Working hard for Brunei

WITH the 3rd Asian Indoor Games less than a month away, the national silat team have been putting in all the hard work to be ready for the tournament.

In early September, the Brunei Darussalam National Pencak Silat Association (BDNPSA) said that it was seeking approval from relevant authorities to send representatives to the Games. He added that the silat team had to be included in the Brunei contingent as they couldn't compete under their own banner.

Hj Mohd Zamri DP Hj Hamdani, the special duties officer at the Department of Youth and Sports, finally delivered the news the team were waiting for earlier this week when he announced that the Sultanate would be competing in two sports pencak silat and cue sports at the 3rd Asian Indoor Games to be held from Oct 30 to Nov 8 in Hanoi.

"It is great that we'll be going to the Games as we have been training hard for it," said Pg Hj Jalaudin Pg Salleh, the BDNPSA honorary secretary, when met at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas yesterday.

The silat team undergo three training sessions a day except on Sunday at the Indoor Stadium.

They even trained during Ramadhan with the athletes working hard in the evening to prepare for the Hanoi Games.

"Preparations are going fine at the moment. We are ready to go and compete with the other countries at the Indoor Games," said Suhartono, head coach of the national silat team.

"Hopefully next week I would be able to bring my athletes out to Indonesia for a tryout with the Indonesian national team. I want them to apply the techniques that I've been teaching them in practice before the Games," added the Indonesian coach.

Suhartono's main focus is mostly on improving his athletes' mental fitness including their fighting spirit.

The silat team made up of exponents from the Gold Project programme have started training for the tournament since early last year.

"This is a special team, that's why they have been training for some time," added Suhartono.

When asked on what he thought the team could achieve at the 3rd Asian Indoor Games, the national coach replied: "We have managed two silver and two bronze at the 1st Asian Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia, back in 2007 and then one silver and three bronze medals in the 1st Asian Martial Arts Games in Bangkok this year. So for this tournament, I'm hoping that we can improve and finally get the gold."

The team only had a few days of rest during the festive period as the coach said that it was important for the athletes to keep up their training.

Silat exponents, Amirul Ahat, Freddy Ashrul Choo, Hj Md Khairul Bahrin Hj Duraman, Khuzaiman Ahmad, Mohd Kifli Hamzah and Pg Khairul Bahri Pg Ali Umar will be expected to deliver at the Games in the tanding tunggal events.

Siti Zuliza Omar will be the only female exponent competing in the tanding tunggal event.

Sisters Norleyermah and Norleydiana Hj Raya together with Nurul Aimi Amalina will be taking part in the seni regu events.

The Brunei Times