The 3rd Asian Beach Games closed successfully on Friday the 22nd June 2012 in Haiyang, East China’s coastal city in Shangdong Province, passing the joy to Phuket, Thailand, the host city of the next Games in 2014. The closure of the Games was announced by Timothy Tsun-Ting Fok, Vice President of Olympic Council of Asia. The theme of the closing ceremony was "pass the joy" with three parts corresponding celebration, reunion, and farewell respectively. Thailand gave a splendid performance to promote the next Asian Beach Games and the ceremony ended with the cultural performance where all the athletes and actors danced hands in hands to spread the joy of the Asian Beach Games to all Asia and the Vice President of OCA passing the flag of the Olympic Council of Asia to the representative of Phuket, Thailand.

In the 11-day Games, 1,601 competitors from 45 countries and regions contested in 13 sports. A total of 49 gold, 49 silver and 54 bronze medals were contested. The Games ended up with host China leading the medal table by grabbing 14 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze while Thailand, who was No.1 in the 2nd Asian Beach Games, took the second place with 13 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze, while South Korea winning the third place with 6 gold , 7 silver and 10 bronze. Indonesia clinched the fourth place with Chinese Taipei in fifth position and India in sixth with two gold medals and a bronze.

Malaysia’s Performance
Malaysia participated in 5 sports, Beach Volleyball (male team), Windsurfing (a male and a female athlete), Beach Woodball (male and female teams), Powered Paragliding (4 athletes) and Waterski (2 female, 3 males athletes).

The Beach Volleyball players, Kiew Chiong Ung and Rafi Asruki Nordin reached the Quarter-finals and lost to the Indonesia pair.

The windsurfers, Katherine Ong, 17 years old from Penang in the Women’s category, was placed 8th out of 11 participants and Mohamad Danel, 16 years old from Langkawi took 9th position out of 13 participants in the Men’s Category. They both did 12 races in all.

The Beach Woodball had 11 players, 6 men and 5 women. The oldest player is a woman and she is 72 years old. They played their best competing with much younger players. The women finished 5th out of 8 countries and the men, 6th out of 9 countries.

Powered Paragliding was interesting to watch. The 4 Malaysian athletes wearing a propeller on their back sat on a seat below a paraglider, and took to the skies to show off their flying and landing skills. The athletes did their best although they were given short notice and they had to use whatever training equipment they had. In all the days of competition of events they learnt from their counterparts to improve their machines and themselves. Among 9 countries listed, they were positioned 5th. The winners were in order of ranking: Thailand, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Afghanistan and Philippines (the last two countries did not perform).

Waterski was represented by SEA Games gold medalist, Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah and her brother, Alexander Yoong in their favourite event, the Tricks, together with three other young and up-coming athletes who made it to only the 2nd round.

At this 3rd Asian Beach Games, Aaliyah Yoong did well in the preliminary rounds and was placed 5th but at the final, she fell and finished 7th out of 16 participants. According to her father cum coach, Mr. Hanifah Yoong, Aaliyah suffered nervousness in competition and she under-achieved her results. She had an early experience of pressure which was good for her to learn in her life as an athlete. However, he feels that for this Asian level, Aaliyah has done well.

Alexander Yoong was placed 8th in the final and this is his ranking in Asia. He could have done better but due to his 36 hours of travelling from France he had to perform in a state of jetlag.

We would like to congratulate the participating teams in the 3rd Asian Beach Games in Haiyang 2012, for putting up their best performance. We also like to thank them for their full cooperation given during the duration of the Games. The whole Malaysian Contingent has arrived safely home, with the last team, the Water Ski team leaving Haiyang on 23rd June 2012 and arriving in KLIA in the early hours of 24th June 2012.
(The above article was submitted by Ms. Moira Tan, Chef de Mission of the Malaysian Contingent and Honorary Assistant Secretary of OCM).

18 June 2012

Ms. Moira Tan, Chef de Mission welcomes waterski team to games village.


Aaliyah Yoong in the middle with Ms. Moira Tan, Chef de Mission and Mr. Hanifah Yoong, Aaliyah's father cum coach.


Aaliyah Yoong interviewed by Haiyang media

19 June 2012

Waterski & Windsurfing teams together.


Waterski team jumping.


Aaliyah Yoong riding on her brother Alexander Yoong.

20 June 2012

Malaysian Waterski team with Ms. Moira Tan, Chef de Mission and Chairman of OCA Medical Committee, Tan Sri Dato' Dr. M. Jegathesan & Puan Sri.


Aaliyah interviewed by China TV

22 June 2012

Closing ceremony - Malaysian Waterski team


Closing ceremony - Malaysian Waterski team with Thai dancers


Closing ceremony - Aaliyah Yoong with a dancer


Closing ceremony - Placard girls

Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony with the representatives from Beach Volleyball, Woodball, Windsurfing and Powered Paragliding (including the NOC assistants)





Powered Paragliding

The Powered Paragliding Team with the Team Manager and CDM, Ms. Moira Tan.
From left: Ms. Moira Tan, Mohd. Shahfaizal Saad, Team Manager, Tengku Abdillah (in blue cap) Mohd Hurairah Alinur Mohd Zaid, Captain Mohd Farid Abd. Rahman and Zain Azrull Zabidin.


An athlete performing in the air


The Paragliders with Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi (Hon. Secretary of OCM), centre and Ms. Moira Tan, CDM (Assistant Secretary of OCM)


Dato’ Sieh tried his hands in the machine of a paraglider. Captain Farid, and standing up with the machine can be very heavy.




At the site of the competition, Captain Farid with two officials from Woodball (centre) and NOC assistants (extreme left).


Farewell to the Powered paragliding team. Extreme right is Linda Abu Hassan, the coach and wife to Captain Farid. Centre is a NOC assistant.

Windsurfing

Lunch break for the two windsurfers, Katherine and Daniel with their Team Manager cum coach, En. Zainal Misran.
Extreme right: Ms. Moira Tan with Ms. Qian Yonglin (Alex), assistant volunteer.


Farewell to the Windsurfing team. Extreme right, Ms. Wang Dandan (Jenny), their assistant volunteer.

Woodball

Training session for some of the participants of Woodball with a few NOC assistants.


Fr. Right: The Adviser to the Malaysia Woodball Association, Mr. Thomas Kok with his wife, Irene (in blue) and Team Manager, Chong Me Lan & CDM (Moira)


The Woodball team, leaving on a vacation in Shangdong Province of China, after completing the 3rd Asian Beach Games.

Closing Ceremony







Farewell to the Waterski team at the Athletes’ Village of Haiyang with the CDM and two NOC volunteers.


Pictures of the three out of 4 NOC assistants of Malaysia (3 infront)