UBD futsal team crowned UiTM Sports Fiesta champions

THE Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) futsal team yesterday returned from the 2008 Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) International Sports Fiesta in Shah Alam, Malaysia as champions.

Competing in the tournament for the third time, the team's victory in the July 24-28 competition marks the first medal they have won in the competition.

UBD came from one goal down to win the championship match 4-3 against Indonesia's Institute Technology Medan.

Amzar Muaz Tamit scored the first two goals to set the scores at 2-1, but the Indonesians would draw level and score again to take a 3-2 lead. Faizul Jeffry Hj Zaini scored the equaliser for UBD and Mohd Fadzil Md Yanie would go on to score the winner.

Goalkeeper Mohd Khairul Shahrul was also instrumental in their victory, making several crucial saves to keep his team in the match and being named the Man of the Match for his efforts.

The road to the final saw them defeat UiTM 'B' and draw with Thailand's Thaksin University in the group stage, after which they beat defending champions Multimedia University of Malaysia 2-1 in the semi-final.

"We didn't expect to win before we left," said the team's coach Demigo Kapal.

"We managed to lift the trophy because of the player's never say die attitude, discipline, teamwork and patience," he added.

The same squad which represented the university during last month's Pesta Sukan Kebangsaan, the team trained for nearly a month to prepare for the tournament.

The badminton team also brought the university glory, with Norshayleen Izyane Norhaslan Zacky and Noorimah Hj Mazid ending the women's double competition as joint-third with Singapore Institute of Management University.

Ten Malaysian universities and eight universities from around the region took part in the third edition of the tournament which saw 7's rugby, 10-pin bowling and sepak takraw the other three sports contested.The Brunei Times