Brunei target over 50 medals
Confident: Dato Paduka Hj Jemat Hj Ampal says he expects all 59 Brunei athletes to bring back medals. Picture: Rudolf Portillo
Sunday, December 2, 2007
DATO Paduka Hj Jemat Hj Ampal, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, is chef de mission for the Brunei contingent for the 24th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to be held in Korat, Thailand from Dec 6 to 15.
Q: How do you feel about being appointed chef de mission for Brunei's SEA Games contingent?
A: I'm very grateful to the Government of His Majesty because this gives me the best chance to experience and observe the SEA Games. I've seen our athletes train and compete locally, but the Games proper are totally different. The demands (on athletes) are different too. This is indeed the best opportunity for me to make my own observation and later give recommendations on what to improve.
Q: Is there any specific medal target for Brunei?
A: Yes. In fact, all of the athletes chosen are expected to deliver medals. So, we should have more than 50 medals because we have (selected) more than 50 athletes (for the Korat SEA Games).
Q: What are the sports likely to win medals for Brunei?
A: We expect gold from karatedo and lawn bowls. And we are aiming for silver in a few other sports taekwondo is one of them. As for the rest, we have to see how well they perform and how strong our rivals are.
But after a very strict selection process and intensive preparation we expect all our athletes to bring back medals.
Q: What are your hopes for the Project Gold athletes (karatedo and lawn bowls)?
A: We have very high hopes for Project Gold athletes. They have been training from 2006. Our karatedo boys have been measured in terms of strength and power as it is a sport that demands a lot of that as well as endurance.
We make sure they eat the right food, learn the best skills from the best coaches. In fact, for karatedo, we have two additional coaches one for 'kumite' (sparring) and another for 'kata' event.
And we also brought in a sports psychologist (Prof Dr Sukadiyanto from Indonesia) to help them focus on winning.
So we have really focused on them. The karatekas competed at the Phuket Thailand Open Karate-do Championship (in May) and the 2007 Korea Open International Karatedo Championship (in South Korea in November) where they won medals in both.
Thus, I expect them to do very well at the SEA Games in Thailand.
Q: Who do you think are Brunei's main rivals?
A: All the teams participating at the Games. I mean, they are all very big countries. Malaysia is sending more than 700 athletes. Indonesia is a huge country and has a large number of athletes to choose from. In our case, there are very few (athletes), but that's why our training and selection process has been very focused.
This year we are sending the smallest number of athletes (compared to the previous Games). According to our statistics, this is Brunei's smallest contingent in six years.
Q: So after a strict selection process only 59 athletes are chosen to increase the chances of winning medals. But this also means that those who are not chosen are denied the chance to gain valuable experience/exposure at a major tournament like the SEA Games. As chairman of the athlete selection committee, what is your say on this matter?
A: Some of the athletes may feel that they have not been given the chance to compete in the SEA Games and that they have been denied the chance to represent the country. But, they have been given the chance to compete at the Southeast Asia level, just not in a contingent-based tournament like the SEA Games.
Take the karate team, for example. Their athletes competed in the Thailand Open in May. Many top athletes were there from Asean countries as well as Europe. So that was a very high level of competition and they were allowed to go. Other athletes may also have competed in similar competitions to hone and develop their skills. If they can win at this level when it comes to the SEA Games they are already at the top.
But we don't want athletes to go to the SEA Games if they have not reached the top.
Sport associations can send their athletes to any competition, anywhere. But before they are given the nod I would ask how prepared are the athletes? We don't want to send athletes who are not ready.
If an athlete is 100 per cent ready and he/she needs the exposure then we will allow him/her to go.
Q: How do you feel about the athletes' intensive preparation for this year's SEA Games?
A: We've made sure that the athletes eat the right food and have the psychological motivation to win. We brought in a sports psychologist from Indonesia and we've had local psychologists as well to give them motivational talks besides the usual training.
So, I'm very, very satisfied with their preparation.
Q: After the visit to Korat recently, do you think the Games' facilities wil be ready on time?
A: Yes, certainly. The Games Village was almost ready then. I think Thailand is doing a good job preparing for the Games. Our athletes just need to be there and compete.
Q: What about halal food for our athletes in Thailand?
A: Halal food will be provided for all Muslim athletes, not just those from Brunei. We won't have any problem there.
Q: Our athletes are leaving for Thailand today. What would you like to remind them when they arrive in Thailand?
A: I just have one simple advice. Focus on the competition and watch their discipline for example train and eat when it's time to train and eat and get enough sleep too.
Q: Is there anything you would like to say to the supporters in Brunei?
A: Pray for us and support our team.The Brunei Times
Q: How do you feel about being appointed chef de mission for Brunei's SEA Games contingent?
A: I'm very grateful to the Government of His Majesty because this gives me the best chance to experience and observe the SEA Games. I've seen our athletes train and compete locally, but the Games proper are totally different. The demands (on athletes) are different too. This is indeed the best opportunity for me to make my own observation and later give recommendations on what to improve.
Q: Is there any specific medal target for Brunei?
A: Yes. In fact, all of the athletes chosen are expected to deliver medals. So, we should have more than 50 medals because we have (selected) more than 50 athletes (for the Korat SEA Games).
Q: What are the sports likely to win medals for Brunei?
A: We expect gold from karatedo and lawn bowls. And we are aiming for silver in a few other sports taekwondo is one of them. As for the rest, we have to see how well they perform and how strong our rivals are.
But after a very strict selection process and intensive preparation we expect all our athletes to bring back medals.
Q: What are your hopes for the Project Gold athletes (karatedo and lawn bowls)?
A: We have very high hopes for Project Gold athletes. They have been training from 2006. Our karatedo boys have been measured in terms of strength and power as it is a sport that demands a lot of that as well as endurance.
We make sure they eat the right food, learn the best skills from the best coaches. In fact, for karatedo, we have two additional coaches one for 'kumite' (sparring) and another for 'kata' event.
And we also brought in a sports psychologist (Prof Dr Sukadiyanto from Indonesia) to help them focus on winning.
So we have really focused on them. The karatekas competed at the Phuket Thailand Open Karate-do Championship (in May) and the 2007 Korea Open International Karatedo Championship (in South Korea in November) where they won medals in both.
Thus, I expect them to do very well at the SEA Games in Thailand.
Q: Who do you think are Brunei's main rivals?
A: All the teams participating at the Games. I mean, they are all very big countries. Malaysia is sending more than 700 athletes. Indonesia is a huge country and has a large number of athletes to choose from. In our case, there are very few (athletes), but that's why our training and selection process has been very focused.
This year we are sending the smallest number of athletes (compared to the previous Games). According to our statistics, this is Brunei's smallest contingent in six years.
Q: So after a strict selection process only 59 athletes are chosen to increase the chances of winning medals. But this also means that those who are not chosen are denied the chance to gain valuable experience/exposure at a major tournament like the SEA Games. As chairman of the athlete selection committee, what is your say on this matter?
A: Some of the athletes may feel that they have not been given the chance to compete in the SEA Games and that they have been denied the chance to represent the country. But, they have been given the chance to compete at the Southeast Asia level, just not in a contingent-based tournament like the SEA Games.
Take the karate team, for example. Their athletes competed in the Thailand Open in May. Many top athletes were there from Asean countries as well as Europe. So that was a very high level of competition and they were allowed to go. Other athletes may also have competed in similar competitions to hone and develop their skills. If they can win at this level when it comes to the SEA Games they are already at the top.
But we don't want athletes to go to the SEA Games if they have not reached the top.
Sport associations can send their athletes to any competition, anywhere. But before they are given the nod I would ask how prepared are the athletes? We don't want to send athletes who are not ready.
If an athlete is 100 per cent ready and he/she needs the exposure then we will allow him/her to go.
Q: How do you feel about the athletes' intensive preparation for this year's SEA Games?
A: We've made sure that the athletes eat the right food and have the psychological motivation to win. We brought in a sports psychologist from Indonesia and we've had local psychologists as well to give them motivational talks besides the usual training.
So, I'm very, very satisfied with their preparation.
Q: After the visit to Korat recently, do you think the Games' facilities wil be ready on time?
A: Yes, certainly. The Games Village was almost ready then. I think Thailand is doing a good job preparing for the Games. Our athletes just need to be there and compete.
Q: What about halal food for our athletes in Thailand?
A: Halal food will be provided for all Muslim athletes, not just those from Brunei. We won't have any problem there.
Q: Our athletes are leaving for Thailand today. What would you like to remind them when they arrive in Thailand?
A: I just have one simple advice. Focus on the competition and watch their discipline for example train and eat when it's time to train and eat and get enough sleep too.
Q: Is there anything you would like to say to the supporters in Brunei?
A: Pray for us and support our team.The Brunei Times
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