THE sultanate will be looking to add to their two silver and two bronze medals at the Asian Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia, when the national sepak takraw team take to the beach today.
Competing in the inter-regu category of the competition, national head coach Ittiphol Chomchaissak had stated before leaving for the Games that his team had a 50-50 chance of winning bronze in the event.
Picking out Thailand as the team to beat, Ittiphol said that it was because of the quality of their players and the fact that the team had been training for the past three months.
Though he had added that he felt the country's athletes were at a lower level than the Thais, the Thai head coach earlier this week refuted Ittiphol's comments.
Sompong Sangkhasuram rated Indonesia's and Malaysia's strength below his squad but in a comment which may come as a surprise to many, said that he considered the sultanate's competitors equal in terms of technique.
"Indonesian and Malaysia are two countries whose skills are slightly below us so we are not easily intimidated by their challenges," Sompong was quoted as saying in last Monday's edition of the Jakarta Post.
"Brunei players ... are tall and have strong fighting spirit, which will boost their performance.
"Those things are what we must worry about," added the Thailand coach.
So far, all of Brunei's medals have come in the only other sport the sultanate is competing in at the inaugural edition of the Games pencak silat.
To say that the Games have been a good showing for the sultanate's pencak silat exponents would be a fair judgment, as four of the country's five exponents won a medal in the sport.
Hj Md Khairul Bahrin Hj Duraman got the celebrations started for Brunei last Sunday when he collected 449 points to win bronze in the men's pencak silat singles artistic category, losing out on the silver medal by a single point.
Siti Zuliza Omar lost 5-0 to Indonesia's Ni Nyoman Suparniti on Wedensday the last day of competition in the sport to claim silver in the 55kg to 60kg division final.
Earlier in the day, one of the sultanate's shining stars in the sport, Norleyermah Hj Raya, won the country bronze after collecting 446 points in the women's pencak silat singles artistic category.
Results for the other silver medal were not available at Press time.
No comments:
Post a Comment