NST Online: Sports

Posted: 15 Aug 2011 05:52 PM PDT

Cesc Fabregas applauds during his official presentation in Barcelona yesterday. — AFP picture

Fabregas completes Barca move

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has completed his move to Barcelona by signing a five-year contract with his boyhood club, the Spanish giants confirmed yesterday.

"Cesc has finally joined FC Barcelona, after signing a contract for the next five seasons. His buyout clause will be ?200 million (RM800 million)," the club said in a statement on its website.

The 24-year-old earlier underwent a medical, and is to be presented to the media at the Nou Camp.

Arsenal announced on Sunday that they had finally agreed a deal with Barcelona for the transfer of Fabregas to the Spanish and European champions.

Barcelona confirmed the deal which is estimated to be worth ?36-40 million.

The deal, which brings to an end a transfer saga which began last year, will take Fabregas back to the club which he left as a 16-year-old in 2003.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was sorry to let the player go.

"We have been clear that we didn't want Cesc to leave and that remains the case," said Wenger on Sunday.

"However, we understand Cesc's desire to move to his home town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona.

We thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and wish him future success."
The midfielder spent eight years at Arsenal and made 303 appearances, scoring 57 goals in all competitions. — AFP

Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Badminton: Chong Wei the saving grace

Posted: 15 Aug 2011 05:14 PM PDT

2011/08/16
Vijesh Rai
rai@nst.com.my

Chong Wei arriving at the KLIA yesterday. — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

LEE Chong Wei aside, it was yet another World Championships which will go down in the record books as a failure for Malaysia.

Chong Wei did extremely well to keep Malaysian interest at London's Wembley Arena alive until the final day but how long more can the World No 1 shoulder the burden alone?

The fact that he was the only national player to make the semi-final stage is alarming, considering the support badminton enjoys in Malaysia.

What should worry the BA of Malaysia even more is the emergence of several other nations in the World Championships with the likes of Japan, Taiwan and India slowly but surely getting a grip on the game. Taiwan had a representative in the women's singles final while India and Japan had a pair in the mixed doubles and women's doubles semi-finals respectively.

Add to that China's huge talent base and the strength of South Korea, Denmark and Indonesia and Malaysia are indeed treading on thin ice.

Some might argue that other than China, the other major nations didn't do well in London but that isn't the point.

BAM has to agree that Malaysia, traditionally, hopes for either the men's singles or doubles to deliver but the situation now is that only Chong Wei can be relied on to deliver but he is 29 and, at the most, can only be counted on for the Olympics next year and the 2013 World Championships.

The other singles players in the elite and back-up programmes don't inspire confidence while the doubles are headed the same way.

In fact, BAM should be even more concerned about the men's doubles for this has always been Malaysia's strength on the world stage but with Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong highly inconsistent and the other pairs struggling to stamp a mark, the future looks bleak.

Of immediate concern are the Olympics and BAM doesn't seem to have any other choice but to hope that Kien Keat-Boon Heong will shrug off whatever is ailing them and focus on winning a medal -- at this stage any colour will do -- in London.

However, BAM must not wait until the Olympics are over before focusing on the Rio de Janeiro edition.

The World Championships showed that other nations have already started developing their players and Malaysia must not be left behind.

As for Chong Wei, the agony of defeat after being just one point away from the world title was bitter but as the World No 1 said, it isn't the end of the world.

His quality cannot be questioned and having finished second to Lin Dan in three major championships now, he must vow to win the Olympics and World Championships once before retiring.

He has to for the future doesn't look bright for Malaysian badminton after that unless efforts start immediately to keep the game on track.

Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Isnin, 15 Ogos 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

0 ulasan:

Catat Ulasan