Pg Mohd Nasir celebrating his birthday with his friends last night

Pg Mohd Nasir with his late minute replacement horse flown from Germany named Federiko in the recent SEA Games 2015 in Singapore

Happy birthday to our dedicated equestrian rider Pg Mohd Nasir and I still owe him a write up on his horse riding journey in the recent SEA Games in Singapore. I happened to catch his final ride in the Jumping finals event a few weeks’ ago and it was also the first time that I saw him live in action. So, guys, just to let you know this is a late post 😀

Though he didn’t win or get a podium finish for his efforts, he did the best he could in the finals given the limited resources. There were many set backs along his SEA Games journey. Just like in all sports, there’s always politics and that sure can play a huge role on your targets as an athlete.

Let’ me sum up what Pg Mohd Nasir shared with me back in Singapore. He couldn’t ride his own horse that he has connection with for many years. So instead he had to settle with a last minute replacement which flew from Germany and the horse’s name is Federiko (love the skin too). Secondly Pg Nasir only sat on his replacement six times coming into the competition. Normally it take years to get the horse used to the environment especially competitive ones. So kudos to Pg Nasir on having that courage to make use of the available resources and compete for the love of the country.

After visiting the stable area for the SEA Games competition, it was kinda of an eye opener. I realised how much investment it takes to be in this sport. I saw all the equipments and the kit for the horse and the rider and that alone is already a hefty investment. The recurring cost will be the food supply for the horses because you will need to feed the horses to make sure they are in good shape for the competition.

The other huge cost will be cargo-ing the horse equipment and also the transporting the horse from A to B especially when it’s international delivery. I saw Pg’s portable cabinet where he stashed his equipments and apparel and he said the whole thing averagely weighs at 150 kg. Now just imagine how much that would costs to transport by air *gulp*

Now I can imagine other regional riders will go through the same ordeal and cost factor will be an issue. So yea, horse riding is not a cheap hobby indeed while joining competition is a whole new level. Most of the athletes from other countries are being funded or sponsored by their respective countries. For Pg Anak Nasir, it was a unique situation. He competed in his own expense but with a huge disadvantage that he couldn’t ride his own personal horse from Belgium due to technically issues.

Pg Mohd Nasir in action. Image courtesy of Samlee

Talking to the Brunei officials of the SEA Games after the competition

Did you know that you can’t many any noise such as cheering or clapping when the riders are in action?

He ran off to the Malaysian team to celebrate on his friend’s gold achievement #priceless

I managed to only catch the final ride. Well done, buddy, on making this far.

Here are some words from Pg Anak Nasir himself.

“I never want to blame the horse (Federiko) for sure even though the final day he let me down. Then again we are new together. We only sat six times. In this technical courses, we get into funny situations and normally the rider know the horse and vice-versa. From there, we will know how to react on situations. If I was riding my personal horse, I wouldn’t have this problem (penalties on his rounds).

Honestly, to come this far and considering all the issues to source for a horse a week before the Games, I’m quite happy to reach this far. My first two rides with zero penalties on the first day was a dream situation. However, with these technical courses, it will boil down to the horse and the rider so bonding is very important. I know I did my best with the given situation and I am doing it for the country 110%. It’s a very challenging situation for me and I will be back next time.”

Nicely way to sum up by Pengiran on his SEA Games experience. One quote that I like though was when he quoted that competing in the Games is like “going to war with a knife” meaning that he has no ammunition. It would have been a different story should his horse made it to Singapore for the Games.

All in all, I truly enjoyed watching the equestrian event and it was also my first experience. I could see all the dedication and passion from the riders. I have high respect to all the riders indeed. Perhaps the highlight for Pengiran Anak Nasir was when his friend from Malaysia Sharmini Ratnasingham who just beat Catherine Yen Yu Chew of Singapore in a split second timing to win gold. I saw Pengiran running from one to another end to celebrate with the Malaysian team.

To finish off my summary, Happy birthday day buddy and let’s catch up with the boys before you fly off to train again. You can follow him on instagram @pg_nasir

With the supporters from Brunei Darussalam

His trusted and most important companions of his horse riding journey – the coach and the groomer.

His wardrobe cabinet is a must where he brings every he rides in the world. This weighs at least 150 kilos. His groomer will take care of his wardrobe.

This is how he keep his riding boots

Pg Mohd Nasir with the Malaysian team

We did good after the competition because we all went for shopping therapy in Singapore. When is round 2? 😀

 

The medal tally for now for 8th June

Brunei’s SEA Games update: I’ve been missing a lot of the sporting events in Singapore lately and I can’t wait to go and watch other remaining sports. The one that I will covering is the Jumping Individual of the Equestrian competition where our national hero Pg Nasir reached the finals after qualifying in the heats yesterday. Well done, buddy 😀

So how did the rest fare? Currently there are three medals lesser than the previous Games in Myanmar 2013. Back then, they had one gold, one silver and six bronze medals. I believe not all competition have completed yet. There are chances still for equestrian and pencat silat categories for Brunei to win medals.

The Wushu Team was unable to achieve their target of gold as the team of Faustina Woo Wai Sii and Lee Ying Shi settled for bronze. The same also went for the Men’s Duel, the first medal achievement for the men’s category won by the brothers – Mohd Adi Sya’rani Roslan and Mohd Sufi Shayiran Roslan.

Another worth mentioning is The Royal Bees, Brunei’s netball team, who reached their target for a podium finish after beating Myanmar and the Philippines for a top four finish. Well done to the team, the head coach and the management team behind Royal Bees. I’ve seen the hard work they have invested in terms of training and even flying overseas to compete against other countries.

Sepak Takraw also saw Brunei bagged two more bronze medal finishes. Good luck to the remaining contestants from Brunei. Though the numbers of Brunei contestants have been lowered, Brunei still showing some positive results. A gold medal would be a huge bonus for the country. Let’s hope Brunei to finish on a high note.

The Men’s Duel and Women’s Duel for Wushu achieved bronze medal status. Image courtesy of Lee Ying Shi.

The Sepak Tekraw team winning two bronze medals. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

The Royal Bees achieving a podium finish as well as bronze medal

A proud moment for two best friends – Tia Jaafar and Hafizah. Image courtesy of @redtwone

Mohd Abdillah failed to qualify for the semi finals in petanque. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

The men’s fencing lost out in the quarter-finals against Singapore in the Men’s Team Sabre last weekend

Brunei u-23 team lost all their matches in the football tournament. Faiq Jefri Bolkiah scored one of the overall two goals. Image courtesy of SEA Games Facebook Page.

Taufiq Murni lost his chance for a top 8 finish in the 9-ball pool category. Image courtesy of Borneo Bulletin.

One of the Wushu contestant. Image courtesy of SEA Games Facebook Page.

Brunei sailing team didn’t manage to impress as debutant Lim Jenn Kiat finished last in the youth laser radial (sailing). It will be a good exposure for him for future competition. Image courtesy of of SEA Games Facebook Page.

Another potential medal achiever for Pg Nasir. He breezed in the qualifiers yesterday and looking forward for the finals tomorrow (Wednesday). He said in a short interview that he’s very proud to represent Brunei where it’s an international show in Europe or in the SEA Games. He feels very blessed despite the challenges of not riding his own personal horse but still managed to bring the best of his performance. Good luck, bro, and see you soon.

The Brunei contingent during the opening ceremony. Image courtesy of of SEA Games Facebook Page.

One of the performances during the opening ceremony of the SEA Games 2015 in Singapore. Image courtesy of of SEA Games Facebook Page.

What an opening!! Image courtesy of of SEA Games Facebook Page.

 

Check out our review of Kingsman: The Secret Service starring Rano Iskandar and his co-host Del Goh

 

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Travel with agoda

  

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DPMM FC vice-chairman YAM Pg Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pg Anak Haji Abdul Rahim Pg Indera Mahkota Pg Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj receiving token of appreciation from DPMM FC Club Manager yesterday.

Let’s forget about last season. It was the closest DPMM FC ever go to winning the S • League title. Close but no cigar. The only highlight to remember was DPMM FC’s League Cup title. This season they can take a step further this season. Their jinx team has always been Tampines Rovers but let’s hope history will not repeat itself.

DPMM FC will take on Harimau Muda on 1st March 2015 at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. After that they will have two away matches Albirex Niigata FC (S) at the Jurong East Stadium on 7th March and Young Lions (Singaporean national Under-23 team) at Jalan Besar Stadium on March 11.

Yesterday was the signing ceremony for DPMM FC’s sponsors and also signing of the DPMM FC squad for 2015 season. Missing from the squad so far that I know of are Shahrazen Said and Subhi Abdillah.

Present during the signing ceremony was the guest of honour DPMM FC vice-chairman YAM Pg Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pg Anak Haji Abdul Rahim Pg Indera Mahkota Pg Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj. Images courtesy of Khairil Hassan.

Katherine Hii of You•C1000 continuing the sponsorship for DPMM FC

DST becomes recurring sponsor for DPMM FC

Another regular sponsor for DPMM FC, Brunei Shell Marketing

Maju Motors, another sponsor for DPMM FC

Signing with the DPMM FC players

Signing with the DPMM FC players

Guest of honour with the DPMM FC club manager and sponsors of DPMM FC

The registered squad players of DPMM FC

The imports of DPMM FC – Northern Ireland defender Brian McLean, English forward Craig Fagan, Bosnian defender Boris Raspudic, Brazilian striker Rafael Ramazotti and Irish midfielder Joe Gamble.

 

Rino Donosepoetro, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Brunei and Hj Abdul Malik Hj Mohammad, Director of the Department of Youth and Sports at the opening night of Standard Chartered Bank Trophy 2015

The tournament has begun. It was the first time that Standard Chartered Bank Brunei held a futsal competition known as Standard Chartered Bank Trophy 2015. The winner of the 24 team tournament will fly to Malaysia to represent Brunei and once they beat Malaysia and Thailand, they will sent to the UK to where the finals will take place at Anfield. Awesome, right?

The 24 teams include a team from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Telbru and the media team (Media United) to name a few.

The biggest winners were OLSCB who scored 4-0 over HBS F.I.T in Group H. The tournament continues tonight at Indoor Stadium. Public is more than welcome to catch the matches.

Present were Rino Donosepoetro, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Brunei and Hj Abdul Malik Hj Mohammad, Director of the Department of Youth and Sports.

Rino Donosepoetro said, “We are extremely delighted that Brunei will be represented among the 19 participating markets who are also vying for a chance to advance to Anfield and I am extremely hopeful that we will be one of those countries who will make it through.”

This event is made possible by SCB Brunei and they are very grateful with the support by Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and endorsed by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) in assisting SCB Brunei with the upcoming event. Images courtesy of Khairil Hassan.

With team SHLM/EasyWay

With Media United

A token of appreciation

Futsal players in action

Guest of honour greeting the players

The captains of the teams

The results last night

 

Pg Sarimah Pg Hj Abd Latiff, mentor and founding member of TEDxGadong, Edward Findlay, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer and Abdul Malik Omar, Chairman and Co-Partner of TEDxGadong at the iCentre last Sunday.

Great job by Abdul Malik Omar and his team for the recent TEDxYouth@Gadong event that took place at the iCentre last Sunday. I only managed to catch two of the final speakers as I had prior commitments to begin with. Nonetheless it was my first presence at this event and I would like to congratulate Abdul Malik Omar to pull off another great session.

This time round, the speakers are not even seasoned speakers. They represent the youth and all the speakers are in the their teen years. What an excellent platform for them to speak in public and share their messages from their experiences and furthermore inspire the audience.

The speakers were as follow:

• Sidharth Raj and Osama bin Tariq on ” Negative Effects of Technology”

• Seyrence on “Bullying”

• Ruby Lim on”Forestry Management”

• Eric Ngu on “Don’t ask “why, ask why not?””

• Awangku Naim on “Youth Leadership”

• Brandon Chin on “The Silent Youth”

• Hee Sang Hong on ” The Ridiculousness of Comparing Yourself to Others”

I kinda enjoyed Hee Sang Hong’s presentation and I believe it relates to all of us whether we like it or not. For someone to pick this awareness up at a very young age, I salute you because this is not an easy thing to share and many of us tend not to acknowledge it due to our high ego.

To the TEDxYouth@Gadong, keep it up and you can follow them on social media @tedxgadong on instagram or check out their Facebook page. Images courtesy of TEDxGadong.

Some of the youth speakers and the attendees

Networking during the break

Hee Sang Hong’s interesting take on comparison. Nicely presented.

Iskandar, didn’t know you were there too :p

Izzah of Brunei Economic Development Board talking about entrepreneurship

 

Check out our review of The Black Sea starring Rano Iskandar and his co-host Del Goh

 

Pengiran Mohd Nasir Pengiran Anak Ja’afar made our country proud by winning gold in the bronze category of the Competition Showjumping International (CSI) 2-Star International Event in Oliva, Spain

I knew he will make it to the summit one day. With more support and encouragement, Pengiran Mohd Nasir Pengiran Anak Ja’afar will make a name for Brunei over and over again. He bagged a gold medal in the bronze category of the Competition Showjumping International (CSI) 2-Star International Event in Oliva, Spain.

The name of his horse is Rudolf Z and he beat his nearest challenger Christiane Boos of Germany and Stephanie Bichsel of Switzerland.

Of course, the highlight moment was when Brunei’s national anthem was echoed during the prize presentation.

The victory propelled to his argument for being excluded from the ASIAN games 2014 as he is confident that he can compete among the best in Europe and that surely can be a good bench mark to be part of the ASIAN games. Pg Nasir has bigger dreams and he is focusing for the upcoming Olympics 2016. He will need full support from the people and also from the relevant authorities to make his dream possible and make our country proud. Images courtesy of @pg_nasir

Pg Nasir with his horse Rudolf Z

Nice saddle, bro

Pg Nasir being featured in Borneo Bulletin. Click here to read more.