Foul!

I still remember the 29th Merdeka celebrations at Dataran Merdeka. My late dad placed me on his shoulders as we joined thousands to witness the march-past accompanied by the fighter jets that flew above us. Staying at Pekeliling Flats then, I was used to seeing fighter jets practicing prior the Merdeka celebrations. But that was the first time I saw them flying majestically at Dataran Merdeka. My dad and I were pleasantly surprised when we saw our faces in Utusan Malaysia the next day (Sept 1, 1986 - pic ). My dad kept the page in his diary since. I stumbled upon the picture recently. It reminded me of the good times I had with my dad. Merdeka is not only about Malaysia celebrating its independence. Merdeka is also a celebration of the good times I had with my dad. Happy 54th birthday Malaysia. Let's Cheers , Rihanna's way. HD says : Merdeka, merdeka, merdeka!

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all. May you have a blessed Raya. Maaf Zahir dan Batin. HD says: Can't wait for the ketupat and lemang feast tonight!

And many of his peers came to his rescue. Olympic champion Usain Bolt fell victim to the International Amateur Athletics Federation's false starting ruling at the World Championships. Among those who lambasted the ruling include Walter Dix and Kim Collins. Read what they say here . They hope the ruling will not be seen at the London Olympics next year. Watch how Usain takes off his shirt in frustration here . If only athletes were more vocal and liberal in Malaysia. Opps, athletes in Malaysia are penalised for speaking against organisations but get away by skipping anti-doping tests. Silly me. HD says: It's a shame we couldn't see Usain run.

Myanmar or Indonesia? That could be the possible destination for Kelantan's B.Satianathan ( pic ). Satianathan is a man who prefers to be on the field with the lads than watching from the stands. This was evident as he was feeling 'uncomfortable' sitting at the VIP box during the KL v Kelantan friendly match at the Selayang Stadium two weeks ago. Satianathan served his 6 month long suspension handed by the FA of Malaysia late last year. He didn't head-butt anyone or performed a flying kick on any official - although he would love to if given the chance. All he did was question the Super League fixture between two teams last year. Now that's in the past, as reported by Utusan Malaysia today . HD says: I doubt Satianathan will coach an M-League team. Anyone wanna bet? Loser gets to buy lemang and rendang ayam.

Harsh it may sound, that's the reality. And sadly, it's us journalists who have to play 'Mr Negative' as certain quarters often get carried away too quickly. NST's sports editor Vijesh Rai speaks about national skipper Safiq Rahim ( pic ) enjoying a possible stint with Cardiff City as seen here . Our fans should stop having false hopes when a Malaysian tycoon buys over a giant club in Europe. It is purely for business and nothing else. Some question why such high flying individuals cannot invest in our local teams. But let's ponder - what is the return of investment for pumping in millions into our local clubs or state teams? HD says: Fan base hampeh, website yilek, akaun tak tau balance tapi kuat bising bila tak dapat sponsor. Ish ish ish.

Based on scientific findings by the National Sports Institute (NSI), the BA of Malaysia (BAM) blamed national doubles coach Rexy Mainaky's ( pic ) training programme for the failure of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong at the recently concluded World Championships in London. This was reported by The Star yesterday . Today, Rexy took a shot at his critics as he defended the training programme he drew up for the duo. “I would prefer the NSI to focus on weight training for the players at the gymnasium and let me focus on the agility training for the players on the court,” said Rexy. “I am an Olympic and world champion and I know what is needed by a player. During my time, I used to do skipping and shadow training. “These traditional methods saw me winning major titles. It all goes back to how much one pushes himself on the court. Read more here . Food for thought; What about the players? No fault of theirs? HD says: Officials only talk, coaches only coach but it is the ...

KL FA, through funding from the FT Ministry, settled the overdue wages of KL players as they prepare for the Malaysia Cup which starts early September. This is a timely Raya gift for the players who have not been paid since mid-May. This was revealed after FT Minister R aja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin visited the Cheras Stadium this morning. Harian Metro were quick to break the story today . But the question remains - Why must the government bail out a team every bloody time? If teams have no means of participating in the M-League, then please withdraw and only compete when you have the resources. The same money could be better spent properly constructed path-ways or bus stands in the city. HD says: It's a shame to see people spending like mad only to realise they are cash-strapped at the end of the day.