England have a ball (The Malay Mail)

Reporting from Hong Kong

THE way the players were partying on Sunday night you would have thought
England had just won the European soccer championships.
All they had really won was a friendly against a Hong Kong club side -
Golden XI - in their build-up for the championships starting in England on
June 8.
But that did not stop them from having a grand time at the Hong Kong
Jump Restaurant & Bar.
England's tour of China and Hong Kong has been heavily critised but the
players had enough reason to party.
For starters, they were having a few days off after playing Hong Kong
and also it was Paul Gascoigne's 29th birthday yesterday.
England manager Terry Venables had imposed a ban on alcohol consumption
on his players upon arrival in Hong Kong on Friday evening.
The ban over, champagne flowed freely yesterday and the players partied
until 2am.
By the time they left, many did not have anything on their backs and
happily put on the Jump T-shirt given to them.
Gascoigne, who did not play against Hong Kong because of a groin
infection, certainly showed no signs of pain as he danced the night away.
The English team left for home yesterday evening and will rest a few
days before their last leg of preparations.
                           (END)

Men of substance (The Malay Mail

HONG KONG: Denmark's Poul Erik Hoyer-Larsen and Peter Rasmussen have
turned out to be the strongest players mentally in the Thomas Cup finals.
 They showed it again in their semifinal victory over China yesterday at
the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
 There's a difference of a decade between Hoyer-Larsen, who turns 31 on
Sept 20, and Rasmussen, 22 on Aug 2, but they play with almost the same
level of maturity, composure and determination - something conspicously
absent in the Malaysian players.
 Experienced Hoyer-Larsen, who studied psychology to improve his game,
made a superb comeback from 1-13 down in the second set after losing the
first 15-6 to world no 1 Dong Xiong 18-17. The Dane went on to win 6-15,
18-17, 15-11.
 Rasmussen, who entered the courts knowing Denmark's passage to the final
depended on him with the score at 2-2, upset Lin Liwen 15-12, 15-3.
 It is all very simple for the Danes.
 Rasmussen explained: "I just went in there and gave my best.
 "Morten (Frost) told me he does not care if I lost or won, so long as I
gave my best.
 "I am gald my best was good enough to give us the winning point," said
Rasmussen, who is making his Thomas Cup debut.
 He also clinched the winning point against Korea in the Group match.
 And now, Rasmusssen is looking forward to the final against Indonesia
with great hope of creating history.
 "It could again come down to me for the crucial point. I am just going
to treat it as another game and give my best."
 Rasmussen could play either Alan Budi Kusuma or Ardy Wiranta.
 He has lost thrice and won once against Alan.
 Hoyer-Larsen said he was lucky to beat Dong Xiong.
 "I was on the brink of defeat at 1-13 in the second set but never gave
up. I just kept going and it worked for me," said Hoyer-Larsen.
 "It has been a long time since I played the way I did and coming just
before the Atlanta Olmypics it is simply great."
 He cited the time at the Singapore Open in 1990 when he down 2-13 in the
second set after losing the first against Alan Budi Kusuma but went on to
win 18-16. In the rubber he was down 1-12 but came back to win 18-15.
 At the World Grand Prix in 1989, he achieved a similar feat when he
defeated England's Steve Butler coming from behind.
 "Lady Luck was with me," he said.
 But it has more to do than with just luck and Hoyer-Larsen admitted
mental strength played a crucial part in his victory.
 "Sometimes things don't go according to our plans. But we have to be
mentally strong to believe in ourselves and work our way back. We also
have to consider our options under prressure. That also means taking
risks.
 "Today (yesterday) I was simply not moving in the first set and for a
major part of the second. When I got going it was a little late. But I
just believed in myself and said nothing was impossible.
 "I am glad it worked for me and I hope I will have a better outing in
the final to give Denmark a realistic chance of winning the Thomas Cup."
 Coach Morten Frost was full of praise for Hoyer-Larsen and said only
Hoyer-Larsen could have achieved a feat like that.
 "Hoyer-Larsen is the world's best comeback artist. It is not easy and
nobody wants to be in that kind of situation. But the point is he can make
that kind of recovery even when his game lets him down."
 It is a delight to watch players like Hoyer-Larsen and Rasmussen
displaying so much mental strength and triumphing against the odds.

RESULTS
THOMAS CUP (S-finals)
  Denmark 3 China 2: Poul Erik Hoyer Larsen bt Dong Jiong 6-15, 18-17,
15-11; Jon Holst Christensen-Jim Laugesen lost to Jiang Xin-Huang
Zhanzhong 12-15, 7-15; Thomas Stuer Lauridsen lost to Sun Jun 5-15, 8-15;
Henrik Svarrer-Michael Sogaard bt Ge Cheng-Tao Xiaoqiang 15-8, 17-15;
Peter Rasmussen bt Lin Liwen 15-12, 15-3.
 Indonesia 3 Korea 2: Joko Suprianto bt Park Sung Woo 18-17, 15-1; Ricky
Subagja-Rexy Mainaky bt Ha Tae Kwon-Kang Kyung Jin 15-10, 15-7; Alan Budi
Kusuma bt Lee Kwang Jin 15-6, 15-9; Antonius-Denny Kantono lost to Park
Joo Bong-Kim Dong Moon 0-15, 5-15; Ardy Wiranata lost to Ahn Jae Chang 8-
15, 3-15.
                               (END)

Grabo and Co play England (The Malay Mail)

Reporting from Hong Kong

THREE players familiar to Malaysian fans will be in Hong Kong's Golden 11
who play England in a friendly for the Century Challenge Cup on Sunday.
 The three - Anto Grabo, Alen Bajkusa and Marlon van der Sander - used to
play for Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Terengganu respectively in the Premier
League.
 England played China yesterday and another against Hong Kong as part of
their run-up to the European championships in England next month.
 Grabo and van der Sander play for Golden in the Hong Kong Div 1 League
while Bajkusa, who plays for South China Athletic Association, is a guest
player.
 Golden have also invited former England international and current
Everton captain Dave Watson. He arrived in Hong Kong on Monday and played
in a friendly against the J-League's Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday. Golden
won 1-0.
 Golden have also invited goalkeeper Iain Hesford, who plays for Eastern
in the Hong Kong League, to complete their line-up.
 Golden have another four foreigners with them, including former Engand
player Michael Duxbury.
 Grabo, 35, who played a season for KL four years ago, said: "We have
incentives from individual sponsors for the match."
 He said the sponsors have put up HK$200,000 if they score one goal
against England, HK$500,000 for two and HK$1 million for three.
 "There is no offer yet for a win over England but we can expect a
windfall," he said.
 Grabo said their match allowances will also depend on the margin of
defeat or victory.
 Grabo have beaten Chelsea 2-1 and Brazil's Sao Paulo 4-2. They lost to
Italy's AC Milan 2-1.
 England are expected to arrive in Hong Kong from China this evening.
 They will have a practice session at the Hong Kong Stadium tomorrow
morning.
 For security reasons, England's place of stay has been kept a secret.
 There will be no airport reception or interviews besides the photo
session during their practice session followed by a press conference at
the stadium itself with Venables and a few selected players.
                              (END)

Bet on the Danes (The Malay Mail)

Reporting from Hong Kong

FORMER Indian ace PRAKASH PADUKONE presents his views to Mailsport on
today's showdown between Malaysia and Denmark.
 The former All-England champion, who last played for India in the 1988
Thomas Cup qualifer, is in Hong Kong as a freelance journalist for the
Hindu and Sports Times.
 I SEE Denmark as having the edge, say 60-40. They are in good form now.
 Denmark should secure victory in two singles and one doubles for a 3-2
win. Or they may even sweep all three singles and one double for a 4-1
win.
 Malaysia are under tremendous pressure to win the match and in
convincing fashion too.
 A 3-2 margin may not even be good enough. The Malaysians must be strong
mentally for the challenge.
 Should Malaysia rise to the occasion, I think they can only take one
singles and two doubles.
 The bottom line is that the odds favour the Danes.

PRAKASH'S ASSESEMENTS
 First Singles: Rashid Sidek v Paul Erik Hoyer-Larsen.
 This match should go Larsen's way based on current form. He is a very
stable player who is mentally and physically strong. Above all it is
difficult to break arsen's game.
 Rashid is unpredictable. If he is on song, he could give Larsen a run
for his money.
 But I still do not see him defeating Larsen who packs  solid defence
unlike Rashid who can commit a lot of errors when under pressure.
 Rashid's game is also very predictable and with little variation. He
will have problems.
 It will take a lot for Rashid to spring a surprise.
 First Doubles: Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock v Jon Holst-Christiansen-
Thomas Stavngaard. Thomas Lund may come in as a surprise replacement.
 Word has it that Thomas Lund is in town. But then, why was he not
fielded against the Koreans on Sunday? But even if he plays, I don't think
Lund will be in good shape because it would be his first match in Hong
Kong and he might not be familiar with the conditions.
 In anycase, whether he partners Holst Christensen or not, I think this
doubles match belongs to Cheah and Yap.
 Holst-Christensen and Stavngaard certainly have not been impressive and
it will even easier for the Malaysian pair if the duo play. It might be
slightly more difficult with Lund playing, but I still give Malaysians the
edge.
 SECOND SINGLES: Ong Ewe Hock v Thomas Stuer Lauridsen
 The Malaysian camp will be counting on Ong's fighting qualities to pull
off an upset.
 I can say it is all the way uphill.
 Ong had done well to beat Korea's Lee Kwang Jin but Lauridsen is in a
different class.
 For starters, Ong will be starting at a disadvantage because of his
small stature against the much taller Lauridsen.
 Lauridsen will definitely have the edge. As Ong is a defensive player
who lacks attacking qualities, it will be hard for him to trouble the
Dane.
 Ong may have strong stamina and determination but I don't think that
will be enough.
 The only way for Ong to beat his opponent is to tire Lauridsen out.
 Lauridsen's  fitness is suspect having just returned to the game after a
series of injuries. And if the injuries act up, he could be in trouble.
 But Lauridsen showed good fitness against Kwang Jin despite being
strectched to three sets.
 This tie should go to the Dane.
 SECOND DOUBLES: Soo Beng Kiang-Tan Kim Her v Henrik Svarrer-Michael
Sogaard
 Although Malaysia are banking on this tie to provide a point, this could
be a touch and go affair.
 Svarrer-Sogaard looked impressive despite their loss to Park Joo Bong
and Kim Dong Moon.
 The Danes look much capable of giving Beng Kiang-Kim Her a run for their
money. The Malaysian pair will have to hit top form to win.
 Furthermore, the pressure will be on the Malaysians because overall
Malaysia are in a critical situation where they can't afford to win in
rubber games.
 This tie could well go into three setters with either pair winning.
 If the Danes triumph, it will be all over for Malaysia but if Soo-Tan
clinch this one, the third singles next will most probably be the decider.
 THIRD SINGLES: Pang Chen v Peter Rasmussen
 This one should go hands down to Peter Rasmussen. And I am not saying
this because Pang Chen looked bad against Ahn Jae Chang earlier.
 I am more impressed by Rasmussen's form and I think he is the most
exciting player in this tournament.
 The young Dane is improving with each match and he is definitely in the
footsteps of Larsen.
 Although he was known to be a temperamental player, he looks more
composed these days.
 Rasmussen has great determination with a lot of fire in him and whether
Pang Chen can handle that is left to be seen.
 But I personally feel that Rasmussen will be too hot for Pang Chen to
handle.
                                (END)

M-League could do with foreign refs (The Malay Mail)

FOREIGN referees for the M-League?
 With local referees having trouble coping with the increasingly
demanding League, this is an idea worth considering.
 Local referees have done well and even earned praise in Fifa organised
tournaments but the general standard leaves much to be desired.
 Many linesmen were promoted to referees at the start of the season and
many coaches and players have been complaining, especially on the uniform
application of the rules.
 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) secretary-general, Datuk Peter
Velappan said Malaysia and probably Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia
should consider bringing in top foreign referees to officiate in this
region.
 "The game has developed a great deal but the development of referees has
not kept pace," said Velappan.
 "Local referees are having problems coping with the growing demands of
the game.
 "AFC are making efforts to have regular courses to upgrade the standard
of referees.
 "In Europe, even districts have a permanent referee's instructor and
referees report to him twice or thrice a week to keep fit and to know the
rules better."
 Velappan said local referees could also learn from top European referees
officiating in Asia.
 "Also, the local referees will be challenged to be on par with foreign
referees," he said.
 The J-League has 18 referees and 43 assistant referees. But they invite
foreign referees to officiate and conduct seminars for their Japanese
colleagues.
 This year, three foreign referees - Zoran Petrovic of Yugoslovia,
Armando Archundia of Mexico and Piotr Werner of Poland - are helping out
in the J-League.
 Another three foreign referees will join them for the second half of the
season.
 China are also considering inviting foreign referees for the second half
of their professional league.
 Korea have adopted an Exclusive Referees and Linesmen System this year.
 They have contracts with eight referees, eight linesmen and five reserve
referees exclusively for the League.
 The contracts are for a year and will be renewed every year based on an
assessment by the Referee's Committee.
 However, Velappan said having fulltime referees in Asia at this stage is
debatable as not many officials will risk going professional, especially
with annual assessments.
 "For now, it is best to upgrade our standards while getting good foreign
referees to help out," said Velappan.
                              (END)

Ahmad the model player (The Malay Mail)

AFTER 13 seasons Ahmad Yusof is still going strong.
 Ahmad, who turns 36 on August 8, hails from Penang but has been with
Pahang since 1983 - the year Pahang won the Malaysia Cup the first time.
 His teammates then - Tajuddin Nor and Yunus Alif - are now the team
manager and coach for Pahang respectively but Ahmad is still sluging it
out on the pitch.
 Ahmad is an model professional and the game still excites him after all
these years.
 Even a chronic back injury the last few years has not stopped Ahmad.
 He is Pahang's most valuable player and a modest one at that.
 Each time he is approached for an interview, Ahmad would politely turns
it down and requests the younger players be interviewed instead.
 "I am just a small piece in the puzzle trying to do the best I can. But
it gets harder each year," said Ahmad.
 "Last season, many teams were still affected by the absence key players
rounded up during the bribery crackdown.
 "But teams are more settled and stronger now. It is going to be a keen
competition this time around," said Ahmad who is the oldest player in the
League after Sarawak's Jalil Rambly.
 Ahmad used to play in midfield but of late he has been used as a stopper
or sweeper.
 "Ahmad may be the oldest but he is the heartbeat of the team," said
Yunus.
                                (END)

Bala back in business (The Malay Mail)

MIDFIELDER S. Balachandran returns to the Kuala Lumpur M-League team after
two seasons.
 Balachandran, who turned 31 on Feb 26, is the only remaining member of
the squad that won the Malaysia Cup three consecutive years from 1987-
1989.
 Balachandran, who made his debut with KL in 1987, served them for seven
years before playing for Sabah for a season.
 Last season, he returned to KL but could not find a place and ended up
playing in the Amatuer League for City Hall SC.

Exposure
 But things have changed for Balachandran this season.
 He will play a key role in coach Chow Kwai Lam's plans.
 Kwai Lam is counting on him to lead the young squad.
 The only other senior players in the team are R. Ramachandran and L.
Suresh who are in their fourth season with KL. Azrul Amri Burhan is
playing his second for them.
 Balachandran is delighted to play in the M-league again.
 "It was quite frustrating for me last season," he said.
 "I am glad I kept on fighting to play in the M-league. Now, all of
sudden, I am the most experienced player in the team.
 "It does put some pressure on me but I will take it as a challenge.
 "We may have a young side but we have a good first team.
 "My only worry is our reserves. They lack exposure and that could be
problem in the M-League.
 "But at least the youngsters in the first 11 will be gaining exposure as
they play," said Balachandran.
 Balachandran, who is known for his ball skills, is confident KL will
spring some surprises during the season.
 "Our target is to make the Malaysia Cup competition and the players are
all determined to achieve it.
 "It is going to be tough but I believe we have what it takes to stay
afloat and meet our target.
 "Personally, it is going to be a challenge for me to lead this young
team and I am looking forward to it."
                                (END)