Saturday 2 April 2011

Floorball: Singapore again....


Last year (2010) I went to Singapore from Penang for around 5 times and out of the 5, two of it was for floorball. One was while representing my country and the other was just going down together with my floorball academy. This year, i find myself going down again to Singapore together with my floorball academy.

 However this time there a few different things. Firstly, finally all of us are flying down together as a team on Friday. Bus journey to SIngapore from Penang can be a real pain in the ass sitting down for more than 10 hours in the bus. Secondly, at least we have a real complete 'team' this time. When i said complete meaning 3 goalies and 3 full lines.. The team this time is surely much stronger than the previous team that went down in November 2010. However, the opponents we are going to play also gets stronger. Much stronger this time.


 The last time we manage to play Argannauts, Catholic High School and Coral High school. Winning the later 2 while conceding 3 goals in the 4th period of the first game to lose by 10-8.


This year however, as mentioned the opponents get stronger and tougher. The confirmed hard and tough games at the moment includes Nhac Tre and NTU Hurricanes. Not forgetting playing Jill Quek's club as well as last year's opponent Argannauts..
Besides those tough fixture, if rumours are true we will be playing ZARF and Skools Innebandy, Singapore's top 2 clubs respectively.

There is mix feelings in the team when hearing bout the opponents we are going to play but i think the whole team is really excited about it and ready to give a 100%  and maybe try to sneak up with a win or two..

Monday 21 March 2011

First Day of College



Dun worry the title of my post does not mean I will update my everyday life in college for the next 2 years.. I just could not find a title for it..

Anyway. going to college for the first day in 5 months(since i graduated in my Diploma) only to find out that I have classes EVERYDAY for the next 4 months.. =(

Classes start tomorrow with a total of 4 'interesting' subjects this sem:

Managing Organizations
Crictical Reasoning
Operation Management(again)
Marketing in Practice

I guess this will be my first and last post about my college UNLESS something interesting pops out..

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Learning From The Pro


This week ( 3rd week of March) i had the opportunity once again in my life to learn from a pro floorball player. Previously having learn a thing or two from Finnish national players such as Jani Kukkola and Jani Naumanen, this time I had the opportunity to learn and meet Jill Quek. Said by many as the best female floorball player in Asia, i had the chance to meet her when she was up in Penang recently for a coaching clinic with another fellow coach Jacintha.


Both of them were on a 5 day visit in Penang to conduct coaching clinics. I didnt not attend the coaching clinic however i got a chance to see her play floorball 'for fun' during a friendly match where she played as the 6th man because the goalie was injured early in the 1st period. With responsibilites of guarding the goal she still manage to wow the crowd with a few solo runs and wonderful shots not mentioning scoring 2 goals in the process.

This few days had taught me so much about sports and about life. Hearing both of them share their personal stories had touched me and blessed me in so many ways. Sports is actually so much more than just playing the game and coaching is actually much more than just winning the competition. Something i should actually reflect on. It looks like they have went through what I'm going through in life now and to hear them overcome it actually motivates me to overcome the problems of my own.

Perhaps even motivate me to consider going back to coaching again?? =)

* I've really learn so much from the both of you and I wish you all the best in ur game as a player, coach and may God bless ur ministry.

Monday 14 March 2011

Emirates Stadium

Hey guys

Here are some pictures from my recent visit to the Emirates Stadium, London..

Saturday 12 March 2011

Walking high and proud: Fergie knows?


Before i start this post, I just want you to know i am not a Man Utd supporter. Watching my team lose 2-0 in the hands of Man Utd just 4 days after a poor 3-1 lost against Barcelona was one of those weeks you never want hapenning. Nevertheless there was one thing that really caught my attention after this match.

For Alex Ferguson to pick such a young side for an all important FA Cup quarter final against their title rival Arsenal just seemed crazy before kick off. 7 defenders in the team out of 11 players. To play Fabio and Rafael who usually play as defenders as wingers was another huge gamble which eventually paid off. Another big risk was to field Gibson and O Shea against the likes of the more experience Wilshere and Diaby in the engine room. Alex Ferguson knew the risk he was taking and the wrath of the loyal supporters he was facing if they lost their 3rd game in a row. He knew what a lost would have done not just to his team's hope but also their mental strength after previously losing to both Chelsea and Liverpool. Comments in facebook crictisising Alex Fergie was flooding in my page as so was the media and pundits on the TV.

Looking at the squad on paper, many predicted an Arsenal win. Even all three TV pundits went for a 'comfortable Arsenal win'. Not many expected a United win as Arsenal fielded their strongest possible squad except for Gael Clichy missing in left back. But what i wanted to highlight here was not the game. It was what happen after the game. In short whatever everybody predicted didnt happened, Arsenal didnt win comfortable, instead they were torn apart from the energetic twins and the vision of Rooney.

What i really wanted to highlight was the joy and pride of Alex Ferguson at the final whistle. Even watching from the comfort of my home, I could actually feel the pride and joy of one proud manager. Eventhough being a strong Arsenal fan i actually felt happy for Sir Alex Ferguson because before the game all odds were against his line up. Nobody trusted it, people crictised it some even said he was crazy. From the moment he shook Arsene Wenger's hand to the time he walked that 60 meters walk to the tunnel he was a man beaming with confidence and he had this "in ur face" look which was actually a good thing because everybody doubted him.


And trust me, this is one of the greatest feeling and pleasure a manager or coach can get beside winning a trophy. I'm saying that because i felt this first hand when I was the head coach for the 2nd team of Ztec Floorball during Penang Floorball League 2010. Odds were against my team when we were againt Frontliners Spartans. Against the likes of a few national players and a handful of state regulars, everybody expected us to lose or even some predicted a trashing. The final score 6-6. What made it better was we were losing 6-3 with less than a period to go, and to see my team fought back against all odds to make it 6-6 was a feeling I will never forget.

I may not have felt the same joy as Sir Alex after that night but i surely know how it feels when the odds are against you and to beat the odds when nobody expects you to is one of the greatest joy in the sporting world. Maybe Reading can start to think bout this when the play Man City tonight? =)

The most powerful man on the court is the referee

8th March 2011
Nou Camp, Barcelona

Being an Arsenal supporter waiting anxiously for this game to start seemed like a life time. Holding a narrow 2-1 agg, a rational football fan will know there is still everything to play for especially if its against FC Barcelona, said by many as the best team ever assemble in football. With the likes of Messi, Xavi, Villa, Inniesta, Pedro and the list goes on it seems like a uphill task for the Gunners to actually go on defensive mode for the whole 90 minutes. Somthing was just not right in this match.

The game kicked off. What is going to happen in the next 90 mintues is actually going to hurt me for the rest of the week or maybe months. Arsenal the best team in keeping possesion in the Premier League could not even register more than 5 proper passes before they lost the ball. 45 mins gone and we look like we were capable of holding on. Not till the vision of Inniesta and the magic of Messi put Barcelona up in front in injury time of first half.

With a bit of luck, the Gunners manage to hit one back from an own goal from the Barcelona center back. When the game seemed to be balance and for ones going Arsenal's way then this happened:



A 2nd yellow card for Robin Van Persie that many argued spoiled the game. The rest that happen after that was history. Xavi added the 2nd and Messi scored the 3rd through a penalty. And to rub more salt into my wounds, my beloved team didnt even have a shot. A shot! Not a shot on target. They didnt had a shot!

What I really learnt from the game is that at the end of the day the ultimate power still lies in the hands of the referees. In any sport you play it is similar. Robin Van Persie may argue he didnt hear the whistle but nothing is going to change the referees mind. The most important person in the court, ring or field at the end of the day is the man holding the whistle. He can change the outcome of the game with a single blow.

Will Arsenal have qualified if that decision was never made? We will never find out. But somehow i believe we could hold on to that 1-1 draw and make it to the last 8. =)

Crossing the line

Carlos Tevez from Man Utd to Man City. Sol Campbell from Tottenham to Arsenal. Ashley Who?from Arsenal to Chelsea, Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea and the list goes on. Moves like this were branded crazy and insane by the media. In Penang floorball, moves like this were rare. To date, i can only recall one such move which happen in the transfer of 2009. At that point, i really saluted him for his courage to make such a move but of course i am glad that he is settled there now playing floorball at his best.

One year from that period, i find myself in similar situation. 'Crossing the line'. Yes for those of you who didnt know yet, i'm no longer with my beloved club Ztec. I found out first hand that making this move was not an easy thing as i faced constant pressure and questions from various party. Many questioned my motive, some questioned my commitment while a handful blessed my move.

To leave Ztec was one of the hardest decisions in my life. Without a doubt, Ztec has made me the player i am today and with the help of the coaching staff and players I believe we have made Ztec the team it is today. Ztec still has a very big part of my heart and i promise to still be there for every league game if I am in Penang. This club has a great potential to not just be a great team in this country but in this region if they continue to train with the right attitude and stay humble.

Anyway i'm actually very excited to be in my new team and looking forward for the challenges that we are going to face. The motive of joining my new team was never relationship, friendship neither was it just to improve my tactical game. I believe that this move has more than what others can see with their own eyes. It is not just shaping me as a player but as an individual and I believe this is the right place for me to achieve my goal for the years to come.

I'll update you guys more soon.. And for those of you who are still trying to figure which club i meant when i said 'crossing the line'. The name is Contact.