Foul!

Are you able to work with elite athletes and coaches including the likes of Lee Chong Wei, Koo Kien Keat and Rexy Mainaky? Do you have either a Bachelor's degree or 10 years experience? A combination of both would be an added advantage. Are you willing to travel outstation and abroad regularly? (I don't see why anyone should complain about this, travel for free mah). Game for a new challenge? If you have answered yes to all of the above, the BA of Malaysia (BAM) is looking for you. Interestingly, there is no mention of candidates requiring any badminton credentials. It seems to be more of a coordinator's role rather than a high performance director. But it will give more people a chance a apply for the job - even those who played badminton for the Keramat zone during their primary school days like me. Then again, a good player does not necessarily turn into a good coach, mentor or administrator. The advertisement was placed in major dailies on Saturday. As of yesterday, BAM...

National Olympic and Sea Games coach Ong Kim Swee admitted the standard of play among the teams in the region has "dropped". He admitted it is a problem faced by all the other South East Asian nations but was quick to add Malaysia is able to stamp its dominance as we have several players including Nazmi Faiz Mansor ( pic ), Fandi Othman and Gary Steven Robbat who will still be able to play in the coming editions of the Sea Games. As Kim Swee rightly pointed out, we need to have better representation in the age group tournaments including the AFC Under-16 championship. Read Kim Swee's take here . HD says: It's time to expose the younger lads.

After winning the Sea Games gold medal followed by two straight defeats in the pre-Olympic qualifiers, the lads will now head back to their respective teams. Singaporean journos are eager to do a build up of their Young Lions playing in the Super League next season. However, they are clueless as to the fixtures. Prior the Sea Games, this was raised but I was told to "relax la brother" and wait after the Sea Games. Why? Well the Sea Games team manager Hamidin Mohd Amin is also the competition committee chairman. Wasn't there talk of a Cambodian club joining the league next year? What happened to that? Fixtures asides, we now have a sudden influx of foreign players trying to impress our teams here. The latest is Australian Michael Baird ( pic ) who will play alongside Brendan Gan for Sabah. And the states have received a Royal Warning as FA of Malaysia deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said teams need to adhere to the guidelines before obtaining the se...

Or unfinished business? Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia president Ahmad Ismail ( pic ) insists he should not vacate from the "kerusi panas" (hot seat) and will remain as president until after "sepaktakraw achieves success". Read more in today's The Star . Ahmad is not stranger to controversy, as evident here . Perhaps Ahmad has a grand master plan to see Malaysia win the ISTAF World Cup or the King's Cup. Or perhaps achieving "success" means managing to beat South Korea in any competition. However, Ahmad made a valid point. “What about other sports which failed to win medals? There are associations helm by presidents for years and they have not tasted glory. Athletics is one of them. There is also a situation where athletes fend for themselves without the help of any structured training programme and yet win medals - like snooker. And Ahmad, what is your definition of success? To win a Sea Games gold medal? Or to win the World Cup? HD says: If...

UPDATE 10.45pm: Msia lost 3-2 to 10-men Bahrain despite enjoying a 2-0 lead. ------ Perhaps on this holy day our Harimau Malaya could finally earn their points since playing in Round 3 of the Asian Zone Olympic qualifiers. Malaysia play Bahrain at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight (8.45pm kick off). National coach Ong Kim Swee has promised the fans a "good showing". The defenders and midfielders have been playing well. Now let's hope the strikers play their part and get the goals. If we lose tonight, we can kiss our Olympic dream goodbye. As Prime Minister Najib Razak said in his in his special interview with Bernama in conjunction with the Umno General Assembly: If we are determined and strong-willed, then, like what the Young Tigers have proven, we will be able to triumph over the immense pressure being heaped upon us; although it was not a level playing field in Jakarta, our team made it. The Young Tigers are now an inspiration to many, and hopefully th...

...but let us not get carried away. Awards are meant to inspire and motivate, not a license to be complacent. Having spent a long time in the scene, Dr S.Shamala (pic) was selected ahead of Marina Chin and rhythmic gymnastics coach Dr Teh Lah Hoong in the 9th Olympic Council of Malaysia Women and Sports awards yesterday . I know all three women personally. I kept in constant touch with Shamala when I covered women's hockey and when she was part of the National Fitness Council. Marina, having won many titles in the past and a much respected figure on and off the tracks, has the motherly touch as she often asks if I've eaten a capati - she still asks me the same question till today! The same touch is seen when dealing with her students. Lah Hoong is renowned for establishing (I dare say) one of the best grassroots gymnastics club in the country - the Serdang Rhythmic Angels. The club still enjoys the good support from construction giants IJM and continues to produce talents....

UPDATE 9.46am: Read what Hassan has got to say here . ---- There was one coaching staff missing from the sidelines during the Olympic qualifier Malaysia-Syria match on Wednesday. Assistant coach Hassan Sazali Waras was no where to be seen throughout the match. And he will not be around when Malaysia play Bahrain in Bukit Jalil on Sunday and in Riffa come February. Hassan was slapped with a six match suspension for "offensive behaviour" in 2009 during the AFC Under-19 Championship. He has missed four matches to date. It remains unclear if Hassan was the real culprit or his name was wrongly reported - as per his claims. But Hassan has adopted a new role during his time outside the bench - to watch the opponents from the stands. Let's hope his new role will help the Olympic side edge Bahrain in the coming matches. HD says: If Ong Kim Swee is sent out of the pitch while Hassan serving his suspension, goalkeeper coach Yong Wai Hwang will take charge and I believe he has the ...

We saw this coming. Those who watched the match, however, would agree it turned out to be a respectable score line. Those who know the capabilities of our team would add that we could have turned the tables around if the lads were in a better condition. Nevertheless, Malaysia lost 2-0 to Syria. The national team's qualifying campaign is pretty much over. Unless if Japan and Syria start losing all their coming matches then perhaps we would still have a chance I suppose. But let's hope for a better outcome against Bahrain on Sunday (Nov 27). I believe that we could have a better chance against them and may even win the match. HD says: Ong Kim Swee has stressed that he DOES NOT have a twitter account.

Those were the words of three-year-old Dasha Ong. National coach Ong Kim Swee has not seen his wife Alodle Donna Derick, Dasha and his seven month old baby Dashie for almost a month. And the words of Dasha just hours prior the kick off between Indonesia and Malaysia in the final certainly motivated Kim Swee. In return, Kim Swee motivated the lads and they won. Read more in today's Mailsport. As expected members of the Press - even those not from the Sports Desk - had numerous questions for Kim Swee. Some wanted Kim Swee to share his experience in Jakarta, others were penning down every word of his when he slammed the organisers for their antics which certainly disturbed him and the boys. But the celebrations must come to an end as Kim Swee and the Olympic lads will now face Syria in the Asia zone Olympic qualifiers tonight (8.45pm). And Kim Swee had this to say: "The players are tired but with the support of the fans, if they come in full force, perhaps that will motivate our...

The Malaysian U-23 team defended their Sea Games title after edging Indonesia 4-3 in a penalty shoot out. Both teams drew 1-1 even after extra time. Two fans were killed at Gelora Bung Karno. Firecrackers were lit in most parts of KL. The backpages will be plastered with pictures of our players celebrating. Oh yes, there will be faces of officials who will shamelessly take credit as well. But where do we go from here. In hardly 24 hours, coach Ong Kim Swee will be part of the team manager's meeting at Wisma FAM (3pm) ahead of the Malaysia-Syria pre-Olympic clash. Both teams will play on Wednesday night at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. Then the national team will take on Bahrain on Nov 27. The standard of play seen throughout the tournament wasn't that great - but for the exciting grand finale. Thailand has lost its grip as the regional power house. Singapore still has got a lot of catching up while Indonesia are still struggling to find their grip and are desperate for ...

UPDATE 12.30pm - I have started a 'SAVE KLFA CAMPAIGN' and have pledged RM100 to get the ball rolling. Money collected will be channeled to KLFA at their office in Cheras Stadium. Money is meant for developing KL football especially at the grassroots. I've posted the same thing on twitter as well. Cheques can be addressed to PERSATUAN BOLA SEPAK KUALA LUMPUR. --- It may seem that everyone is fixated over the Sea Games football final between Indonesia and Malaysia tonight (8.30pm kick off). Not the guys in KL FA though. KL is still scouting for funds and has even gone to the extent of obtaining the services of a company to bring in the money. Apparently, during its last council meeting, it was agreed that a 'certain monetary cut' will be handed to those who are able to secure sponsors. Despite submitting their proposals to major companies all over, KLFA have not heard any good news from any party - or so I have been told. KLFA are also willing to place the corporate...

AFP is an abbreviation for Agence France-Presse. But judging by it's latest report on the 26th Sea Games, it is now in A F&^ked-up Position. Why? Well the mouth watering Indonesia-Malaysia football final is supposed to be played today at 8pm. Yet, an AFP report had this headline - Indonesia beat Malaysia in Sea Games football final . Blogger Pure Shiite was fast to post it on his blog, as seen here . But the story read; Monday night's final should harbour few fears for the visitors, who weathered the cauldron of the 90,000 capacity Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta to beat the hosts 1-0 in their last group game. I pity the journalist for it may not have been his fault. Headlines are usually constructed by the sub-editors or editors. It's a boo-boo nevertheless. HD says: Let's see who will win tonight.

It doesn't get any better now does it. Indonesia are set to take on defending champions Malaysia in the football final of the 26th Sea Games in Jakarta. Both teams met in the group stage which saw Malaysia edge their not so gracious host 1-0. But will the Malaysians have the upper edge again? Indonesians are eager to bounce back and they are on a mission. Even prior the competition, the Indonesian team 'pledged to restore national peace and unity', as reported here . The Malaysians will have to face the hostile Indonesian fans and once again be bombarded with jeers of Balik Balik , profanities and even be given the 'middle finger' throughout the game. Indonesia played with mostly reserves in their earlier clash with Malaysia. The Malaysians, meanwhile, are a tired lot as evident against Myanmar. However, if the team play their hearts out the Malaysian Tigers could once again silence the crowd as the Gelora Bung Karno. They may return to their hotel rooms in army tan...

MSN tidak harus cepat bangga, 8 emas dari sukan bukan program mereka That was from today's Berita Harian . Antara sukan berkenaan adalah ski air yang mencatat keputusan membanggakan dengan menyumbang empat emas, begitu juga lawan pedang (dua) dan renang perairan terbuka serta kuartet 4x400 meter yang masing-masing memenangi sebutir emas. Hakikatnya, sukan ini tidak berada dalam senarai sasaran awal MSN. I am not a big fan of setting targets. I am also not a big fan of associations begging for money from the government. Such funding will only blur the administrative powers and role of the said associations. But some associations do need 'guidance' and deserved to be dictated by the National Sports Council (NSC). These NSAs think it is their birth right to obtain money from the government without lifting a finger and trying to source their own funds. In some sports, we produce world class athletes (squash, badminton) but in most sports we are just the region's best (w...

The fans disrespected our national anthem Negaraku. Malaysia coach Ong Kim Swee was asked to leave the bench and sat at the stands with some 30 minutes left in the game. Yet, that did not stop the Malaysian Tigers from silencing the almost 90,000 crowd at the Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta. Malaysia edge hosts Indonesia 1-0 in the final group match of the Sea Games football competition en route to topping the table. Syahrul Azwari Ibrahim scored the solitary goal in the 17th minute. The national defenders put up a brilliant performance, frustrating the Indonesians - who were more notable with their funky hair-dos, unique names and nice tattoos instead of their football. It must be noted Indonesia rested several of its key players. But make no mistake, Indonesia's ego are bruised and they will be eager to bounce back Perhaps they will be able to avenge their defeat against Malaysia in the final. As Indonesia coach Rahmad Darmawan was quoted by Jakarta Globe ; “This is a wake-up call a...

Here's something inspiring for all of us, something which we can learn. And it comes from a handful of youngsters. First we have Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah ( pic ). She is only 8 but has already created history by winning the Sea Games gold medal in the women's water ski tricks event. Note Aaliyah competed in the WOMEN's event and not in some Under-12 or Under-15 competition. Read Aaliyah's biodata here . Then we have an American teenager who refused to quit from a cross country event despite having dropped a number of times. He eventually dragged himself across the finish line. Read the inspiring story here . Outside sports we have Thomas Suarez, who at the age of 12, owns a company - CarrotCorp - and has invented two iOS apps. Read more of Suarez here . Perhaps it is time we learn from the young. HD says: Well done Aaliyah!

The Kuala Lumpur FA will conduct trials for its President's Cup team on Sunday (Nov 20) from 8am onwards at the Kampung Pandan Sports Complex. Those born on or after 1991 are welcomed to test their skills. Please do come well prepared as there will not be a booth renting out boots or shin pads. Balls will be provided nevertheless. Best of luck! HD says: Never try never know. Pi cuba je

"There are too many problems in MAAU and there must be a major change in the association. The athletes are being humiliated and their futures will be buried if the association does not undergo major changes." - Noraseela Khalid after winning the 400m hurdles Sea Games gold medal yesterday. Read more here . The humiliation she speaks about is not only of that suffered by the 4x400m men's quartert who, despite winning the gold medal, were forced to go home without attending the prize presentation ceremony. Noraseela was shouted at by a Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) official not too long ago. The MAAU has come under fire for various reasons. There seems to be a clash of personalities within officials, athletes' constantly claim they are not well taken care of and allegations of favoritism between officials and athletes. Sadly, this has been going on for far too long and nothing has been done to put things in place. Perhaps when diplomacy fails, the athlete...

He had that rebellious rocker look. But Salam Sidik (pic) was a humble man. So humble that in 2009 when he was named world no 1 in (paralympic) archery, he was unfazed and remained the cool, calm man he always was. And all Salam wanted was to do was to compete with his able bodied counterparts. His dream was to also strike gold at the London Paralympics next year. Sadly, we will no longer see him achieve his dreams as Salam passed away at 1pm today. He was brought back to his hometown in Sungai Tiram, Johor, according to Bernama's report ' Pemanah Elit Paralimpik Negara Meninggal Dunia '. Al-Fatihah. HD says: Salam will be missed.

I don't understand subjective sports including certain martial arts like karate - where apparently the distribution of medals are allocated to the competing nations even before the competition starts. I saw this happening at the KL (2001) and Korat (2007) Sea Games. Members of the Media were told by elated Malaysian officials of the number of gold medals we will be getting by the end of the day. The numbers were spot on. But here's a twist. National coach P.Arivalagan ( pic ) alleged a Malaysian official, "jealous of the team’s success", had influenced the referees to score against the national womens' team kumite. Malaysia lost 2-1 to Indonesia in the final. Read more here. A case of the 'fixers' being fixed? HD says: Fact of the day, R.Puvaneswaran and I were former school mates at Methodist Boys School Sentul.

Let's study the two situations below. Situation A Got this comment for my earlier posting The Games Begin about our shooters in Indonesia without their ammunition . It read; man, am surprised no journalist wrote about the aminution fiasco other then just report as a news item. ocm has been sending teams for umpteen years and by now should know the requirements to bring live aminution. who did not do his job? will msn pay again? what nonsence. 1. Should the National Sports Council be held responsible as they seem to be in control over everything when it comes to the local sporting scene? Is it fair for the Council to foot the bill? 2. Should the Olympic Council of Malaysia be solely blamed as the Sea Games is a multi-sports event which comes under its ambit? Shouldn't they have sorted all this out? OR 3. Should the national association take the rap for failing to get such matters finalised before flying off to Indonesia? Haven't we competed abroad, Indonesia included, be...

The national Under-21 hockey team made a remarkable comeback to edge Australia 3-2 win inaugural Sultan of Johor Cup in Johor Baru yesterday. Both teams were tied 2-2 after full time but it was Mohamed Noor Faeezwho scored the winner of the match in extra time. For reports of the match, read here , here and here . So where do we go from here? There were times where the boys played well. There were also times when the boys failed when it comes to simple passes. K.Dharmaraj or now known as Muhammad Dharma Raj Abdullah has done well to guide his boys for this tournament. Now lets hope for some consistency as a bulk of these lads are expected to graduate into the senior team. Pic courtesy of Sultan of Johor Cup official website. HD says: Well done lads.

I am sure my fellow Media friends and our national athletes were mesmerised with the fireworks display during the opening ceremony of the 26th Sea Games in Palembang yesterday. However, it's been a dramatic start even before the Games were declared officially open. The shooting team arrived in Indonesia without ammunition and will now have to fork out some RM20,000 because of the slip up. Then we had the badminton coaches "receiving a stinking welcome" to their rooms as reported here. And on a sad note, we lost Cikgu Harun Osman who passed away after suffering from a heart attack. As Indonesia Olympic Council secretary general Maryama Bustam said: “We realise we cannot make everything perfect, but with all our heart we are trying our best to prepare everything for the participants here in Palembang.” All the best to our national contingent in Indonesia. Go break some records and make us proud. HD says: Malaysia boleh!

Received a statement from Mesuma Sports Sdn Bhd that read: We dispute that they are the owners of the trademark. We are the registered owners and we have the rights to use the mark as registered. We are contesting their claim. We are also challenging their rights to the industrial designs they are talking about. This is with regards to the tiger stripes design seen on the national jersey. Both Mesuma Sports and the National Sports Council (NSC) claim ownership over the design. Read ' Bring it on ' in today's Mailsport.

UPDATE (3.45pm): They had plenty of possession but without really threatening the Malaysians, it was foreplay and no penetration. Read more at Jakarta Casual . ----- The Malaysian football team edged Thailand 2-1 in their second match of the group stage in the the 26th Sea Games in Jakarta yesterday. Without doubt the national team's performance was way better compared to their opening match against Singapore. Perhaps their engines have finally warmed up. Read NST and Berita Harian for more on the national team. The national hockey team kept their hopes alive after securing a 2-1 win over Pakistan in the Sultan of Johor Cup yesterday. Read here and here for more. HD says: As Ross Yusoff said on twitter; "The scoreline of the day!"

The National Sports Council (NSC) hogs the limelight today. NSC served a writ of summons to sports apparel company Mesuma Sports Sdn Bhd over the ownership of the national jersey tiger stripe design, as reported in today's Mailsport . Deputy Sports Minister Gan Ping Sieu said the NSC Act 1971 will undergo several amendments to ensure it remains relevant to the national sports scene, as seen here . Pin Sieu said this during the launch of the YBs Can Jump 3-on-3 basketball tournament at the Maba Stadium yesterday ( pic ). Last but surely not least, Foul! would like to extend our condolences to the family of NSC official Harun Osman who passed away after suffering a heart attack in Palembang. Pic of full Mesuma apparel for the national contingent at the 26th Sea Games in Indonesia. HD says: RIP Harun.

I just cannot understand how RTM has been asked to only send only ONE broadcast journalist to cover the 26th Sea Games in Indonesia. I am equally "amazed" to the contents of the report compiled by the University of Sterling about the National Sports Council's (NSC) interference in National Sports Associations. Now we know why the poor Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek is struggling to promote his Sports Industry notion. His friends from the Information Ministry don't seem to give a damn about sports while the NSC, oh well...you all know best. RTM staff are disgruntled while NSAs were finally able to revealed their true feelings about NSC. All this and more in From the Sidelines today - a First class joke . HD says: Is hooked Let's Roll by The Darlings.

Sama kuat atau sama lemah? Memandangkan ini merupakan perlawanan pertama, mungkin enjin para pemain kedua-dua negara belum 'panas' lagi. Perlawanan berkeputusan tampa jaringan setelah wisel penamat dibunyikan. Ini merupakan perlawanan pertama bagi kedua-dua pasukan di Sukan SEA ke-26 di Indonesia. Adakah anda masih optimis Malaysia mampu mempertahankan kejuaraan? Atau terlalu awal untuk menilai kemampuan sebenar anak didik Ong Kim Swee? Pemain-pemain negara kelihatan buntu di hadapan gol dan ini perlu diperbaiki kerana lawan selepas ini hebat-hebat belaka. Mampukah Si Harimau menerpa masuk ke pusingan kalah mati? Gambar: Pemain Singapura Mohammad Afiq Bin Yunos (kanan) cuba mengasak pemain Malaysia Saarani Ahmad Fakri di perlawanan Sukan SEA pada Nov 7. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN HD says: Kita tunggu dan lihat.

It was a great day for squash and badminton. World No 1 Nicol David won her sixth World Open title after beating Jenny Duncalf 11-2, 11-5, 11-0 in less than half an hour. Nicol's win was expected. Meanwhile, national junior shuttler Zulfadli Zulkifli ( pic ) inked history by bagging the World junior title after beating Denmark's Viktor Axelsen 21-18, 9-21, 21-19 in the boys singles final. Joining Zulfadli on the podium were Nelson Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi as they won the boys doubles title after defeating top seeds Huang Po Jui and Lin Chia Yu of Taiwan 21-17, 21-17 in another final. So where do they go from here? Before we get carried away, let's ensure the juniors enjoy proper guidance en route to molding them into world champions of the future. We seem to do great at the age-group tournaments but fizzle out at the senior level.. Also, let's be mindful that other countries in the region are also catching up. Indonesia, a country which are still banking on their more seas...

In the middle east and most parts of the world, it is known as Eid Al-Adha . In Malaysia, we call it Hari Raya Aidiladha. Call it what you may, it is about learning the meaning of sacrifice. Foul! would like to wish Muslims out there Salam Aidiladha!

First they protested against the ticket price of the Malaysia Cup final. Now, they want the Terengganu FA president Che Mat Jusoh ( pic ) to vacate the hot seat. Fans of the Turtles are fuming with anger after coach Irfan Bakti left Terengganu for Selangor. They blame Irfan's departure on Che Mat as reported in today's NST . Was Irfan really unhappy with Terengganu FA? Or was it a case where Selangor were offering bigger bucks? After all, players and coaches leaving are part and parcel of football. Who would have thought Azraai Khor Abdullah's short stint with Negri Sembilan would pay off handsomely? I've dealt with Che Mat in the past and found him to be a quick laid back and approachable person. However, that is just a personal opinion. But if there is indeed a management crisis, then it will be interesting to unearth what it is all about..... HD says: I'm going to enjoy my kerepok lekor cecah sos cili Kampung Koh while watching this drama.

That isn't Australia or Bali. That is a picture taken at the Batu Burok Beach in Kuala Terengganu. The Terengganu government is eager to promote the state. We have the Monsoon Cup there and now there's the inaugural Terengganu Quiksilver Best Event Surf Contest scheduled Dec 2-4. Local surfer Bryan Ng admitted the waves in KT ain't as big as the waves in Hawaii or Bali. But smaller waves tests a surfer's skills explained Bryan in today's Mailsport . There is a large surfing community in the country as evident on online forums, facebook and blogs . Contrary to popular believe, the sport is inexpensive. All you need is a surf board (an average board is between RM1,500 to RM2,000) and plenty of waves. With the right support, Malaysia could be the next surfing spot for avid surfers around the globe. p/s: If surfing ain't your thing, try your hand at designing a shirt. A trip to Australia is up for grabs. Visit Quiksilver Malaysia for more information. HD says: H...

Traditionally and rightfully, the Olympic Council of any country is responsible for the preparation of the athletes prior to any multi-sports event. Not in Malaysia though. Here you get the funding arm of the Sports Ministry, the National Sports Council (NSC) playing an extremely "active" role in everything - from supposed sports development to organising the flag handing ceremony for the Sea Games bound contingent. Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) admits flag handing ceremonies were traditionally hosted by them until the NSC took over. This time around there are two events instead of one event as seen before the team leaves for Indonesia. A sponsorship ceremony hosted by OCM yesterday and the flag handing ceremony organised by NSC at a hotel in Putrajaya this afternoon. Even OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar diplomatically agreed it has always been OCM's job to host such a do. Read more here . After all, isn't the OCM a bigger and more independent entity than...

UPDATE (Nov 3; 12.01am) : OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar, who is also a member of the Negri Sembilan royal family, expresses shock and asks to cut the red-tape. ----- Can you name me a primary school in Malaysia with a swimming pool? It is not some fancy private school but there is one at SRJK (C) Chan Wa in Seremban. The pool has been around for more than 20 years and it was built thanks to the donations of well wishers. For the past two decades the school has conducted swimming as part of Physical Education (PE). This has paid handsomely as the school has been the overall primary school champion in Negeri Sembilan for 16 years. One fine day the headmaster decides to get a written acknowledgement from the state education department on conducting swimming during PE. The department said NO! Apparently basic aquatics is only restricted to Year 1 students as part of the Education Ministry's syllabus. And there has not been any PE lessons in the pool since. From the Sidelines...

The national associations have made their assessments. And judging by their assessments, the nation ought to clinch 60 gold medals at the up-coming Sea Games in Indonesia. But is it a realistic target? Chef de mission Naim Mohammad avoided the question only to later say that he will stick to the decision made by the team officials. After all, they should know best. However, there are many factors to look into when it comes to the regional Games. As Naim rightfully said, how can one predict the outcome when one does not know the opponent he or she will face. Reality bites . Also, it shouldn't be all about numbers. It should be about improving the personal best and putting up a great show. Indonesia meanwhile are gunning to be the overall champions as seen here . All the best to the national athletes heading to Indonesia. Go easy on the Nasi Padang. HD says: Where can I find good Indonesian food in KL? Any ideas?