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PRESS RELEASE It’s a huge breakthrough for Malaysian waterski darling Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah after she reached her first final at the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) Waterski World Championships. Starting eighth in the women’s tricks preliminaries series 2, the teenager was at her calmest under intense pressure as she racked up a total of 7,320 points at the Water Sport Complex, Putrajaya on Friday. That temporarily put her in the lead and it proved to be more than enough as she eventually finished ninth. Only the top 12 skiers progress to the final and Aaliyah’s achievement is a massive step forward as she becomes the first ever Asian skier to reach a tricks final. Additionally, her score of 7,320 is also a brand new Asian record, erasing her own previous record 7,250. It is shy of her personal best score of 7,600 but the spunky 16-year-old was simply elated to make the final. “I really don’t know what to feel right now. It’s just so cool to be in...

PRESS RELEASE Ukraine’s sudden emergence in the waterski world is due to a passionate lover of the sport – Alexy Martynov. A former water skier and a successful businessman, Martynov has virtually put Ukraine on the world map of waterski from his efforts that started 12 years ago when he formed the Sentosa waterski club and school in Dnepropetrovsk. Danylo Fil’Chenko, a pioneer product of the club, is competing in the on-going International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) World Waterski Championship in Putrajaya. He sees action in three events – Slalom, Tricks and Jumps. Fil' Chenko said he owes his rise in the sport to Martynov and the club. “Martynov not only set up the club but has been sponsoring the Ukrainian team to all the competitions,” said the 20-year-old who is studying construction management at the University of Louisiana Monroe in USA. “The Ukrainian national team is virtually the Sentosa club team. It was only recently, when our team started getti...

PRESS RELEASE Asian skiers will have more reason to look forward to the Waterski World Championships which starts today at the Putrajaya Lake. This is because for the first time in history, the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) has approved of a parallel ‘Best Asian Skier’ category to run alongside the main world meet event. This is indeed a significant move aimed at giving recognition to the passion and dedication of Asian skiers as well as giving the sport a push towards development in this region. With waterski in Asia traditionally lagging behind the American and European counterparts, it is highly unlikely for the Asian skiers participating in the world meet to make it through to the finals. The only Asian skier who could make the final is Malaysian sensation Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah, who is currently ranked No. 12 in the IWWF world rankings in tricks. But it is still a very tall order for the 16-year-old who is going up against som...

As published in Sunday Mail today By Nicolas Anil nicolas@mmail.com.my PUTRAJAYA - Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird soared to a dominant win in an action-packed second race of the Formula E at Putrajaya yesterday. Bird, who finished third at the maiden race in Beijing two months ago, was emotional after his victory. “I want to dedicate this victory to a good friend of mine who is ill. It’s really unfortunate that he has to struggle so much right now, so this one is for him," said Bird without naming his friend. “It’s been an amazing week for me. I did well in practice and started second on the grid and my good start helped pave the way to a consistent race. This is our first win as a team in our first season. I’m delighted and hope we can keep this up.” Bird's masterclass driving saw him lead the 20-driver field from the first lap held a seven-second lead before he turned into the pitlane. The ex Formula 3 driver regained the lead, temporarily held by Audi Sport’s ...

As published in Malay Mail today Aud-ly Enough By Audrey Edwards SO, that had to be the best traffic jam one could ever get caught in. On the very same road that 20 electric cars will be on when the lights go out for the Putrajaya Formule E race. Getting onto the track in Precinct 2 after driving on the bridge located in the area, there was a slight thrill as the metal safety barriers on either side of the street circuit loomed ahead and way down the straight. Tonnes of vehicles have passed along this way and as the days speed up to race day on Saturday, the vision that started some two years ago is becoming a reality as seen by the grandstands and pit area that have been put up. Along the way, there are giant screens to show the race and I grinned to myself as the traffic halted to a stop as we approached the start/finish line. The unmoving traffic has never delighted me quite as much as those moments as it gave me the chance to take in the view outside. I mean, how...

This article was written by Malay Mail sports editor Graig Nunis which was published on Wednesday.   MATCH RACING seldom makes the news — except when the Monsoon Cup comes around at the end of the year.      That’s why the Liga Layar Malaysia (LLM) is a welcome boost for the sport and sailors as it offers competitive match racing all year-round with races in five  venues — Langkawi (February), Lumut (April), Pulau Indah (June and September), Putrajaya (August) and Port Dickson (October).    More races sharpen the sailors’ skills, give them some much needed publicity and a good return of investment to their sponsors in this extremely expensive sport. The sailors have responded with some good results.   Several of those who competed in the Asian Games were on the crew of the teams in the LLM – although Malaysia’s No. 1 match racer Jeremy Koo (Sime Darby Foundation-Koo Racing Team) narrowly failed to win a medal in th...

What is Formula E ? It is a single-seater championship, under FIA, featuring cars powered by electricity. Races will be held in 1o major cities around the world. E means electric. But the hardcore petrol heads would cringe and say it's Formula Ewwwwww! World champion Sebastian Vettel had told Fox Sports he was not a fan of the city racing concept, despite the fact the almost-silent cars are being built by famous F1 names Williams and McLaren. “I don’t like it at all,” the Red Bull driver said. “I think the people come here to feel Formula One and there’s not much to feel when a car goes by and you don’t even hear anything else but the wind. With maximum speeds of 200km/h, it is deemed 'slow'. Even an 800cc easy rider or a modified Perodua Viva can hit speeds exceeding 200km/h easily. Existing F1 cars, meanwhile, can be configured to do about 386 km/h . Others, however, are more optimistic. They say Formula E, being an FIA project, has a promising futur...

KL players finally received their three months wages in a ceremony at Putrajaya yesterday. Apparently the players will see their cash in their bank accounts by Wednesday. If true, I'm confused as I was earlier informed that the cheque was ready last week itself. Oh well.... But now the backroom staff are feeling left out as they are still waiting for their salary. It's four more days before the Hari Raya and the coaches hope they will receive their pay in time to buy some baju melayus, ketupats and enjoy the festive season. This, however, brings back the question to why payment was not made to the men behind the scenes? And if one thinks that we should be thankful that the players finally received their payment, one is severely wrong. For in the world of professionalism, one has to honour the contract or be dragged to the courts. Football is not a hobby for these individuals. It is their rice bowl. Instead of claiming "match-fixing among officials or player...

That could be a reality judging by the initiative of Youth and Sports deputy minister Gan Ping Sieu ( pic ). Being the only Media representative at Wisma KBS in Putrajaya yesterday, I was privileged to listen and share my views on ways the government can aid sports entrepreneurs and enthusiasts expand our current sports industry. Ideas proposed during the meeting will be considered before they are incorporated in the 2013 Budget which will be announced in September. Many at the meeting shared one thing in common - wanting funds from the government. Many shared their views and some were rather emotional, forgetting the subject of the meeting. Nevertheless, Ping Sieu was quick to add "he appreciated the feedback" as it was an "eye opener". I suggested several items that could be part of the 2013 Budget. 1. Tax reliefs or incentives for financial institutions that hand out soft loans to young sports entrepreneurs and those wanting to organise tournaments. T...