National karate exponents (L-R)
Md Jamil Hj Abd Hamid, Mohd
Nabil Abd Malik and Muhamad
Fida'iy Hj Sanif. Md Jamil and
Muhamad Fida'iy are set to
represent Brunei at the Nov 12-27
Asian Games in Guangzhou,
China. Picture: BT

Brunei to send experienced karate exponents to Asian Games

The national karate team will feature a quartet of familiar faces at next month's Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Mainuddin Hj Mohammad, Md Jamil Hj Abd Hamid and the Hj Sanif brothers Mohamad Fadillah and Muhamad Fida'iy are the names that have been shortlisted for the Nov 12-27 event.

The four exponents represented the country at last year's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos, where except for Muhamad Fida'iy, all returned with bronze medals.

Mainuddin won bronze in the men's kumite 84kg and below event in Laos, Md Jamil finished third in the men's kumite 84kg and above event and Mohamad Fadillah in the men's kumite 67kg and below event.

The younger of the two brothers, Muhamad Fida'iy competed in the men's kumite 60kg and below division in Laos but failed to finish with a medal.

Mohamad Fadillah was also a silver medallist at the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei.

And except for Mainuddin, all the others are two-time Malaysia Games competitors with at least a bronze medal to boot.

Only nine athletes have tentatively been listed to fly the flag for Brunei at next month's tournament in the Chinese metropolis, and national karate coach Hj Okhida Simangasing must feel a certain weight on his shoulders knowing that his charges will take up most of the seats on the plane.

But the Indonesian can take a lot of heart from the rich history that Brunei karate has competing in the Asian Games.

Since the Sultanate's debut at the 1990 edition in Beijing, three of the four medals the country had won had come from the sport.

In the 1994 edition in Hiroshima, Japan, Meghan Loo was awarded joint-bronze in the women's kumite 60kg and above class while Dk Marliza Pg Omar also finished with joint-bronze in the women's kumite 60kg and below division.

The third medal was won by Tong Kit Siong during the 2002 meet in Busan, South Korea, where he finished joint-third in the men's kumite 75kg and below event.

Training for this year's Asian Games since April 1, Hj Okhida recently revealed that the team had also been competing abroad to prepare for Guangzhou.

The four exponents competed at the Indonesian Open in Bali from Sept 24-26, where Md Jamil and Mohd Fadillah won bronze in the men's kumite 84kg and above division and men's kumite 75kg and below division.

Though the list going to next month's Asian Games is filled with familiar names Md Jamil is a two-time Malaysia Games (Sukma) silver medallist several seasoned exponents will be left behind.

SEA Games veterans such as Hj Eddie Jofriani Hj Johari and Mohammad Fazil Rewandie Mohd Faizal will not be on the plane to Guangzhou, and also not on the list is Masdiana Hj Tengah, a two-time SEA Games medallist.

She won bronze in the women's under 48kg kumite event during the 2007 edition in Korat, Thailand, and defended her medal two years later.

Apart from karate, the Sultanate has submitted entries for two athletes in wushu and one each in fencing, cue sports and equestrian.

Courtesy from Brunei Times