Why every child should play sports...

1. You learn how to communicate and work with others
2. Winning and losing - part of the game
3. You will get hounded by your coach or teammate but you will enjoy a cold glass of beer or hot glass of teh tarik after the match. There is no such thing as sulking or pulling a long face
4. You will realise that everyone - from the guy who brings you water to the girl who bandages your wounds - is important
5. The players need the coach and manager as much as the coach and manager need the players
6. You don't know the meaning of ego for you are treated the same
7. You embrace the spirit of fairplay, respecting your opponent at all times
8. There is always room for improvement, no matter how good you are
9. You are not indispensible, for there will always be another talent eager to take over. There is no place for a diva
10. You inject fun while completing your task


For when the child grows up, he or she will inject the same values in his or her life.

HD says: Guess not many have played sports during their younger days...

Sharpen up, lads!

MALAYSIA'S hopes at the Junior World Cup in New Delhi would depend on their ability to score goals from penalty corners.

With most teams playing it tight at the back, open play chances would be few in between, hence the team were somewhat perturbed that the three penalty corners in their friendly against Germany went to waste in their 2-0 loss on Tuesday.

Malaysia have a good penalty corner department with the likes of Shahril Saabah, Zulhairi Hashim and Kavin Karthik able to convert from the set-pieces.

Shahril was the ace at the Sultan Johor Cup as he hammered five goals via penalty corners and in the process was the topscorer of the tournament with seven goals.

“We need to be more precise in the penalty corners and the match against Germany was not reflective of our ability in this department,” said team manager Mirnawan Nawawi.

Grab a copy of The Malay Mail for all this and more as Mailsport's SS Dhaliwal reports from New Delhi.

HD says: All the best lads!

Aren't we a kurang ajar lot?

Haresh Says as published in The Malay Mail today.

Respect. That was one word my late father used to harp on every single day.

“Go say hello to your aunt” or “make sure you use the word ji (a sign of respect in Punjabi) when addressing an elderly relative”.

He used to often say: “You will be respected if you respect others”.

Eager to eat burrito, I was shopping for ingredients at a grocer near the embassy row along Jalan Ampang over the weekend when I noticed an elderly woman greeting a child.

The child, perhaps about six-years-old, pulled a long face instead.

The boy’s parents felt nothing wrong with that and went on to say the kid was “tired” and “shy”.

Five minutes later, he was seen running, shouting at the top of his lungs and even thrust several grapes into his mouth. Not so tired and shy after all.

I thought opening a door for a lady or allowing them to step out or into an elevator was being “respectful”. I have instead been ridiculed for being a “pak guard” and was even accused of trying to hit on someone.

It has not stopped me from opening doors for the fairer sex — young or old, attractive or otherwise.

We have seen, over and over again, how politicians use gutter language when trying to justify a point.

If we cannot seem to respect a fellow human being, what more historical ruins dating as far back as the eighth century and a river that was once the source of food and water for people living along its banks.

Over the weekend, it emerged that Bujang Valley in Kedah was “secretly destroyed” by land developers.

Bujang Valley consists of more than 50 ancient temples and ruins, believed to be some 2,000 years old. It showed the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism and documents early civilisation in Southeast Asia.

The book Bujang Valley and Early Civilisations in Southeast Asia published in 2011 revealed evidence of human settlement that predates earlier finds and ritual platforms that seems to differ from other structures in the region.

Astonishing indeed.

Following the uproar, the Kedah government instructed the developer to stop work on the site on Monday while the Culture and Tourism Ministry said it can invoke the National Heritage Act 2005 to save the ancient temple.

Then there’s Sungai Kelantan. Pakmat Fahmy, a man with many interesting tales to tell, uploaded a picture of the murky river on Facebook.

He said it was only yellow during the monsoon in the past but now, it is yellow all year long.

“I remember in the late 1970s, when fast-speed boats were the in-thing in Kota Baru. The river then was dark blue to dark green depending on the time of the year,” said Pakmat.

Pakmat blamed “unbridled logging” for the murky waters.

MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok had in a statement in October demanded an explanation from the Kelantan government over environmental issues in the state.

Loh said: “Logging is believed to have contributed to the sedimentation of Sungai Kelantan which further aggravated farmers.”

Development is important but there needs to be balance. It must not be done at the expense of heritage and nature.

Instead, we have turned into a kurang ajar (disrespectful) lot and pay scant respect to everything and everyone around us.

If only people realised a little bit of respect could go a long way.

Thank you Rajagobal!

Haresh Says, as published in The Malay Mail today.

Dear Datuk K. Rajagobal,
 

I cannot imagine what went through your head as you spoke to journalists for the final time as the national coach at Wisma FAM yesterday.

I am sure it was a humbling experience, having enjoyed the limelight during your early days after replacing B. Satianathan in 2009.

You have seen it all, having played alongside the late Mokhtar Dahari with Selangor before graduating to represent the national team in the 1980s. You tried your hand in coaching, starting with PKNS FC before enjoying stints with Selangor and Kelantan.

Naturally, your abilities caught the attention of the FA of Malaysia for you were tasked to guide the national Under-19 team before climbing up the ladder to the senior team.

Some had questioned your appointment then. But you silenced them almost immediately as the national team bagged the gold medal at the 2009 Laos Sea Games.

The Tigers continued their winning ways after emerging victorious in the 2010 Asean Cup.
The two wins – although deemed petty by your staunchest critics – created a new phenomenon among Malaysians. The young and old, men and women, boys and girls, they all spoke a common language and it was called football.

It united the masses. Fans ditched their Premier League jerseys and wore the national stripes proudly. They finally felt the sense of pride, something money cannot buy.

Politicians too jumped onto the bandwagon as the popularity of the sport was overwhelming. It is thanks to the national team’s successes that the government channelled an initial grant of RM10 million into the National Football Development Programme in 2010. It was all about football that to a certain extent, the other sports felt a little left out.

Your efforts even earned you a Datukship in 2011.

But the successes did not last for long. Fans became hungry for more. The skeptics then questioned why Malaysians were celebrating mediocrity when we should be winning competitions beyond the South-East Asian region.

Among the losses was the 6-4 (aggregate) defeat to Singapore in a World Cup qualifying match in 2011. Losing to the islanders was a bitter pill to swallow.

The team failed to defend the Asean Cup last year after losing 3-1 (in aggregate) to Thailand in the two-legged semifinals.

Fans would also remember the 1-1 draw against Bangladesh in an international friendly last year.
Everyone then started sounding like a coach. They questioned your line-up and even implied favouritism. Fans were angry with national body and they took it out on you.

Some ridiculed when you used words like “positive”, “experiment” and “ranking tidak penting” (ranking not important). They called it excuses.

For the record, Malaysia were placed 161st in the Fifa ranking in April 2009 and are now at 158.
The mounting pressure even got to your employers, who had on the sidelines admitted they decided against extending your contract as it was the “hot topic at present”.

But being your polite self, you took the decision with stride. As you mentioned yesterday, you will never turn your back on FAM and the country and will not hesitate to return if your services are required.
You stressed there is still hope for Malaysia to qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup, with one match remaining (against Yemen on March 5) and that you are proud of the boys.

You also took a swipe at former players who are quick to criticise but have done little at the grassroots. You highlighted more needs to be done by the state FAs in developing new talents.

The four years must have been an experience of your lifetime. Now, it is best for you to spend quality time with your family before charting your future plan.

You have played your part and I’m sure you have no regrets.

Thank you Rajagobal. Now we look forward to a different chapter in Malaysian football.

p/s: Hopefully we will be able to catch up for some kolkatte over tea soon.

Yours sincerely.

HARESH is editor (investigations and special projects) of The Malay Mail. He can be reached at haresh@mmail.com.my or on Twitter @HareshDeol

Join Puma running club Malaysia

PRESS RELEASE

 COME JOIN THE PUMA RUNNING CLUB MALAYSIA!

Kuala Lumpur (2 December 2013) – Sports lifestyle brand PUMA will officially introduce its new community driven initiative - PUMA Running Club Malaysia on Wednesday, 4^th December 2013 in Kuala Lumpur.Membership and training sessions are complimentary as the running club will be looking to organise weekly running sessions every Wednesday starting at 7pm. The venue will be alternated between KLCC Park and DesaParkCity on a monthly basis.

All members will be equipped with PUMA running shoes as well as socks right from the start, as PUMA will be providing free socks for the first session, and free shoe rental up to a maximum of four loans, regardless of the model of the running shoes.  On the fourth session, members will be officially inducted into the running club and receive their very own PUMA Running Club Malaysia t-shirt!  Members are also eligible for a 20 per cent storewide discount. 

Additionally, in the spirit of PUMA Running Club’sopening, complimentary takeaways do not stop at their membership and training sessions. Items such as running shoes, bags, water bottles and wrist pouches are all up for grabs every fourth subsequent sessions.

Runners from Pacemakers Malaysia, an established running club, will take the lead in each session, with the assistance of Pushmore Fitness Centre as well as Revive, the official isotonic drink of PUMA Running Club Malaysia.The running club will focus on running-specific workouts such as speed, circuit, strength and conditioning exercises on top of the planned group run for five to 10 kilometres.

Gabriel Yap, Head of Marketing for Puma Malaysia, said: “Consideringhow big running has grown within the Malaysian community, we feel that PUMA Running Club Malaysia serves as another avenue for runners to have a safe and fun running experience on top of learning the technical aspects of running. Runners will receive educationon the right techniques of running, stretching, warming up as well as cooling down,which are all essential knowledge for a runner to prevent injuries and get the best out of their run.”

Training slots are available on a first come first serve basis. To pre-register for the training sessions, kindly email marketing.my@puma.com.

For more information, please visit PUMA Malaysia Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PumaMalaysia 

Bintang Rugby club now known as KL Saracens

Press release

BINTANG RUGBY CLUB BECOMES KL SARACENS

AS PART OF PREMIER CLUB’S GLOBAL NETWORK

KL Saracens is the latest club to join the global network of the innovative north London club.

Nigel Wray, Chairman of Saracens, said “Malaysia is a country that well understands the value of sport, and our community coaches have been making regular visits to the Bintang Rugby Club over the past few years. We are delighted that Bintang have now agreed to be known as KL Saracens, sharing our logo, our name and our kit for the foreseeable future.

“The Saracens Global Network – this growing family of clubs sharing the same ambition and values – now includes leading clubs in Moscow, Abu Dhabi, Tonga and Malaysia, and more announcements will be made in the next few weeks,” adds Wray.

Ian Johns, President of KL Saracens, states that “Bintang Rugby Club is delighted to have been invited to join the Saracens Global Network under our new club name KL Saracens.  Our immediate and long term plans for the club’s growth and development will be significantly advanced by the additional support we will receive from Saracens within our new relationship.”

As a member of the Saracens Global Network, KL Saracens will receive visits from Saracens senior and community coaches, regular advice and guidance in all areas of the game and an opportunity for a talented young player to travel to London next year for the chance to win a place in the Academy of the current Premiership leaders.

Andy Lawrence, KL Saracens Club Secretary, added “The enthusiasm from both parties to move to the next level is exceptional, with huge benefits in store for our youth and senior players, as well as our coaching staff.  We are very proud to be part of this prestigious global network and look forward to establishing KL Saracens as a showcase for the best of Malaysian rugby.”

Lawmaker claims centuries-old Bujang Valley temple ruins 'secretly demolished'

Prehistoric ruins at an archaeological site in Bujang Valley some 1,200 years old were secretly demolished by a land developer, a Penang lawmaker said yesterday, even as Badan Warisan Malaysia seeks to list the historical spot as a Unesco world heritage site.

Confirming the matter with The Malay Mail Online, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy said he was shocked to discover the ruins of candi (tomb temple) site number 11 dug up from its spot near Sungai Batu and cast aside in a pile of debris.

“The candi was located at Sungai Batu and it was demolished by the developer, who is clearing the land for development, more than a month back,” he told The Malay Mail Online after he visited the site yesterday.

According to the Penang lawmaker, he received reports of the demolition last week and decided to visit the site to verify if they were true.

“This particular candi is hidden from sight behind an old oil palm estate so the developer probably demolished it first before clearing the oil palm trees,” he said.

Lembah Bujang, in the Merbok district of Kedah, is well-known as the richest archaeological site in Malaysia, with more than 50 ancient candi at the site.

Read more here.

HD says: Do we need to rewrite our history books? (sic) If true, it is evident we have no respect for our histroy.