The Malaysian clashes in Singapore Open

Thanks to the draw, we have Malaysians v Malaysians in the first round of the the Singapore Open. It will be the first tournament where points will be accumulated for the Olympics qualification. Sorry to hear that Roslin will have to stay at home and miss all the fun.

On the other hand, can his younger brother, Hafiz Hashim rise on ocassion? Can the wedding luck continues to be with him throughout the tournament? Can he beat Lee Chong Wei who is on the verge of proving himself? Can Chong Wei defies all odds to resurrect his game? Can Chong Wei even reach the quarterfinals to play against Lin Dan? or is Hafiz going to be the one to face Lin Dan instead of Chong Wei?

It's even worse in the men's doubles. Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong v Zakry/Fairuzizuan in the first round, and Hoon Thien How/Chan Chong Ming v Lee Wan Wah/Choong Tan Fook also in the first round. While the veterans are still in hunger for success, the newly paired Thien How/Chong Ming shall not give up that easilly. I predict the more experienced pair to prevail. Same goes to Kien Keat and Boon Heong. Whether or not Rexy's action in disciplining Kien Keat is fruitful, we'll find out by the end of this week.

Attentions will be on the mixed doubles where the limelight mostly shines on the juniors, Woon Khe Wei/Tan Wee Kiong. They will have to fight the likely Korean pairs in the qualifying round before playing with the best in the main draw. Will miracle be produced? How far can this pair go?

The answers will be revealed soon.

On a side note, Nicol David finally falls to Natalie Grinham 9-4, 9-4, 9-0 in the finals of the Seoul City Open. She only has herself to blame for not being focused. Fear not. I believe she will bounce back. Blaming herself rather than blaming the lightings, or citing injuries as the cause, or other excuses is very acceptable. See, that's what many Malaysian atheletes will have to learn from our squash queen.

"The curse of Hafiz Hashim"?

News which arouses my interest.

Excerpt from The Star Online on what Rexy blasted Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong due to their poor performance in the recent ABC.

"The signs are already there. They did not play to expectations in the ABC. They were lucky to win because the Taiwanese pair made more mistakes in the second game."

“Kien Keat tends to play to the gallery and this is what I fear most, especially when it comes to the World Championships (which will be held in Kuala Lumpur from Aug 13-19). "

“It will be the same situation when it comes to the World Championships. A full capacity crowd is expected whenever a big competition takes place here. The only difference is all the top players in the world are competing and I do not want them to repeat this,” said Rexy yesterday.

“They had just won their first title in the Doha Asian Games (in December) but the expectations then were not as great compared to now."

“People are looking up to them because of their successes on the international arena and the attention and praises are getting to them."

“I do not want them to lose their focus. They are still young and mentally they are not that strong yet. "

“The main goal is the World Championships and next year's Olympics. They have not won it yet. If they have become an Olympic champion, then they can really celebrate,” added Rexy.

For the record, Malaysia have never produced an Olympic champion in any sport. And Rexy is prepared to step in to prevent the situation from turning bad, including taking away their handphones if Kien Keat-Boon Heong continue to be distracted by external factors during a competition.

“If I have to impose any restriction, it is for their own good. I treat all the players under my care the same, irrespective of how many titles they have won.”

and I want to add this which is taken from the New Straits Times Online

"Nathan Robertson-Gail Emms’ (mixed doubles pair of England) celebrations extended to three months after they won the World Championships in Madrid last September and they have not won a title since."

So to say is, their low performance in the ABC is due to the celebrationS they attended after winning the All England (not surprising).

It's easy to get to the top, but maintaining their position is definitely difficult. If taking away handphones from them just to make them concentrate, I think it's a little too serious. They are adults, and yet they still have to be controlled by the coach.

What I'm trying to point out is that having such high profile career where you are carrying the nation's name is NOT easy. They have distractions, they are allowed to linger around and have quite a freedom as compared to the Chinese players. At first I thought that being someone who represents China would be similar to living in a soldier camp where all you have to do is to train, train, and train like robots. Wang Lin, a women's singles junior player who frequently updated her blog was instructed to stop blogging just because it will disrupt her performance. It was illogical at the first thought. However their perseverance of facing such ordeal lives paid off when they are constantly dominating in almost every discipline.

So, when I read this:

taken from the New Straits Times Online
"Nathan Robertson-Gail Emms’ (mixed doubles pair of England) celebrations extended to three months after they won

I was shocked. That was a little overrated. Now at least Rexy has some point to prove to our hopes, Kien Keat and Boon Heong. It's ok if you want to slack off when you are self-employed but it's NOT ok if you go off track when you are REPRESENTING the country. All eyes will be on you both. Ok. The same goes to our junior players, back up players, AND Lee Chong Wei, Kuan Beng Hong and Hafiz Hashim. Just do not get the "curse of Hafiz Hashim" - winning the All England and then flops eventually.

You win, we praise. You lose, we condemn.