MCA Pledges RM40,000 For Wushu Medallists At Asian Games

Kuala Lumpur - MCA on Friday pledged to give RM40,000 to Chai Fong Ying and Tai Cheau Xuen for winning the gold medal and bronze respectively in wushu at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the contribution was in appreciation of their success and as an incentive for them to do better in the sport in future.

"At the moment, we don't have the sponsor yet but I have instructed my deputy (Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai) to lead the search for sponsorship.

"We pledge to give RM30,000 to Chai and RM10,000 to Tai," he told reporters at a dinner function in honour of the national wushu squad, here Friday night.

At the Asian Games this time, Chai won gold again in the Taijijian event after her first at the Doha Games in Qatar four years ago.

Dr Chua said the MCA would also look for RM200,000 to assist the Wushu Federation of Malaysia.

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Schwartzel sinks fourth career hole-in-one

By Ashley Hammond

Dubai : Charl Schwartzel bagged the fourth hole-in-one of his career from 166 yards on the par-three sixth hole at Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth Course yesterday.

The South African told Gulf News: "It's a great feeling whenever you get a hole-in-one but to get one in a tournament is something special."

Schwartzel's last hole in one came two years ago at the Johannesburg Open, the other two came at his local golf course when he was 10 and 13 years old.

He added of the trick shot: "It was all thanks to Miguel [Angel Jimenez, his partner for Day 1]. I saw him use a six iron and decided to hit a seven. It was probably a yard or so short but where I was standing it looked as though it released perfectly."

Big boost
"I birdied hole two, bogeyed hole three then from nowhere three holes later I got the hole-in-one — it really boosts your day."

Finishing 69 three under par with four birdies, three bogeys plus that now famous hole in one, Schwartzel is now tied for fifth in the Dubai World Championship leaderboard and eighth in the Race to Dubai standings.

Having not been in contention in recent tournaments, despite playing well, Schwartzel is hopeful his luck is on the turn.

"It's a good start for me. I definitely feel there's a low score out there if I can get the putter working I'll really make a low scoring game."

Laughing off the fact he didn't win a prize for his hole-in-one, as cars or yachts are normally fair game for such an achievement, Schwartzel said: "I thought I'd won a car, because there was a car standing to the right of the tee box but yeah you know I'll have to get another one on the17th [where there is a car]"

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Liu sets his sights on London

By Alaric Gomes

Guangzhou : China's pin-up boy and 110m world record holder feels that his maturity can see him back to where he belongs in the near future.

"I am 27 and much more mature now than before. This medal bodes me well and I think I can be back to where I belong," Liu Xiang told media after Wednesday night's run that fetched him a record third Asian Games gold medal at a packed Aoti Stadium.

Liu finished in a time of 13.09secs — his best showing for this season — and then trained his eyes on the 2012 London Olympics to recapture his past glory.

"I believe I can do it [win the Olympic gold medal] said after he blazed home ahead of teammate Shi Dongpeng, his conqueror in May's Diamond League meet held in Shanghai, and South Korea's Park Tae-yong in third.

"I know it is easy to say ‘I can', even though the process might be more difficult than it looks now. But I believe that with time I still have the power to do it. No matter if I can get the Olympic gold or not, I'll try my very best," said Liu, who surrendered his world record in June 2008 when Cuba's Dayron Robles ran the distance in 12.87secs.

Liu rose to fame as China's first major track star when he won Olympic gold in Athens 2004, but experienced a fall from grace four years later when he limped out of the Birds Nest in Beijing with an Achilles tendon injury before the heats of his signature event.

Major event
Since then the Achilles injury has plagued the athlete despite undergoing surgery in the US shortly after the 2008 Beijing Games.

Wednesday's win was his first major one on home soil since that fateful day in Beijing when a packed stadium heaved a uniform breath of silence leaving millions of his fans shell-shocked.

He made his comeback run in March this year, managing only a seventh place at the world indoor championships in the shorter 60m hurdles. Two months later, Liu pocketed the bronze at the Diamond League meet in his hometown Shanghai where he was beaten by American David Oliver (12.99secs) and teammate Shi Dongpeng.

However, on a cool breezy Wednesday evening, Liu did what he knows to do best as he finished with a fast time of 13.09secs, thereby endorsing his dominance on the bigger stage.

"I didn't expect to finish in such a good time. I had thought that a time of 13.30secs would be enough for me to win the medal," Xiang admitted. "There is still a gap between my current form and how I was at my peak, but I have time to improve. I believe I can run inside 13 seconds and I am confident I can get back to my peak form," he added.

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India race away with gold medals in track and field events

By Alaric Gomes

Guangzhou - India took both the gold medals in the 400-metre hurdles to match their opening day's performance in the track and field competition at the 16th Asian Games at the Aoti Stadium here yesterday.

Ashwini Chidananda Akkunji scalped some established runners to win gold in the 400-metre hurdles with a personal best time of 56.15secs, while teammate Joseph Abraham claimed the top spot in the men's 400-metre hurdles with a time of 49.96secs for another rare Indian double.

India had opened the track and field competition last Sunday with Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut first completing a fine one-two in the women's 10,000-metre and later Sudha Singh capping a perfect night with a final lunge to win the women's 3,000-metre steeplechase.

Making amends
Earlier during the evening, Japan's Chisato Fukushima made amends for her 100-metre disappointment with a light wind assisted run to finish in 23.60secs and clinch gold in the 200-metre gold ahead of Vietnam's Vu Thi Huong and veteran Uzbek runner Guzel Khubbieva.

Iran once again reiterated their rise in sporting arena with Sajad Moradi running a blistering 800-metre final to take the gold with a time of 1 minute, 45.45secs, leaving Iraq's Adnan Al Muntafage (1:45.88) and Qatar's Musaab Abdul Rahman Bala (1:46.19) for silver and bronze respectively.

Indian great P.T. Usha then watched in dismay as her ward Tintu Lukka led most of the race but finished third behind Kazakhstan's Margarita Matsko and Vietnam's Thanh Hang Truong in the women's 800-metre final.

"A medal is a medal and I am glad she has picked one up so early in her career. She is inexperienced and that is what cost her a gold medal," P. T. Usha observed.

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Japan wins women's' world baseball championship

Yukari Isozaki gave up just four hits and one run over four innings after Japan scored nine runs in the first to beat Australia 13-3 and claim the women's' world baseball championship on Sunday.

After Japan's batters made a strong start, pitchers Isozaki and Ayami Sato held Australia's offense in chck throughout the rest of the game at Jose Perez Colmenares Stadium in the northern city of Maracay.

Isozaki had three strikeouts and allowed nly one batter to take a base on balls.

"I was nervous at the beginning, given the responsibility of opening this game, but my teammates supported me and we won this game together," Isozaki said.

Sato was equally effective, giving up two runs and two hits as Japan's reliever. She struck out two battrs.

Sunday's victory was Japan's second in the women's world baseball championship. The Japanese also won the tournament in 2008.

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Underachieving Madrid banks on Mourinho to deliver

A season after breaking the bank on a squad of "galactico" players that failed to deliver a single title, Real Madrid is banking on coach Jose Mourinho to turn an underachieving squad of stars into champions.

Madrid president Florentino Perez wasted little time in securing the Portuguese coach's services after he led Inter Milan to the Champions League trophy at Madrid's own Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in May.

Now, the self-proclaimed "Special One" faces his biggest challenge yet as he looks to turn around the fortunes of football's biggest club.

"Real Madrid is a unique team in how it generates such enormous expectations, it's been the best club of the 20th century," Mourinho said. "I've had little time here so far but I'm already aware of what this team is and I want to go down in the history of Real Madrid."

Counting on players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas means the pressure is high - especially after another early exit from Europe last season and the humiliating Copa del Rey exit when it lost 4-0 to third-tier Alcorcon.

Madrid set a club record for points last season but two defeats by Barcelona proved the difference as its biggest rival won the league for a second straight season.

With the exits of Raul Gonzalez and Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrz, Mourinho is set to spearhead a new age at Madrid, led by Ronaldo.

"Cristiano is very happy," Mourinho said. "He'll have a magnificent season under me."

After spending over euro250 million ($343 million) on players last summer, Madrid has been relatively quiet this time around with Argentina winger Angel Di Maria's arrival from Benfica for euro25 million ($31.7 million) its most expensive transfer. Madrid also signed Germany standout Sami Khedira from Stuttgart, Getafe midfielder Pedro Leon and longtime Mourinho favorite Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea.

The arrivals of teenager Sergio Canales from Racing Santander and Germany playmaker Mesut Oezil from Werder Bremen are shaping up to be the most important, with Kaka out until December following knee surgery.

"(Oezil) is a creative player who is more offensive than (Fernando) Gago or Lassana (Diarra). He's got similar qualities to Canales," Mourinho said. "(Canales) is a player I like a lot. If he doesn't change, he'll get a lot of minutes in this team."

While Ronaldo and striker Gonzalo Higuain guarantee goals, Mourinho's biggest task might be in getting the best out of Karim Benzema, who has largely been a disappointment since a euro35 million ($44 million) move from Lyon last summer.

"Mentally I'm very strong and I'm convinced I'm going to score a lot of goals," Benzema said.

Carvalho will also be pressed into action immediately as Madrid is without injured center backs Pepe, Raul Albiol and Ezequiel Garay for its Aug. 29 opener against Mllorca.

Madrid's players have become quick believers in Mourinho, with Oezil saying his decision to move to the Spanish capital was all down to playing under Mourinho.

Goalkeeper Casillas said of his new coach: "He's got a lot of hope and desire to do things well. He's got a young group keen to achieve things. We have no reason to envy Barcelona."

Mourinho himself is keen on making history.

"I want to be the only one to have won the three most important leagues in the world: Spain, Italy and England," Mourinho said.

Barcelona will be Mourinho's biggest worry as it fields eight players from Sain's World Cup winning team.

But Mourinho is already familiar with Barcelona - where he previously worked as an assistant coach - from his infamous clashes while coach at Chelsea and Inter, which eliminated the defending European champions in last season's semifinals.

Mourinho is ready for the challenge - it may just be a question of whether Madrid is ready for him. (Paul Logothetis)

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Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven face Europa League battle

Former European champions Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven face a battle to reach the group stages of the Europa League in the second legs of their qualifying playoffs on Thursday.

English side Liverpool travels to Turkey with only a 1-0 lad from its first leg against Trabzonspor at Anfield last week, courtesy of Ryan Babel's goal.

In unfamiliar territory after failing to qualify for the Champions League last season, Liverpool risk missing out on making the group stages of Europe's second-tier club competition.

"Whether the margin of victory is enough, only time will tell, but we can at least go there with a lead and having not conceded a goal," manager Roy Hodgson said.

Liverpool is yet to win in the Premier League this season, its 3-0 defeat at Manchester City following a goalless draw at home to Arsenal.

The five-time European champion should welcome back attacking midfielder Joe Cole from domestic suspension but is set to be without Javier Mascherano, who "isn't in the right frame of mind at the moment to play," according to Hodgson, after being the subject of a bid from Barcelona.

PSV fared worse in its opening match in the playoffs, losing 1-0 to Russian side Sibir Novosibirsk after having Francisco Rodriguez sent off in the first half. The Dutch club, which won the European Cup in 1988, conceded a goal to Aleksandr Degtyarev in the second minute of injury time.

PSV at least recovered from its European setback by winning in its domestic championship, 3-1 against AZ Alkmaar on Sunday.

"We're happy to have bounced back from the defeat at FC Sibir. I asked the players to switch over and that's what they've done," coach Fred Rutten said.

Rodriguez will miss the second leg after being handed a one-match ban following his sending-off.

Meanwhile, fallen Italian giant Juventus has a 2-1 lead over Sturm Graz to take into the return leg thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Brazilian striker Amauri.

Aston Villa, which is level at 1-1 with Rapid Vienna, will look to avoid being eliminated in the Europa League playoffs by the Austrian team for the second year running.

Fellow English side Manchester City will be without first-leg match-winner Mario Balotelli for its return match against FC Timisoara, which lost 1-0 in Romania last week. The Italy forward is still nursing an injury sustained late in the first leg.

Elsewhere, Turkish sides Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are struggling to make it through. Galatasaray drew 2-2 at home to Karpaty Lviv of Ukraine and Fenerbahce lost 1-0 at PAOK Salonika in the first leg. (The Associated Press)

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