Official Website of Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council
NEWS & EVENTS
Invaluable exposure an asset for Brunei's spirited fencers
Friday, August 23, 2013

Brunei's Muhd Aizuddin Yaqin
Hj Yahya (R) in action against
Kuwait's Hasan Alkhayaat in
the men's foil individual pool
match at the 2nd Asian Youth
Games in Nanjing, China.
Picture: Courtesy of the
Department of Youth and Sports

National fencing coach Rocky Poerawinata was encouraged by Md Hazeeq Asmui'e Md Fadzilah and Muhd Aizuddin Yaqin Hj Yahya's showing despite the fencers failing to secure a single win at the 2nd Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China.

Their games on Wednesday marked the end of Brunei's competitive involvement at Nanjing, where the country also had golfer Mohd Qazzri Fakhri Hj Aslimon finish 16th in the golf competition on Tuesday.

Md Hazeeq Asmui'e and Muhd Aizuddin (foil discipline) were accompanied by brothers Muhd Anaqi Danish Asahrin and Mohd Haziq Asahrin (sabre discipline) at the August 16-24 multisport event, with the tournament the first taste of international exposure for the quartet.

Going up against fencers from Libya, Malaysia, Japan, Mongolia and Thailand in the round of pools, Md Hazeeq Asmui'e managed five touches and was sent packing after losing 15-3 to Hong Kong's Ryan Choi Chun Yun.

Muhd Aizuddin competed against fencers from Japan, Kuwait, Singapore, China and UAE in the round of pools and registered four touches before falling 15-0 to Japan's Toshiya Saito, who won silver after losing 15-6 to Hong Kong's Cheung Ka Long in the last-32.

"Both the athletes showed fighting spirit and worked hard to give it their best," said Poerawinata in Wednesday's daily report prepared by the Department of Youth and Sports.

"They got some valuable lessons which will help them prepare for other championships with more training, commitment, discipline and mental and physical conditioning," he added.

The Indonesian went on to praise the duo's attitude, good disciplinary record, self-determination and ability to carry out his instructions.

When asked to state their weaknesses, Poerawinata noted that the pair were nervous at the start of their games though they overcame that as the games progressed.

Muhd Anaqi Danish, who is the youngest member of the five-athlete Brunei contingent at 13, proved to be the country's best fencer at the Games after he defeated Malaysia's Syed Adam Emir Putra 15-13 to move into the last-32 of the men's sabre individual event on Monday.

However, a 15-8 loss to Iraq's Murtadha Al-Musawi denied him a place in the last-eight.

His brother Mohd Haziq Asahrin failed to advance to the last-16 after losing 15-10 to Japan's Kento Hoshino.

Hosts China have steadily built on their lead at the medal table and have bagged a total of 43 gold, 21 silver and 22 bronze medals as of 10pm last night.

South Korea trail the Chinese with 19 gold, 10 silver and 14 bronze medals while Japan have overtaken Thailand in the battle for third after picking up seven gold, five silver and three bronze medals.

The 17-sport Games is expected to come to a close tomorrow with an artistic and technical fusion of traditional and modern Asian culture at the 18,000 seat Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.

According to the Games' website, the hour-long farewell event will be a festive carnival-like atmosphere and feature 1,600 performers from local schools, who will see off the more than 3,500 athletes and officials from 45 National Olympic Committee from the Olympic Council of Asia. The Games also serves as a dress-rehearsal for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games also to be hosted in Nanjing.

Courtesy from Brunei Times