Macau Sport News

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Seventeen year old Rodolfo Avila is all geared up for a sensational Formula 3 debut, where he will compete against the world's best F3 drivers in the FIA F3 - Intercontinental Cup at the 51st Macau Grand Prix.

The young Macanese had been intensively testing with crack British team Carlin Motorsport and is ready to take on this new challenge at the notoriously-renowned Chinese' enclave street circuit.

"I'm quite anxious to make my debut. The training has been extensive through the amount of testing I've made and I learned a lot with my team. The level of competition in Europe is very different from the more familiar Asian environment but I'm ready to carry the colours of Macau for this prestigious event," says Avila, the youngest driver in the F3 field.

The only driver without any F3 race experience, Avila admits that the added pressure of racing in home ground can easily break one's focus. "I've been dwelling on this opportunity and the career rewards it can bring me or anyone who succeeds in Macau. To say the least, I am bent on keeping my focus as I aim to achieve the best possible finish position as can be. This, by far, is the most important race event in my career"

Through the years, the Macau Grand Prix has been equally known as a vital testing ground for future Formula 1 stars.

Thirty-two other drivers from all over the world are expected to battle it out at streets of Macau as the 51st Macau Grand Prix F3 Intercontinental Cup goes underway on the third weekend of this month.

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One of the more fun drivers in the British F3 scene is Rob Austin. This season he wasn't in the series full-time, but he certainly made a few interesting comebacks. Other than that there was a move to the SEAT Cupra championship that ended early, some fantastic Ginetta racing and a season where he hasn't managed to injure himself away from the race track.

Rob, who's off to Macau to race with Menu Motorsports this coming weekend, tells Crash.net all about it, and he's on a promise if he does well...

Crash.net
2004 has been an interesting year, a last minute drive in the SEAT Cupras, getting sacked by the old man, an F3 return and so on.

Rob Austin
Interesting to say the least, it was a bad start to the year but even when things aren't going well you're always learning. The SEAT thing was such a shame, it could have and should have been so good but unfortunately we weren't given a fair crack at the whip and rather than fight with one arm tied behind our backs we decided to pull out of the series, but as I said always learning, I've never driven a car with no down force, front wheel drive or a saloon car so it was good to learn it all, and we topped a few tests so we showed pace, it just wasn't meant to be.

The Ginetta thing was great, once again learning a lot, but also I've never had so much fun! I don't think there was a moment that I was driving that car without a smile on my face, and the team are a great bunch of guys I owe “Back to the Future Motorsport” a big thank you, and especially Doc Brown who let me drink his beer! (He is actually coming out to Macau with us to help bolt on new wishbones).

Then there are the F3 outings! Loved them, It just felt so good to show how good the car and team are; Menu Motorsport are as good if not better than any other team out there and I loved proving that to everyone! They have done so much for me over the years I felt like I was able to give something back. Though we still had our same luck, it dried out at Silverstone, which cost us a potential win and a definite second, a couple of bad starts at Thruxton, which I am putting down to trying to drive to many cars in one day, but still if it had gone our way both times we were in a position where we could have won.

Then Brands, well the one time I make the right call on the tyres I get taken off! My luck I guess!

Crash.net
After being spun by Will Power in the last round of the British F3 championship you kinda had the red mist down and flew in the car, what was that like from inside the car?

Rob Austin
God I was angry with him at the time! But it's just one of those things he made a mistake and apologised, nothing you can do. When I finally got off the grass and got going I was just wondering if I could still win it (I knew I had the right tyres) so just had to try to stay calm and wait for the pack to come back to me, that was a long wait. But I couldn't have been as calm as I thought because I was about two seconds a lap faster than anyone and I wasn't the only one on wets! I pulled in about 20seconds on Dirani on wets but then got stuck behind one of the kids, you know, the ones who don't understand that if they don't give you racing room at some point that they are going to start getting shoved around... So after a bit of wheel banging we ended up sixth.

Crash.net
An F3 car round Macau next – sounds like fun?

Rob Austin
You're right it is, it's also terrifying the first time there! Being flat in fourth sideways on the bumpiest and narrowest track I have ever driven on in between two concrete walls! And when you first drive round there you thing 'bloody hell it's going to hurt if I get it wrong here!' and you're right, it really hurts, but that's what head restraints are there for!

But seriously words can't describe how awesome the place is, and on TV only gives you half an idea, the only way anyone would understand what I'm trying to say is if they drove an F3 car round there on a hot lap, otherwise accept that it is awesome and that you will never understand.

Crash.net
Macau's not just about the racing… is it fair to say there'll be a fair amount of fun going on away from the track?

Rob Austin
Err well there are a lot of distractions in Macau, for about £30 you can buy yourself a really nice distraction! But I don't think it was helping me last year so I will be wearing blinkers until after the race... But [team boss] Mike [Baker] said that if I did well he would buy me three distractions at once, so I'm highly motivated for this event!

Crash.net
What's next for Roberto Austini, racing driver?

Rob Austin
He will be working behind the bar in his local pub (The Anchor Inn, Fladbury) over Christmas because he's broke! But that's as far ahead as I've planned! Sure I would love to be racing next year but we don't have much funding (it limits your options a bit) otherwise I will be looking after Steve Jelley again, which is a job I enjoy and we hope to get him going well in A class next year. Otherwise you would have to speak to Mr Baker, he may have a few tricks up his sleeve. Maybe Crash.net would like to sponsor me? If not, do you have any jobs going in the office?

Crash.net
Coffee, white, no sugar, please Rob. And make it snappy...

Keep tuned to www.crash.net/f3 to see what Menu Motorsports team boss Mike Baker has to say on the new-look championship formerly known as the British F3 championship. He doesn't usually hold back.

If you could drive any car from a TV show/film what would it be?

Fed up with the usual array of cars available in the local showrooms or something a little more exclusive than the average Ferrari? Then why not indulge deeper into the realms of fantasy and ask for one of the stars of film and television?

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Young karter Muhammad Nabil Jan Al-Jefri spent the first day of Hari Raya in racing overalls and away from home.

But his endeavours on a cold Sunday morning in Macau paid off when he sealed the cadet overall title in the fourth leg of the Asian Karting Open Championships (AKOC).

Nabil finished second behind another Malaysian, Naqiyuddin Nor, in the first race. The 11-year-old Nabil secured another podium finish after fighting his way from ninth place to finish third in an accident interrupted second race.

His total of 27 points from the round was enough to give him the overall title with one round to spare. Nabil, who started from pole position in both races in Macau, now has a total of 139 points in the championship standings. Naqiyuddin is in second place with 99 points.

Nabil’s dad Jefri Rashid said that the title would still go to his son even if he were to draw a zero in the final round, which will be held in Indonesia from Dec 16-18.

“The title is decided on the best four of five rounds and no one can overtake Nabil in the standings. He needed to finish on the podium in the two races in Macau to take the title and I am delighted that he achieved it,” said Jefri in a telephone interview from Macau.

Nabil won five out of the six races in the three previous rounds in Malaysia, the Philippines and India.

Nabil said that he was glad to have won his first international title in karting.

“This was the first time I raced in cold conditions. I am happy to keep the title in Malaysian hands,” said the current national champion.

In the previous two cadet championships, Calvin Wong was the winner. Calvin is now competing in the junior category for racers between the ages of 12 and 16.

The 12-year-old Calvin also sizzled on the track in Macau on Sunday, winning both races to take over the lead in the standings from 16-year-old Filipino Gianmatteo Guidecelli.

Calvin now has 132 points while Guidicelli, who secured a second and third placing in Macau, is in second place with 129 points.

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YANGON, Nov. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The 6th Asian Wushu Championship, which ended here Saturday evening, produced 45 gold medals with China winning 21, Vietnam and Myanmar 5 each.

The four-day Asian championships were attended by more than 500athletes, coaches and sports officials from 25 countries and regions.

It was the largest ever event in scale with highest technical standard since the first championship in Japan.

China won 11 golds in Taolu events and 10 golds in Sanshou events.

Meanwhile Vietnam stands second with 10 silvers and 14 bronzes and Myanmar third scoring 8 silvers and 9 bronzes in the competition.

Besides, China's Macau and the Philippines won 3 golds each, Iran, Singapore and Malaysia got 2 golds each and China's Hong Kong and South Korea shared one gold each.

Out of 29 members of Wushu Federation of Asia (WFA), 25 countries and regions -- Bangladesh, Brunei, China, China's Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, China's Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen and host Myanmar -- joint the event.

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Macau's government on Thursday disputed FIFA's reasons for suspending the Chinese territory from the sport.

Soccer's governing body Tuesday cited "serious interference" from the local government. Macau sports officials said the suspension stemmed from a dispute over dueling boards of directors for the Macau Football Association.

Macau Sport Development Board head Alex Wong told The Associated Press the government did not intervene in the association's internal matters.

Macau is ranked 190th of 205 national teams. The territory is hosting the East Asian Games in October, with nine nations or territories participating. If the FIFA suspension remains, the event will be without soccer, Macau Football Association General Secretary Alexander Rego said.

Macau, a former Portuguese colony, was returned to China in 1999. It fields separate teams from the mainland in international sports competitions.

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Macau Olympic Committee to be intermediate between FIFA and AFM 18/2/2005 15:19

Macau Olympic Committee would take up the role of intermediation in solving a dispute between FIFA and the Macau Football Association (AFM), which caused FIFA's recent suspension of AFM's membership.
Friday's Macau Post quoted Manuel Silverio, vice president of the Macau Olympic Committee as saying that the dispute was derived from an unnecessary misunderstanding.
Disgruntled by the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) government's interference with AFM's election of a new president last year, the world soccer governing body decided to suspend all of Macau's international football activities until further notice. The sanction announced on FIFA's official website on Wednesday.
Silverio said that he has got some important documents to prove the AFM's election held democratically and without governmental interference, and got in touch with several leaders of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation to clarify the misunderstanding.
Silverio, who is also president of the Macau Sports Development Board and chairman of the organizing committee of the 4th East Asian Games (EAG), said that FIFA can not unilaterally cancel the football contests in the EAG to be held from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6 this year, which will be the first comprehensive sports event held in the city.
Concerning worries generated from FIFA's sanction, Silverio said earlier this week that if participating countries and regions approved to send their teams, EAG's football matches would hopefully go on, despite FIFA's order.
He said recently that the event would cost a total budget of 300 million patacas (US$37.5 million), about half of which would be covered by event-generated revenue.
Based on the organizer's tally, the games' sponsorships contribution could reach between 50 to 60 million patacas (6.25 to US$7.5 million), and an equal sum hopefully from ticket sales, while broadcasting and application fees may go up to 25 million patacas (US$3 million).
The Macau East Asian Games Domes and the Macau Stadium, both of which are main venues for the games, were scheduled for completion by April.

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Allegations of blatant government interference in a bitter leadership dispute within its football association has led to Macau being banned from international competition. It also faces the embarassment of being barred from competing in its own East Asian Games scheduled for October.

In a statement released early Wednesday morning, football's world governing body, FIFA, said it was suspending the Macau Football Association from the sport because of "political interference'' in Macau.

"Blatant governmental interference in local football affairs in contravention of FIFA principles cannot be accepted,'' FIFA said.

Previous warnings to Macau were ignored, FIFA added. All of FIFA's financial assistance has been frozen, and Macau may not vote at sessions held by international soccer bodies.

The suspension means Macau cannot play in or host any international football matches, including at the East Asian Games it is hosting in October. The charges by FIFA came as a result of a disputed election last October over who would head the local football association.

FIFA's charges were denied by Macau Football Association president Victor Cheng, who said the allegations were unfounded.

``We will not beg FIFA for mercy over the suspension,'' Cheng told reporters in Macau. ``But we will try our best to communicate with FIFA to resolve the misunderstanding.''

FIFA recognizes former president Andy Chui as president of the association and communicated the suspension to him directly with no mention of Cheng.

A senior Macau Football Association official, who requested anonymity because he said he feared for his safety, said that the Macau Sports Development Board had been instrumental in the election of Cheng.

Vong Iao Lek, acting president of the Macau Sport Development Board, told reporters in Macau that the body had no connection with the Macau Football Association and had only tried to mediate the dispute. For the time being, Vong said, the matter rests with FIFA and the local football association.

Cheng defended his election, saying that 55 of the 63 member clubs in the association had voted for him.

The anonymous source, however, claimed that three quarters of the proxy forms used for the election were forged and that members were not fully informed about the election.

The Macau Sports Development Board recognizes the new president, the source said, while FIFA considers the election illegitimate. According to the source, a rival office has even been established by the new leadership of the association, meaning that in effect two associations with the same name are competing to represent Macau football.

The source said that a FIFA-super-vised election for a new president may be needed to resolve the matter.

A FIFA spokesman said the suspension came because FIFA recognizes only one body from each region or country.

``There was an election in June 2004 that set up a mandate for an executive committee to run the affairs of football in Macau,'' the FIFA spokesman said from Zurich. ``There was a further extraordinary congress which basically put an end to the mandate which had already been laid out through the duly elected congress.''

The result was that the Macau association violated FIFA's rules since the independence of the election was in dispute.

The FIFA spokesman said rules for a statutory organization could not be changed on a whim. The suspension was not meant to punish Macau, but FIFA had to abide by its statutory standards and those of its members.

Hong Kong Football Association General Secretary Martin Lam said he had ``no idea'' why Macau was suspended.

Macau was to play in the East Asian championship in Taipei next month alongside Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Guam, Mongolia and North Korea.

The March 5-13 tournament is organized by the Japan-based East Asian Football Federation (EAFF).

``We will wait for the instructions from the EAFF,'' Lam said, adding that Macau's presence is up to FIFA.

Macau will host nine countries and regions for the East Asian Games this October, which includes football.

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BEIJING (AFP) - Crisis-hit Macau sports authorities have snubbed a request to attend a FIFA meeting to explain claims of political interference in a recent leadership election of the Macau Football Association (MFA).

No one has taken up FIFA's invitation to its meeting in Switzerland on Wednesday, China's Xinhua news agency said.

Manuel Silverio, vice-president of the Macau Olympic Committee, said in a statement that he was unable to make the trip due to work commitments.

"I was expected (by FIFA) to make a presentation about the suspension and clarify misunderstandings in the issue as an independent and impartial entity," he was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

"However, I could not attend the meeting due to the short notice and my work commitments."

FIFA suspended the MFA last week, citing "serious interference by the political authorities" in the October election, which followed a leadership row in which half the MFA members resigned.

MFA president Victor Cheong Lup Kuan has denied the government of the former Portuguese colony, which is now part of China, interfered with his election.

The suspension means Macau are disqualified from playing or hosting any international football matches, including at the East Asian Games it is holding in October. FIFA financial assistance packages have also been frozen.

Silverio said he has compiled a portfolio of hundreds of pages of documents concerning the matter and had sent it to FIFA by fax and mail.

"I am confident that the forceful support of the documents can clear FIFA's doubts and meet the objective of facilitating communication between MFA and FIFA," he said.

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MACAO, Feb. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- No official from the Macao Sports Development Board accepted FIFA's invitation to its meeting in Switzerland on Wednesday.

The Board has confirmed to have received the invitation last Friday, saying it signified FIFA's gesture of its effort in clarifying the misunderstanding in solving a dispute between FIFA and the Macao Football Association (AFM). The dispute had caused FIFA's recent suspension of AFM's membership.

Macao Sports Development Board acting president Vong Iao Lek said that he did not consider the meeting was FIFA's "time limit" to Macao in addressing the issue. The board would continue its engagement in communicating with FIFA through all possible channels.

Meanwhile, Manuel Silverio, vice-president of the Macao OlympicCommittee, made a personal statement saying that he couldn't make the trip.

"I was expected (by FIFA) to make a presentation about the suspension and clarify misunderstandings in the issue as an independent and impartial entity. However, I could not attend themeeting due to the short notice and my work commitments," he said in the statement.

However, Silverio added that he has gone through appropriate procedures and gathered a large number of documents relating to the election of the board members of the AFM, which was blamed by FIFA to have been seriously interfered by the Macao Special Administrative Region government.

Silverio said he has compiled the documents into a portfolio ofhundreds of pages and sent it to FIFA by fax and mail. He considered the documents amply prove that the new AFM leadership was elected in a fair, just, open and democratic way.

"I am confident that the forceful support of the documents can clear FIFA's doubts and meet the objective of facilitating communication between AFM and FIFA," he added.

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Posted 11:47pm (Mla time) Mar 02, 2005
By Roy Luarca
Inquirer News Service



Editor's Note: Published on page A23 of the Mar. 3, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


GAMES TODAY (San Carlos Gym)

5 p.m. -- Macau vs Tonga

7 p.m. -- Chinese Taipei vs RP

CEBU CITY, Cebu -- A good warm-up for a tough grind ahead. That's what the Philippines got yesterday as it blasted Macau, 25-13, 25-17, 25-19, in the opener of the FIVB World Men's Volleyball Championship qualifier at the packed University of San Carlos Gym here.

The Filipinos, powered by military men Dante Alinsunurin and Herminio Gallo Jr., needed only 70 minutes to down their rivals to the delight of the more than 4,000 fans who watched the inaugural of the five-nation tournament being held to select Asia-Pacific's Group C representatives to the second round of the worldwide eliminations.

"The boys' morale is high, this is a good start," said Philippine team coach Vip Isada. "But there's still much room for improvement. We need to jell a little more."

Formed only last January, more than half of the local players here will form
the core of the Philippine team for the Southeast Asian Games this November.

Based on their performance against the Chinese, the 6-foot-2 Alinsunurin of the Philippine Air Force and the 5-foot-10 Gallo of the Philippine Army should make the grade.

Alinsunurin accounted for 16 hits while Gallo added 13 as the Filipinos routed their less-skilled opponents both in offense and in defense.

With Gino Macailan joining Alinsunurin up front, the Filipinos pulled off 15 blocks. In contrast, Macau, despite the presence of 6-foot-3 Too Chuen ki could only reject two.

The Filipinos will next face the powerhouse Taiwanese at 7 p.m. today.

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Football
AFP
Wednesday, March 09, 2005

ZURICH (AFP) - The ban on the Macau Football Association (MFA) was provisionally lifted by the Executive Committee of FIFA here yesterday. FIFA suspended the MFA last month, citing "serious interference by the political authorities" in the October election, which followed a leadership row in which half the MFA members resigned.

MFA president Victor Cheong Lup Kuan denied the government of the former Portuguese colony, which is now part of China, interfered with his election.

However, in a statement yesterday FIFA said the ban had been lifted provided the MFA honoured several recommendations.
The Executive Committee definitively lifted the suspension imposed on the Kenya Football Federation (KFF), but threatened the Venezuela Football Association with suspension if they did not hold elections originally planned for March 5 and then rescheduled for March 12 by March 19.

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Powerful women's volleyball teams from China, Brazil, Germany and Poland will contend in the Macao leg of the Women's Volleyball World Grand Prix, which is to open in Macao on July 1.

The Macao contest authorized by the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) and co-organized here by the Macao Sport Development Board and China Macao Volleyball Association comes to Macao every other two years.

As the Athens Olympic gold winner, the Chinese team will meet its Brizilian counterpart, which was last year's champion of the Grand Prix, at the final group match in the preliminary round on July 3.

Winner from the Macao round will qualify for the final round of the Grand Prix to be held in Sendai, Japan on July 13.

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Altogether four karate trainees from Sports Authority of India centres in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have been selected to represent the country in the seventh Asian Karate Federation senior, junior and cadets championship and congress at Macao from May 17 to 22.

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The Macao Asian Motocross Championships will be held on June 25 to 26.

Alex Vong, acting director of Macao Sports Development Board, told a press conference here on Thursday that the contest is jointly organized by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme,the world motorcycle sport governing body and the Asian Motorcycling Union.

The event will be the third round of the 2005 champions and over60 riders from some 10 Asian nations and regions will participate in it, said Vong.

Macao is the only round of the Asian championships which covers junior matches, said the official, adding that it will provide opportunities for young stars of motocross in Asia to gain valuableexperience.

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The ebullient atmosphere of the 2005 Macau International Dragon Races flamed here on Saturday at the SaiVan Lake, with drums roaring and paddles dashing.

Some 100 teams from China's mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and foreign nations covering Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand attended the event, which is jointly organized by Macao's Sport Develop Board and Macao's China Dragon Boat Association.

The dragon boat race, for over 2,000 years, has been an significant Chinese cultural heritage as the celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival and Macao has a long history of hosting the sports event.

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THE PHILIPPINE team lost the gold-medal race by the skin of its teeth to world champion China in the premier Women's Open race to wrap up its sterling performance in the Macau International Dragon Boat Races held in the former Portuguese enclave recently.

The Filipinas finished a mere three-tenths of a second off the Chinese, also the reigning Asian champions, and 1.36 seconds clear of the third-placed Universidade Beihua de Jilin.

The Philippine team, already the winner of the women's 300 meters in last year's DENR race in Manila and the mixed 500m in last year's Hong Kong International Races, competed in Macau as part of its preparations for the Manila Southeast Asian Games in November.

Managed by Rommuel Celestino, coached by Augusto Dequilla and skippered by Dina Bernardo, the team is made up of Madonna Cadion, Mirasol Abad, Riza Bautista, Tracy Galac, Mayet Alba, Julie Bidanes, Charina Mejares, Amina Anuddin, Eunelyn Denuna, Sanita Kasim, Angelen Hopelos, Gerlie Pradilla, Jinky Agustin, Sally Tordilla, Myra Espenilla, Nesteh Dramayo, Evelyn Persia, Mioelle Gabiligno, Maridel Manaban, Ruditha Poralan, Stephanie Deriada, Aileen Padrones and Ali Orola.

The RP team includes three female soldiers, five students and a career person and counts Burma, Indonesia and Vietnam as its toughest rivals for the gold in the SEA Games.

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Rodolfo Avila of Macau chalked up his first podium finish in the Asian Formula 3 Grand Prix Sunday, placing third in the sixth race topped by Briton James Winslow at the Zhuhai International Circuit.

Four-leg winner and current leader Ananda Mikola of Indonesia failed to finish after colliding with Tyson Sy of the Philippines in a frenzied battle for the lead late in the race.

Avila, running fifth before the incident, capitalized and overtook Sy for third place with a time of 19:30.278, 2.838 seconds behind Winslow.

``I got lucky. I was there at the right time,'' said the 17-year-old Macanese who joined the Christian Jones Motorsport team of reigning AF3 champion Christian Jones of Australia after an unimpressive performance with another team in rounds three and four last month, also at the Zhuhai Circuit.

Avila encountered a gearbox problem during the race and was worried that he might not finish. ``I had my eyes glued on Tyson in my rearview mirror, but he also appeared slow,'' said Avila.

Jo Rosa Merszei, the other Macau entry, placed ninth in the 14-man field.

Winslow led a 1-2 finish by Shell Helix Kinetic-PCSO, towing Irishman John O'Hara who fought his way from last place.

The British winner clocked 19:27.440, just a fraction of a second ahead of O'Hara.

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Pics taken by Ch@nSiR

[SeeMacau]

Macao’s Secretary for social Affairs and Culture Chui Sai On, Acting President of the Sport Development Board Alex Vong and other guests attended the opening ceremony.

Richie Jen, a Taiwanese actor who is also a motorcycle fan, was present at the event and tried out a demonstration round on bike.

The Macao event was the third round of the 2005 championships, featuring over 60 riders from some 10 Asian countries and regions.

Macao is the only round of the Asian championships which covers junior matches.

[SeeMacau]

Pics taken by kobe0284