NST Online: Sports

Aquatics: Yi Ting feels like 'born again'

Posted: 02 Aug 2011 04:59 PM PDT

2011/08/03
Ajitpal Singh
ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my

Siow Yi Ting took more than a year off to complete her studies.

SIOW Yi Ting is back in business after a long break from the pool.

Yi Ting took a sabbatical from swimming after making a big splash with three record-breaking gold medals at the 2009 Laos Sea Games to concentrate on her studies.

The breaststroke expert, who recently completed her degree in Arts at the University of Arkansas, is back in training at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil. She has been training with other national swimmers for over a month.

"I took more than a year off from swimming to complete my studies. I also needed the break as I felt I was burnt out after so many years in the pool," said Yi Ting in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

"I did not train hard... only did recreational swimming then. It is great to be back. I feel like a born-again swimmer."

The 27-year-old is not putting any pressure on herself ahead of the Indonesia Sea Games in November.

"I will focus on my training as I need to improve my technique, fitness and endurance. I want to go through the phases and see where they take me.

"My objective is to make an impact on the Sea Games but to do that I need to focus on my training," said Yi Ting, who has competed in three straight Olympic Games since the 2000 Sydney edition.

Yi Ting will compete in her first competition after almost two years in next month's Hong Kong Open.

"I do not want to burden myself by setting goals in this competition. I will use this event to gauge my form before I continue with training," said the Seremban-born swimmer.

Yi Ting's ultimate goal, before she retires, is to qualify for her fourth straight Olympics in London next year.

"I am gearing myself towards qualifying for the Olympics. My first attempt will be at the Sea Games. It will be a great way to end my career with a fourth appearance at the Olympics," said Yi Ting, who plans to pursue her Masters in Fine Arts in 2013.

National coach Paul Birmingham said Yi Ting needs to polish her strokes in training.

"She is slightly rusty but I am confident she will be clocking good times soon. It is important that she concentrates on improving her strokes and fitness," said Birmingham.

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Sailing / Monsoon Cup: Ahmad Shabery: Race needs to be self sustaining

Posted: 02 Aug 2011 04:57 PM PDT

2011/08/03
Sean Augustin
nstsport@nstp.com.my

(From left) Monsoon Cup chairman Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik, race advisor Datuk Peter Gilmour and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek in Putrajaya yesterday. — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

SPORTS Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek wants the Monsoon Cup to work towards becoming self sustaining with the annual event organised without government funds.

The minister said the event was generating high return of investments (ROI), and corporations should sponsor it as the event was profitable.

"This way the funds can be channeled to other government activities," Ahmad Shabery said after the presentation on the ROI and key performance indicators (KPI) valuation report in Putrajaya yesterday.

"Why is this opportunity not grabbed by sponsors when sailing presents a very easy opportunity for brand placements to be made?"

Also present was the minister's deputy, Gan Peng Siew and Monsoon Cup chairman Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik.

Ahmad Shabery, however, acknowledged that like other events such as Formula 1 and Le Tour de Langkawi, it would take many years before the organisers can reduce their dependency on government allocations.

Despite this, he was satisfied with the event as it had received wide coverage both in local and international media.

Ahmad Shabery said the low turnout on the final day (last year) may be due to the fact that locals did not see this as a spectator sport unlike football or F1 which was much easier to be understood by the public.

The ROI and KPI report stated that the race was broadcast to 176 countries and total viewing was over 1.73 billion.

The local media value more than doubled to RM46 million, while overall television media surged to a whopping RM411 million, a 63 per cent increase from the 2009 edition. About RM7.1 million in event sponsorship was also generated.

During the event, 1,729 jobs were created while visitor expenditure was estimated at RM13.1 million.

Held annually in Pulau Duyong, Terengganu since 2005, the Monsoon Cup, which is organised by T-Best Events, is the last leg of the World Match Racing Tour.

However, an industrial analyst, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the Monsoon Cup had a better chance of becoming a self sustaining event if it were to be organised outside Terengganu.

"A lot of sponsors shy away from the East Coast as they feel the people there would not have the purchasing power to buy brands associated with the Monsoon Cup and sponsorship activation during the events," the analyst said, naming Sabah, Johor and Langkawi as possible alternative venues.

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Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Selasa, 2 Ogos 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

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