Shining examples
Eight past, present and future athletes to be the torch-bearers
THE past, present and future will come together as Malaysia officially kicks off the 29th edition of the SEA Games tomorrow.
It is learnt that these eight athletes – Kenny Ang (bowling); Datuk Ng Joo Ngan (cycling); Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi (hockey); Zaki Sadri (athletics); Datuk Razif Sidek ( badminton); Bryan Nickson Lomas, Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri (diving) – will be the torch-bearers for tomorrow’s opening ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games (KL2017).
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, however, was tight-lipped when queried at a press conference yesterday on what could be expected at the opening of the Games.
“It’s (the torch-bearers) a surprise, let’s just wait for the actual day,” Khairy said, adding that it was important to see the SEA Games as one for the future as much as an appreciation of the past.
“The lighting of the cauldron will be symbolic in terms of looking towards the future,” the minister said.
With 404 events across 38 sports, the Aug 19-30 Games will be opened by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V.
Malaysia last hosted the biennial Games in 2001 and emerged overall champions with 111 gold medals.
Malaysia has declared a target of 111 golds for the 2017 edition, which is likely to make them the overall champions.
Joo Ngan, who turns 70 on Monday, won the country’s first Asian Games cycling gold at the 1970 edition in Bangkok. He is also a former national coach.
The 55- year- old Razif partnered his brother Jalani to win the men’s doubles title at the 1982 All-England.
They also won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and were part of the team who won the Thomas Cup in 1992.
Mirnawan, 45, is known as “The Boss” in the hockey fraternity and has represented Malaysia in three Olympics – Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
Veteran Kenny won the men’s doubles at the 1998 Commonwealth Games with Ben Heng and was one of the most successful bowlers during the late 1990s.
The 50-year-old Zaki bagged the SEA Games long jump gold medal in 1991 (Manila), 1993 (Singapore), 1997 (Jakarta) and 1999 (Brunei).
Bryan became Malaysia’s first world jun- ior champion in diving and was only 14 when he qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 10m platform individual.
He was also the first Malaysian to reach a World Aquatics Championships final – in Melbourne 2007.
Pandelela is Malaysia’s first woman to win a medal at the Olympic Games when she got a bronze at London 2012. She then bagged silver with Cheong Jun Hoong in the 10m platform synchro at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The 18- year- old Dhabitah made her Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro last year, finishing a commendable 10th in the 10m platform final and is seen as a future star.