Brunei Athletes to Incheon Asian Games

Brunei sent a contingent of 19 athletes, coaches and officials to the 2014 Asian Games and the team led by Chef de Mission Mariam Ulat left here Sunday to Incheon, South Korea.

The 17^th^Asian Games is the largest sporting event in Asia governed by Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The Games is scheduled to take place in Incheon from Sep 19 to Oct 4 with 439 events in 36 sports and disciplines set to be included.

Brunei, meanwhile, will compete in four sports event namely, Sepaktakraw, Taekwondo, Karate and Fencing with the largest group of athletes participating in the Sepaktakraw event.

The Sepaktakraw contingent comprised of the team coach Haji Zaman and seven players including Mohammad Shukri, Ismail Ang, Abdul Hadi Ariffin, Mohammad Hafizzuddin, Marzuki Munap, Nur Alimin and Jamaludin Marzi.

Taekwondo coach Kim Jung Jun and Nurulain Md Jaafar will participate in the Mowen’s Middleweight 73 kilogram category, while Mohammad Mairul will participate in the Karate Men’s Kumite 60kg with coach Haji Okhida. Muhammad Yunus will participate in the Fencing Individual Sabre category with coach Yoshea Rayendra.

At the the national flag handing ceremony at the National studium on Saturday, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah expessed the hope that all the athletes will be able to grab this golden opportunity to give their best to achieve success and at the same time display good discipline and high sporting spirit.

“The Asian Games will help foster friendship and social ties among the Asian countries that will help contribute to Asia’s social development, economy as well as boosting Asia’s identity and solidarity”, he said.

The minister also urged the athletes to stay away from taking prohibited substances in sports and all intake of substances must be checked and approved by the Medical Research and Sports Center.