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Pencak silat, a traditional sport, is being increasingly discussed on social media after a controversy over the Thai team’s use of a copyrighted logo on the uniform without permission.

Many people might wonder what is pencak silat and how has it found a place among the Southeast Asian Games disciplines.

Unconventional sports are the special charm of the regional sports extravaganza, as the SEA Games Federation allows the host country to include its traditional sports in the competition, which could increase their chances of winning medals.

The 2021 Southeast Asian Games is being held in Hanoi, Vietnam from May 12 to 31. The 31st SEA Games will feature 40 sports with 523 events. They are separated into three categories:

• Compulsory sports (athletics and aquatics)
• International sports (Olympics and Asian Games mandatory sports)
• Non-Olympic / traditional sports (the host can choose from 8 to 12 sports)

Pencak silat is an Indonesian martial art that is a full-body fighting form, incorporating strikes, grappling and throws in addition to weaponry. Every part of the body is used and subjected to attacks.

The sport was included for the first time at the SEA Games hosted by Indonesia in 1987. It also featured at the 2018 Asian Games, also held in Indonesia.

On Wednesday, a graphic designer posted on his Facebook that the Thai pencak silat team, which won the first gold medal for the country at the 2021 SEA Games earlier this week, had used his copyrighted design on the team uniform without permission.

The Thai Pencak Silat Association explained at a press conference on Thursday that the association did not intend to steal the design. They had hired a clothing store to make the team’s uniform so the store might have taken the design from the internet.

The association president, Panu Uthairat, said the design should be considered auspicious as the team had won its first and a historic gold medal when wearing this uniform.

He said the association is contacting the designer to solve this issue and ask for permission to retain the design. He said that if the team can keep using this design, it might bring more medals.

Meanwhile, deputy secretary Nakrob Thongdaeng said that the association had apologised to the designer and told him that they did not know about the copyright violation. He explained that the association had hired this store for 10 years and never had any issues.

Published : May 13, 2022

By : THE NATION

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The region’s biggest sports event officially launched on Thursday with a simple but impressive opening ceremony in Vietnam.

Delayed for six months due to Covid-19, the 2021 Southeast Asian Games Games kicked off in Hanoi with an elegant display of tradition and technology as pink parasols protected dancers from a rainstorm.

Thailand won their first gold medal on Wednesday after triumphing against Indonesia in the team penkat silat final.

The Thai delegation of athletes is targeting a haul of 112 gold medals at the games.

The 31st Southeast Asian Games will be held until May 23.

Published : May 13, 2022

By : THE NATION

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Mascots have always been an integral part of sports competitions. A lot of thought and creativity goes into conceiving one.

The 2021 Southeast Asian Games, hosted by Vietnam, has Sao La as the mascot. It was inspired by the Vu Quang bovid, a rare, forest-dwelling bovine, which was found in 1992 in the Annamite Range in Vietnam. The mascot was chosen after a two-year contest that drew some 500 entries.

According to the definition, a mascot is a symbol used to represent an idea. It also serves as a message at sports competitions. At most SEA Games, a quadrennial event, the hosts combine animals with human-like characters. Their expressions are bright and cheerful with a child-like, adorable quality, while symbolising the identity of the host country.

“Sao La”, the animal that was found first in Vietnam, the host of the 31st Southeast Asian Games, has combined the images of a dove and a human hand to create a “V” shape for the logo, representing Peace, Vietnam, and Victory.

The mascot was named “Sao La” or “Vu Quang bovid”, representing the biodiversity in the Annamite Range which lies on the Vietnam-Laos border. Saola was also reported to be found only in the Annamite Range.

Saola is one of the world’s rarest large mammals. It has an appearance of a goat combined with serows. It is classified under the Bovidae family, the same as cows. It has two horns, so many people in Laos call this animal “Sao-La”, which has a similar pronunciation.

There is no evidence available on the origins of the name. In the Vietnamese language, it means rarity and beauty.

Cat and elephant – symbols of Thailand

Cats and elephants have been used symbolically by Thailand for a long time. In the 1998 Asian Games in Thailand, an elephant named Chai-Yo was the mascot while the motto was “Friendship beyond Frontiers”.

At the last two Southeast Asian Games hosted by Thailand — in 1995 and 2007 — cats served as mascots.

The 1995 Southeast Asian Games were held in Chiang Mai and the 700th Anniversary Stadium was used as the main venue.

The mascot for the Games was a Siamese cat named Sawasdee. It is believed that Siamese cats bring luck and they were kept in the palace since the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

The red umbrella carried by the cat was representative of Chiang Mai’s Bo Sang Village, which is famous for its exquisite hand-made and painted umbrellas. The name ‘Sawasdee’ represented Thainess and the identity of Chiang Mai.

The 2007 SEA Games hosted by Thailand were held in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The mascot for this competition was a Korat cat named Can. It has its origin in the Phimai district of Nakhon Ratchasima. The mascot, clad in a “Pha Khao Ma”, a traditional Thai loincloth, and playing the khaen, a Northeastern-style mouth organ, represented Thainess and the Northeastern region.

Lion and tiger

Singapore chose a lion named Nila as the mascot for the 2015 SEA Games. The lion is the national animal of Singapore while the name Nila came from Singapore’s founder Sang Nila Utama. Nila had a red mane and heart-shaped face and was described as courageous, passionate and friendly.

In the 2017 SEA Games, hosts Malaysia chose the Malayan tiger as a mascot. It was named Rimau, an abbreviation of the games’ core values: Respect, Integrity, Move, Attitude and Unity.

The Malayan tiger could symbolise the country as Malaysia is located in the middle and the lower part of the Malay Peninsula. The tiger is highly regarded in Malaysia as it is present in Malaysia’s coat of arms, symbolising strength and courage.

Therefore, the tiger is the symbol for Malaysia in sports as we have seen the yellow tiger symbol often.

“Pami” a symbol for unity

A mascot does not have to always come from animals. The 2019 SEA Games host, the Philippines, did not use an animal as a mascot but a simple design, “Pami”, was chosen to represent the family.

Pami comprised four circles with four different colours from the flag of the Philippines — white, blue, red, and yellow. The motto of the competition was “We Win as One”.

These are examples of mascots used in the SEA Games. They are not only charming and attractive but they also can unite and reduce tensions in the competition because the SEA Games is held to forge deeper ties among Southeast Asian countries.

Published : May 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

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A graphic designer has said that the Thai pencak silat team, which won the first gold medal for the country at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, had used his design without permission.

Sucharn Chaweewan posted on his Facebook on Wednesday that his font “Thailand” appeared on the uniform of the Thai pencak silat athletes.

He said he had received the news from his friends after the team won the first medal in the competition. He congratulated the team on their victory but said he was sad that his design had appeared on the uniform.

Sucharn confirmed that no related organisation or association had contacted him and that he had not allowed any establishment or organisation to use the design.

He said the design was copyrighted and had already received the certificate from the Department of Intellectual Property.

He said he had always taught people that using online designs for yourselves or organisations without authorisation is a copyright infringement.

On Thursday, the Pencak Silat Association said that it had contacted the Commerce Ministry to help contact the designer.

The association said that it had not intended to violate the copyright and it is willing to take responsibility. It will also hold a press conference to explain the matter on Thursday afternoon.

Thailand won its first gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam on Wednesday when pencak silat martial artists Sobri Cheni, Abdulkarim Koolee and Abdulrahim Sidek scored 9,960 against Indonesia in the men’s artistic category finals.

Published : May 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

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Veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini confirms he will leave Juventus at the end of the season, having joined the club in 2004.

The 37-year-old, who is third on Juventus’ all-time appearances list behind Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon, made the announcement after his side lost 4-2 to Inter Milan in Wednesday’s (May 11) Coppa Italia final.

Chiellini joined Juve in 2004 from Livorno, going on to win nine league titles and five Italian Cups during his time in Turin.

He announced his retirement from international football last month, but does not appear to be hanging up his boots just yet, with reports in the Italian media linking him with a move to the United States for one last hurrah.

Published : May 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

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Erik ten Hag won his third Eredivisie title with Ajax on Wednesday evening as the Dutch side hammered Heerenveen 5-0 at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.

The Dutch champions retained the title, having been victorious last year.

First-half goals from Nicolas Tagliafico and Steven Berghuis were followed by a Sebastian Haller penalty to give Ten Hag’s side a three-goal lead at the break. Bryan Brobbey and Edson Alvarez added another two in the second half to confirm Ajax as champions.

Ten Hag’s side have sealed the title with one game to go – an away trip to Vitesse on Sunday. The outcome of that fixture no longer has a bearing for either side, as the hosts sit sixth in the Eredivisie table.

While Ajax won the title convincingly last term, the Dutch champions have been pushed harder by second-placed PSV Eindhoven this season. After Ten Hag’s side drew away to AZ Alkmaar on Sunday, PSV had an opportunity to close the gap to the league leaders but failed to capitalise and Ajax retained a four-point buffer.

PSV recorded a narrow 3-2 home win over NEC this evening, but the second-placed side needed to better Ajax’s result to take the title race to the last day of the season.

Ten Hag has a reputation as an attack-minded manager and that has certainly been evident with his side this term. Ajax have an impressive goal difference of 79, having scored 96 goals in the league so far.

Perhaps even more impressive is the defensive resilience of Ten Hag’s team. In 33 matches, Ajax have conceded a mere 17 goals, 15 fewer than the next nearest team (Feyenoord).

Erik ten Hag wraps up league title with Ajax before taking Manchester united/Photo via facebook.com/afcajax

The triumph has wrapped up a sixth trophy for Ajax under Ten Hag since he took charge in December 2017. He has won three Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups and the Johan Cruyff Shield.

Therefore, he will leave Ajax and head for Old Trafford on a high, with their latest title triumph marking a fitting ending to what has been a hugely successful marriage for club and manager. He has done an exceptional job during his time at the Amsterdam outfit and will be sorely missed by everyone connected with the club.

Published : May 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

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Pep Guardiola says Kevin De Bruyne’s season is getting better and better as City moved within four points of the Premier League title.

The Belgian maestro bagged a career-best four goals in the 5-1 win over Wolves as he arguably gave his best ever performance in a City shirt.
 

Asked about KDB’s stellar display, Guardiola said: “What can I say? In the second part of the season, he has been beyond perfect.

“I am so disappointed in him that he missed a fifth goal when he hit the post!

“He has always been a guy who is so generous and has the sense to make an assist, but I think this season he has the sense to be prolific and score goals.

“He won the game against Chelsea; he scored a goal against Madrid and has been scoring decisive goals.

“I am very pleased for him. Scoring four goals in the decisive part of the season right now is so important.

“You have to arrive in the box. You have to be close to the box and this season I think he has done that better and better.

“Hopefully, that can continue. Not just this year, but for the rest of his career. I have the feeling he has now started enjoying goals.

“Before it was just assists, but now I have the feeling he thinks ‘I like when my team-mates come to hug me because I scored a goal’. It’s good!”

Manchester City

City need four points from the games against West Ham and Aston Villa to guarantee another Premier League title.

But the defensive injury jinx may have struck again after Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte were both taken off after suffering knocks against Wolves.

With Ruben Dias, John Stones and Kyle Walker already ruled out, the Blues can ill-afford to lose any more defensive cover.

“Well, apparently it doesn’t look good,” said the City boss.

“I would say there are some muscular problems for Fernandinho, and it will be difficult for Sunday.

“Aymer had a tough knock on his knee, and we have just four days so we will see how they recover for Sunday.

“(There are) two weeks left, it was a brilliant performance from all the players.

“All of them. They implemented our movement perfectly and made good runs for the people up front. We were good. It’s an important victory.

“We need four points to be champion and we are going to try and get the first three on Sunday. 

“We could have scored more. It is not about that because if we win our games goal difference is not important.

“We have a really tough game on Sunday, and we have incredible problems in (defence).

“We don’t have players and against Antonio, Bowen, Lanzini, it will not be easy. 

“But at the same time, it doesn’t matter what happens, we are going to find a solution and we are going to go there to win the game.”

Published : May 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

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Manchester City have reached an agreement to sign Norwegian striker Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund on July 1, the Premier League club said in a statement on Tuesday (May 10).

“The transfer remains subject to the club finalising terms with the player,” City said.

City did not provide financial details of the deal but German media reported that the total cost of buying Haaland in a multi-year deal could exceed 300 million euros ($316.08 million dollars), including his salary, agent fees and bonuses.

The 21-year-old striker’s value has skyrocketed thanks to his prolific form at Dortmund after joining them from Austrian side Salzburg two years ago.

British media reported Haaland had passed his medical on Monday (May 9), with Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp saying it was a transfer that will “set new levels” in the Premier League.

Haaland has scored 85 goals in 88 games for Dortmund since his debut in January 2020. He was last season’s top scorer in the Champions League as well as the UEFA Nations League.

This season he has 21 goals in the Bundesliga from 20 starts, with Dortmund set to finish second in the league behind champions Bayern Munich when the season concludes on Saturday (May 14).

But Dortmund failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, dropping to the Europa League where they did not make it past the playoffs.

City have been in the hunt to replace Sergio Aguero after the Argentine striker — the club’s all-time top scorer with 254 goals — moved to Barcelona on a free transfer last year.

Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus failed to seal his place in the starting lineup, with Guardiola often deploying a midfielder as a ‘false nine’ leading the attack.

Published : May 11, 2022

By : Reuters

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola remained tight-lipped about the potential signing of Erling Haaland on Tuesday (May 10), saying he had been instructed not to talk until the deal is done.

Norwegian striker Haaland, 21, is one of the hottest prospects when the transfer window opens having scored 85 goals in 88 games for Dortmund since his debut in January 2020.

“Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City have told me I’m not allowed to say anything until the deal is done,” Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday.

“I cannot talk, I’m sorry. There’s plenty of time to talk. I would love to talk, honestly. They tell me not to talk, from a legal perspective, not because I don’t want to.”

British media reported on Monday (May 9) that Haaland had already passed his medical and that Premier League champions City are set to activate the striker’s release clause.

City did not replace Argentine striker Sergio Aguero last year when the club’s all-time top scorer moved to Barcelona on a free transfer.

Manchester City reach agreement to sign Haaland from Dortmund

When asked what difference a new striker would make to his squad, Guardiola said: “New players always helps to be a stronger team. But one defender or striker will not solve our defensive or scoring problems.”

City lead Liverpool by three points in a closely-contested title race with three games left. They visit Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday in a fixture the Spaniard described as “one of the toughest away games” in the league.

Liverpool, however, can go top later on Tuesday when they face Aston Villa but Guardiola said “nothing changes” for City no matter what the result is at Villa Park.

“Hopefully we can push them too. It happened the last four or five years,” Guardiola said.

“Both teams have done impressive seasons. We know exactly what we have to do, nine points. We are going to try.

Published : May 11, 2022

By : Reuters

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Jürgen Klopp declared Liverpool’s comeback victory against Aston Villa to be ‘massive’.

The Reds moved back level on points with Manchester City, albeit having played one game more, at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Villa Park on Tuesday night.

They trailed inside three minutes to a Douglas Luiz strike but equalised immediately through Joel Matip and then secured all three points in the second half when Sadio Mane guided in a clinical header.

At his post-match press conference, Klopp hailed the ‘quality, mentality and character’ of his team as they continue to chase four trophies this season.

Read a summary of his chat with the media below

On how big a performance and result it was for Liverpool

Massive. Outstanding, again an incredible mentality, changed five times, coming here, a well set-up team obviously, in a diamond. We needed time to find into the game and the opponent was there from the beginning, like really aggressive, lot of challenges. Actually the main issues we had were losing balls in for us the wrong areas, from there they could go. Then it’s difficult to get rhythm. On top of that, we were 1-0 down. At least that, we could sort pretty quickly, that was important.

In the last 10 or 15 minutes of the first half we really started controlling the game and that was then obviously the way we had to do it. Scored the second – incredible goal, top-class. Winning the ball back, passing it, first pass forward, Luis sensational, a little juggle here and then crossing the ball. Sadio very surprisingly and Sadio made the world of it. And then we had to dig deep, clear. They had moments, of course, they had a big chance with Ingsy, that was obviously a world-class situation from Ali.

Look, if my players would not be as good as they are I would talk about completely different stuff with you. Their quality, mentality and character is the reason why we are where we are. I’m not surprised they are able to do something like this but I don’t take it for granted – I’m really proud tonight of the boys, it was massive.

On how he makes the decisions to rest players

Impressions, just impressions. I know the boys long – if I would ask them they would all say, ‘I can play’, so I don’t ask. I have to make these decisions by myself. I obviously have nothing else to do but watch football games and football players. That’s with all the things in mind, you think, ‘How could it work today?’ For the boys who come on with not a lot of rhythm it’s not that easy, like Kostas, Curtis. It’s really not easy and I really thought Kostas came through, a lot of pain everywhere, it’s massive. And Curtis, in the moment when we started playing he was really involved, had really good moments. I liked it a lot. We wanted to win the game obviously, we had to win the game, and we thought now it’s time for Thiago, to bring him in the half-spaces. And Thiago was a massive part in the goal, winning the ball back in a really good area. That’s how it happened. My job is about decision-making. Ask me now, I would say leave Fab out but we cannot turn that back. He was completely fine before the game, he had nothing.

On not ‘wasting energy’ worrying about City’s results

For me, it’s absolutely no problem. I spoke in the press conference and I invited the boys to follow my [thinking]. In my mind, we were six points behind City before the last matchday and then we won and they lost and we were only three points. I came here today with that mindset, it means we are still chasing like mad. Honestly, maybe because I’m a bit dumb, but it works brilliantly for me! And the boys are invited to follow that path.

We don’t waste energy to think, ‘Hopefully they lose’ or whatever. No, we just know we have to win, that didn’t change at all. Now we have to recover, really recover and then to play the FA Cup final because there’s obviously no mercy anywhere. We caused this situation ourselves by qualifying for all finals, which is absolutely massive. And now we play an incredibly big game and from Thursday on we’ll prepare that with the boys.
 

Published : May 11, 2022

By : THE NATION