THE STATE OF OUR SPORTS

My musings on sports. Please note that some numbers and 'facts' may not be facts after all. They're used to illustrate the sheer stupidity of some of the things we do in this country, but I believe they're right there in the ballpark. And please be warned, these are just my feelings, some rational, some are not.

If some parties decide that they have been defamed, I apologize. I'm not worth suing and shall not be responsible for any idiotic action you take after reading my rant. And apologies for bringing some old news on our dysfunctional sports all around.

1. Nicol Ann David would be a Datuk (or Dato'). That's news to me, haha...... Make no mistake, I admire Nicol for a simple fact that she is (or has achieved) the World's No.1 rank in squash. She is talented, trained hard. And (drumroll please...), a big huge THANK YOU to our beloved politicians for not meddling into a rare success in our country's sports scene. Is squash an Olympic event?
2. It seems everyone who is or perceived as good at what he/she does gets a Datukship. Swim across some channel? Anda telah mengharumkan nama negara, you'll get a Datukship. It doesn't matter that you're the 9,785th person to have done it. It doesn't matter if you were a man and several impoverished women from Japan did it not long after their country was ravaged by Fat Man and Little Boy, no problem. We're more than happy to hire an Aussie trainer and spend our hard-earned tax monies to train this lad so he can go after personal glory. Give him money, give him medal. Where our iron man from Penang now? Retired?
3. You're a singer and good at what you're doing? Datukship for you. Not enough? We'll throw in Tan Sri and Dr. for you. It doesn't matter no one under 85 listens to your songs. The only way to get anyone younger to listen is to be on stage with Datuk Siti Nurhaliza (surprise, surprise, another Datuk). Dato' or Datuk used to mean something. Now, if you go to UMNO annual battle cry meeting and toss a pebble in a crowd, chances are you're going to hit a Datuk or Dato'. If he/she is not, I can bet you my bottom dollar he/she knows at least two. Heck, I know a few myself. And I'm a nobody with nothing to much to offer.
4. More sports. We're going to reward RM1million for a gold medallist at the Olympics. Some people say too little, some say too much. I tell you what we should reward; RM10,000 for all players in the same football team who can string five (5) passes in our par excellence Liga Supir. A few years ago I watched a game for 10 minutes and get this; neither team was able to string 5 passes! I thot that was an aberration. After recovering from the trauma 5 months later, I watched another match, this time for 20 minutes. Surprise, surprise, same s***. Neither team could muster 5 measly passes. What a way to waste my life. In 2001, Barcelona played Liverpool in UCL, at Anfield, and put together 27 passes end to end and made Liverpool look like a bunch of overpaid idiots. The end result - a goal. Twenty-seven passes that ended with a goal at one of the most difficult venue for a visiting team! How's that for excellence.
5. An our athletes? We hear the same s*** every sports meet like SEA Games, Asian Games or the Olympics come along every few years. "Saya ingin memperbaiki masa sendiri". If saying it in front of a camera him/herself makes it sound stupid, get a sports reporter to say it for millions to see and hear. How stupid is that? If you're an athlete and you want to improve your performance, this is what sane people in other countries do; TRAIN. PRACTISE. That's how these people run faster, throw farther, jump higher. They go to the Olympics to compete and WIN. At least give the favorite athlete a run for their money. You know, really compete like Nadal and Federer.
6. Get this; "Peluang so and so untuk memecah rekod renang Nurul Huda Abdullah di Olimpik". I got news for you sister, Nurul Huda DID NOT hold any Olympics record in swimming. If you can't break her Malaysian/SE Asian record here, what makes you think you can in Beijing? Must be the haze over there that drive a few people crazy.

And let's not get started with politics and politicians in our sports associations and authorities.

Alright, back to work smarty pants. Til next time. Adios muchachos.

HOW ABOUT FEDERER AND NADAL

I slept very little last night, thanks to the weather around the All England Club.

I've watched Ivan Lendl, Steffi Graff, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and other tennis greats played against their worthy opponents but boy did Fedex and Nadal redefined excellence in sports and all it embodies. By the time I set my eyes on the game, Nadal was two sets up, with Federer leading 5-4 in the third. I watched the third just to see how Federer would finally succumb to Nadal who not only maintained his brute force in his game but added accuracy and sheer determination to win where Federer reigned supreme for the past five years.

Although Federer lost, boy is he a great player. Down by two sets, to Nadal no less, he clawed back and saved two championship points in the fourth set on his way co-produced the best tennis match ever played. How I wish I was there.

I'm a casual tennis fan who watches selective matches. Even when Nadal was here, I chose not to watch him against Gasquet but preferred Sampras-Federer because Sampras has the biggest Grand Slam medal collection and Federer might just surpass him soon.

There's a newfound respect and admiration for Nadal after the marathon slugfest where power, determination, control and artistry collided in a game called tennis. They elevated their game to art where everything we mere mortals thought impossible was on show for the whole world to see. Countless jaws dropped countless times, followed by collective gasps and applause of appreciation, not just at the center court but at least in one living room in the wee hours in KL this morning.

Words can't begin to describe how excellent the whole game was. A treat of mastery and sheer beauty where they were not mere players but the finest of craftsmen in whites moving around the court with speed and tenacity in an unwavering believe that he and he alone would rule the night and reign supreme. Federer and Nadal were above above the rest in that game and it's not farfetched to say I fell in love with tennis last night. It was probably a one night stand but it is one to savor and remember for years to come. It's a pinnacle of never-say-die attitude where both were equal until the last two points.

Coming back to earth, how I wish Malaysian athletes have 10% of their tenacity, determination and belief. If our athlete did, Asian Games would be our mere playground, at least in some sports. That's a subject for another day.

MY FIRST BLOG

Warning; whatever I post here is strictly my opinion. It may offend some, it may enlighten some, and hopefully the latter.

Here it is. My first blog.

And why not? Everyone seems to be doing it. From net-savvy lawyer who seems to have way too much time to some idiot politicians who dismissed bloggers before GE-12 as menace to society. Now everyone seems to have a spot in blogspot.com, but many end up sounding like goblog (or is it goblok?).

I don't have any specific topic, nor will I try to sound intelligent but most of the time I will write what I feel in my gut. No holds barred, I don't pull any punches. You learn from it, great. You're offended, I can only apologize.

I welcome feedback, abrasive or otherwise.