Such a good sport

Sports show Temasya Sukan Ke Laut shows that sportsmen can be funny, and entertainers can excel in games, writes Dennis Chua

WHAT happens when sportsmen team up with comedians and singers for crazy games? The answer — a rocking good time with loads of laughs, plus a “phweet!” from rock legend Amy of Search, the “grooviest grandpa” in sports.

Welcome to

Astro’s eight-week sports comedy broadcast on Astro Warna (Channel 132) and Warna HD beginning July 14.

Touted as the first of its kind, the show sees 20 artistes competing against an equal number of household names in Malaysian sports.

These funny games, monitored by professional judges, include 7X7 badminton (seven players per team), three-wheeled cycling, pushball, and 400m reverse running.

I recently tuned into the first episode of the hour-long programme, and I was tickled by the antics of the entertainers’ team Kembang Semangkuk (Expanding Bowl) and the sportsmen’s team Cendawan Gagah (Brave Mushroom).

The show was filmed in the Panasonic Sports Complex, Shah Alam earlier this year and was co-hosted by body-builder Datuk Malek Noor and comedian Abam of Bocey.

The sportsmen’s team comprised Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi (former national hockey captain), Keifli Othman (Formula Asia winner), Hafiz and Roslin Hashim (badminton champions), Azman Adnan (footballer), and Niena Azman (national goalkeeper), among others.

The entertainers’ team included comedians Syaiful and Atu of Zero, Joey, Shuib, Dzawin and Sharifah Shahirah, as well as singers Amy, Indah Ruhaila and Cik Manggis of De Fam.

Membership of Kembang Semangkuk and Cendawan Gagah changed from time to time — the Zero brothers and Sharifah occasionally played with the sportsmen’s team.

Comedian Amirullah Azmi was the judge and referee, and he often got a firing Niena Azman is a popular member of Cendawan Gagah.

from players for his slip-ups.

Malek and Abam presented their weekly reports of the games in the studio as well as the sports complex. Their fellow reporter stationed at the venue was television host Fiza Mohd Saad or Fiza Frizzy.

While Abam provided most of the quips, Malek was quite a comedian too.

For instance, he came up with a “list” of the participants’ achievements which was laugh-out-loud funny — Syaiful is a “village gymnast” and Shuib is a wall-climbing expert.

Four events were featured in each episode. In the first week, there was hurdling with binoculars, 7X7 badminton, bubble football, and human foosball.

Hurdling with binoculars proved to be tricky, and most runners crashed into the hurdles. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.

While loud-mouthed Joey was initially proclaimed the winner, Amirullah made off before the starter fired his gun and thus was disqualified.

The resident drama king of the show, Joey insisted he did not breach the rules despite evidence to the contrary revealed in a playback, and this invited the condemnation of preachy Fiza.

Mirnawan, who finished second, was declared the winner, and he sportingly Roslin (second from left) and Hafiz Hashim (fourth from left) with some of the badminton players in Temasya Sukan Ke Laut.

The stars of Temasya Sukan Ke Laut at its launch.

Abam and Malek (right) are the funny co-hosts of Temasya Sukan Ke Laut.

shook hands with Joey.

The 7X7 badminton match was not easy either — each player had to stand within a circle and getting out of it meant a loss of points.

Afro-haired Atu and Indonesian standup comedian Dzawin shone, even though the Sabahan often took a tumble.

Judge Amirullah’s decisions were questioned by Roslin. While he immediately sent Roslin back, angry stares ensued.

Atu also proved a drama king when he threatened the cameraman, and ran around the court upon earning the first point for his team.

In bubble football, a major flaw appeared when the first goal was scored — the ball went out of the net because of a hole in it.

Luckily for the scorer from Cendawan Gagah, Amirullah declared that it was a goal.

Human foosball proved to be the most exciting of the games because the players had to swing their bodies while grabbing hold of overhead iron bars, in order to kick the ball.

Amy, Roslin and Dzawin were the best players. Unfortunately, Niena performed below par as the goalkeeper.

At the end of the day, footballer Malek Rahman won most outstanding athlete for hurdling, while Atu picked up the same award for badminton.

Shairfah was the most outstanding in bubble football, while Roslin was the best in human foosball.

Fiza announced that Cendawan Gagah was the first weekly winner with three points compared with Kembang Semangkuk’s single point.

The sportsmen’s team also earned a special prize — a basket of durians.

While the participants’ jokes that appeared in cartoon bubbles were harm- less and clean fun, Abam should have refrained from his sexist remarks against Sharifah.

It was timely that Malek reminded him not to tell Sharifah to “stay at home” even if her badminton skills were bad.

Amy earned my respect despite finishing last in hurdling. He always smiled, was friendly to entertainers and sportsmen, and took things in his stride.

games are not only enjoyable but also full of surprises.

For example, Niena’s inability to stop opponents from scoring shows that footballers are not necessarily foosballers.

Flaws aside, I salute Astro for coming up with a brilliant programme that fosters friendship between sportsmen and entertainers. It is also a welcome sideshow to the SEA Games 2017.

The show airs on Fridays, at 10pm, and is also available on Astro Go and On Demand.