Varsity rowers display their prowess

UNIVERSITI Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) won the overall title in the Kayak category with 60 points while Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) were tops in the Rowing category with 102 points in the Asean Varsity Boat Race held at the Putrajaya Water Sports Complex in Precinct 6 over the weekend.

The four-day competition saw participants from several universities in the South-East Asian region making their debut.

Apart from local universities and colleges, teams from Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia were also represented.

The competition attracted a total of 708 rowers from 32 universities, polytechnics and community colleges.

Job well done: Mohamed Khaled presenting the overall champion's trophy to UTHM in the rowing category

A total prize money of RM30,000 was on offer in the competition.

In the kayak category, favourites UTHM failed in their bid to clinch the gold and had to settle for silver in the Women's Double Kayak 500m.

In another final, the pair of Mohd Hanif Sulong and Nurudeen Ishanul Hadi settled for a bronze in the Men's TK2 1,000m event.

UTHM finished with 44 points, just a point short of Universiti Malaya who came in second.

UTHM made up for their disappointment in the Kayak category when they took top spot in the Rowing category, leaving hosts UTM in second spot with 94 points and Ateneo University of the Philippines in third.

Side event: A traditional cultural dance performance during the Asian Varsity Boat Race.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin gave away the prizes to the overall champions in both the categories.

RM1mil was spent on organising the fourth edition of the race, which is fast becoming a major rowing event in the country.

This year's event was held in co-operation with the Malaysian Rowing Association, the Malaysian Canoe Association, Perbadanan Putrajaya and the Malaysian University Sports Council.

UTHM juara acara mendayung

PUTRAJAYA, AHAD, 11 Okt– UNIVERSITI Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) menepati status pasukan pilihan apabila muncul juara keseluruhan dalam saingan Mendayung (Rowing) VARSITY BOAT RACE 2009 yang berakhir di Kompleks Sukan Air di sini hari ini.

Tuanrumah Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), biarpun gagal menyaingi kehebatan UTHM dalam saingan Mendayung, masih mampu tersenyum selepas meraih juara keseluruhan saingan Kayak apabila meraih 60 mata, mengatasi pencabar terdekat Universiti Malaya (UM) dengan kelebihan 15 mata.

UTHM menebus kekecewaan tahun lepas, menjalani latihan intensif sejak beberapa boulan lepas dan menampilkan dayungan mantap untuk meraih gelaran juara acara berprestij Mendayung buat kali pertama.

UTM, juga antara pasukan pilihan, sekadar menduduki tampuk naib juara selepas hanya ketinggalan lapan mata di belakang UTHM, tewas dalam beberapa acara kegemaran, dengan meraih 94 mata daripada kesemua 12 acara mendayung.

Univeristi Ateneo Filipina, yang muncul buat kali pertama, pulang dengan kedudukan ketiga keseluruhan mendayung.

Menteri Pengajian Tinggi Dato Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin menyampaikan hadiah kepada pemenang dan menutup secara rasmi kejohanan empat hari yang menarik penyertaan universiti dari Malaysia, Thailand, Filipina dan Indonesia.

Kejohanan Varsity Boat Race, yang dianjurkan buat kali keempat tahun ini, dianjurkan oleh Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi dan dihoskan oleh Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Seramai 708 pendayung dari 32 universiti, politeknik, kolej komuniti dan sekolah-sekolah di sekitar Putrajaya turut serta.

Terdahulu dalam ucapan penutupnya, Dato Seri Mohamed Khaled berkata UTM telah menunjukkan kemampuan menganjurkan kejohanan itu buat kali ketiga berturut-turut.

“Untuk itu, sebagai penggerak utama sukan mendayung, Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi telah memilih UTM sebagai Pusat Kecemerlangan Sukan Air bagi atlet pusat pengajian tinggi di bawah Dasar Pembangunan Sukan Institusi Pengajian TInggi yang telah dilancarkan baru-baru ini,” kata beliau.

Menurutnya, selain pencapaian akademik, pencapaian cemerlang dalam sukan amat penting bagi penuntut di menara gading mempersiapkan diri menghadapi pelbagai cabaran baru di abad ini.

Beliau juga menggesa sektor swasta turut berganding bahu dan menyertai penganjuran Varsity Boat Race untuk memberikan lebih nilai dan imej kepada kejohanan berkenaan.

Perlumbaan boleh diikuti secara langsung internet menerusi laman web: www.utm.my/varsityboat race2009.

KEPUTUSAN KESELURUHAN:
JUARA KESELURUHAN (MENDAYUNG)
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

JUARA KESELURUHAN (KAYAK)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

RANKING KESELURUHAN (10 TERATAS)
MENDAYUNG
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (102 mata)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (94)
Ateneo University Philippines (63)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (56)
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (52)
Unversitas Pendidikan Indonesia (38)
Universiti Tenaga Nasional (33)
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (23)
Universiti Darul Iman Malaysia (21)
Burapha University Thailand (18)


KAYAK (10 TERATAS)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (60 points)
Universiti Malaya (45)
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (44)
Univeristi Perguruan Sultan Idris (36)
Chiangmai University Thailand (32)
Universiti Teknologi Mara (31)
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (28)
Majlis Sukan Polititeknik (21)
Majlis Sukan Kolej Komuniti Malaysia (19)
Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (15)