Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council president His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah (L) attending yesterday's meeting. Picture: Infofoto

Brunei is one step closer to deciding which sports to compete in at this year's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports' national selection and evaluation committee met at the Conference Room of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas yesterday, exactly one week after a similar meeting to discuss the sports the country will partake in during the Nov 11-22 biennial tournament.

Chaired by the ministry's permanent secretary and the committee's chairman Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid Hj Mohd Jaafar, the meeting at the Conference Room of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas was also attended by Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BNOC) president His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah.

It is understood 13 sports have been shortlisted to compete in the 26th edition of the meet.

Tasked with deciding which athletes will represent Brunei in any contingent the Sultanate sends to regional and international tournaments, the committee which receives input from various sources met with coaches and administrators from five sports yesterday; cycling, petanque, softball, sepak takraw and wushu.

"The committee asked me how many athletes I want to send to the SEA Games and in which events," said national sepak takraw coach Ittiphol Chomchaissak after talking to the committee in the meeting which was closed to the media.

"They also wanted to know how the team's preparation is going," added the Thai.

Apart from staff from the Department of Youth and Sports, the committee is also made up of officials from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces' Sports Council (MS ABDB), Royal Brunei Police Force Sports Council (MS PDB) and the Schools Sports Council (MSSS).

The last edition of the multi-sport tournament, the 2009 Laos SEA Games , saw Brunei send 24 athletes in six sports.

The committee finalised the names and sports of athletes going to the 2009 SEA Games on Sept 10, three months before the Dec 9-18 tournament where they finished with one gold, one silver and eight bronze.

Silat exponent Hj Md Khairul Bahrin Hj Duraman delivered the Sultanate's only gold when he topped the men's tunggal event his first trip to the top of the podium after 10 years in the national team.

Faustina Woo Wai Sii and Lee Ying Shi won Brunei's sole silver medal in the women's Duilian (doubles broadsword and spear) event.

The bronze medals came from karate-do (four), silat (three) and wushu (one).

Courtesy from Brunei Times