Raring To Go

Among the top schools in the country, there is a buzz of excitement. They are now competing to be one of the 300 “cluster schools” which will give them some autonomy in running their schools and developing areas of specialisations.

More Facilities
Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) may be ahead of most schools in sporting equipment and facilities, but being selected as a cluster school will enhance the school's sports achievements, shares a teacher there.

“We already have many benefits as a sports school but once we become a cluster school, we will get better infrastructure and trainers,” he says.

BJSS caters to athletes from 28 sports and can take up to 600 students.

Plans for a sports school in Perlis is currently underway and is expected to be ready some time in 2008.

It would be the fourth sports school in the country after Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, Bandar Penawar in Johor and another one in Pahang.

In addition, there are schools designated as part-time sports schools orSekolah Sukan Sambilan, which specialise in specific sports. Selected students can transfer to these schools, which include SM Anderson, Ipoh, for hockey and SM Victoria, Kuala Lumpur, for rugby.

Daniel And Zyanne The Favourites

DANIEL William Bego, Bryan Nickson Lomas and Suhan Kumar are the leading candidates to win the Bukit Jalil Sport School (BJSS) Sportsboy award tonight.

Swimmer Daniel, however, looks to have an edge after his two gold and one silver medal effort in last year's Manila Sea Games, followed by a magnificent performance in the World Youth Championships in Brazil last August where he clinched two silver medals.

At the Asean schools meet, the Sarawak swimmer won five gold medals and two silver as well.

Daniel is down to compete in the butterfly races over 50m, 100m and 200m and the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle events in the Asian Games on Dec 1-15.

Diver Bryan Lomas, on his part, won one gold medal in the Manila Games and one silver in the Commonwealth Games.

At the World Junior Championships in Kuala Lumpur in August, Bryan took bronze in the 10m platform.

National cricketer Suhan Kumar Alagaratnam is the other contender for the award which is celebrating its 10th anniversary today.

Suhan represented Malaysia in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) championship with the senior team. He was the best player in the ACC tournament and also at the Carl Schubert Trophy held in Singapore this year.

The other contenders include squash player Mohd Nafizwan Adnan and shuttler Mohammad Arif Latif.

In the Sportsgirl category Zyanne Lee Huey is the leading candidate for her three gold medals in synchronised swimming (solo) in last year's Malaysian Open.

National gymnast Durratun Nashihin Rosli, who won one gold and two bronze medals in the Manila Sea Games, however, could pip Zyanne to the title.

The other nominees in the category are diver Leong Mun Yee, bowler Wan Nur Atiqqa , swimmer Chai Sook Fun and national pole vaulter Noor Akmar Fatah.

Azlan And Durratun Clinch Top BJSS Honours

KUALA LUMPUR: Shooter Azlan Johari and rhythmic gymnast Durratun Nashihin Rosli claimed the top honours in the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) sports awards ceremony at the Olympic Hall yesterday.

Azlan, who is one of the shooters under the Gemilang 2006 programme, beat four other nominees – Cheng Chu Sian (archery), S. Narendran (athletics), Razlan Rawi (tennis) and Adrian Ang (bowling) – to the Elite male athlete award.

Durratun, who won four gold medals in the Vietnam SEA Games last year, prevailed over G. Shamani (archery), Lenny Marlina Omar (shooting), Loo Sim Fang (wushu) and Khoo Cai Lin (swimming) in the elite female category.

THE BEST AROUND: Winners of the Bukit Jalil Sports School Sports Awards pose with their trophies. The winners are (from left) Bryan-Nickson Lomas (diving), Loo Sim Fang(wushu),Gracie Junita(diving), Durratun Nashihin Rosli(rhythmic gymnastics, S. Aruna(netball)and Azlan Johari(Shooting).-Starpic by LOW BOON TAT

Azlan, who picked up four silver medals in the Asian Junior Championships early this year, expressed surprise at being named the winner.

“All the other nominees were equally good in their sports. I did not expect to be selected. This will spur me on to train harder as I want to make the squad for the SEA Games next year,” said the 17-year-old, who also won two gold medals and two silvers in the Singapore Open this year.

The 16-year-old Durratun was a favourite for the award based on her status as the national No. 1.

She was impressive in international competitions this year – bagging one gold and one silver in the recent Asean Schools Championships. She was also part of the team who won a bronze for the first time in the Asian Championships in China in June.

Sim Fang did not go back empty-handed. The wushu exponent was named the best all-round athlete – an award for excellence in sports and academic studies.

The 17-year-old Sim Fang, who scored 5As in the SPM trials recently, also bagged three gold medals in the Asian Junior Championships this year and in her debut in the SEA Games last year, she won a bronze.

Olympic divers Bryan Nickson and Gracie Junita took the award for the most promising male and female athletes respectively.

THE WINNER

Elite male: Azlan Johari (shooting).

Elite female: Durratun Nashihin Rosli (rhythmic gymnastics).

Promising male: Bryan Nickson (diving).

Promising female: Gracie Junita (diving).

BJSS male: Billy Chen (basketball).

BJSS female: Aruna Santappan (netball).

All-round athlete: Loo Sim Fang (wushu).

Anugerah Puteri Sukan MSSM -- Sia Ketuai Senarai Calon

RATU renang negara, Sia Wai Yen mengetuai senarai pencalonan bagi merebut gelaran Anugerah Puteri Sukan (MSSM)/Milo yang akan diadakan di Petaling Jaya pada 29 Mac ini.

Sia begitu cemerlang pada Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) di Pulau Pinang pada tahun lalu apabila berjaya membolot 10 pingat emas pada temasya itu.

Selain Sia turut dicalonkan untuk anugerah ini ialah pemegang rekod kebangsaan, yang juga pemenang pingat emas Sukma bagi acara 200 meter kuak dada, Seow Yi Ting.

Majlis anugerah ini turut mempertandingkan 10 lagi anugerah berkaitan termasuk anugerah khas putera/puteri, anugerah tunas harapan putera/puteri, anugerah guru berjasa lelaki/wanita, anugerah pendidikan khas putera/puteri, anugerah emas dan pemenang putera/puteri negeri untuk dimenangi oleh atlet dan pegawai yang cemerlang.
Kesemua nama calon bagi anugerah sukan ini diumumkan oleh Penolong Ketua Pengarah Bahagian Sukan Kementerian Pendidikan, Abdullah Yunus pada sidang media di Wisma MOM, Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

Menurut Pengurus Pemasaran Sukan Nestle, Dina Rizal, anugerah ini merupakan usaha murni syarikat Milo dengan kerjasama MSSM, Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) dan Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM) dalam memajukan sukan di negara ini.

``Dengan adanya anugerah ini, ia adalah pemangkin untuk mengalakkan lagi pelajar sekolah yang berbakat memajukan diri sendiri dalam sukan serta mampu bersaing di peringkat tertinggi iaitu Sukan Olimpik,'' katanya.

Antara calon yang disenaraikan untuk menerima anugerah Putera Sukan ialah juara kejohanan Golf Remaja Sirkit Kebangsaan, Ben Leong; Mohd Romzi Muhamad (perahu layar); Yeoh Kin Nee (terjun air); Lancelot Chua Kher Wi (ping pong); Mohd Azheem Bahari (terjun air); Tengku Alias Tengku Ibrahim (bola sepak); Mohd Marzuki Abu Samah (olahraga); Md Razman Zabri (kriket); Mohd Redzuan Nadzar (olagraga); Mohd Hairy Afiq Abdul Nasir (kriket); Fairol Mahazi Malek (ragbi); Syahrul Amri Mohd Suhaimi (olahraga); Muhd Faiz Mohamad (olahraga) dan Lu Ten Jian (boling).


Sementara calon yang menerima anugerah Puteri Sukan pada tahun ini ialah bintang boling muda negara Yazlin Yang Razlan dan diikuti Farhana Azmin (gimrama) Norkiah Madel (olahraga) Siti Safura Ismail (olahraga); Sharon Cahai Siew Hoon (boling); Christine Ong Pei Yee (boling); Che Wan Roziawati Che Wan Ghazali (hoki); Beh Lee Wai (ping pong); Vally Michael (olahraga); Siti Fatimah Ustad Latif (bola jaring) dan Fan Xioa Jun (ping pong)


Hadir sama pada sidang media itu ialah Setiausaha Kehormat MOM, Datuk Sieh Kok Chi.

MALAYSIAN SCHOOL OF SPORT

INTRODUCTION TO MALAYSIAN SPORTS SCHOOLS

The intention to establish sports schools in Malaysia was first considered in the late 80s. On 20 January 1988, the Cabinet approved the National Sports Policy, a comprehensive document towards the advancement, progress and development of sports in the country. Through the formulation of this policy, it is the country’s desire and aspiration to produce a healthy, fit, united, disciplined, productive society and a generation of competent athletes to enhance and reinforce the country's image internationally.

The Ministry of Education has given fresh emphasis to the role of sports and co-curricular activities to produce students who are physically, emotionally and intellectually balanced. Recognising the important role of sports in fostering national unity and the need to produce athletes of high calibre, the plan for the establishment of sports schools was approved in the 5th Malaysia Plan (1991 - 1995). Sports schools, while they are similar to fully residential schools, focus on the following concepts:

1. Development of world-class student athletes
2. Use of professional coaches
3. Sports Science specialisation across the curriculum
4. Emphasis on sports as a career

In 1996, the first Malaysian sports school, Bukit Jalil Sports School, was built in the National Sports Complex. Its success in producing athletes for the Commonwealth Games led to the construction of the second sports school, Bandar Penawar Sports School, in Kota Tinggi, Johor in 1998.

To provide opportunity and equality to students with sports potential, the government will build another three sports schools in the 9th Malaysia Plan in Pahang, Sabah and Perlis.

DEFINITION OF MALAYSIAN SPORTS SCHOOL

A Malaysian sports school groups together potential student athletes so that their sporting and academic talent can be nurtured and enhanced under the guidance of dedicated coaches and select academic teachers. Through more structured and efficient monitoring, improvement in academic and sports performance can be balanced and integrated.

From the aspects of management and administration, the school follows entirely the concept of the fully residential school which is equipped with sports and academic facilities.

METHOD OF ADMISSION

1. Primary School Students (Years 5 and 6)
   
   Admission of student athletes to sports schools is through the process of talent identification, talent search, talent scouting, and nomination by national sports associations and the National Sports Council. Offers of admission are made year-long based on current vacancy and sporting needs. The intake of student athletes is based on the needs of the country’s core sports.
    
2. Secondary School Students (Forms 1-5)
   
   Admission of student athletes to sports schools is through the process of talent identification, talent search, talent scouting, and nomination by national sports associations and the National Sports Council. Offers of admission are made year-long based on current vacancy and sporting needs.
   Minimum academic qualification of student athletes is 3Cs in the UPSR and 4Ds in the PMR.
    
3. Pre-University Programme
   
   The intake of pre-university programme student athletes is based on SPM results and fulfilment of the stipulated general requirements. Those selected are student athletes who represent the country or who have the potential to represent the country in the near future. Application is made online at the MOE website. Entry requirements are as follows:
    

GENERAL CONDITIONS:-

• Has represented the country/Has the potential to represent the country
• Has taken the SPM examination and passed Malay Language
• Aged not more than 20 on the date of registration of the year of admission
• Active in chosen sport continuously and recognised by the National Sports Council and national sports associations
• Pass the interview by the selection committee if required

SPECIAL CONDITIONS :

1. SCIENCE STREAM
   1. Minimum distinction in Modern Mathematics; and
   2. Passed in at least two of the following subjects:
      1. Biology
      2. Physics
      3. Chemistry
      4. Additional Mathematics
      5. Information Technology
      6. Commerce
      7. Basic Economics
      8. Principles of Accounts
      9. English
      10. Engineering Drawing
      11. Invention
      12. Engineering Technology
2. PROFESSIONAL ARTS STREAM
   1. Minimum pass in Modern Mathematics; and
   2. Pass in 2 of the following subjects:
      1. Commerce
      2. Basic Economics
      3. Principles of Accounts
      4. English
      5. Engineering Drawing
      6. Invention
      7. Engineering Technology
      8. Additional Science
      9. Information Technology
      10. Biology
      11. Physics
      12. Chemistry
      13. Sports Science

NUMBER OF MALAYSIAN SPORTS SCHOOLS

There are currently only two sports schools, namely:

1. Bukit Jalil Sports School
National Sports Complex
57000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03-90587335
Faks : 03-90587153
Kod Sekolah : WEA 0230

2. Bandar Penawar Sports School
81900 Kota Tinggi
Johor
Tel : 07-8223027
Faks : 07-8223028
Kod Sekolah : JEA 3015