong Xiu Mei from SMK Tinggi, Sarikei, and Eric Tiong Ing Kuen from SMK Tong Hua, Bintangor.

Queenie threw 40.99m to shatter the meet’s Girls U18 discus record of 35.44m set by Ngu Mee Zing of Miri in 2009 and surpassed the MSSM record of 38.75m created by Phang Hua Mei of Miri in 2006.

Fourteen-year-old Grace erased the old record of 9.96m in the Girls U14 shot put set by Ngu Mee Zing in 2005 by heaving the iron ball to a new distance of 11.28m and that also surpassed the national mark of 11.22m set by Siti Norain in 2005.

Eric won the Boys U14 shot put with a new record mark of 14.25m to erase the old record of 13.27m set by Ting Aik Hou of Miri in 2011.

Fourteen athletes from Sarikei including seven girls have also been selected to represent Sarawak at the MSSM Track and Field Championship in Kuantan, Pahang from May 19 to 23.

The boys are Josteward (SK St Andrew), Eric Tiong Ing Kuen, Wong Gang Sing (SMK Tong Hua, Bintangor), Nix Watson Baring Joe Bugner (SSN Tabuan Jaya), Endang Ringgit (SMK Julau), Jackson Wong Cheun Young and Wong Siew Hung (SM Ming Lik).

The girls are Catherine Imba, Benended Limau (SMK Julau), Florence Wong Poh Yee (SMK Kai Chung, Bintangor), Grace Wong Xiu Mei, Queenie Ting Kung Ni, Wong Nie Nie (SMK Tinggi, Sarikei), Maria Ngindan Jampong (SMK Maradong, Bintangor).

The US men also took a 4×100 title as 2013 world leader Mike Rodgers joined 2012 Olympic relay runners-up Justin Gatlin, Doc Patton and Ryan Bailey to fend off a Jamaican lineup that included London relay gold medalist Nesta Carter.

The meet is a first step toward the World Championships in August at Moscow for many US runners ahead of American qualifying at the national meet in June.

Fraser-Pryce anchored 2008 Olympic 100 runner-up Sherone Simpson, fellow 2012 Olympic relay runner-up Kerron Stewart and Anneisha McLaughlin to victory in 42.42 seconds with USA Blue second in 42.65, edging USA Red by .01.

“We knew the USA had a strong team and the world record. What should they have to fear?” Fraser-Pryce said. “This year we came in with no fear and were really in shape.”

Allyson Felix, the 2012 Olympic 200 champion, joined American world-record women’s 100 teammates Tianna Bartoletta (formerly Madison) and Bianca Knight for USA Red.

But the lineup lacked anchor Carmelita Jeter, who sat out after a hamstring issue last week at the Mt. SAC Relays. Jeneba Tarmoh replaced Jeter on the final leg.

Simpson gave Jamaica the lead in the first leg, Felix gained no ground in the second and while Bartoletta closed the gap, it was Fraser-Pryce who pulled away with every stride to win for Jamaica.

“There was no way I was going to let her catch me today because we wanted it so badly,” Fraser-Pryce said.

Rodgers raced to the lead over Carter in the men’s 100 and Gatlin stretched the margin against Jamaican Dexter Lee.

“I was excited,” Rodgers said. “It was an excellent experience.” — AFP

WITH EASE: Jimmy Raymond of Bintulu clocked 56.19s to win the Boys U18 400m hurdles. — Photo by Tommy Ng

Queenie Ting

KUCHING: The national discus record was broken by 16-year-old Queenie Ting Kung Ni on the third day of the 41st Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) Track and Field Championship held at the Bintulu Stadium yesterday.

Queenie became the centre of attention in yesterday’s event after she threw a record distance of 40.99m with her fifth attempt in the Girls Under 18 competition.

Her mark surpassed the national record of 38.75m set by Sarawakian Phang Hua Mei in 2006 and also the MSSS record of 35.44m set by Ngu Mee Zing of Miri in 2009.

Queenie became the second Sarawak female athlete to have beaten the 40m mark.

Coming in second in the event was Loo Li Jun of Miri who registered 34.85m and the bronze went to Vanessa Amah whose throw was 25.33m.

Queenie’s coach, Thomas Ling Neng Thung said the first Sarawakian athlete to have thrown beyond the 40m mark was Lee Chiew Ha of Miri back in the 1980s.

“This is an amazing feat and I am very happy that Queenie can achieve the 40.99m mark after a lapse of 20 years and we have found an able replacement for Lee Chiew Ha,” he enthused.

Ling said Queenie was able to excel in the event because she had perfected her footwork which is very important in discus throwing.

The SMK Tinggi Sarikei had been involved in athletics since she was in primary six but started off with the shot putt but switched to discus under Ling’s tutelage.

Another new meet record was also created yesterday by Eric Tiong Ing Kuen of Sarikei who heaved the shot putt to a new mark of 14.25m in the Boys Under 14 contest.

He erased the old mark of 13.27m set by Ting Aik Hou of Miri in 2011 while Kuching’s Harold Chuo Earl Tang took the silver with 12.16m while Hii Zin Pin of Miri won the bronze with his best throw of 12.06m.

Sarikei athletes had a field day with their domination in the throw events having captured 13 more gold medals for a total of 21 gold, 12 silvers and six bronzes to leapfrog Kuching to second place in the standings with 223 points.

Miri are still in the driver’s seat with 320 points and a medal haul of 18 golds, 27 silvers and 18 bronzes.

Kuching came in third with 195 points and amassing 13 gold medals, 14 silvers and 10 bronzes while Sibu are placed fourth with 150.5 points, 10 golds, eight silvers and 10 bronzes.

In fifth position are host Bintulu who garnered 137 points after bagging five golds, six silvers and 14 bronzes.

They are followed by Samarahan (93 points), Kapit (46), Limbang (45), Sri Aman (32) and in last place are Mukah who have yet to win a gold but have three silvers and three bronzes in their bag, and 26.5 points.

RECORD-BREAKING FEAT: Norris Foo of Sibu (right) won the Girls Under 15 100m sprint in a record time of 11.87s at MSSS Track and Field Championship held in Bintulu yesterday.

State girl Under-15 sprinter breaks 13-year-old national record

KUCHING: State sprinter Norris Foo shocked the local athletics fraternity when she clocked a record breaking time of 11.87s in the Girls Under 15 100m race at the Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) Track and Field Championship held in Bintulu yesterday.

Her timing overshadowed the 13-year-old national mark of 12.37s set by Siti Fatimah of Johor in 2000 and the state record of 12.7s set by Kee Siew Lian of Miri in 2007.

The feat became a hot topic among the coaches and officials at the meet who felt that Foo could get a national call up and possibly compete in the coming SEA Games.

The 15-year-old former SMK Elisabeth is now studying at SMK Tabuan Jaya sports school and said that she could not believe her eyes when the time result was shown.

According to Foo, it was normal for her to do a 12s run and this was the first time that she had dipped below that mark.

“My only thought during the race was just to complete it in just one breathe and I never thought I could record such a good time,” said the elated runner after the race.

Despite all the excitement, Foo’s record will not be recognised by the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) because she had to achieve such feat when competing in an national meet and breaking a similar record.

“Due to the venue (Sarawak) and technical factors, we cannot say that athletes had broken a national record…we can only say that they have surpassed the national record,” said Sarawak Amateur Athletics Association (SAAA) secretary Leong Beng Keong.

He added that Foo must register such a record time in a national competition for it to be inked in the national records book.

Junaidah is currently Malaysia’s number two in mountain biking while Caroline was last year’s Pahang Sukma bronze medallist in the road bike race.

State cycling coach, Zulkifli Hassan yesterday told The Borneo Post the two are expected to join the rest of the national squad for centralised training from May 5 onwards.

“We had just received the confirmation letter on their selection and they were requested to join the rest of the national squad on May 5…we are however requesting for them to report for duty at a later date because of polling day,” he said.

According to him, 25-year-old Junaidah had already joined the national squad for training on April 15 after competing in the recent Circuit 2 of this year’s National Mountain Bike Championship held at Telok Cempedak, Pahang from April 13 – 14 where she came in second.

The race was won by defending champion Masziyaton Mohd Radzi who is also the country’s number one ranked rider.

“The selection of our cyclists for the SEA Games had shown that the standard of cycling in the state is on par with the rest…their participation in Myanmar will give good exposure and experience,” Zulkifli enthused.

He added local cyclists are lacking the exposure and experience which can only be gained by competing in as many competitions at national and international level.

Junaidah was ranked number one in 2010 but was overtaken by Malaysia’s reigning women mountain bike champion and fellow training mate, 23-year-old Mazyiaton from Kedah.

The local rider faced difficulties in regaining the top position because of the lack of funds to compete in the same number of competitions her rival had participated.

The Borneo Post on February 28 had also published Junaidah’s plight of not having a stable job to sustain her training and to compete outside Sarawak.

The Sematan lass had revealed the RM200 monthly allowance she received for being a part time coach and another RM300 which was given by her cycling team, Arus Polygon.

Junaidah still harbour the ambition of becoming an Olympian someday but needs to participate in as many of the 42 races being held at national and international level under the Road to Rio Olympics 2016 programme.

This is to improve her chances of winning a slot in the qualifying sessions.

GOLDEN GIRL: Nor Kamisiah Wati Said of Kuching leapt to a distance of 4.7m to bag the gold medal in the Girls U15 long jump. — Photos by Tommy Ng

KUCHING: Six more new records were created as Miri continued to lead the medal tally at the 41st Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) track and field meet held at the Bintulu Stadium yesterday.

Norris Foo of Sibu stole the limelight of yesterday’s event after she broke the Girls Under 15 100m record with a new time of 11.87s. She erased the old record of 12.7s set by Kee Siew Lian of Miri in 2007.

This new time also surpassed the national record of 12.37s set by Johor’s Siti Fatimah in 2000.

Foo went on to set another record in the 100m hurdles with a new time of 15.78s which shattered the old record of 15.8s.

The other new records were set by Miri’s Priscilla Hui Tze Sun (Girls U18 triple jump – 11.57m), Dorine Wong Hui Hui of Sarikei (Girls U14 discus – 25.28m) and Faradillah Raznie of Betong (Girls U18 400m – 59.70s) and Jonathan Tinggang of Bintulu (Boys U18 high jump – 2.02m).

On the first day of competition, Quek Lee Liong of Sibu broke the old record in the Boys Under 15 200m hurdles with a new time of 26.02s. The old record was 26.4s.

At the end of yesterday’s competition, Miri are leading the medals chase with 12 gold, 20 silver and 11 silver medals followed by Kuching in second spot with 10 golds, 11 silvers and seven bronzes while Sibu are third with eight golds, five silvers and eight bronzes.

Sarikei and Bintulu are fourth and fifth with eight golds, three silvers and five bronzes, and three golds, five silvers and 10 bronzes respectively.

Eleven teams are taking part in the competition that ends tomorrow.

BINTULU, HERE WE COME: The Sibu team ready for action.

SIBU: Sibu is sending a strong team of 8 4 athletes for the Inter-Division Schools Track & Field Championship which will be held in Bintulu from April 24 to 27.

The contingent, spearheaded by state sprinter Norris Foo, comprises 43 boys and 41 girls. Foo, currently attached to SMK Tabuan Jaya, schoolmate Kueh Lee Liong and SMK St Elizabeth’s Betty Hoong are the athletes to watch at the championship. All three are 15 years old.

Foo is down to compete in the 100m, 100m hurdles and 200m hurdles, Kueh in the 400m, 100m hurdles and 200m hurdles while Hoong will take part in the shot putt.

Sibu Education Department Head of Human Resources Lim Choon Len is optimistic that Sibu would be able to return with a satisfactory result. “Last year, we collected 14 gold to emerge third best.

Hopefully, this year, we will be able to achieve a step better,” he said during the f lag handing over ceremony at Stadium Tun Zaidi yesterday morning.

Lim reminded the participants to work hard and stay focused during the championship. “Try your best to bring back something and all of us will be proud of you,” he added.

The team manager is John Francis. The team will leave for Bintulu tomorrow.

REPRISE: Bolt celebrates after winning the men’s 200m final at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in this Aug 9, 2012 file photo. — Reuters photo

LONDON: Usain Bolt will return to London to compete in the IAAF Diamond League meeting at the Olympic Stadium in which he achieved a clean sweep of gold medals last year.

The Jamaican six-time Olympic champion will head a glittering cast as London’s Queen Elizabeth Park celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Olympic opening ceremony.

The meeting, held on July 26-28, will feature 29 Olympic medallists, including 12 champions and four world record holders.

Britain’s heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis and double Olympic champion Mo Farah will also take part.

Sprinter Bolt’s presence in the 100m and 4x100m relay will top the bill, however, as he puts the finishing touches to his preparations for August’s world championships in Moscow.

Other than the Olympics, it will be his first competitive appearance in London since 2009, partly due to Britain’s tax laws which could have seen him give up a share of his appearance or prize money and endorsements.

An exemption for “non-residents” is now in force and Bolt said he was relishing the chance to play a part in what is being dubbed the “Anniversary Games.”

“I’m looking forward to coming back to the UK, especially with it being a year since winning three gold medals in the Olympic Stadium,” Bolt who repeated his Beijing hat-trick in London last year, said in a statement.

“The crowd were amazing at the Games, and I hope they will be out again in their numbers at the end of July.

“I haven’t competed at the London Diamond League since 2009 but it has always been a great meet with lots of Jamaican support – it almost feels like running at home.”

Bolt won the 100m and 200m in London and then helped Jamaica win the 4x100m relay in a new world record. — Reuters