| Article | : | The 6th Malaysia Millennium 2002
International DanceSport Championships
Open to the World
Kuala Lumpur
On the spot report by
Werner J. Braun
King and Queen of Malaysia attended the competition.
Kuala Lumpur, the Capital of Malaysia, the town with the highest Skyscrapers of the World, the more than 400 m high Twin Towers, was the place of the Malaysian Millennium 2002 Championships. We made the more than 600 km from Singapore by luxury busses and so had a wonderful sightseeing trip on smooth highways fenced by blooming bougainvilleas and mimosas leading through woods of palm-trees on either sides. We had overnight stops at Melaka, the old Portuguese settlement, in the picturesque Puteri Resort and the Sunshine Bay Resort in Port Dickson with interesting excursions for example to the world famous Batu Caves.
But the highlight was our stay at the Istana Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where the competition as well was organised in the "Mahkota Room", as they modestly named the giant Grand Ballroom.
It was an absolute highlight, when Their Royal Highnesses Yg Dipertuan Begeri Sembilan Tuanku Jaafar and Tuanku Ampuan Najihah, Sultan and Sultanah of Negeri Sembiland entered the Grand Ballroom of the 5 Star Hotel Istania on the red carpet and graciously waved their hands to respond to the standing ovations of the audience in the completely crowded giant hall. They were followed by Tunku Dara, the daughter of DYMM Tuanku Jaafar Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abd Rahman Yg Dipertuan Negeri Sembilan and her husband Tunku Mudsaffar.
The names, taken from the official protocol, sound like taken from a fairy tale of "Thousand and one Night" and we felt a bit like this, when we saw how enchanted the crowd reacted. And when we saw also those VIPs who followed their Royal Highnesses. Among others we saw Richard Chiam the Chairman of the Selangor Turf Club and his wife and Richard Chiam, the President of the Hong Leong Credit Bank and his wife, accompanied by the famous singer and TV performer May Lee Leong. whose songs have over the years been enjoyed and applauded by Kings and Queens, Heads of States and the high society all over Asia and also by selected audiences around the Globe.
The Grand Ballroom itself is unique with its lead crystal lustre in the centre with a diameter of about 6 meters, with all the marble, the huge orchid decoration and an audience, which matched all this splendour. The evening competition was celebrated in form of a candle light dinner. The menu was oriental with at least ten courses of the finest delicatessen.
The competition was very well organised by Jimmy Liew and his school of Ballroom Dancing. The comps for D and C-class and the pre-rounds for adults over 45 and 55 took place in the morning, the semi-finals of Grade A closed Asia and Open to the World in the afternoon, the Professional Open comps and the finals then as highlights in the evening. Jimmy Liew was a lucky man. The comp took place on his 70th birthday and the first to congratulate him were his guests of honour, the King and the Queen and then all the members of his rich family.
During the whole time of our stay everything was of the finest. We enjoyed the Chinese meals at the welcome party in the Hotel Park Inn and those meals as well which we were served every day. We became real experts in using Chinese sticks instead of forks and knives.
The frame program also was of first class. The main sponsor Dato Cheong Siew Kai DJJMK, Ams, Jp - whatever the abbreviations mean and who it is, must have been very generous. The German A Formation Team of the Post Sport Club Berlin made a great performance for which they got long lasting applause and Fabio Bosco/Marina Ferrari from Belgium and Luca Tonello and Ekaterina Baroulina from Russia made a combined Show which enthusiasted the audience. And furthermore the organisers had invited couples from USA, Belgium, Italy, England, Germany, Finland, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Latvia, Russia, Switzerland, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia and Chinese Taipei..
All in all it was a very representative competition with a very high standard. As it was also televised, it added a lot to the high reputation DanceSport already has in the Asian region. Especially by the presence of the Royal Highnesses and the patronage of Datin May Lee Leong.
As adjudicators besides those from Singapore and Malaysia acted Susan Walker and Tony Bennett, England, Glen Tierney and Keith Collins, Australia; Werner J. Braun, Germany; Philip Banyer, Switzerland; Julia Nagorska und Sergey Dorogovtsev, Ukraine and Gino die Paolo, Italy.
All Malaysian Amateur and Professional Associations had acknowledged the competition. Welcome addresses we saw from Lien Shui-Seng, President of the Chinese DanceSport Union, Steven Han, Chairman Asia DanceSport Council and President Singapore Professional Ballroom Dancers Association and Chin Chooi Ying, MS, Chairman of the IDSF Member the Malaysian DanceSport Association and Asian DanceSport Federation, who even were present.
Werner J. Braun
Results:
Professional Standard:
1. Sami Yiplipari/Karita Lehto - Finland
2. Tassilo Lax/Sabine Lax-Hoffmann - Germany
3. Anthony Lan/Debbie Huang - Chinese Taipei
4. Bay Yeh Ping/Liao Yun Ling - Chinese Taipei
5. Alexander Huang/Olivia Chao - Chinese Taipei
6. Kevin Chang/Sunny Peng - Chinese Taipei
Amateur Grade A Open Standard
1. Marco Cavaliaro/Joanna Clifton - England
2. Mario Maello/Giovanna Maello - Italy
3. Aleksi Tuominen/Kati Miettinen - Finland
4. Volker Schmidt/Ellen Jonas - Germany
5. Gatis Sevels/Elena Danilchenko - Latvia
6. Mikhail Jarinov/Maria Makushikina - Russia
Amateur Grade A Closed Standard
1. Edgar Borromeo/Ana Yango - Philippines
2. Lee Leong Karr/Christine Chang Gim Tin - Singapore
3. Yap Soon Ann/Kuan Yoke Hoi - Malaysia
4. Narone Wongsupha/Nardrudee Bothawom - Thailand
5. Thomas KS Tan/Tramaine LC Tan - Malaysia
6. Richard Tan/Jenny Tong - Singapore
Professional Latin
1. Sami Yiplipari/Karita Lehto - Finland
2. Simon Chen/Carmen Lu - Chinese Taipei
3. Frank Su/Irene Lai - Chinese Taipei
4. Angus Hsu/Vicky Chen - Chinese Taipei
Amateur Grade A Open Latin
1. Darren Bennett/Lilia Kopylova - England
2. Olexandr Prysyazhnyuk/Angelina Lokteva - Ukraine
3. Aleksi Tuominen/Kati Miettinen - Finland
4. Alexander Sokolov/ Julia Chernova - Russia
5. Uapan Buranasombati/Worapa Jariyathammarat - Thailand
6. Michael Mendoza/Jenevieve Camacho - Philippines
Amateur Grade A Closed Latin
1. Uapan Buranasombati/Worapa Jariyathammarat - Thailand
2. Melvin Deal Serna/Shirley Basan - Philippines
3. Michael Mendoza/Jenevieve Camacho - Philippines
4. John Erolie Melencio/Crystel Daine Tadeo - Philippines
5. Lee Po Wah/Bup Lai Hung - Hong Kong
6. Therawat Thammuangpak/Thanawan Pookin - Thailand |
