Pacquiao named 2011 ESPY Best Fighter anew

By Dino Maragay (philstar.com)

Manny Pacquiao with other 2011 ESPY Best Fighter nominees

Credits: 

ESPN Screen cap

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao has been named 2011’s Best Fighter by the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Awards, marking the second time he was given the distinction.

Pacquiao edged fellow boxers Sergio Martinez and Bernard Hopkins, and mixed martial arts stars Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones for the plum, whose winner was announced during the ESPY awards night at the Nokia Center in Los Angeles today.

The Filipino boxing icon has been nominated for the award four times, winning it in 2009.

Established in 1993 by sports network ESPN, the ESPY Awards picks the top achievers in various sports. Nominees for each category are chosen by the ESPY Select Nominating Committee, with the winners determined via online fan voting.

Pacquiao has only fought once this year, dominating Shane Mosley last May to retain his WBO welterweight title. Prior to that, he bludgeoned Antonio Margarito en route to a unanimous decision win in November last year.

He is booked to face archrival Juan Manuel Marquez in November.

Pacquiao has won numerous awards in the past, including several Fighter of the Year Awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine.

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Manila fat cats reject Manny Pacquiao, his Pinoy blood not rich enough for them

Michael Marley, Boxing Examiner

Paris Hilton and Pacman after Mosley fight

If Manny Pacquiao applied for a golf and or country club membership in the United States and was rejected, the howling from Pacland would be intense.

All kinds of allegations as to racial/ethnic discrimination would be being hurled about with abandon.
Yet the Pinoy Idol just got snubbed for membership by the grand poobahs at the Manila Golf Club and Manila Polo Club and the story has been relegated to a few lines here and there in the Filipino press.
Clearly, this is prejudice based on pedigree.

Either that, or you must be very rich AND have won world ring titles in nine weight divisions before you can qualify for the privilege of membership.

Manila Golf Club OFF limits for PACMAN

Now, look, we can all understand that a private social club or association can accept or reject any prospective member.

This was perhaps best summed up by two witticisms by the great comedian, Groucho Marx.
“I refuse to join any club which would have me as a member,” Groucho once cracked.
On another occasion, his young daughter was rejected by a swanky Beverly Hills country club which she wanted to join to use their lavish swimming pool.

That club has a firm “No Jews” policy.

Instead of getting mad, Groucho lampooned the club’s idiotic discrimination in a letter to the head of the chichi country club.

In the letter Groucho pointed out his progeny was “only half Jewish, so I am wondering if she can go into your pool up to her neck.”

In Pacquiao’s case, despite all the accolades he’s won and all the glory he’s brought to his nation through his rags to riches saga and his humble, God fearing manner, the bucks up boys at the golf club did not want “his kind” on the oligarchical premises.

I see this as a real kick in the ass given Pacquiao’s stature, including his Congressional position, but these uber wealthy jerks are getting away with their snobbery.

I mean, there are reasons not to want Pacman as a member, including his huge entourage and necessary security personnel that accompany him around his homeland.

Not to mention that I don’t think Manny knows the difference between a sandwich and a sand wedge.

But, as far as I can see, no reasons have been stated.

At least one guy is rightfully steamed, according to my friend, esteemed and veteran columnist Recah Trinidad.

Trinidad, father of TV sports maven Chino Trinidad, recently ran this brief item on the Philippine Daily Inquirer website:

“(DOUBLE BOGEY: Golf godfather Louie Reyes has this to say about the controversial vote that deprived national treasure Manny Pacquiao of membership in an exclusive country club: “Rod Feliciano and I are pissed. Manila Golf Club and Manila Polo Club rejected the membership of Manny Pacquiao. Damned elitists. Manny earned his fortune without stealing from the Filipino and brought pride and glory for Pinoys. How many members of the club can claim the same? How idiotic. They deserve to be censured.”)”

I couldn’t concur more with Sir Louie and Sir Rod.

Those fat cats who rejected Pacman, the county’s greatest sporting hero, are nothing but a bunch of divotheads.

There, I’ve said it.

Maybe they think that someone with Pacquiao’s social beginnings should be cleaning their pool and manicuring their greens.

Maybe he could even caddy for 18 holes.

And maybe Manny can use the mental reminder, you’re not one of them now and you will never be.
Pugilist to president? It could happen but these blockheads are either members of the Lucky Gene Pool Club or avaricious business types who may have exploited the poor, huddled masses en route to their riches.

They can’t comprehend the beauty of the Pacquiao story.

Don’t worry, Manny, I can take you on subway up to The Bronx and we can hack it up at ancient public course, Van Cortlandt.

Baseball immortal Babe Ruth used to play there. So did the comedic geniuses known as The Three Stooges.

It sounds like the real stooges now play at the well-manicured Manila Golf Club.
They can have it. As the saying goes, even money can't buy class.


source: examiner.com

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Basketball team for Borneo tourney 'almost finalised'

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 

Thursday, July 14, 2011

photo by BT/Yee Chun Leon

IT is almost time to select the "15-strong" where the best will represent the Sultanate.

The national basketball coach Kevin Reece told The Brunei Times that they have almost finalised the names on who shall be part of the elite.

The Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) had pre-selected players that started intensive training under the American last Monday.

After more than a week of assessments, the national coach knows who will be on the roster to compete at the 13th Borneo City Men's Basketball Invitational Tournament 2011 in Kota Kinabalu from August 4-7.

In addition, the selected players will compete at the upcoming 2011 Sultan's Cup which will tip off on July 23.

"Most of them will be from the core that have been training since the start of the programme. But there are also a couple of them who were already on the radar," said Reece in an interview when met yesterday during a training session at the BBA court in Batu Bersurat.

"However, we won't be able to get all the players that we want to play for both tournaments. It is a major blow for me but there is nothing we can do about it," he added.

"But we will just have to continue working on our chemistry and I believe that some of those chosen are the missing pieces and hope they blend in quickly," continued the American. The national coach once again emphasised that the game is more on defence than offence and feels that his cagers have improved from time. "We will win and lose on our defence. We have had a good run for the past three tournaments," he said.

"Even in Vietnam we had that chance to finish as runners-up or even champions. The players who went have a great deal of experience from those situations," he added.

"But now we can see the maturity as we had to lose to learn on how to win," continued the 51-year-old.

The LA Lakers fan was referring to the Vietnam Basketball Federation National Cup held in Soc Trang City, Vietnam, where they returned with a 1-3 win-loss record back in March. In addition, the Los Angeles native feels that those losses allow the players to be on the same page. However, he highlighted that there are plenty of areas that need improvement in training camp as well.

"The discipline and focus is still lacking for some. There is also a need for attitude adjustments," said Reece.

"But nonetheless all of the newcomers are adjusting well to the programme and I'm happy with the production," he concluded.


source: The Brunei Times

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Manny’s my guy, says Kobe Bryant

By Francis T.J. Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer

photo by AP

MANILA—Still, Kobe Bryant answered it, to the delight of an obviously biased crowd of journalists.
In a fight between Manny Pacquiao and undefeated American Floyd Mayweather, the Black Mamba will root for the Pacman.

“Manny’s my guy,” said Bryant during a press conference for the Nike Kobe Manila Tour 2011 at the Manila Peninsula.

“I love his tenacity, I love everything about him. Manny’s a friend.”

When Kobe also picked Pacquiao during the Saranggani congressman’s bout with Miguel Cotto in 2009, he said: “[T]hat’s not even a question. Manny Pacquiao all the way.”

Pacquiao, who won that bout to annex a historic seventh weight crown, is slated to face Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in November.

Mayweather, on the other hand, is set to fight Victor Ortiz in September.

Negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout—possibly the highest-grossing match in boxing history—collapsed several times before due to differences in drug-testing protocols.

Pacquiao adheres to the system already in place in boxing while Mayweather wants strict Olympic-style tests.

Pacquiao and Bryant are both Nike endorsers and have appeared in a commercial together.

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Defence was Welflex's final downfall

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Efren Espiritu (R) of CESK

THEY came in as the favourites and could have left the court in celebratory mood, but their opponents had other plans.

Welflex Engineering were always in a good position to be crowned champions of the FAB-LBC Basketball Tournament OFW Open at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat on Sunday.

But failure to adjust at the defensive end led to a 90-81 downfall to Chop Eng Seng Keo (CESK) in the final.

Welflex Engineering were clearly undersized and their 3-2 zone defence led to the duo of tournament MVP Geve Leones and Jeff Paraiso easily raking up points in the paint.

Despite getting off to a slow start to trail 20-11 heading into the second quarter, Welflex Engineering managed to pull up their socks to lead by as many as 10 points but stamina was an inevitable problem.

Their tired legs were exposed on Sunday and Welflex Engineering usually a run and gun style of team were outrun by CESK in the championship match. Their failure to get back on defence resulted in easy transition points.

Four of their starters Don Mordeno, Marjomar Aying, Elvin Requintin and Aries Castro were in the Black Cobra line up that fought hard to a 76-72 win over Batangas Double Blade in the semi-finals of the Brunei Open Basketball Championship 2011 at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria on Saturday night.

On the other hand, only Leones and Paraiso from CESK saw action on Saturday night. Despite this they each poured in 31 and 22 points in the victory.

"It was our lack of defence that led to the loss. We did try to adjust but our opponents just played a solid game throughout," said Michael Juan, the head coach of Welflex Engineering, in an interview with The Brunei Times after the loss.

"We tried to cover the lanes but our opponents were well prepared for this meeting. I thought we managed to play to our potential and the players gave it their all but we still came up short," he added.

Juan also acknowledged that size was a huge factor in the game considering that Welflex Engineering ran away with a 78-64 win in their first meeting during the round-robin stage when CESK were missing their bigs.

"Their big men were clearly a factor. They got into the paint and freed up space for the shooters. It allowed them to gain confidence as they were controlling the boards too," said Juan.


source: The Brunei Times

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Philippine's Ochoa clinches 2011 Baiduri Masters

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, July 11, 2011

photo by: BT/Yee Chun Leong

HE flew in to Brunei for one reason: to play in the 2011 Baiduri Masters.

Filipino national golfer Carlos Miguel Eleazar Ochoa fired a one-under 71 to be crowned the champion of the 16th edition of the Sultanate's most prestigious golf tournament yesterday at the Royal Brunei Airlines Golf Club in Berakas.

With only 12 making it into the final round after two weekends of competition featuring over 900 golfers, the 21-year-old Filipino only won by one shot to don the Green Jacket during a prize presentation ceremony held last night at the Orchid Garden Hotel in Berakas.

The best gross scorer in the qualifiers, Amalularifin Hilmi Abdul Rahman finished in the runner-up spot with his score of 72 on countback.

The next three spots were occupied by Hj Arfian Hj Abd Kadir, last year's champion Seruji Hj Setia and Khairul Khamis respectively. Each of them had matching 72s but were positioned on countback.

Present as guest of honour during the ceremony was YAM Pengiran Muda Abdul Muqtadir, the son of Baiduri Bank chairperson Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anak Isteri Pg Anak Hajah Zariah, who presented the trophy to Carlos Miguel Eleazar.

The other winners in their respective divisions at the RBA Golf Club were Muhd Hariz Hasim (Division A), Hj Sani Hj Bakir (Division B), Hariel Hj Simpol (Division C), Lim Chai Hock (Senior), Hazel Tan Kim Lien (Ladies) and Bryan Chiew Chun Hao (Junior).

The highlight of the event saw a total of $60,000 handed over to various charity and welfare organisations.

A total of five prizes are up for grabs as hole-in-one prizes this year.

Besides the Porsche, BMW and Land Rover, golfers also stand a chance to win two cash prizes of $20,000 each.

However, no one won any of the prizes on offer.

In the competition's 15-year history, only one person has managed to hit an ace and drive home a brand new BMW with Elyas Abdullah Tseu taking the honour back in 2008.

source: The Brunei Times

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NBA All-Stars against Smart Gilas five?

By June Navarro
Philippine Daily Inquirer

photo: courtesy of slamdunkcentral.com

MANILA—Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant may bring their fabled cage acts to Philippine shores if negotiations to bring an NBA All-Star Selection to play against Smart Gilas Pilipinas succeeds.

Sources said officials of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has already forwarded an offer for the NBA Stars to meet the Gilas five in exhibition matches set on July 25 and 26 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Rose, the reigning NBA MVP from the Chicago Bulls, and Durant, the NBA’s back-to-back scoring king from the Oklahoma Thunder, may be joined by slam dunk king and Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin of the LA Clippers, the source added.

The tuneup matches, the source said, is a treat for fans courtesy of SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan, who is celebrating his birthday on July 14.

Expected to join Rose, Durant and Griffin are Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Andrei Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers and Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat.

According to the source, the invitation was sent after the start of the NBA lockout last week following the failure of team owners and players to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.

Reports said that Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes has been spearheading the negotiations with former NBA star Chris Webber. The two met when MVP’s group went to the US recently to explore plans of buying into the Sacramento Kings franchise.

Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman welcomed theprospect of playing the NBA stars, saying the Nationals need many international games prior to their stint in the Fiba Asia Championship on Sept. 15-25 in Wuhan, China, which offers the lone continental ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.

“I hope it pushes through. We need all the games we could get after our trip in Europe was canceled,” said Toroman.

The PH five recently canceled planned European training camps in Portugal and Turkey this month due to injuries that plagued the team and the unavailability of its PBA reinforcements.

Asi Taulava of Meralco, Dondon Hontiveros of Air21 and TNT’s Jimmy Alapag and Kelly Williams have decided to play in the ongoing Governor’s Cup, which is expected to end until the second week of August.

Smart Gilas played with only nine players in capturing the Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship in Jakarta last month.

Shooting guard Marcio Lassiter, who hurt his back prior to the tournament, is expected to return to practice within the week.

The team came from a series of tuneups in Cebu City, Mandaue and Iloilo City last week and handily beat the Cebu Ninos twice and the Mandaue Landmasters in a three-game sweep.

The Nationals will also compete in the Jones Cup on Aug. 6-14 in Taipei and compete in one or two more foreign tournaments before going to Wuhan.

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Leones wins some, loses some

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, July 11, 2011

Geve Leones (L) of CESK

 

 IT was a bittersweet day for Geve Leones.

Having been crowned king earlier yesterday when he put up an MVP performance at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat to help his team Chop Eng Seng Keo (CESK) land the title, Leones fell in another final last night.

The Filipino was named the MVP of the final after he poured in 31 points to lead CESK to the FAB-LBC Basketball Tournament OFW Open crown after a 90-81 victory over Welflex Engineering.

But, having been drained out of his energy he was stopped in his tracks at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria in his second final of the day.

Leones had to settle for the silver after the depleted Black Cobra side fell 80-69 to Esmond Tan's Bukit Ladang in the final of the Brunei Open Basketball Championship 2011.

The lanky Filipino still managed to topscore for his team with 16 points despite fouling out midway through the fourth quarter but it was not enough for him to celebrate a second gold medal.



source: The Brunei Times

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New Team to Join Season 3 of AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League

6th July, 2011, Manilla, Philippines: The San Miguel Beermen Philippines team is now officially a member of the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) family. The team made an official announcement in Manilla today on the 6th of July 2011 that they will be joining South East Asia’s inter-nation professional basketball league in Season 3. 

Mr. Ramon Ang, President and CEO of San Miguel commented, “We are honoured to be apart of the ABL as it is fastest growing league in SEA today. Our aim is to strengthen the brand in the region and we are mindful that we are representing the nation in this league. I would like to thank ABL for welcoming us as this gives us opportunities to reach out to customers and fans throughout the SEA”

Together with young collegians, ex- players and current players of the PBA, the team will be ready to give the other teams a tough challenge as they are aiming to win the Season 3 championship. With more teams in the league, this will also include more games during the regular season in which regional fans can now look forward to a bigger and longer season.

With San Miguel joining in, the league will now have 2 Philippine based teams along with the AirAsia Philippine Patriots who were the runners up to the 2nd Season. Other teams also participating in the league include last season’s champions ,Chang Thailand Slammers together with SatriaMuda BritAma, Singapore Slingers, Brunei Barracudas, and Westport’s KL Dragons.

Mario Wuysang, Point Guard of  Indonesia’s current ABL team SatriaMuda added “ It is great that San Miguel is joining the ABL, to have a PBA team joining is exciting for us as players and i believe for the fans in the region as well. I also believe it will take the competitive level up another notch. So im personally excited and eager to take on the challenge”

Mr. Goh Cheng Huat, head coach of the Westports KL Dragons from Malaysia in Season 2 said, “ the league will be more exciting, competitive and challenging for the teams as we have an additional new team, as it is also good for the league as it shows that the league is growing in the region”.

Mr. Khun Surasak Chinawatana, the team owner of the Chang Thailand Slammers and the President of the Thailand Basketball Association added, “I would like to give a warm welcome to San Miguel in joining ABL next season. Their participation in next season's league would only make the ABL games more competitive and entertaining for each and everyone of us. We look forward to an exciting season ahead!" 

San Miguel’s strategic move to join the team will also be a great marketing push for its brand in the South East Asia market as they will have a good platform to promote their products in the region as well as to represent their nation in the ABL.

Singapore Slingers General Manager Michael Johnson added “The announcement that a team with the power and quality of the San Miguel brand is joining the ABL in 2012 is a great step forward for the league. I also believe it is a great step for San Miguel who will be able to showcase their team's talent and brand throughout SE Asia in a week to week regional league”

Mr. Erick Thohir, President of the South East Asia Basketball Association commented, “It is an honour for us to have San Miguel in the league as it is one of the biggest brands in SEA and with this we  continue to build basketball in the SEA. With all the talent that we have in SEA and with competition, one day we will have a team whom will represent ASIA in the world of basketball”

Mr. Bobby Park,  a legend in the Philippine basketball scene has been selected as the best person to lead the San Miguel Beermen Philippines team. 

The 3rd Season of the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League is scheduled to start on 14th of Jan. 2012 right up to the grand championship finals in June 2012 with the Chang Thailand Slammers trying to defend their championship title and national pride from old rivals and competitive newcomers.



source: ABL news

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Now it's Mayweather's move on Pacquiao testing

July 9th, 2011

Darren Barcomb

Manny Pacquiao appears ready to submit to random blood testing, but will that be enough to put him in the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Fans have longed to see Pacquiao put his WBO welterweight title on the line against Mayweather, but disagreements over the testing has clouded the prospects of the super bout occurring.

Bob Arum has now stated that Pacquiao will meet Mayweather’s demands and submit to random testing. But there still may be one snag. According to reports, they will not agree to the USADA performing the tests, instead calling for a neutral testing organization.

While this news has sparked a great deal of press, it is uncertain if Mayweather will agree to this stipulation. Mayweather wants the USADA to perform the test because he believes they are credible and he apparently is weary of tampering.

So although testing has been initially agreed to, get ready for the circus that will now ensue as both sides haggle over what constitutes a neutral organization. If Mayweather really wants this fight to happen, he will agree to a credible and supervised testing process by another recognized organization. If the whole concept of testing is just a smokescreen to avoid the matchup, then let the games continue.

The ball is now in Mayweather’s court. He is already eyeing Amir Khan as his next opponent and Pacquiao may be temporarily off of his radar. It’s my guess that we will now see endless squabbles over the USADA issue as well as cut-off dates for such testing. This could also create a precedent for future expensive testing for other fighters.

The two sides need to come to an agreement soon and make this happen. Politics do nothing for the sport and this issue is really no closer to being resolved than it was before this announcement.



source: 8countnews

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Will Leones be king?

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, July 10, 2011

FANS are in for a treat and it is bound to be a spectacular show. Those at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat today can expect a tightly contested game between Welflex Engineering and Chop Eng Seng Keo (CESK) in the final of the FAB-LBC Basketball Tournament OFW Open.

It is also one not to be missed considering the roster of players filling up both sides.

Welflex Engineering are looking more like the favourites to lift the trophy, having run away with a 78-64 victory in their first meeting in the round-robin stages last month.

Shrugging off a slow start, Welflex Engineering defeated Hua San Hardware 103-81 in the semi-finals on Thursday to move into the final.

On the other hand, CESK have shown a different side of their game which was more concentrated on defence that saw them cruise to an 88-69 win over Still Got the Bloes (SGTB) in the other semi-final.

Welflex Engineering have arguably the best lineup in the competition with the duo of Don Mordeno and Marjomar Aying in the backcourt.

Also on the roster is shot-blocking specialist Elvin Requintin and the deadly jumpshooter Aries Castro.

The team can easily rake up points quickly scoring in transition and have plenty of firepower to go to.

They have only lost one game so far and it was a 66-65 heartbreak to SGTB last month.

On the other hand, Geve Leones will be spearheading CESK at the offensive end.

Efren Espiritu, standing at 6ft 5in, is manning the centre position and teams have found it difficult to score in the paint whenever he is on the floor.

Jeff Paraiso is also another go-to-guy who can score by slashing to the hoop and veteran sharpshooter Noel Grafil is deadly from behind the arc.

Welflex Engineering head coach Michael Juan is also wary of CESK and needs his team to play to their full potential in order to conjure up a victory.

"We need to play to our potential in order to beat them. Our big men will also need to step up on their game," said Juan in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"We need to come out strong from the opening and sustain it throughout the match," he added.

Asked who would pose the biggest threat to his team's title campaign, Juan replied: "We will need to contain Geve, Paraiso and Grafil.

"We saw that our opponents have adjusted their defence and they are ready for a physical battle.

"I just need to motivate my players and I believe they are ready for it," concluded Juan.

On the other hand, the head coach of CESK Raul Dimaano felt that it will be a whole different game as their bigs weren't available in their first meeting.

"Our opponents are a very strong team and it will be another tough game. We'll continue to focus on our defence," said Dimaano.

"We are prepared and it will be a different ball game now that we have our big men playing. Overall it should be a good final," he added.

The final will tip off at 4pm with the third-place playoff starting at 2pm.


source:  The Brunei Times

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Sultan's Cup: Calling all basketball players

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, July 10, 2011

ARE you ready for some serious ball game?

THE green light is on for the annual Sultan's Cup basketball competition and all basketball enthusiasts are invited to compete in the tournament.

Organised by the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA), the tournament is scheduled to be held on July 23.

The competition will be contested at the BBA court in Batu Bersurat and is held in conjunction with His Majesty's 65th birthday celebration.

The tournament is open to players with a valid Brunei identity card (yellow, red or green) and will feature both the men's and women's categories.

Entry forms can be obtained from the competition venue. Completed forms together with a registration fee of $300 must be handed in no later than the closing date on July 17.

For more information contact Soon Ching Long at 8770316 or Ang at 8897449.


source: The Brunei Times

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