KUALA LUMPUR: With examinations out of the way, some 400 athletes identified for the 14th Asean University Games here from December 11-21, would check into University Putra Malaysia for their last phase of training.

Malaysian University Sports Council’s promotions and sponsorship chairman Nur Ekmal Buhary said the athletes, who check in after a three-week break due to examinations, would undergo centralised training for nine days before the competition.

“With the examinations over, I am confident all the athletes will focus on the Games and the centralised training will further boost their confidence and motivation apart from building their physical and mental strength,” Ekmal told Bernama here yesterday.

He added that the 18-member men’s hockey team were taking part in Universiti Sains Malaysia’s hockey carnival as part of their preparation for the Games while the bowling squad were also undergoing training at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai, Johor.

Akmal said the hockey and bowling teams from Timor Leste had arrived here on Friday but the majority of the foreign teams were expected to check in starting December 8.

This is the third time Malaysia are hosting the Games — the first was in 1981 in Bangi and then in 1994 in Shah Alam — with the events to be held at venues around the Klang Valley.

During the Games, 202 gold medals will be on offer from the 21 sports con- tested and Malaysia, with a number of national ath- letes in their stable, are eye- ing the overall title after finishing fourth in 2006.

Athletes include the likes of pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu, taekwondo exponents Chew Chee Chan and Elaine Teoh, archers Cheng Chu Sian, Wan Mohd Khalmizan Wan Abdul Aziz and diver Leong Mun Yee, who all featured in the Beijing Olympics in August.

At the 2006 Games in Vietnam, Malaysia could manage only seven gold, 19 silver and 37 bronze medals behind Vietnam (74-52-37), Thailand (42-33-49) and Indonesia (27-32-34).

 — Bernama