Latest news with #SingaporeSeaGames
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Jivan banks on experience to help athletes shine at the Sea Games
KUALA LUMPUR: Former national field hockey player Jivan Mohan has tasted Sea Games glory as both an athlete and a coach. He is now keen to help national athletes fulfil their full potential in a new role as deputy chef de mission for the national contingent that will be competing at the Thailand Sea Games (Dec 9-20). "Of course I feel honoured to be given this opportunity. I would like to help our athletes perform at their best," said Jivan when contacted yesterday (July 9). "I have won the Sea Games gold medal twice, once as a player during the 2013 Myanmar Sea Games and once as a coach - under head coach Arul Selvaraj - during the 2015 Singapore Sea Games. "Being deputy CDM will be a new experience for me and I am keen to do what is necessary to help our athletes achieve their full potential in Thailand. "The (medal) target for the Sea Games this year has yet to be announced but I am confident our athletes will be hungry to do the nation proud." Jivan was also part of the national team that won bronze at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. He is currently vice president of the Royal Malaysian Police Hockey Association. The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), with approval from the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as the National Sports Council (NSC), named Jivan as one of three deputy CDMs for the games alongside former national sprinter Nazmizan Muhammad and badminton administrator Datuk Kenny Goh. Swimming great Nurul Huda Abdullah will lead the contingent as CDM. Jivan expressed his gratitude to OCM for providing former athletes with the opportunity to help guide the contingent. "I definitely think this is a positive move by OCM, the ministry and NSC," he said. "Former national athletes have experienced first-hand what it is like to compete for the country. They have tasted the highs and lows, they know what it is like to compete under pressure. "This is something we (former athletes) can share with the current athletes. We can relate to what they are going through and can guide them based on our experiences. "For field hockey, Malaysia usually fields its junior or backup squad at the Sea Games, mixed with a few seniors. I remember how nervous some of the young players would get, especially during tough matches. "This is where an experienced hand can help guide them."
New Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Jonassen, Wei Feng catch up in Ipoh amid BAM vacancy buzz
KUALA LUMPUR: A meeting between national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen and ex-national shuttler Chong Wei Feng in Ipoh has fuelled speculation that the latter could return to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) as a coach. Jonassen and his assistant K. Yogendran were in town to monitor junior shuttlers at the ongoing National Under-18 Championships. Wei Feng is there guiding four of his players from his Klang Valley-based academies. Their casual chat was later highlighted on the Shuttle Flash Badminton Academy's Instagram page, sparking talk of a possible return for Wei Feng, who won the men's singles gold at the 2015 Singapore Sea Games. However, Jonassen played down the buzz. "I'm in Ipoh to observe the early rounds, and I caught up with Wei Feng. No, we didn't talk about the women's singles coaching vacancy," said Jonassen. "It was just a friendly catch-up. As for the coaching role, we're not rushing. We'll wait for the right candidate." Wei Feng told Timsport on April 7 that BAM had reached out with a coaching offer. But on Wednesday, he echoed Jonassen's remarks, stressing that their conversation was informal. "I've known Jonassen since my playing days and hadn't seen him since he arrived in January. We chatted during my players' training session, nothing about a job offer," said Wei Feng. "We spoke in general about the juniors, how many lack self-belief and struggle with pressure, which affects their results. But it wasn't anything official. "I can't commit to a coaching job right now. I am guiding several players full-time." Jonassen's patience in filling the position could work in Wei Feng's favour. It gives him time to identify suitable coaches to take over at the Chong Wei Feng and Shuttle Flash academies. His four players — Chee Hong Wei, Chua Yi Xuan, Kee Is Qian, and Liew Zheng Hao — are competing in the boys' singles at the Under-18 event. Jonassen and Yogendran will leave for Xiamen, China, on Thursday with the national shuttlers for the Sudirman Cup, which starts on Sunday.
