Foul!

"What feeds the flames is common across much of the Arab world: young populations, a growing middle class seeking more opportunities and access to websites and international cable channels, such as Al-Jazeera, which have eroded the State's hold on the media." This was taken from an article in The Malay Mail on the on-going protests in Egypt. Politics or sports, it simply shows that the younger generation are not going to blindly believe what they are fed with. Moral of the story, it doesn't hurt to be transparent. HD says: Listened to The Who's Wont Get Fooled Again right after filling my tank with petrol .

Not bad lah! That was my first impression when I checked the FA of Malaysia (FAM) website for the Super League results on Saturday. They were updated right after the matches ended. Kira not bad lah. In the past, journalists were forced to either call team officials or rely on betting sites to get the latest results of the matches. Most dailies need the results ASAP as their deadlines are tight (by 11.00pm). It doesn't help that the matches start at 8.45pm. I now do hope to see the names of the goal scorers and the minutes they scored. After all, that is what being professional is all about no? HD says: Credit ought to be given when deserved.

Just received a letter ( pic below ) from MAAU stating that the Sports Ministry has approved the training center in Ranau, Sabah. Pictures show that the roads are incomplete and there are hardly any equipments there. The view is breath-taking and the tracks are completed nevertheless. More pictures can be viewed here . Well I'm sure the good people at MAAU know best. HD says: Kalau nak interviu athletes kena naik kapal terbang pi KK, lepas tu tahan teksi, lepas tu sewa landrover naik bukit, baru sampai. Borneo adventure tu.

Police on Sunday morning nabbed six players from the State Football Reserve League squad for allegedly breaking into an apartment occupied by international students (UMS) at Likas Square. “The FA is deeply saddened by this incident. We recently conducted a briefing with the teams (senior and reserve league squads) regarding players’ disciplinie (on and off the pitch) and having to now deal with such a case like this really comes as a huge shock to everyone.” - Sabah FA Secretary General, Alijus Sipil - The two paragraphs above were taken from SabahRhinos.com . For the full article, read here . It's a shame that our footballers resort to either fixing matches or stealing for a quick buck. If guilty, they will be looking at a bleak future. HD says: What a way for Sabah to start their season.

The official M-League logo ( pic ) for the new 2011 season was officially launched at Wisma FAM this morning. The league will kick start this Saturday (Jan 29, 2011). Super League Kedah Negri Sembilan Johor FC Selangor Perak Terengganu Perlis Pahang Kelantan Sabah Felda United T-Team KL Harimau Muda A Premier League Police Penang Sarawak Johor PKNS Armed Forces Pos Malaysia USM Muar City Council SDM Navy Kepala Batas Sime Darby Harimau Muda B HD says: Wah the new logo cool. Ala Thundercat!

I hate sounding crude or skeptical. Honestly. I wish I could just write sugar coated stuff. It's so much easier and less taxing to the brains. Seriously. I was at the launch of the Sports Industry at Casa 1 in Bukit Jalil earlier today. Right after Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek addressed the Media, a couple of my fellow journalists came up to me and said: "Wah another potential money making scheme. I wonder who will be supplying the winter jackets for the Summer Olympics?" I cheekily told them: "We are stupid. We should just set up a company, buy pasar malam shirts, get them printed with whatever logo that is associated with the programme, get funds from the ministry and then sell it at 10 times the cost price. Good money what." Another reporter added: "So then can make more trips to UK lah. But, we cannot write anything (controversial) because got logo-buy." Oh well. UPDATE: (Jan 26, 2011 - 12.35pm) As the Beatles sand it's a Long and windin...

Reproducing my article publish in today's Mailsports. No choice for Kelantan but to release coach Haresh Deol Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 10:02:00 PETALING JAYA: In a twisted way, it was sweet revenge against Kelantan coach B. Satianathan ( pic ). The former national coach lambasted the domestic league, claiming the "M-League is no football", after the national team failed to advance from the group stages of the 2007 Korat Sea Games. Last season, Satianathan had criticised the FAM competitions committee regarding one of T-Team's fixtures. Satianathan was issued with a six-month suspension just days before Kelantan played Negri Sembilan in the Malaysia Cup final in October. The ban was temporarily lifted and he led the Red Warriors to their first Malaysia Cup title. Kelantan edged Negri 2-1. His appeal against the suspension was rejected by the appeals committee yesterday. Kelantan will play Selangor in the Sultan Ahmad Shah Cup at Shah Alam Stadium (8.45pm kickoff) th...

The Putra Stadium is certainly mystical in its own way. For one, it has a leaky roof that has yet to pour on any VVIPs head. It has yet to be repaired for more than 6 months with a big plastic like bag located at the top. Also, it has seen athletes and coaches getting emotional - as per my article A Mystical Venue in today's Mailsports. The Malaysia Open also saw a supposed lady 'Datuk' throwing her weight to get passes and sit at the VIP seating. In most Europe countries, VIPs make it a point to pay for tickets and sit with the real fans and not expect handouts. Here, the more richer they are, the more lokek they are when it comes to spending money. Maybe that's their secret of getting rich - sting! HD says: At least there was a good turnout at the stadium. Paid or unpaid tickets, that I wouldn't know.

Book: The Hidden Hand Author: Unknown (identity protected for fear of being targetted by certain individuals) Genre: Fiction / Non-fiction / Thriller / Drama / Comedy (up to your own interpretation) Review: The book revolves around noted athletes in Malaysia that are forced to kau tow to certain personalities. The personalities claim to have VVIP connections and bear gruges, hoping to eliminate any form of competition or rival along the way. The personalities have a hand in sponsorship deals and even meddle into the writing of a possible biography over a leading sportsman in the country. The book is a must read for Malaysian athletes and sports officials. What they say: The Bangsar Times: "A must read for die-hard sports fan" The Sentul Chronicles: "A spectacular ending seeing personalities losing what they treasure most...money" The Lahad Datu Post: "Mind blowing." Suara Keramat: "Ish ish ish, jalan cerita yang dasyaht. Boleh menjadi film bloc...

Yes you read that right. As this blog is being posted, journalists are busy on the phones explaining to their editors over Hafiz Hashim's comments to the Press right after his defeat against China's Chen Long in the first round of the Malaysia Open at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil. The Malay Mail flashed the story on its website . Hafiz claims he has spoken to the BA of Malaysia (secretary Ng Chin Chai) about the matter and added that there is no use for him to stick around as he "has not been performing lately". "I think I need a new setting (atmosphere)," Hafiz said. When asked if he will follow Misbun Sidek out, Hafiz said "no." "In fact I didn't know about Misbun's issue until I read the papers." Expect all major newspapers to turn this into a back page thriller. Sadly, Wong Mew Choo's exploits (beating Lu Lan 13-21,22-20,21-12) will certainly be overshadowed by Hafiz's statement. HD says: Every Malaysia Open sur...

Finally the limelight is on the Malaysia Open. Judging by the reports here , here and here , it is safe to say that the Misbun Sidek saga has taken a back seat - for the moment. Mailsports, meanwhile, will publish the morning results throughout the tournament, as seen in today's article . That aside, former Mailsports journalist Rizal Hashim is receiving the wrath of Kelantan fans. Read his posting here . Even DJ Big E didn't mince his words about Rizal on TRW FM ( Theredwarriors.com ) I was joined by Noor Ermafaiz Izuan Abdul Hadi, theredwarriors.com president on TV3's Scoreboard and before the show we exchanged our views about the infamous trio - in a diplomatic manner. In fact, we traded name cards after the show and promised to keep in touch. Are the fans simply over-reacting? Or are their actions justified? You be the judge. Pic of Koo Kien Keat and Chin Eei Hui in their qualifying match this morning, snapped by Razak Ghazali of The Malay Mail. HD says: Make love no...

The government in Indonesia is none too keen on having local governments subsidise football teams and with good reason. Why should the taxpayers fork out for a football team when schools are in poor conditions and roads are damaged and health care is inadequate? That was the first paragraph of Antoni Sutton's latest posting - Football Funding - on his blog Jakarta Casual. Read his views here . So do you think that our state government's funding towards sports, especially football, should be reduced? This will force teams to scout for sponsors and handle their monetary affairs professionally...no? HD says: There are schools in East Malaysia that still run on generators that have to be charged manually every four to six hours. A little closer to KL, there are potholes everywhere...from Jalan Ampang to the Federal Highway.

S.Kumar ( pic courtesy of FIH ) was named as Asia's Best Player by the Asian Hockey Federation. It was only natural for AHF to select Kumar based on his excellent skills on the pitch especially during the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. Read Malaysian Hockey League (the unofficial website) and Jugjet's World of Field Hockey on Kumar's award. Meanwhile, RTM won the National Sports Council-Media football tournament held on NSC grounds earlier today. RTM drew 1-1 with TV3 before winning 2-0 through penalty kicks. HD says: A day filled with drama.

Just hours earlier my former school mate R.Puvaneswaran (karate) and squash queen Nicol David were named the men's and women's Olympian of the Year at Wisma OCM. Congratulations to the both of them. But I would like to pay tribute to former cricket and hockey international Mike Shepherdson , the late Herman de Souza (hockey) and the late Edmond Yong (shooting and tennis) for being inducted in the OCM Hall of Fame. It was a recognition that should have been given a long time ago. HD says: Thank you for your services.

Stadium Juara is managed by the National Sports Complex (Kompleks Sukan Negara). Kompleks Sukan Negara comes directly under the Youth and Sports Ministry. Now instead of wasting time on the "I should resign" or "No you should stay." or "I will only stay if my demands are met" leading to running around a tree to the tune of a Bollywood song.... Can someone repair the courts ah? I wrote about this in my article in today's The Malay Mail . Pic courtesy of our good photographer Arif Kartono of the Malay Mail. HD says: I am proud to say that I play badminton on a better surface than the world No 1. Ceh wah!

"We made a popular vote." That was told to me right after a press conference was held after the exco-meeting this afternoon at Bukit Kiara. To sum it up, BA of Malaysia (BAM) will ask national coach Misbun Sidek to reconsider his 'resignation' for the "interest of the nation". As another official said: "Nothing new right?" HD says: Aiks, Malaysia Open bila mau cover?

Reproducing my article that appears in today's The Malay Mail - ahead of the BA of Malaysia exco meeting at 2.30pm. By Haresh Deol KUALA LUMPUR: Will the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) stick to their guns? Or will they cave in to the demands of a third party? The Exco meeting will be held today (2.30pm) at the BAM office in Bukit Kiara. Top on the agenda is the resignation of national coach Misbun Sidek. Most BAM officials would prefer Misbun – and even his long-time protégé, world No 1 Lee Chong Wei – to leave the national stable. Misbun is apparently unhappy with the coaching structure. This was confirmed by Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek who spent a lot of time playing umpire between Misbun and BAM. However, whispers in BAM's corridors are that some officials are beginning to backtrack. They are wondering if they should make the right or popular decision? "Earlier, only a handful of members wanted Misbun to stay. Now, it's 50-50. They chang...

It looks like everyone has got something to say about Misbun Sidek's resignation from the BA of Malaysia. Even outsiders too would want to have a say, based on this report . Personally, no one knows the truth except Misbun and BAM. The rest are only making assumptions based on half truths. And it's not helping. Meanwhile, here's several paragraphs from Rizal Hashim's posting Ada Syarat Penaja? "Jadi Menteri Belia dan Sukan Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek harus sedar anasir-anasir luar BAM yang mahu lihat badminton negara porak-peranda. Barangkali ada juga beberapa blogger terbabit secara terus dalam hal ini. Yang aku pelik Mumtaz Begum Abdul Jaffar pun buat kenyataan. Eh apa hal? Adakah YAKEB nak ambik alih peranan Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN)? Hanya kerana Mumtaz baik dengan isteri Perdana Menteri?" A paragraph from SS Dhaliwal's ' Li-Ning Towards Exit ' states: "Talking about conspiracy theories, it is said that a so called powerful lady is behi...

That's not a number plate of a car. Rest assured. That was what I uttered when I read the Moral Education (Form 1) text book earlier today. I was helping out my neighbour's child who clearly was not keen of doing the homework and had no clue what it was all about. I don't blame her. Here it goes: Unit 1 Keunikan Alam Ciptaan Tuhan. "Alam dijadikan oleh Tuhan untuk kemudahan dan kegunaan manusia. Manusia merupakan kejadian teristimewa berbanding dengan makhluk lain yang dicipta Tuhan. Manusia hanya satu daripada jutaan jenis dan spesies makhluk hidup yang lain. Tuhan menganugerahi manusia dengan anggota yang tersusun rapi dan wajah yang menarik." Kalau I komen nanti, ramai orang tersinggung pulak. But seriously, is this what we're feeding our younger generation? Can we blame them for despising our education system? I believe we can do better. Just read what a fifth former has got to say about learning in a public school. Enough , she says. HD says: Pendidikan ...

"Having started this website with a hope and a prayer, life has been tough as it has been a journey riddled with roadblocks and sabotage. With virtually no funding, and the last minute pullout by the title sponsors of the MHL - Tenaga Nasional Berhad, due to the fact that the MHF Deputy President had instructed them not to award the website to this administrator." That was the first paragraph of the final posting on the unofficial website of the Malaysian Hockey League . I don't know the real deal that transpired between the parties involved. I am not going to pretend to know either. What I do know is that many people refer to the website - although it being an unofficial site. It's 2011. 14 year olds have blogs. 16 year olds are hooked on Twitter while most working adults are fixated on Facebook. And the Malaysian Hockey League does not have an official site...oh wait, does the Malaysian Hockey Federation have a website? HD says: Sigh!

While I was pursuing my civil engineering at a local public institution, the academicians there were so fixated over the ISO. Lecturers were bogged down with more paper work then spending quality time guiding the students. As long as we did X amount of assignments and thesis within Y amount of time - conforming to the requirements of the ISO - then it has achieved its purpose theoretically. Nevermind the fact that most students were clueless over what they have learnt upon leaving campus. Today we see the sudden craze over the Key Performance Index (KPI). Folks from governmental agencies to even national associations are apparently judged by the KPI. I heard several media establishments too have jumped on the bandwagon. It's the best way to evaluate a person or system - or so they say. I have my doubts nevertheless. Hmm... HD says: Does apple polishing fall under KPI?

The BA of Malaysia saga is so messed up that it even messed up my byline. Lol! It was the byline of my article One Messy Affair published in today's Mailsports. But I'm not blaming my good designers or sub-editors. It was a minor 'alignment misprint'. We addressed it. We move on. I would even like to add that it kinda looked cool. Now the shuttlecock is in BAM president Nadzmi Salleh's hand as he ought to serve the truth and move on with the game. Otherwise, this is going to be a really long rally. HD says: We can all hold hands, get a lil' jiwang and sing The Jet's Move on .

That is the response journalists will get by the Malaysian Karate Federation officials and exponents alike until Jan 25. Makaf held a meeting in Malacca late last night that ended in the wee hours of the morning (3.30am I was told). My Sentul mate R.Puvaneswaran joined a delegation of exponents to Malacca earlier this morning only to be told "don't say anything to the Press till this matter is discussed with the National Sports Council on Jan 25." Puva and Co will surely console themselves by feasting on the famous chicken rice balls at Jonker Street. Mailsports reporter Vijhay Vick, who has been up throughout the night, has the story . Also in Mailsports today is national squash player Azlan Iskandar turning into an army Captain! HD says: I love the Nyonya style Assam Pedas ikan tenggiri. And Azlan, those military Landrover Defenders are awesome. Can I get a used one at a good price? Hehe

The aunty Tina above is my mom. And that was the conversation my mother had with our neighbour earlier this morning. My neighbour, who enrolled both her children to a nearby Chinese orientated school, claims that her kids are forced to take up additional classes by the school teachers after school hours. This is apparently organised by the school. The neighbour also added that one of the teacher claims that her children are weak in their Bahasa Melayu and suggested that they come for extra classes at the teacher's house. "Tuition dua kali. Pagi pergi sekolah, lepas itu tuition, malam lagi tuition. Homework banyak. Anak saya penat-lah aunty Tina," said my neighbour followed by a huge sigh. "Why must have extra classes? Aren't teachers teaching in school these days? What about sports?" my mom asked. "Tak tau." was the reply. What happened to the falsafah pendidikan kebangsaan "...untuk mewujudkan insan yang seimbang dan harmonis dari segi intele...

That seems to be the feeling among sports journos who have been waiting at Wisma KBS, hoping for BA of Malaysia president Nadzmi Salleh to speak about the current fiasco enveloping the scene. Only Shabery met the Press with Nadzmi no where to be seen. Shabery will meet national coach Misbun Sidek for dinner later. It looks like Mr Minister is playing mediator although he stressed that the "BAM should solve this matter internally". Was Shabery referring to this report when he said that Nadzmi didn't want to meet the Media "for fear his words will be misconstrued again?" Hmm. UPDATE (5.00pm): 1. Minister to find out more from the Malaysian Karate Federation (Makaf) about the expulsion of its long time national coach P.Arivalagan . 2. Makaf to hold meeting in Malacca tonight. Exponents will continue to meet Makaf president Mohd Ali Rustam (who is also Malacca chief minister) tomorrow morning. 3. PM Najib Tun Razak will host the na...

Sokernet believes that all the money in the world would mean nothing if the FA of Malaysia do not get its structure right. Read the full article here and you be the judge. My only association with Dunhill till today is my KL jersey ( pic ). Sadly, the colour is too tangy for me to don it outside the four walls of my room. A little bird (but no so little in size) once told me that Carlsberg wanted to pump in Ringgit to Ringgit of what Dunhill used to fund. But it was shot down for obvious reasons. Is it true? I wonder... Well, thanks Ejoi for highlighting the article to Foul!. Sharing is indeed caring. HD says : I would also like to know where did the millions of funds go to? Anyone care to answer? Hmm...

I will eat the humble pie. For I had earlier assumed that the National Sports Council (NSC) will cry in misery if their golden goose (Lee Chong Wei that is) decides to leave the BA of Malaysia. That would result in the Sports Ministry not having any 'hand' in Chong Wei's achievements. But judging by the tone of NSC director general Zolkples Embong ( pic ) here , I am surprised - pleasantly surprised. I am all for players to turn professional and that national associations be focused towards aiding the masses, developing talents at the grassroots and organising more activities for all and not just the elite few. I guess Zolkples summed it up well. To quote him: "If the players like Chong Wei can benefit from training outside, why not? The association should be open and allow them to become independent players." HD says: Time for sports and sportsmen to be liberal.

1970s - We had the likes of Chow Chee Keong ( pic ) and the son of coffee-shop owner Wong Choon Wah playing in Hong Kong. Chee Keong is still remembered until today as the 'Asian Stainless Steel Gate' or 'Crazy Sword'. 1999 - 2001 - Akmal Rizal Rakhli, the lad from Jitra Kedah who was once the poster boy of Malaysian football, enjoyed stints with French teams RC Strasbourg and FCSR Haguenau. 2010 - Puchong-lad Stanley Bernard Stephen Samuel, who was once mistaken as pemain import KL (I don't know how that happened but it did, lol), played for India's Sporting Clube de Goa. There's nothing new when it comes to Malaysian players playing abroad. So what's the big fuss? HD says: Go and explore the world.

Lee Chong Wei to also leave the BA of Malaysia? Based on my conversation with the Penangite minutes earlier, several fellow journalists have already asked him about his take on the fact that his long time coach Misbun Sidek has tendered his resignation, as per Rajes Paul of The Star's report here . And Chong Wei said it loud and clear, "I will follow him." Interestingly, this was somehow predicted by SS Dhaliwal in his posting Exodus? right after the World Championships in Paris last year (September). p/s: Several other players and officials have also revealed some interesting stuff over the fiasco. Hmm... UPDATE (Jan 3, 2010 - 1.47pm): Here's my take on the issue published in today's Mailsports . HD says: What a way to start 2011.

Happy New Year folks! Here's hoping for better things to come in 2011. Cheers!