NSC oh NSC...

Elaine Koon, darling of the nation not too long ago, is no more the flavour of the month. She has quit rhythmic gymnastics,  leaving a trail of allegations aimed at the fraternity. Now read this.

The National Sports Council (NSC) wants an independent committee to look into her resignation. Yes, why not...but if the investigation is to be done thoroughly, then you will have to call the accused as well, and it could well turn ugly. And I wonder sometimes whether we still have a Sports Commissioner somewhere!

It appears NSC is really running sports in the country...because throughout my years as a journalist, NSC was never involved in dealing with doping matters. It was either MASDOCS or the ISN...so when NSC had a joint press conference exposing the six who  absconded from a doping test, I was taken aback...Read here. Don't forget the Panthera stripes issue as well.

Kafe Sukan ke Kota Bharu...

Dua minggu lalu, krew Kafe Sukan dimaklum akan bersiaran langsung dari perkarangan Stadium Sultan Muhammad ke-4, Kota Bharu. Selesai urusan menghantar anak-anak, aku bergegas ke Subang. Dalam perjalanan, aku mengirim pesanan ringkas kepada dua individu - B. Sathianathan dan Pak Mat Fahmy, blogger dari Kelantan yang prolifik menulis dalam bahasa Inggeris. Di airport, aku terserempak dengan pegawai MSL, Kelvin Wong, yang juga menuju destinasi sama, maklumlah, separuh akhir kedua Piala FA. PakMat berkeras mahu mengambil aku di lapangan terbang Sultan Ismail Petra, sekalipun dia duduk di Bachok. Di saat yang sama, Razlin KP Hanifah, penerbit siaran langsung Astro Arena, mengirim nombor pemandu yang bakal mengambil aku di airport. Aku ucap terima kasih saja, kerana sudah berjanji dengan PakMat.

PakMat dan aku tidak pernah bertemu, hanya di dunia siber dan bercakap menerusi telefon serta SMS. Jadi kesempatan ini tidak harus ditolak. Pesara kerajaan yang kaya pengalaman dan bijak menulis dalam bahasa Inggeris. Bacalah blognya, di sini. Gambar ini dirakam berlatarbelakangkan Masjid Muhammadi selepas solat Zuhur yang diimamkan oleh PakMat...

Setibanya aku di airport, PakMat sudah menunggu. Dia ditemani dua anak saudaranya, Naim dan Ridzwan, dengan kereta rasmi Red Warriors mereka...aku sudah maklumkan kepada mereka Kelvin turut serta...upahnya, tiket percuma di astaka! Kami makan nasi kerabu...pergghhh, sedap...tengah syok makan, datang Norshahrul Idlan Talaha sekeluarga pun nak makan di situ...dia tanya "Cikgu sihat?". Dalam pada itu, Kafa melancarkan Al Hamra Red Warriors Academy (Army), aku singgah sebentar courtesy PakMat, yang memastikan Kelvin mendaftar masuk dengan lancar di Kelantan Trade Centre...kemudian PakMat membawa aku membeli murtabak raja, dua keping, tempat yang sama dia bawa Tun Rahah Noah baru-baru ini..."Ini I kirim kat Intan!"...

Berehat sebentar, kemudian aku, Akbar dan Liz make-up artist bersiap ke stadium sebelum Maghrib...suasana di stadium sudah meriah...

Aku terkejut apabila ternampak tetamu Dato S. Sivasundaram memakai baju hijau lebih kurang macam hijau aku...alamak, apasal tak pakai merah kuning (takkan kalah 5-1 separuh akhir pertama dah tak nak pakai merah kuning kot)...Tan Sri Annuar Musa pun pass remark: "Ini komplot ke ni, baju sama colour ni"

Selepas setengah jam bersiaran, dengan aku meramalkan Selangor tersungkur dan pulang awal, kami tonton perlawanan dari sudut ini...jangan risau, bukan aku tengok awek bertudung kat depan tu...nak masuk dalam dah sesak sangat...

Barangkali suasana sebegini hanya boleh didapati di Kota Bharu dan kawasan sekitarnya

Pulang sebelah pagi, aku terdengar suara memanggil aku "Rizal Hashim!"...Sathia yang tak sempat kutemui malam itu akhirnya dapat juga berkongsi pandangan...kami check-in sama dan akhirnya duduk sebelah-menyebelah. Abe Ya (kiri) disapa semua orang, memang betul-betul macam YB. Abe Ya, Darren Althofer (pengurus besar Astro Arena) dan K. Devan, jurulatih Selangor yang balik dengan flight Firefly yang sama...

Malaysia v Arsenal...

We've beaten Arsenal before, during the heydays of Mokhtar Dahari and Isa Bakar...but that was in the 1970s...in 1999, the pace and strength of Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira, Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka were too much for Azmin Azram Aziz and Co to handle. The Gunners and Monsieur Wenger will again descend upon our shores on July 13. But I'm not too sure whether or not Cesc Fabregas will be among the entourage. For ticketing info, click here.

Watch this clip.



In 1975, Arsenal, with England internationals Brian Kidd, John Radford and Peter Storey, became the first visiting English team to lose to a full Malaysian side. Malaysia, coached by M. Chandran, had the late Mokhtar to thank for the two superb strikes that gunned down Bertie Mee's Arsenal 2-0 at Merdeka Stadium on May 11, 1975. Three minutes before the interval, Mokhtar chased Soh Chin Aun's lob, outsprinted bald defender Terry Mancini before sending a thunderous left-foot shot into goal. If you watch carefully, the second goal was a result of a three-man move - R. Arumugam's long goal kick was chested down by Isa Bakar and Mokhtar played a quick one two with the Penang forward for a well-taken goal. Rest in Peace, Aru, Mokhtar and Isa.

Nabil's festival of speed

Press release


Confidence behind the steering wheel may set Muhammad Nabil Jan Al Jeffri apart from his rivals


The PETRONAS MOFAZ Racing driver is bullish that the same form of optimism seen during his karting days could extend to the 2011 JK Racing Asia Series held during the Asian Festival of Speed at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend.

“I’m feeling more confident compared to the first season. In fact I’m rather very optimistic in winning the championship,” said 18 year old Nabil.

Nabil is no stranger to the go-kart scene, having won the national meet (cadet) in 2004 followed by back-to-back wins in the Asian Kart Open in 2004 and 2005. He also championed the Asia Max (2006) and settled for the 13th spot in the Rok International held in Italy a year later.

He then won the Asia Max in 2008 and managed an impressive sixth place in the World Finals, Sharm El Sheikh. Last year he raced in the Formula BMW Pacific and came out fifth.

However, Nabil is embroiled in a controversy after his Race 1 win in Sepang was questioned.

“I’m not too sure about the appeal at the moment. I am very sure I didn’t jump start.

“I’m just going to put this aside and concentrate on my next race. I’m just hoping for a lot more wins along the way,” he added.

Nabil is also prepared to play catch up if the organisers decide to penalise him over the Race 1 fiasco. Pending the decision made, Nabil is currently placed second in the standings behind Austrian Lucas Auer of Eurointernational.

“If I am disqualified then obviously my rankings will drop but I will try my best to catch up.

“I’ve been training harder this year and I am a more matured driver. I’ve gained a lot of experience racing last year and hope to drive well throughout this year.”

Nabil isn’t all about racing. During his spare time, he loves a good workout, either on the bicycle, running or simply hanging out.

So who is Nabil’s greatest rival on the tracks?

“It will be my own team mates (Hiqmar Danial, Irfan Ilyas and Freddie Ang). I believe they are better than the other drivers,” he added.

This year, the Asian Festival Of Speed, held on 28th & 29th May 2011, will feature three FIA-Sanctioned race Series, Rounds 3 to 6 of the JK Racing Asia Series, Rounds 3 & 4 of the Asian Touring Car Series and the Season Opener of the GT Asia Series.

No entrance fee is charged as the organisers continue to open the grandstand area to spectators FREE of charge! There is a special RM10 pass that allows access to the Pit-Walkabout and giving a chance to mingle with the drivers and the AFOS Angels.

PETRONAS MOFAZ Racing

Muhammad Nabil Bin Jan Al Jeffri

Date of Birth: 24 October 1993

Nationality: Malaysian

Weight: 64kg

Height: 174cm

Helmet Colour: Florescent Yellow

Year of final examinations/degree: O level 2010

Website: www.nabiljeffri.com

Racing Career Details

Year Championship/ Overall Ranking
Series Results
& Number of Wins

2004 Malaysia Champion – Cadet (Go-kart) 1

2004 Asian Kart Open Championship (Go-kart) 1

2005 Asian Kart Open Malaysia (Go-kart) 1

2006 Asia Max (Go-kart) 1

2007 Rok International, Italy (Go-kart) 13

2008 Asia Max (Go-kart) 1

2009 World Finals, Sharm EI Sheikh (Go-kart) 6

2010 Formula BMW Pacific 2010 5

Wah...flexing muscles ke?

CLARIFICATION FROM NSC


Dear Editor,
Enclosed please find the clarification from NSC on the article titled ‘NSC ‘stripped’ of stripes’ on the front page of The Malay Mail on May 23rd, 2011.
________________________________________________________________


NSC would like to bring to your attention to the related article as follows:


1. The Government via the NSC is the rightful owner of the stripes. The tiger stripes were initiated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports since 2005.


2. The NSC has undertaken steps to protect the Government’s IP and has duly registered with MYIPO in the correct classification of the Industrial Design Act 1996.


3. The Telekom Malaysia (TM) licensing of the shirt, is a significant milestone to the Malaysian sports because this is the first time that the NSC has managed to secure funding of this kind, other than from the government. This is also in line with the Ministry’s move towards a more market driven sports industry model where a majority of the funds come from the private sector as in other developed countries.


4. The Ministry has been instructing all the sport bodies including the NSA and NSC to be more creative in providing more marketing friendly sports platform for the private sector to readily undertake. This Panthera Shirt IP licensing is an example of this initiative and is good for the sports industry to move forward.


5. The NSC should be proud of the TM Team Malaysia campaign. The TM Team Malaysia campaign is to galvanize and unify the Malaysian fans behind their athletes via the Panthera shirt. TM Team Malaysia Panthera shirt (complete with all the logos) is only for the fans. Our National athletes will be using the Panthera shirt clean of any TM Team Malaysia logos during any of their competitions.


6. The NSC will give legal notice to everyone that this IPs belongs to the government and that they should acknowledge and take the necessary steps to comply.


7. The NSC being a government agency will take all necessary steps and action against any party that threatens or jeopardise the spirit of this agreement.




Thank you and best regards,
Suhardi Alias
Director of Organizational Development
National Sports Council.


Is it true NSC director-general Datuk Zolkples Embong is considering legal action against the Malay Mail? Hmm, interesting, since Malay Mail is owned by the Redberry Group, chaired by Datuk Ir Mohamed Al-Amin Abdul Majid, who is a golfing partner to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Prime Minister. Al-Amin happens to be a board member of the NSC! Read here.

NSC is apparently upset with this report.

My advice to the Sports Minister is simple - monitor what NSC is doing la YB...sometimes cannot give people too much freedom maahhhh...

Or better still, YB, you can ask the Sports Advisory Panel (SAP) to help settle this issue...

Oh and Suhardi, I don't think this is the right way of engaging journos...give us facts...facts...facts...NSC is in dire need of a PR machinery la...

Malaysia v Chelsea

For tickets to this Malaysia-Chelsea match, a sequel to the 2003 and 2008 encounters, log on to http://www.ticketpro.com.my/ 

Bakar bendera, bakar hati, bakar media

Susah betul nak cakap pasal penyokong ni...aku terima gambar penyokong Negeri Sembilan membakar bendera Kelantan.

Tengok sebelah kiri...bendera Kelantan terbakar...

Betul ke media pilih bulu, pilih kasih? Kalau publisiti buruk Kelantan disensasikan, kalau team lain buat, tak de apa-apa?