Malaysian camp in Rio buoyant, cheered up by ‘big brother’ Chong Wei |
- Malaysian camp in Rio buoyant, cheered up by ‘big brother’ Chong Wei
- World’s weirdest beaches: White silica sands of Whitehaven Beach
- Hundreds hit streets in Hong Kong’s first ‘PokeWalk’
- Johor DT stay top of Super League with 1-0 win over Perak
- Pokemon Go mania sweeping Singapore
- Swimmer Welson close to beating own national record in Rio heats
| Malaysian camp in Rio buoyant, cheered up by ‘big brother’ Chong Wei Posted: 06 Aug 2016 06:41 PM PDT
The athlete who has been the longest around is sailor Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy after he arrived here on July 12 while the first Malaysian woman sailor to the Olympics, Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif, arrived on July 24. The sailing events only start on Aug 14. The cycling duo of Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and female cyclist Fatehah Mustapa only arrived here today after a month-long training stint in Portugal. Where fatigue can creep in especially with expectation thrown in as well, the 32 athletes are taking their challenge in high spirits. Khairulnizam, making his second Olympic appearance after the London edition in 2012, when asked how he felt being in training and staying away from home for a long time, merely threw in a big smile. "To be a champion, you need to make sacrifices," he said. He said the home comfort, friends and family was something that was missing when away for a long period of time. "I can't deny that I miss my mother's cooking and the Malaysian taste... It's something you can't get here," he said. Although at the international games and Olympics, you are spoiled for choice, you can never get the same teh-tarik or nasi lemak like in Malaysia," said the 23-year-old sailor whose father Mohd Afendy Abdullah is the team's coach here. On the other hand, chef-de-mission Tan Sri Muhammad Al Amin Abdul Majid said the athletes' spirit was high in the camp but athletes missed the familiar Malaysian food. "We can't bring our own cook here as this is Olympics," he said. Coming early to Rio, he said, was a wise decision as the athletes had now got over the jet-lag and acclimatised to the weather and the venues' atmosphere. He said the camaraderie among the athletes was excellent and good spirit prevailed in the camp as each athlete was focused with their mission to bring honours to the country. Al Amin said the athletes had their own communication channel to keep in touch with their family and friends back home and that had somehow taken the pressure of "missing home" feelings. "They contact their loved ones through all forms of social media and skype," he said. He said Datuk Lee Chong Wei, the national badminton icon, is like a big brother for the others as he cheered them up and gave them confidence and motivation. "Every athlete likes to be with Chong Wei, jokes with him and takes selfie with him and on the other hand, the shuttler is friendly and lends an ear to them," he added. — Bernama  |
| World’s weirdest beaches: White silica sands of Whitehaven Beach Posted: 06 Aug 2016 06:33 PM PDT
Where to find it Considered one of the world's most beautiful beaches, Whitehaven Beach can be found in the Whitsunday Islands, off the north-west coast of Queensland, Australia, and are sheltered by the Great Barrier Reef. There are 74 islands in the Whitsundays archipelago, including Hamilton Island — a popular destination for well-to-do tourists and Australian bachelor and bachelorette party getaways. Whitehaven Beach is on Whitsunday Island. Unusual feature While each of the Whitsunday islands is as beautiful as the next, Whitehaven Beach stands out for its ultra-fine white silica sand. To touch, the sand has an almost flour-like consistency, while its cool temperature contrasts with the hot sun that beats down on this 7km (4.35-mile) stretch of paradise. The cherry on the cake is the crystal clear water, once again thanks to the snowy white sand. How to get there Tourists usually visit the Whitsunday Islands on a cruise, stopping off for a few hours at Whitehaven Beach. The site is protected by the Australian government. However, there are areas where camping is authorised. Those with time to kill often reach the campsites by boat. However, some forward planning is required, as travellers must bring water (at least five litres per person per day), as well as all their camping gear plus oil or gas for cooking (fires are not permitted). Hot tip Head to Hill Inlet, at the northern end of the beach, a stunning inlet that's bordered by rainforest. This is a great spot for professional and amateur photographers to capture the pale sand and the blue hues of the sea. The lookout at Tongue Point also offers fantastic views. Best beach activity With such crystal clear water, snorkelling is the most highly recommended activity for visitors to Whitehaven Beach. Just beware of jellyfish season between November and May. In fact, it's highly recommended to wear a wetsuit at all times of year. The colours and beauty of Whitehaven Beach can also be enjoyed from the air with a flight over the archipelago. Several firms run trips by helicopter or seaplane, some of which also take in the Great Barrier Reef. — AFP-Relaxnews |
| Hundreds hit streets in Hong Kong’s first ‘PokeWalk’ Posted: 06 Aug 2016 06:31 PM PDT
The gaming app landed in late July in Hong Kong and saw residents more glued to their phones than ever, searching for the cyber creatures in locations ranging from public parks to the government headquarters. The app, which uses satellite locations, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters on real-world settings, has prompted warnings from governmental departments and even from the Chinese People's Liberation Army garrisoned in the city. But this did not stop hundreds of Pokemon faithful from gathering in the financial district of Central Yesterday to catch the cyber creatures en masse. "We grew up with Pokemon and this has been something in our lives since we were very young," Vince Siu co-founder of Press Start, which organised what is billed as the city's first "PokeWalk", told AFP. Another player also agreed it was nice to see people of different ages out in the streets reconnecting with others and their childhoods. "I think the community aspect of it is nice, we all grew up with Pokemon," Sarah Masters, 19, said. "It's nice how people can come together and do something like this," the university student added. Around 200 players attended the event, according to AFP reporters at the scene. Players filled up the sidewalks and screamed with excitement when rare Pokemon creatures appeared on their phones, as they were watched over by a handful of police officers and organisers who led the crowds and reminded participants to be careful when crossing roads. In Indonesia last month a French player was stopped and questioned for several hours after the app led him into a military base. On the other side of the world, two youngsters were so preoccupied with catching the cartoon monsters that they wandered across the US-Canada border. Some Pokemon Go players were even robbed after being lured to isolated locations in hopes of catching the virtual creatures, according to US reports. Other distracted players have been blamed for causing traffic accidents. — AFP |
| Johor DT stay top of Super League with 1-0 win over Perak Posted: 06 Aug 2016 06:28 PM PDT
The Southern Tigers' solitary goal through Argentinian Jorge Pereyra Diaz in the 15th minute was enough to keep them at the top of the table with 43 points. Perak dropped to sixth place with 20 points. Felda United remained in second place with 39 points, after a 2-2 draw with Terengganu atTun Abdul Razak Stadium in Jengka, after going behind 0-2. Terengganu scored through Issey Morgan Nakajima-Farran (seventh min) and Ashari Samsudin (60th), while Felda United fought back through goals from Zah Rahan Krangar (71st) and Ahmad Syamim Yahya (88th). Selangor also retained their position in third with 26 points despite losing 0-1 to Kedah at Darulaman Stadium, Alor Star. South Korean Bang Seung-Hwan scored for Kedah in the 47th minute. Kedah trail Selangor with 25 points in fourth place, followed by Kelantan, who rose to fifth place with 21 points after a 2-0 win over T-Team at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium, Kota Bharu. Mohd Badhri Mohd Radzi and Wander Luiz Junior scored for the Kelantan (65th, 89th) while the defeat for T-Team saw them fall to eighth with 19 points. Meanwhile, Penang managed to climb two rungs to ninth with 18 points after they emerged 2-0 winners against Sarawak at State Stadium in Kuching. The two goals were courtesy of Muhamad Faizat Mohd Ghazli (14th) and S Kumaahran (83rd). Pahang remained at the bottom of the table after losing 0-1 to the Police through Guilherme De Paula's strike in the 71st minute. — Bernama |
| Pokemon Go mania sweeping Singapore Posted: 06 Aug 2016 06:22 PM PDT
The free-to-play augmented reality mobile game has become a global phenomenon since it was released in Australia, New Zealand and the United States on July 5. For the uninitiated, Pokemon Go is a mobile game jointly created in collaboration by The Pokemon Company, developer Niantic Labs and Japanese gaming company Nintendo. Phenomenal global success Since its release, people around the world — including Singapore — have been waiting with bated breath for the game to be released globally. Some Singaporeans have gone as far as to bypass geo-locks to download it. Multiple Facebook groups for Singaporean Pokemon Go fans have also been created prior to the launch. "I managed to download the game before it was officially released here," said Syukri Anwar, 22, a civil servant, "I didn't play it for long because there were just too many limitations to really experience the Pokemon Go world in full. Now that it's here, I'm taking a week's leave to play it," he added. "I watched the cartoon when I was younger and played all the different versions of Pokemon on the various consoles. It's exciting to be able to now try this new, modern way of experiencing the Pokemon universe," said freelance videographer Corina Oh, 24. Security bugs As much as Pokemon Go has been a success so far, there have been many concerns on safety and security. The mobile game was used by four youths from Missouri, USA, to lure almost a dozen players into a secluded spot, where they were then robbed. There have also been a rash of car accidents caused by either a driver or pedestrian playing Pokemon Go. Personal data security also came into question when iOS users, along with a handful of Android users, discovered that downloading and playing the game meant giving it full access to the player's Google account, including emails and private documents. Niantic has since issued a statement that was published on technology website Engadget, stating, "Pokemon Go only accesses basic Google profile information (specifically, your User ID and email address) and no other Google account information is or has been accessed or collected. Once we became aware of this error, we began working on a client-side fix to request permission for only basic Google profile information, in line with the data that we actually access." How to play Pokemon Go has a fairly simple interface. Once you've chosen and customised your avatar, you'll be directed by Professor Willow, a Pokemon researcher to catch your first Pokemon. After you're done with the tutorial, the Pokemon Go landscape transforms into a 360° map of the area, showing you the various Pokestops — spots where you can get supplies like Pokeballs — and Pokemon Gyms in the area. A small tab on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen will also show you what Pokemon are nearby, though those aren't shown on the map. As many users in countries the game first have pointed out, the proximity of available Pokemon were previously indicated with stars in the tab, but that feature has since been removed. The game is also easy-to-navigate — familiarising with the gameplay will take little to no time. The hardest part? All the walking that you'd have to do to get to Pokemon, Pokestops and Pokemon Gyms. With the game finally in Singapore, don't be surprised to see strangers with phones poking around your neighbourhood this weekend in search of, what else? Pokemon Go is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. — TODAY |
| Swimmer Welson close to beating own national record in Rio heats Posted: 06 Aug 2016 06:19 PM PDT
In the heats, Welson came close with a time of 3:51.57s. His national record of 3:50.33s was set when he qualified for his debut Olympics at the National Age Group Championships in Singapore in March. Despite not expected to be in the finals, he aimed to improve on his national mark in Rio but breathed a sigh of relief after coming out of the pool. "I was under thunderous pressure because this is my favourite event and everyone put high expectation. Although I didn't make into the finals I am happy to come close to my personal best," said the 19-year-old athlete. As was relieved of the pressure, Welson said he would be more calm and relaxed to do even better in the 200m freestyle tomorrow. "I am more free now and can concentrate to beat my national record in the 200m freestyle," he added. Welson erased Daniel Bego record of 1:49.21 set in 2013 during the same championships in Singapore with a new mark of 1:47.67s. He will also compete in the 1,500m freestyle race on Aug 12. Besides Welson, woman swimmer Phee Jinq En will start her only event, the 100m breastroke, tomorrow. — Bernama |
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