The Felda Sungai Tiang Pendang Youth Association came out tops today as the winner of the Youth Association Excellence Award at the 2008 Felda Malaysia Youth Award and Forum (ABFM) ceremony Monday.
The association received a cash prize of RM7,000, financial aid for activities worth RM6,000, funding for educational programmes worth RM25,000, trophies and certificates.
Second and third place went to Felda Aring Gua Musang Youth Association and Felda Pasoh 4 Jelebu Youth Association, respectively.
The prizes were given by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.
At the ceremony, 10 youth icons also received awards in recognition of their achievements and contributions.
Recipients of this award include world squash champion Datuk Nicol Ann David, national mariner Datuk Azahar Mansur, second national astronaut Mejar Dr Faiz Khaleed and polar explorer Datin Paduka Sharifah Mazlina Syed Abdul Kadir.
Other recipients include cartoonist Lat or Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid, volunteer Datuk Dr Jemilah Mahmood, motivational expert Datuk Dr Mohd Fadzilah Kamsah, national bowling champion Shalin Zulkifli, first Malaysian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest Marina Ahmad and contemporary nasyid pioneer Kumpulan Raihan.
Meanwhile, disabled youth Mat Jamil Ramli, of Felda Bukit Bading, Terengganu, was announced recipient of a new award, the ABFM Special Judging Panel award.
Mat Jamil, 24, who is a graphic designer for a leading supermarket here, is not only skilled in graphic design but also painting and drawing.
"It is not easy to go through life because people look down on us, but my strength to compete with those who are normal comes from my spirit and support from my family," he said when met by reporters.
Another disabled youth, Muhammad Mat Nayan, from Felda Trolak Timur, Perak, received the Special Personality Award with a prize of RM1,500, trophy and certificate.
Muhammad, 28, who is an educator at a community centre and active in sports, has won almost 20 gold medals in various sports competitions, including weightlifting and wheelchair racing.
-- BERNAMA
Delia Arnold has slowly but surely moved up the squash world rankings. And she’s not done yet.
The national No. 3 began the year at 48th spot in the world rankings. Now, more than 10 months later, she is up at the 34th spot.
That has whetted her appetite and the 22-year-old is bent on breaking into the top-30by the end of the year.
Delia’s best achievement to date came in August when she stunned world No. 14 Rebecca Chiu in the final to bag the NSC Satellite No. 2 title.
The Malaysian was then packed off to London for a 10-week training stint under coach Peter Genever.
The training paid off when she won both her qualifying matches to make the main draw of the World Open in Manchester last month.
She, however, lost to New Zealand’s Shelley Kitchen in the first round.
Delia, who returned from London recently, said she had improved her game and confidence under Genever.
“I will return to London in January for another two months of training. I hope to further improve my world rankings,” she said.
Delia is also determined to take over the national No. 2 spot from veteran Sharon Wee, who is the world No. 24.
“This has been an excellent year for me and I am confident of becoming the second ranked national woman player by the end of next year,” said Delia, whose next assignment is the Hong Kong Open, which starts tomorrow.
“I will be competing in Hong Kong for the first time and I will have to get past the qualifying rounds.
“I will go all out to win a place in the main draw to further improve my rankings,” added Delia, who will also feature in World Team Championships in Egypt next month.
By Claire I Powell
This picture appeared on the front and back covers of The Edge (business magazine) promoting CIMB. If you did not already know, this lady is the number 1 in the world in squash, a Malaysian woman called Nicol David.
The important thing for CIMB is to ensure that it lives up to the brand values it is promoting by associating itself this this ultimate champion, ie. determination, skill, strength, durability, self belief, dependability and the ability to keep smiling in tough times too. If CIMB does not live up to those values, it will be not only disappointing its customers, but also devaluing the Nicol David brand.
If you are either a sporter or from an organisation which supports sporters in achieving their goals - you should register at the site (it is free to register).By Jenny Coutinho
From www.merinews.com
SUSTAINING AT the top is a Herculean task in any sport. Squash is no different. Current world number one Egyptian Amr Shabana in the men’s section and Malaysian Nicol David in the ladies have been adopting different approaches to the games to keep themselves on the top perch.
Shabana, who recently lost in the World Open championship in Manchester, England to fellow Egyptian, Ramy Ashour in the semi-finals, treats every game as an important match of his life
"I treat every match as an important match. I stop thinking that I am the top ranked player when I step on the court and I try to keep it simple. I keep reminding myself that I have to stick to the basics of the game."
But then doing the same thing again and again for several days and months, is not an easy thing. Shabana too finds that some days, he lacks the will power and commitment.
"Sometimes, I don’t find the will power to go out there and deliver. I’m sure everyone goes through that, but then I, remind myself that I have been in a blessed position of being the World No1, a position which many are trying to snatch from me. The thought of holding on to the top position, eggs me on to give my best."
But then his status as the undisputed leader at the top is facing a threat. It is a position which he continues to hold for the last 31 months. A six-month break from tour meant that he lost a number of points.
"From January to May I took a break from the game after many years. It is likely to affect my ranking in the coming months. I am eager to do well in the all the upcoming tournaments, to maintain my top billing. I had to choose between my new born baby and Squash. I choose to be with her. Sometimes the family has to come first and here I fell for it. I might have to give away my long running reign for that."
His greatest strength he says is his determination to reach his goal and will overcome everything else to reach it.
"What ever goal I set I make sure I achieve it at any cost. That has been my strength all through."
Women’s world number one David, who is having an un-interrupted spell of 27 months as the top, tries to forget that she is the world number one to keep the pressure off.
"The moment you start thinking that you are No. 1 you are putting yourself in a pressure situation. The best is to expect anything to happen when you enter the courts and everything will fall in its place."
"It feels great to be there at the top. It is challenging to keep to your position. I do not go into a match with a game plan. I try to gauge the opponent’s moves. Force the opponent to make mistakes. Try and add a thing or two to your game to keep the opponent guessing."
And success motivates her to add to the titles she has already won so far.
"Success motivates me to do well and when you set your tournament targets and win it. It further keeps the adrenalin pumping."
IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL SPORTSWOMEN AWARD FOR OCTOBER: Madeline Perry
Some familiar names to our sportswomen awards were amongst our contenders again in October, including Jessica Kürten, winner of one of the richest prizes in her sport at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Cora Staunton, outstanding once again for Carnacon in the club championships, and Maria McCambridge, who produced an exceptional run in the Dublin City marathon.
Another multiple award winner, though, beat off the opposition and in doing so Madeline Perry becomes the only sportswoman to win one of our monthly awards every year since we got under way in 2004.
Reaching the semi-finals of the World Championships in Manchester might have been enough for Perry to clinch the award; getting to the last eight of the Qatar Classic a fortnight later, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the professional squash circuit, would have strengthened her claim, but it is the story behind Perry's displays that made her an easy choice for the panel of judges.
It was just a year ago that the 31-year-old from Banbridge, Co Down, in Italy for training, was knocked unconscious outside a restaurant in Milan, her attacker stealing her handbag and leaving her with a broken temporal bone in her skull and bleeding and bruising to the brain.
When she was finally released from hospital in Milan, Perry had to make it home to Banbridge by land and sea, having been advised not to fly, and was told by a local neurosurgeon that she had been lucky to survive.
Remarkably, just two months later, she won our December award when she made it eight titles in 10 years at the National Championships in Dublin on her return to action - it would probably have been a 10-in-a-row if injuries hadn't forced her out of the 2000 and 2005 events.
However, the prospects of Perry regaining lost ground on the international circuit seemed bleak, not least because she had been advised not to travel by air until she had fully recovered - she was also warned not to drive for six months.
In the November world rankings, though, she had climbed to 11th, on course to regain her place in the top 10.
"It's only over the last couple of months that I've started to feel back to normal," she said.
"What happened last year was pretty traumatic, I nearly died then, and I was told I'd never be able to concentrate.
"Getting up the rankings again is probably more difficult than it was the first time, but this is a fantastic boost."
Grumpier and angrier, perhaps, but indomitable and gutsy as well.
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