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NEWS & EVENTS
Islamic Solidarity Games kick off in Palembang
Monday, September 23, 2013

Lee YingShi (top) will be
competing in the wushu event
at the 3rd Islamic
Solidarity Games which
started yesterday. Picture:
BT file

Indonesia opened the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games opened last night despite difficulties faced in the run-up of the event and debates over appropriate outfits for Muslim athletes.

The hosts put up a modest showing at the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium, which is also known as the Jakabaring Stadium, in Palembang, Indonesia.

More than 1,800 athletes from 46 Muslim-populated countries are participating in the Games.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Dr H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of Indonesia.

Also present at the ceremony was His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BNOC).

"Let's put aside our political burden," said Yudhoyono in his opening remarks, as he paid particular tribute to Egyptian, Syrian and Palestinian delegations at the event.

"Through this event, let's prove to the world that Islamic countries can live in unity and harmony," he said, according to AFP.

The Sultanate is competing in four sports athletics, karate, taekwando and wushu.

London 2012 Olympian Ak Hafiy Tajuddin Pg Rositi is the country's sole representative in athletics and will compete in the men's 400-metre event.

Siblings Mohammad Fadillah and Muhammad Fida'iy Sanif will compete in karate while the duo of Mohamad Fathullah Mohamad Taib and Nurulain Md Ja'afar will compete in taekwondo.

The trio of Lee YingShi and brothers Md Sufi Shayiran and Mohammad Adi Sya'rani Roslan will represent the Sultanate in wushu.

The Sultanate will kick off their campaign with the karate event today.

There has been a lack of funding leading in the run up to event and local organisers said that they had yet to receive any cash from the central government.

"It's scary. The funding has not been disbursed until now, we are asking left and right for support so the event can go ahead as planned," Djoko Pramono, a senior organising committee member, told AFP.

There have been problems from the start as the tournament was moved from Riau in Sumatra to Jakarta, only to be shifted to Palembang after Sumatran officials complained.

Organisers only had two months to move everything to Palembang.

Courtesy from Brunei Times