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Chong Wei and Nicol under threat

PETALING JAYA: Lee Chong Wei and Nicol David may have secured the most titles in their respective sports last year but they could find themselves upstaged by younger rivals when the 2009 National Sports Awards are handed out tonight.

On paper, Chong Wei looks good to collect a third national sportsman award based on his consistency on the international badminton circuit.
Chong Wei, who was the winner in 2005 and 2009, claimed seven international titles, including a successful defence of the Super Series Masters Finals crown.
Chong Wei is now into his 17th month as world No. 1 but he faces a tough fight from Terengganu-born cyclist Azizul Hasni Awang.

The 22-year-old capped a phenomenal rise to the top of world track cycling last year when he became the first Malaysian to take gold in the World Cup in Melbourne and went on to triumph for the second time in Beijing to claim the overall keirin title for the first time.
Azizul also became the first Malaysian to top the keirin world rankings and he reached a high in March last year when he took silver in the 200m sprint at the world championships in Poland after a great fight against Gregory Bauge of France.

Azizul also defended his 200m sprint title in the Asian championships in Indonesia and helped Malaysia to win the team sprint for the first time.
Besides Chong Wei and Azizul, bodybuilder Sazali Samad can also snatch the award for a third time based on his feat of winning a fifth Mr Universe crown in Pattaya last year.
Completing the list of nominees in the male category are Loh Jack Chang (wushu), Zulmazran Zulkifli (bowling), Mohd Hatta Mahamut (karate) and Daniel Bego (swimming).


Malaysia’s favourite sports personality Nicol is in the running for the women’s award for a seventh time after winning a total of seven titles on the professional squash circuit last year.
She also clinched the World Games gold medal in Kaohsiung in July and ended as the top ranked women’s squash player for a fourth consecutive year.

But 19-year-old Siti Safiyah could steal the thunder based on her feat to become the youngest winner of the World Ranking Masters title in Italy last year.
The other contenders for the women’s award are Siow Yi Ting (swimming), Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty (badminton), Jamaliah Jamaludin (karate) and Noraseela Khalid (athletics).

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah will be giving out the awards tonight.

Besides the main awards, there will also be a number of others – best men’s and women’s teams, best coach (men and women), leadership, special and best paralympic sportsman and sportswoman.

Star

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