Why Brunei ended with just 6 medals?
Monday, December 17, 2007
BEFORE leaving to the 24th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Korat, Thailand on December 2, the chef de mission of the Brunei contingent stated that he expected the 57 athletes competing in 12 sports to return from the biennial tournament with a medal in each of their respective event.
But one gold, one silver and four bronze medals is definitely not what DP Hj Jemat Hj Ampal, the Brunei's chef de mission was aiming for during the 10-day tournament.
So what went wrong with this year's medal tally?
Did Brunei really deserve to finish 10th in the field of 11 countries?
Lack of focus, technique and tactics were what the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports blamed it on in his speech upon the contingent's arrival at the Brunei International Airport last night.
However, things such as a relatively short period of intensive training, a deficit in competitive experience and exposure to such international tournaments also played a decisive role in their lack of success.
Most of the athletes who bagged medals in Korat have been training at world-class facilities with highly experienced coaches.
More importantly, the athletes are regularly sent to compete in tournaments and competitions by their respective National Olympic Councils or associations.
Training abroad would mean that the athletes would be able to train daily with competitors of a much higher standard and with coaches who have a wealth of experience in their respective sport.
It is only natural that the more they compete with stronger opponents, the more they can develop and improve in their game. Thus, if they perform well when in overseas training facilities, it is only natural that they will do well in competitions such as the SEA Games.
According to the Brunei fencing team, athletes from dominant countries in the sport during the SEA Games such as Thailand and the Philippines are only using the SEA Games as a stepping stone for bigger competitions such as the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics.
How many of our athletes are training abroad?
How many of them are regularly competing in tournaments in order to gain more competitive experience?
Once the relevant authorities realise that this is what we need to start finishing above 10th in a field of 11 competitors in a regional event, then Bruneian athletes will start raking in more medals.
The Brunei Times
But one gold, one silver and four bronze medals is definitely not what DP Hj Jemat Hj Ampal, the Brunei's chef de mission was aiming for during the 10-day tournament.
So what went wrong with this year's medal tally?
Did Brunei really deserve to finish 10th in the field of 11 countries?
Lack of focus, technique and tactics were what the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports blamed it on in his speech upon the contingent's arrival at the Brunei International Airport last night.
However, things such as a relatively short period of intensive training, a deficit in competitive experience and exposure to such international tournaments also played a decisive role in their lack of success.
Most of the athletes who bagged medals in Korat have been training at world-class facilities with highly experienced coaches.
More importantly, the athletes are regularly sent to compete in tournaments and competitions by their respective National Olympic Councils or associations.
Training abroad would mean that the athletes would be able to train daily with competitors of a much higher standard and with coaches who have a wealth of experience in their respective sport.
It is only natural that the more they compete with stronger opponents, the more they can develop and improve in their game. Thus, if they perform well when in overseas training facilities, it is only natural that they will do well in competitions such as the SEA Games.
According to the Brunei fencing team, athletes from dominant countries in the sport during the SEA Games such as Thailand and the Philippines are only using the SEA Games as a stepping stone for bigger competitions such as the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics.
How many of our athletes are training abroad?
How many of them are regularly competing in tournaments in order to gain more competitive experience?
Once the relevant authorities realise that this is what we need to start finishing above 10th in a field of 11 competitors in a regional event, then Bruneian athletes will start raking in more medals.
The Brunei Times
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