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Football / Malaysia Cup: Negri captain predicts cracking final

Posted: 24 Oct 2011 05:13 PM PDT

2011/10/25
By Ajitpal Singh
ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my

Negri Sembilan captain Shukor Adan

NEGRI Sembilan captain Shukor Adan has no doubt Saturday's Malaysia Cup final against Terengganu represents a clash between the two best teams in the M-League.

The midfielder led Negri to their third consecutive final after a comprehensive 6-3 aggregate victory over T-Team in the semi-finals. Shukor scored Negri's winning goal with a superb header in their 2-1 win in the return leg in Paroi on Saturday.

"There is no doubt the two best teams have made it to the final. Terengganu are the ultimate. They are the best attacking team in the country," said the 32-year-old Shukor.

"But our football can be just as good. We have a lot of quality too. Both teams want to go forward and score goals, so I don't think anyone could ask for a bigger or better final."

Shukor has won the Malaysia Cup title three times -- twice with Selangor (2002, 2005) and the other with Negri (2009) - in six appearances.

In last year's final, Shukor, who was playing centre-back, made a costly error which allowed Kelantan captain Badhri Radzi to score his team's winning goal.

"It will be my seventh Malaysia Cup final appearance and I am determined to make it a happy outing. My most cherished moment was helping Negri end their 61-year drought in the 2009 final and I want to help them win the title once again," said the former international.

Shukor was handed the captain's armband at the beginning of the season following the departure of Rezal Zambery Yahya to Johor FC but it was an unhappy beginning for him as Negri were doing badly in the Super League due to injuries.

But the arrival of coach Azraai Khor Abdullah, who replaced Wan Jamak Wan Hasan, changed all that.

"We were down and out in the Super League as our key players were injured. But we managed to recover by putting our hearts into the game," added Shukor.

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Golf: Cabrera, Vegas gunning for title

Posted: 24 Oct 2011 05:07 PM PDT

2011/10/25
By Devinder Singh
devinder@nst.com.my

(From left) Jhonattan Vegas, Ben Crane and Angel Cabrera admire a Kolam after lighting a traditional lamp in conjunction with Deepavali yesterday. — Picture by Supian Ahmad.

THE end of the US PGA Tour season is usually when golfers take the time to unwind after a gruelling year but not so for Latin American duo Angel Cabrera and Jhonattan Vegas.

Cabrera and Vegas are bent on making their trip to Kuala Lumpur a memorable affair and will spare no effort in winning the US$6.1 million (RM19.1 million) CIMB Asia Pacific Classic which begins on Thursday at the Mines Resort and Golf Club in Seri Kembangan.

Although the tournament is sanctioned by the US PGA Tour, it is not an official money event on the American tour and only features a small 48-man field with no cut but it does count towards the Asian Tour money list.

Regardless, two-time major winner Cabrera said he is determined to win the tournament just as he would at any regular PGA event.

"It is an important tournament and it does not matter that there are only 48 players or that there is no cut. To win here would be a good way to finish the year playing well," said Cabrera, 42, through an interpreter at a press conference at the Mines Resort yesterday.

The Argentine will be making his debut at the Asia Pacific Classic but he is no stranger to the Mines Resort, having played at the venue during the 1999 World Cup where he finished tied-third in the individual standings.

"This is my second time here, the first time was the World Cup. I'm happy to be back and I hope to use my previous experience here to my advantage but I don't remember much about the course.

"I did not have a good year up until two weeks ago and I'm going to try my hardest to have a good week here," added Cabrera, referring to his tied-sixth finish at the McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, Georgia for his best finish of the season.

Earlier, Cabrera joined Vegas and defending tournament champion Ben Crane to light a traditional lamp around a Kolam -- a Hindu traditional floor-art design -- in conjunction with Deepavali celebrations tomorrow.

Vegas, 27, is also making his tournament debut and just like Cabrera, the Venezuelan has also played in Malaysia before -- at the 2002 Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Team Championship at Saujana in Subang.

His lack of familiarity with the Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed course, measuring 6,966 yards and playing to a par-71, does not faze Vegas.

"I came to Malaysia for the first time in 2002 and I feel very comfortable and I love being back here. I hope to have a good tournament and to be able to win.

"I've not played this course yet but it does not matter because I'll get to practise tomorrow (today) and there's the Pro-Am on Wednesday (tomorrow) so I have enough time to prepare for the course.

"I feel great after taking three weeks off, it's been a long year but I have high energy levels and I feel confident. There are a lot of quality players in the field who you would want to play against.

"It's good to have a field like this outside US and it's fun to be outside," said Vegas, who began the year with a bang by winning the Bob Hope Classic in January in only his fifth PGA Tour start.

This week's field features a strong cast including former major winners Vijay Singh, Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover and David Duval besides 10 players from the Asian Tour and locals Danny Chia and Shaaban Hussin.

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Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Isnin, 24 Oktober 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

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