Alberts remain as coach, Bobby is back to help the Crocs

Bobby Gonzales

KUCHING: Despite the crisis surrounding the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS), Sarawak will be competing in the Malaysia Cup after all and the present state football coach Robert Alberts remained as the chief coach of the team.
The matter was confirmed by FAS president Datuk Sudarsono Osman. The statement should stop all speculations that Alberts will be leaving the team for better offer in the Indonesian League.
Sudarsono also confirmed that they have enlisted two Sabah players on loan, striker Bobby Gonzales, 28, and midfielder Sharudin Yakup, 26.
“We hope they will resolve our problem of scoring goals,” he said, and urged the fans to continue supporting the team during the Malaysia Cup campaign which begins on September 23.
And, on Tueasday both players were in Kuching to join the team’s training.
Assistant coach Farhan Abdullah said the two players are on loan to Sarawak to play in the prestigious Malaysia Cup.
Gonzales played for Sarawak last season and was the team’s top scorer with 16 goals. He however left Sarawak to play with home state Sabah this season.
Sabah did not qualify for the Malaysia Cup this season.
Bobby said he was ready to help his former team to score as many goals as he could but knew very well that it was not an easy job.
He thanked the SAFA for releasing him to play for Sarawak team and to FAS for still having trust in him although he have left the team.
Meanwhile Shahrudin was delighted that FAS has given him the opportunity to play in Sarawak team in the Malaysia Cup.
He said he will give his best and use his past experience playing with teams in Peninsula Malaysia to help Sarawak in the Malaysia Cup.
Before joining Sabah this season, Shahrudin has played for Kuala Lumpur and Sime Darby team.
Both players has been given three months playing contract with FAS.
Farhan has said the service of the two players was sorted for to beef up the team’s engine room and the strike force.
The Malaysia Cup and the Super League are two different ball games and expected to be very competitive as 14 top teams in the Malaysia League will compete for the title.
Farhan said the team is now focusing on the Malaysia Cup tournament and despite the fasting month they are having their training as usual.
He said they also planned to play at least three friendly matches in Peninsula Malaysia including two matches against Johor FC and Johor FA teams from August 8 – 11.
“We plan to go for the friendly match tour in the first week of next month but we are still waiting for the management’s approval on the proposed tour.
“We plan to have at least three friendly matches as these matches are important to keep the players prepared for the Malaysia Cup challenge,” said Farhan.
He said although Sarawak suffered relegation to the Premier league next season but the team still have good chances in the Malaysia Cup.
 “We can spring surprises in the Malaysia Cup provided the players give their full focus and consistent in their games,” he said.
He said Sarawak actually played very well in the first league of the Super League but due to inconsistency in their games in the second leg of the league has caused the team’s relegation to the Premier League next season.
Farhan said with Hairol Mokhtar dan Rasyid Aya back in training with the team after their long injuries would be able to strengthen the team for the Malaysia Cup challenge.
He said all the other players including their Cameroon imports, Guy Bwele and Joel Epalle are fit to play.



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Three Sarawak athletes at the Olympic Games

SARAWAK State Sports Council (MSNS) hoped the three Sarawak born national divers bound for the London Olympic Games would shine there.
 “I wish them all the best and hope our Sarawak born national athletes will shine in London Olympic,” said Sarawak State Sport Council (MSNS) director Francis Nyurang Ding.
He said previously, their participation in the Olympic Games was only for exposure and experience but this time it is more challenging for them because the team is fighting for medals.
“Well, all the best to Sarawak’s stars. It certainly won’t be easy, but the fact that they will be representing Malaysia and competing with the world’s best is indeed a fantastic achievement in itself,” said Nyurang.
 “We are very-very proud of them. This is some of our achievements and this is one way we are contribution to our national sports,” he added.
Three Sarawakian divers have qualified to represent Malaysia at the London Olympics are Pandelela Rinong, Bryan Nickson Lomas and Traisy Vivien Tukiet.

PANDELELA (right) eyeing for medal.

Sarawak’s diving queen Pandelela has qualified for the women’s 10m platform individual and synchro as well as 3m springboard synchro, while Traisy has qualified for the women’s 10m platform and Bryan has qualified for the men’s 10m platform individual and 3m springboard individual as well as synchro.
At age 18, Traisy is apparently the youngest Malaysian athlete to qualify for the London Olympics after reaching the semi-finals of the women’s 10m platform individual at the Diving World Cup in London last February.
On Traisy’s achievement,  Nyurang said MSNS is proud of her as she was from MSNS development programme and later taken by the National Sport Council and train as the national athlete.
“When she was small we trained her and she became champion in the Malaysia Games and later the National Sport Council took her and trained her to become the national diver.
“We are proud of their achievement because they are the products of our development programme when they were young. Now the National Sports Council (NSC) has taken them and had achieved their highest.
“We are very proud of them because we produced them and develop them and become what they are today.
“I hope they will do their best and win medals for the nation but even if they don’t win medal we are proud of them because it is already an achievement for them to be at the Olympics Games,” he said.

BRYAN NICKSON: Third sppearance in the
Olympic Games 

Nyurang said it was not easy for athletes to reach that level (competing in the Olympic). Not any champion at their national level would get automatic place in the Olympic Games as there are certain benchmarks or qualifying mark that they need to achieve to be in the Olympic Games.
“I just wish them all the best and I believe all Sarawakians are behind them and are looking forward to see they win medals for the nation,” he added.

TRASY...first Olympic Games

Bryan made a memorable debut when he won a bronze together with naturalised Malaysian Huang Qiang in the 3m springboard synchro at the Diving World Cup in London last February.
Despite this being their first competition together, the duo won Malaysia’s first ever World Cup medal and earned a spot to compete in the Olympics.
They will actually be the first ever Malaysian pair to compete in a synchro event at the world’s premier sporting event.
According to the Diving World Rankings, Pandelela is ranked seventh in the world for the platform women, while Traisy is ranked 17th.
For the platform men, Bryan is ranked 14th in the world.
Bryan, who has been to the Olympics twice, said the London Games would be meaningful to him and his team-mates.

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Pakatan Rakyat looking for new candidate for Mambong seat

By ROBERT KENNETH
Two Pakatan Rakyat aspiring candidates for Mambong parliamentary seat said they are leaving it to their respective party leadership to decide on their candidacy.
DAP aspiring candidate for Mambong constituency Mangan Ngandok said he was ready to contest in the coming general election but not as candidate of PKR, STAR or any other opposition parties.
Mangan said he will stick with DAP and will only carry the party’s symbol if he need to contest in the election.
“If Pakatan Rakyat (PR) decided to give the seat to PKR then they have to find their own candidate. I will only contest if the seat is given to DAP,” said Mangan.
PKR has picked the party’s state vice chairman Peter Ato Mayau, 53, as their candidate to contest in Mambong and he had even submitted his photograph for his poster.
Unfortunate Ato, a Bidayuh engineer from Kampung Sedunuk in Padawan and was working with Sebiro Holdings, was killed in a helicopter crash last Friday in Sungai Lingga, Sebuyau.
He was killed along with a consultant Siti Khuzaimah Annuar and architect Henry Loh.
Mangan said there was already an understanding that only one party candidate from Pakatan Rakyat should contest the seat.
“But until now there is still no decision on which party in PR will contest the seat,” added Mangan.
According to Mangan, DAP has equal good chances to wrest the seat from Barisan Nasional (BN), claiming that DAP will receive 30 solid support from the Chinese voters in the constituency.
He the rest of the voters will come from the split Bidayuh votes as not all Bidayuh voters are supporting BN, especially with the many unresolved issues affecting the community.
State PKR vice chairman and Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How had said PKR will go ahead with its plan to contest in Mambong.
He said Ato’s legacy would be followed through and furthered to ensure victory of Pakatan Rakyat and PKR in Mambong.
Chee How said PKR has actually a number of potential candidates whom it had identified together with Ato before the ill fated helicopter tragedy and one of them was Willie Mongin who stood in Bengoh during the state election but lost to BN’s candidate Dr Jerip Susil.
Mongin who was among those who came first to give his last respect to the late Ato at his house in Jalan Urat Mata, Tabuan Jaya here last Sunday, said he would not want to make any comment with regard to his candidacy at this moment of time.
Prior to the helicopter tragedy Mongin has been assisting Ato during several of his visits to meet the constituents in the upper part of Padawan and Tarat in the Mambong constituency.
“This is still not the right time for me to make any comment on my candidacy. I am still trauma with the demise of my very good friend.
“We had always been together moving in the kawasan (area) and at the same time I need to respect the family,” said Willie when contacted in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
After saying that, Willie said he is leaving it to the party leadership to make the decision.
“Whoever is chosen to contest in Mambong is not a problem to me as long as the person chosen shared our struggle.
“I will wait for the party’s decision. We are well structured party and the leadership knows what to do,” said Willie.

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Heli crash: All victims found

By Robert Kenneth 
KUCHING: All three bodies of missing passengers of a private helicopter, which crashed at the mouth of Sungai Teriso near Sebuyau on Friday has been found.
State deputy police commissioner Dato Law Hong Soon, who is overseeing the search-and-rescue (SAR) operation confirmed that the bodies of Siti Khuzaimah Anwar and
Peter Ato Mayau were recovered ‘some distance away’ from the crash site.
“Siti’s body was found by fishermen near Maludam along Sungai Teriso around 11.15am and Peter’s body was found by villagers and rescuers not far from Kampung Tebelu about
2.30pm on Saturday.
Both bodies have been sent to the Simunjan Hospital and was released to their respective families on Sunday after a post mortem was conducted.
The body of last victim, Henry Loh was found at about 7.40am on Sunday at sea off Triso coast in Sri Aman by crew members of a chartered boat. The identity of the 42-year-old
architect has been confirmed by his family.
He added that both bodies were fully clothed when found and without life jackets, as the Eurocopter EC120 they were travelling in did not have any life vests onboard.
The trio together with chopper pilot Rico Steger, were heading to Nanga Merit in Kapit from Kuching to inspect a school project when the helicopter belonging to Sebiro Holdings crashed and sunk around 9.20am after encountering technical difficulties and inclement weather.
Peter, 53, a civil engineer, and 27-year-old Siti a quantity surveyor, were employees of Sebiro. Henry, 42, an architect, is said to be the consultant for the project.
The pilot, a German national Rico Steger, 35, was the only survivor as he swam his way out of the wreckage for several hours in strong currents before reaching Kampung Tebelu, Sebuyau.
Peter is state PKR vice-chairman who contested in Tarat in the last year’s state election but lost.
He is Pakatan Rakyat aspiring candidates for the Mambong parliamentary seat in the coming general election.
Meanwhile State PKR chairman Baru Bian regarded the later Peter Ato as a man of principle and very focus on what he is doing.
Baru said he was full of confidence and respect on Ato’s ability as a leader but it was sad that the vice chairman of the state PKR has to leave to be with the Lord.
Ato, 54, is aspiring PKR’s candidate in Mambong constituency in the forthcoming general election.
He has been moving quietly but actively in the constituency to meet with the electorates in the remote area of Padawan.
It was said that Ato is well like by the people in the area and his support from the ground is growing stronger and regarded as winnable candidate.
Baru in giving his words of courage to Ato's family after the prayer at the decease’s house at Jalan Urat Mata, Tabuan Jaya  yesterday, said he knew Ato since during the Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak
(PBDS) days as a man of principle.
He recalled during one of the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Supreme Council meeting when Ato voiced out his opinion on one very important issue.
Baru said the demise of Peter Ato was not only a great lost to his wife and three children but also to PKR, adding that the party has lost a good leader.
Meanwhile to friends and supporters, they regarded Ato as a humble person who is down to earth.

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