Ho Ho Ho! ...

Future of Malaysian Badminton ?

“We can even bring in Lin Dan’s coach but he too will not be able to do anything about it.” Chong Wei sums it best when referring to the backup shuttlers after his win at the Perak Open 2010. Even Hafiz Hashim shares the same sentiment when asked about the backup shuttlers' performances; “I hope all of them will catch up next year and give us a better fight in the local tournaments. They must put pressure on the seniors. It just felt like a training match to me.”


Alarming comments indeed from the country top 2 single shuttlers. One would wonder if countries like Japan or the likes of Hong Kong , Taiwan or even Vietnam would overtake us in badminton in the near future. Already we've seen some promising youngsters in the circuit from these countries. 


Let's hope not and hopefully BAM will nick this in the behind very soon. 

under pressure to deliver

Celebrating Malaysian Heroes - An interview with Loo Kum Zee

Malaysian for Sports managed to catch up with Loo Kum Zee , former Malaysian high jumper and till today remains the only Malaysian who have won a medal in high jump at the Asian Games. Hear what he has to say about his experience as a high jumper and also his thoughts on Malaysian athletics. His answers will BLOW your mind away ! JY has the scoop.

JY    : What got you started in high jump? 

LKZ : Actually, I started high jump quite coincidently during my school days when I discovered that I can actually win in the event at school level; that spurred my attention & interest to go further to test my abilities.

JY    : Who or What was your inspiration? 

LKZ : If we were to start from the beginning of my career which started in school, it was an accident as I said before; nevertheless, my inspirations were the urge to win in every competition I competed. That eventually made me feel good all the time in the eyes of everybody.

2002 Asian Championships

JY    :  The Malaysian athletics did not do well in the last Asian Games, why do you think so?

LKZ :  Rotten & Spoilt ! That's what I have observed through the years. The word ROTTEN is for the NSA & Officials/Coaches & SPOILT is for the athletes. However, during my days, such was also the scenario, especially after the setting up of Bukit Jalil etc. Why? Talent & development are too intense & concentrated, that they tend to provide the best to the youngster from day one without first analysing the full talent & what they can deliver. Thus in return we have athletes having the impressions that they are the greatest & untouchable ones. That's how it begins. 

Unlike my time as a junior some 20 years ago, we had to fight for our place to survive as an athlete. Compare to now, everything is provided for, but young athletes never appreciate but keep asking for more! And this is in contrary of the spirit of sport.

For the ROTTEN NSA & officials/coaches, congratulation to them that they were able to stay this long (some of them >30 years) in the scene where old thoughts & stone age philosophy still persist by not willing to accept changes, avoiding threat (rather than to face it, rectify it, adapt to it, making changes for the good of all).

JY    : Can you give us an example ? 

LKZ : Just give you a scenario, this morning, I attended the 1 Malaysia Run in Ipoh & to my surprise, the organizing committees were the Local Association & from there, I met all the 'OLD but unwilling to leave' guys still running the show. You know, as usual, they seemed to be friendly but in their hearts, I can feel their off-side of their thinking........like........Oops, lucky this guy is not in the working team nor the Association, otherwise, we would have a tough time! This actually was why I do not have a chance to be involved in athletics since my retirement in state or national level.

JY    : You're the winner of 5 SEA games gold medal, 1 Asian games bronze medal and also qualified for the   1996 Olympics. What's your most memorable time in athletics? 

LKZ : Winning in a major event, of course (as you mentioned). That was the moment of pride for me though. But the 2 proudest thing I want to reminiscent were that I managed to keep the flag flying and continuing the tradition of high jump gold in SEA Games for 5 times after Low Cwee Peng & since the year 1971 (but unfortunately, we lost the golden tradition with Hup Wei in 2005 SEA Games; which really upset me) & the only High Jumper who won a medal in Asian Games till today. I have nevertheless, 5 Bronzes for the Asian Track & Field Championship (ATF) in my pocket for year 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002 & 2003!

JY    : What have you been up to since retirement? 

LKZ : Since retirement, I had thoughts, many thoughts not to report back to my employer (Maybank) as I still fancied life being involved in sport (as a coach) because I am able to travel, enjoy life to the fullest (like all those corrupted ass), get paid for nothing (as there is no more athlete thus, training was not required), continue to enjoy all my sponsorship, having all my friends around that could make me feel superior on all times etc.[spoken in sarcasm] 

Nonetheless, chances faded away due to my outspoken attitude as what I reckoned was their fear that I am a pure 'Opposition' fellow who would oppress them. Time & time again my offers were turn down (from MSN) without my knowledge (done by someone who was powerful enough to convince the NSA & to convince MSN) that I had no interest at all in sport. Actually, at the time I learnt about it, it really pissed me off & finally after 1 1/2 years of trying & offering (by MSN) that had gone unsuccessfully, I decided to stay a calm life, concentrate on my work with my employer & try to enjoy life as a 'commoner'

JY    : Based on your observation, there’re reasons to be concerned. What’s your outlook for Malaysian athletics in the future? 

LKZ : Rome was not build in 10 years.....as Dr Mahathir had said, changes cannot be realized overnight; the same I have for Malaysian Athletics. It is the truth & no one is able to deny the fact. Changes need a lot of courage & support (from all sectors), motivation is lacking & therefore, sad to say, the outlook is basically 'NIL' for me!

JY :    Wow! Nil! For those who still aspire and harbour ambitions to represent the country in the future, any advice for them? 

LKZ : Advice? ok........if you do not achieve what you have targeted for in 5 years time, quit & do not waste time as athletics will not guarantee you a future nor a decent job, not to mention, a good way to survive! Why I say so, just look at where most of the successful athletes now (apart from those like Dr Jega etc)........they simply vanished in society & have you ever wonder how do they manage to survive?

JY    : Athletes nowadays can be spoiled when it comes down to training ; they prefer to train at the comfort of their home (Malaysia) . Do you think training in overseas produce better results? 

LKZ : Training overseas is very beneficial, but athletes who wants to excel have to really learn to become a ROBOT in order to achieve that & I would suggest that NSA to adopt 'orphans' from young & send them for a 10 to 15 years training programme cum competition overseas by not coming home but only for important competition with Malaysian flag on.

JY    : In your opinion, what's the most important element to succeed in sports? 

LKZ : Still the 3Ds Dato Khalid (our former MAAU President) mentioned; Discipline, Determination & Dedication. I have been practising it & it proved to be working well !

JY    : Do you think Asian athletes are inferior to westerner or those from the Caribbean islands in terms of genetics?And does it make a difference in terms of performance/results, how so? 

LKZ : For me, humans are the same. It's just a matter of the mind.  

JY    :  Last words? =) 

LKZ : Thank you for the chance to express my feeling here towards my beloved sport in particularly. I would like to also express my gratitude towards my employer, Maybank for supporting me through thick & thin by providing me a satisfactory job that I can manage to capitalized on in to improve my quality of life. But for athletes, still the same words, set your target/time frame for achievement & if you do not make it, leave it as tomorrow will be a better day if we work similarly hard.

Pity the Fool !

Sigh! Where do I begin? Another so-called sports official making ridiculous and ludicrous remarks again. This time it's on a local produced sports talk television show. This person from FAM was interviewed about Malaysian football and their performance in the ongoing AFF Suzuki Cup. I could see in his face that after the win over Vietnam a few days ago in the National Stadium, he was buzzing with pride & joy. Like him, the rest of the nation was proud of the Malaysian boys for getting this far. Then came the remarks which got me choking on my dinner. Here's the 3 things he mentioned when quizzed about the future of Malaysian football : -

1. Malaysia will be a powerhouse in football not just in South East Asia but also in ASIA in 2 years. Mind you, the last time I checked , countries like Australia, Japan, Korea and the middle-eastern countries are still part of Asia and some of these teams have played on the largest platform - The World Cup. Not to be nay-sayer but to achieve such feat requires proper development channels and a strong league NOW especially if you want to achieve this in 2 years. 

2. FAM will consider those players playing abroad (i.e. Titus, Brendan Gan,etc) in team selection. But final say will depend on the coach eventhough these players are playing for top clubs in Europe. Err...I do agree that the coach will have the final say but surely if they're good enough to play for top clubs outside Msia, they should be given serious consideration if not an automatic place in the squad? 

3. This official boldly said that one of the players in the national squad at this moment is good enough to play for ANY clubs in Europe. For me , this one definitely bring back the bacon ! 

It's just a pity that sometimes in Malaysian sports, the players are trying their hardest on the pitch but these so-called officials make them look bad or stupid. 

For the sake of sports in the nation, "officials" please think before you speak especially when you know everyone will be watching you or reading it from the media the next day. Do us a favour & stop making a fool out of Malaysian Sports!

THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE – SPORTS

“This rugby is a political calculation...no, it’s a Human calculation” this was what Nelson Mandela said when he architected South Africa’s famous victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The infamous victory sparked by Mandela’s vision proved everyone wrong, when no one gave them a chance. “According to the experts, we'll reach the quarter-finals, and no further...According to the experts, you and I should still be in jail!” Mandela, replied. Not only did South Africa beat all odds to win the rugby world cup but more importantly unite the nation which has been beleaguered by the apartheid system.

Dato’ Razali Ibrahim, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports speaking at the official opening of the Muar Malay Badminton Championship 2009 called on Malaysians to emphasize more on sports development so that it could help to foster better unity ties among the people because sports in every level has been able to bring Malaysians together throughout history.  

“There was no racial borders in sports where different races joined hands to form teams to compete” he said. This holds true when we recently experienced the Thomas & Uber Cup 2010 held in Kuala Lumpur. Waves of Malaysians, irrespective of race and colour wrapped in Jalur Gemilang throng the Putra stadium with one purpose – to support the Malaysian team.  

Sports is a universal language spoken by almost everyone in the world. Regardless of what language you grew up speaking, the World Cup or the Olympics resonates immediately to anyone in any part of the world. Sports speaks all languages. Whether you’re walking through the streets of Africa , China or Paris, the direction to the stadium is a simple hand gesture away.

Sports teaches us important and fundamental life skills. Sports is not merely just a physical activity whereby you have a good sweat but also a tool to shape our lives. Values like teamwork, sportsmanship, and responsibility are the essence to everyday lives just like sports.

One thing that sports does so well over and over again is to unite divided nations. War torn nations like Iraq and South Africa have proved to the world that despite their problems at home, they’re able to unite as a team and nation. Iraq won the football Asian Cup in 2007 and South Africa the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

The beauty of sports is its tendency to bring out the best in everyone and spring unexpected result. Just ask the likes of North Korea who played their first World Cup in 44 years last June or the Korean team who demolished the mighty great wall of China in the recent concluded Uber Cup. The list is endless.

On a closing note, schools are the best way to instil sports amongst the young. It’s sad to see many school fields being replaced by new school blocks or computer labs today. The recent announcement by the Deputy Prime Minster, Tan Sri Muhyiddin to put emphasize on sports in school is a welcome and long overdue news. The 1 Student 1 Sport program will hopefully help students and parents see the importance of an all round education system. The challenge now is creating the awareness. 

The X-Factor

First it was Chris Houghton , now and more surprisingly Big Sam. Perhaps, it's not so surprisingly after all  looking at events that have taken place in football over the last few years. Football can be a cruel and vicious game. I guess, if you were to lay off a manager, this would be the best time considering the January transfer window is near and transfer funds will be better off with the new managers.

X Factor

The question now is who's next? Who's leading the pack to be the next manager on the chopping block? Here are your contenders. My pick - Roberto Martinez. If results do not improve for Chelsea, I'll go with Ancellotti.

Roy's Magic Lamp

When his team were down 2-1 to Newcastle at the 85th min mark, Roy was completely clueless about what to do to change the game. So he rubbed his magic lamp hoping for his wish to come true. In all fairness, Newcastle deserved the victory after another awful and timid away performance by the reds. Liverpool (or perhaps Roy) seem to shoot themselves in the foot all the time. Everytime, after an impressive display at home, they can't seem to find their feet away.

Players like Lucas, Ngog, Maxi look like players who are able to play well one week and awful the other. Meireles disappointed in this match. Not to mention the defence. Torres, heavy heartedly didn't play up to par.

Russians for 2018

On a lighter note, perhaps it's not a bad idea after all awarding Russia the WC 2018. After all, they're master in the beautiful game. The excel on the field as well as the magazine covers ;)

Kilirenko, Sharapova, Verchenova

Season Defining Period?

London Derby

The big boys take on each other this month and kicking it off this week is the derby clash between Spurs & Chelsea and Arsenal take on Man.Utd. Chelsea will look at this match as a must win match after a string of poor results in the last few games. Ancelotti's job may be on the line here and this end year period could prove decisive. However, with the return of Terry, Essien and possibly Lampard, I believe they will come out tops.

Battle of the Reds

Arsenal will need to show character and strength if they're to be seriously considered for the title. Yes, they're at the top now but it's these matches that will determine if they have what it takes. Good news is Cesc may be back (or perhaps not so good since Nasri is playing superbly in place of Cesc). This is a match neither team will want to lose. My prediction a draw.

Looking at the schedule for Dec, Chelsea will need all their best players fit and ready to go because Man.Utd is next , followed by Arsenal. This could make or break their season. On the other hand, if the big boys do not beat each other, this could be good news for Man.City or Spurs (if they win their matches, of course). They have a very good chance to possibly go top of the table and may very well be a few points ahead come January.

Important times to for the W.W.W teams who occupies the last 3 places in the league. Their fixtures look win-able and if they go on a hot streak, who knows, they may even possibly find themselves in a mid-table?

Get off your cosy chair...Your time is UP !

Rotten apples of Malaysian Sports

Office bearers in sports associations should recognize when their services are no longer needed. A lot has been said about the reformation of Malaysian sports on the field (i.e. need a foreign coach, need better facilities, more overseas training, etc) but few is mentioned about the reformation of the people who have been helming the offices. Unfortunately, some of them have been holding on to their position for upteenth years without bearing fruits. It's hard to fault those who think they're merely there for the benefits. Imagine the perks of attending all the major sporting events and "study" tour. Whilst it's true that sports is an expensive game, this is more the reason why money should be allocated properly and more importantly who is spending it. Which come back to the point, have a proper evaluation system in place to gauge non-performing officials or office bearers. And stick to it! 


In the words of one respected sports figure - "The majority of our sports leaders are veterans and have been at the helm for many years. Some of them protect their position through unhealthy means to prevent others from coming in. Funds from government to help a sport in some cases fortify these leaders positions further" . Read more about his thoughts at http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/62mazlan/Article


Responsibility don't seem to ring any bells in these officials ear. Not too long ago, a high ranking official in an association boldly stated he will quit if the team did not bring back gold and when they failed , he sings a different tune. Until today, there's no news of him leaving office. This is truly sad, and it's not the only time it has happened to Malaysian Sports. What ever happened to integrity and values? Do these guys even have the slightest idea about sports in the very first place? Highly doubt so because sports teaches one values and discipline which is severely lacking in many of these guys. 


Having said that, KUDOS to those who sincerely and selflessly contribute to the good of the game. These are the back bone of Malaysian Sports and credit is not given enough to them. These are the people who knows what sports mean and will fight for what's right. Keep up the good work and don't let a few rotten apples ruin the name of the game ! 


Majulah Sukan Untuk Negara...

The unofficial site...

The Malaysian Hockey League Division 1 is underway and the big boys will take the pitch when the Premier Division starts in 2 weeks time. For the latest results and updates on MHL, please visit the unofficial site - http://www.tnbmhl.com.my/ .

Snapshot of site

The person behind the website is Mr. Satwant Singh who is an avid hockey and sports fan. To read more about his thoughts on sports visit http://www.ssdhaliwal.blogspot.com

Futsal for kids

This is an interesting program for school kids which gives back to the community.

"Sportsplanet-City Youth Academy will be organizing its 8th edition school holidays football clinic program 2010 from the 6th-10th of December 2010 @ USJ 2 community football field. This program is done on a regular basis to get the children from our community to spend quality time learning the game of football during their school holidays. Children will be trained by qualified & experienced coaches on the fundamentals of the game – basics & techniques"

For more information regarding the program, please contact :

En. Sulaiman Gerrard @sulaimangerrard@yahoo.com.my

A Mauling

The tigers were taught a lesson in football at the opening match of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010. The final score reads 5-1 to Indonesia and could have been more to the home side. Straight from the Asian Games where they got praised by progressing to the second round, this strikes. And strike it did ! Perhaps this will provide FAM a clear picture of how strong this squad really is. All the hype about this young team and its potential remains to be seen and from what we have seen lately, it's another false dawn. Humiliated and ridiculed by the Indonesians -The match against Laos will be a dreaded affair.

fearing the worst