sport 쐽 THE STRAITS TIMES TUESDAY, JULY 14 2009 PAGE B8
MORE CASH FOR YOG
Top-up, if approved, will
swell $5m athletes’
training-support fund
BY TERRENCE VOON
THE government is likely to boost the
$5 million war chest for Singapore’s 2010
Youth Olympic Games (YOG) athletes, af-
ter the country’s stellar performance at
the recent Asian Youth Games (AYG).
The cash top-up, if approved, will be
used for training support and overseas op-
portunities for athletes who are in the run-
ning for a YOG spot next year.
Singapore finished the inaugural AYG
with a better-than-expected haul of 30
medals, including nine golds.
And Senior Parliamentary Secretary
(Ministry of Community, Youth and
Sports) Teo Ser Luck said that those who
excelled deserve extra help.
“Their fighting spirit and their will to
win was very impressive,” he told The
‘Unsporting’
England
salvage draw
CARDIFF: Australia captain Ricky Ponting
slammed England for a lack of sportsman-
ship after a controversial conclusion to a
dramatic drawn first Test.
Ashes holders Australia were poised to
go one up in the five-Test series before
the hosts’ last-wicket duo James Ander-
son (21 not out) and Monty Panesar (seven
not out) held out for the final 40 minutes
to salvage an unlikely draw.
But, twice during the pair’s 69-ball
stand, England 12th man Bilal Shafayat ran
onto the Sophia Gardens field to offer An-
derson batting gloves.
Physio Steve McCaig was also eventual-
ly ordered off by the umpires after making
it to the middle on the second occasion.
Ponting made his feelings plain to re-
porters after stumps.
“I don’t think it was required; he (An-
derson) changed (gloves) the over before,”
said the Man of the Match for his 150 in
Australia’s only innings of 674-6 de-
clared. “I don’t think they’d be too sweaty
in one over.
“I’m not sure what the physio was do-
ing, I didn’t see anyone call for the physio.
“But they can play whatever way they
want to play. We came to play by the rules
and the spirit of the game.”
While he was unhappy, he did not want
to make a big deal of the matter, saying:
It’s not the reason we didn’t win.”
Indeed, it was Paul Collingwood’s hero-
ics which enabled England to pinch a draw
after all hope had seemed lost. He batted
almost six hours for his 74 before Ander-
son and Panesar survived the last balls.
England, who had a first-innings 435,
were at 252-9, a 13-run lead, when play
was called off – to the joy of the home
fans who celebrated as if they had won.
“We’re just thankful that we managed
to get away with it,” said captain Andrew
Strauss.
“We’ve not given away too much mo-
mentum, which is important in
back-to-back Tests. We are just very,
very thankful to get a draw and we can
take pride in the fight we showed.”
But Ponting warned them against get-
ting carried away, as Australia have not
Next 72 hours
Today
Cycling
Tour de France: Stage 10 (Live, Ch113, 7.45pm).
Tomorrow
Cycling
Tour de France: Stage 11 (Live, Ch113, 8.15pm).
Football
S-League: Geylang v Woodlands (Bedok, 7.45pm).
Thursday
Cricket
England v Australia: 2nd Test, day 1 (Live, Ch110,
5.58pm and 8.30pm).
Cycling
Tour de France: Stage 12 (Live, Ch113, 8.15pm).
Football
S-League: Sengkang v Young Lions (Hougang,
7.45pm).
Golf
The Open C’ship: 1st rd (Live, Ch23, 4pm, 8pm and
10.30pm).
US Bank C’ship: Day 1 (Live, Ch26 & Ch304, Friday,
4.15am).
“I’m not turning 50, I’m turning
40. There’s a big difference.”
Golfer Ernie Els, winner of three
Majors, refuting claims that his best
days are behind him. He has now gone
37 tournaments without a win
Straits Times yesterday.
“A lot of them have potential to do well
at the YOG, and I think we should give
them all the support they need to do their
best.”
He did not reveal figures, saying the pro-
posal to increase funding is still subject to
approval by the Singapore Youth Sports
Development Committee.
The committee, jointly set up by the
MCYS and the Ministry of Education last
September, is expected to meet this week
to discuss the increment.
In April, it announced that it would
spend $15 million to support youth sports
development initiatives – of which $5 mil-
lion would be allocated to YOG athletes.
About $2.6 million has been disbursed
to the national sports associations (NSAs)
in charge of grooming athletes for all 26
sports at next year’s YOG. Last month,
each NSA received $100,000 to fund such
training programmes.
The added funds, said Mr Teo, will be
made available to selected NSAs who have
submitted “good plans” and athletes who
Australian captain Ricky Ponting (right) with England’s Monty Panesar after Sunday’s first Ashes
Test was drawn. He slammed the hosts’ delaying tactics during the last wicket. PHOTO: REUTERS
lost a Test at Lord’s since 1934.
“Over the five days, we’ve played well
enough to get a result going our way,” he
said. “We got extremely close. We stum-
bled at the last hurdle.
“I’m not sure if they look at it like a
win. They’re not 1-0 up, they’ve been out-
played for four days.
“They’ll have more soul-searching and
PHOTO: REUTERS
Scorecard
Cricket
1st Ashes Test Fifth and final day in Cardiff:
England 435 and 252-9 (overnight 20-2: P.
Collingwood 74; Hilfenhaus 3-47). Australia 674-6
dec. Match drawn.
1st Test Fourth day in Kingstown, St Vincent:
Bangladesh 238 and 321-5 (T. Iqbal 128, Sammy
2-53). West Indies 307 (O. Phillips 94;
Mahmudullah 3-59).
2nd Test Second day in Colombo: Pakistan 90
(S. Malik 39 n.o.; N. Kulasekera 4-21) and 178-1
(F. Alam n.o. 102;). Sri Lanka 240 (K. Sangakkara
87, Gul 4-43).
have “good potential”.
Even those who did not win medals at
the AYG, or those whose sports did not fea-
ture at the Games, stand a chance of get-
ting more.
He said: “It’s not just about medals, but
how they have performed at the AYG and
in other competitions outside of Singa-
pore.”
The Football Association of Singapore
(FAS), whose team impressed at the AYG
despite not winning any medals, wel-
comed the news.
It has plans for about 20 friendly match-
es, including overseas stints.
“We are delighted that there will be
more funding for athletes and teams pre-
paring for the YOG next year,” said an
FAS spokesman.
“With these additional financial re-
sources, we will be able to send our team
to Asia and Europe for training and tourna-
ments.
“These are among our initiatives to ex-
pose our players to higher levels of train-
ing and competition.”
tvoon@sph.com.sg
LEE PAN NG
Age: 87
passed away peacefully on 13 July 2009.
Dearly missed and fondly remembered
by loved ones.
(Husband: Teo Kah Seng, deceased)
Sons: Daughter-in-law:
Teo Eng Soon
Teo Eng Leong, David Lim Hwee Hua, Emily
Daughters: Son-in-law:
Seah Meng Fong Seah Yew Kiat
Teo Poh Lian
Granddaughter: Grandson-in-law:
Rebecca Seah Li Kun Graham Bridle
Grandson: Granddaughter-in-law:
Julian Seah Heng Chong Rachel Finlayson
Great Grandson:
Kayde Seah An Li
Wake is held at S’pore Casket, 131 Lavender St,
Crystal Room (Level 4). Cortege will leave
on 16 July 2009 (Thurs) at 9.00am for
Mandai Crematorium Hall 2 for
cremation at 10.30am.
selection issues than we will have. We
know what we’ve done so well here, and
we can take a lot of confidence from that.
“All the batsmen looked exceptionally
good and the bowlers toiled hard on a sur-
face that offered nothing.
“We’ve got to realise how well we’ve
played.”
BLOOMBERG, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Croatia upset U.S.
TPOREC (Croatia): Croatia eliminated
the United States from tennis’ Davis
Cup, after Marin Cilic (left) beat
James Blake for an unbeatable 3-1 lead
in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
He won 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 on
indoor clay to give Croatia their first
semi-final berth since winning the
Cup in 2005. They will play the Czech
Republic, 3-2 winners over Argentina,
at home in September.
Champions Spain squeezed into the
last four with a 3-2 win over
Germany. They will host Israel, who
shocked Russia 4-1.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Football
S-League Young Lions 0 Tampines Rovers 3.
Golf
John Deere Classic In Silvis, Illinois, final rd
(USA unless noted): 264 Steve Stricker 71 61 68
64. 267 Zach Johnson 69 68 64 66, Brett Quigley
69 69 62 67, Brandt Snedeker 67 67 68 67.
US Women’s Open In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,
final rd (Kor unless noted): 284 Ji Eun Hee 71 72
70 71. 285 Candie Kung (Twn) 71 77 68 69. 286
Kim In Kyung 72 72 72 70, Cristie Kerr (USA) 69
70 72 75. Selected: 288 Paula Creamer (USA) 72
68 79 69, 293 Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 69 79 73 72.