There was a period of months when my late father-in-law used to watch one particular badminton match final between Zhao Jianhua and Morten Frost, every morning at around 5 am. It was during Zhao's reign as undisputed world champion in every major competition and he trounced Morten in this particular match. My father-in-law must have remembered every exciting moment by heart, yet he never got fed-up of it. What went through his mind? A Chinese from China mocking a Caucasian in a competition? His craze for Zhao went even further when he once asked a friend to video-tape a match, telling him to give it to him only if he won!
When Malaysian Lee Chong Wei faced-off with Lin Dan recently at the Olympics, I wonder which side he would root for if he was still with us. I wonder about others' loyalty too. But I am sure it is not as simple as loyalty for a country. It could be loyalty as a fan of a particular sportsperson.
When China was the undisputed badminton champion in the world, winning all the major tournaments like Thomas Cup and World Cup decisively, in a one-sided way, there was no fun in winning. China sent their top coaches (or they were poached) to Malaysia and Indonesia to uplift their standards. We can imagine the Chinese coaches being torn between loyalty to their country and their country of employment as well as their players.
We should be more concerned about sportsmanship in sports and not just about winning. It should not be a case of winning at all costs, and definitely not by cheating. Even a mistake by umpire could make a difference between winning and losing. Winning as a result of this is certainly not honourable and not as satisfying.
But we have come to a stage in games competition where success means huge financial rewards and could transform a sportsman's or sportswoman's lifestyle from humble humdrum to fame, fortune and celebrity status. Where there is such a pull, individuals would put their mind and soul into it and countries put in their resources to enable their nationals succeed.
A picture of success: Chinese Olympic swimmers with their Australian coach, Ken Wood
More:
http://www.news.com.au/sport/london-olympics/how-a-swim-school-in-redcliffe-is-driving-chinas-olympic-gold-rush/story-fndpu6dv-1226443207625
But what Ken Wood could do for China's swimmers, he couldn't for Australia's.
Comment: At one point during the Olympics, a proud Yorkshire friend pointed out that Yorkshire as a county of Great Britain obtained 5 golds when Australia had only 2! Was Ken Wood being unpatriotic for helping China instead of Australia? But the success had more to do with the Chinese's basic ability, discipline and strict routine, plus Ken Wood's finishing touches.
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When Malaysian Lee Chong Wei faced-off with Lin Dan recently at the Olympics, I wonder which side he would root for if he was still with us. I wonder about others' loyalty too. But I am sure it is not as simple as loyalty for a country. It could be loyalty as a fan of a particular sportsperson.
When China was the undisputed badminton champion in the world, winning all the major tournaments like Thomas Cup and World Cup decisively, in a one-sided way, there was no fun in winning. China sent their top coaches (or they were poached) to Malaysia and Indonesia to uplift their standards. We can imagine the Chinese coaches being torn between loyalty to their country and their country of employment as well as their players.
We should be more concerned about sportsmanship in sports and not just about winning. It should not be a case of winning at all costs, and definitely not by cheating. Even a mistake by umpire could make a difference between winning and losing. Winning as a result of this is certainly not honourable and not as satisfying.
But we have come to a stage in games competition where success means huge financial rewards and could transform a sportsman's or sportswoman's lifestyle from humble humdrum to fame, fortune and celebrity status. Where there is such a pull, individuals would put their mind and soul into it and countries put in their resources to enable their nationals succeed.
"Aussie swim coach Ken Wood's Redcliffe City High Performance Centre is one of the secrets behind China's success at the London Olympics.
China has sent so many of its swimmers to Wood's Olympic production line, paying big money for the privilege, that the 82-year-old has lost count.
"I couldn't tell you, but it's a lot," he said. "I had 20 on the Olympic team - 15 individual swimmers and five in relays.
"The money is obviously no object to them. The Chinese Government wants to put China back as the No.1 swimming nation in the world..."
More:
http://www.news.com.au/sport/london-olympics/how-a-swim-school-in-redcliffe-is-driving-chinas-olympic-gold-rush/story-fndpu6dv-1226443207625
But what Ken Wood could do for China's swimmers, he couldn't for Australia's.
..."says discipline and tough love is China's "X factor".
A dozen Chinese swimmers arrive at his centre at a time with their own doctor, physiotherapist, chef, masseuse and four coaches in a precision operation. They rent luxurious three-bedroom apartments on the Redcliffe foreshore, then dismantle the plush rooms, rearrange the furniture and put mattresses on the floor so each has their own sleeping space.
One owner says: "They are very quiet, very well-mannered and the perfect tenants."
Comment: At one point during the Olympics, a proud Yorkshire friend pointed out that Yorkshire as a county of Great Britain obtained 5 golds when Australia had only 2! Was Ken Wood being unpatriotic for helping China instead of Australia? But the success had more to do with the Chinese's basic ability, discipline and strict routine, plus Ken Wood's finishing touches.
"While only the top echelon of China's elite get to work directly with Wood, back home the numbers are mind-blowing. There are 28 provinces that share a rivalry as fierce as State of Origin and each has more than 100 swimmers between the ages of seven and 12. There are five coaches to every 20 swimmers.
"Our job was to educate the coaches. They don't know anything about physiology, energy systems, biomechanics. They think threshold is a doorway," Wood says.
What the Chinese coaches do have, however, is discipline. The coaches might be lax with a stop-watch, or duck outside for a cigarette every 10 minutes, but they rule the pool with an iron fist."
In the modern world of sports, the lure of fame and fortune as a result of success must be one of the most compelling factors driving the participants.
2 comments:
Current trends,commenting can be unsafe,so bye n sorry yea.
Yes, being a fan of a certain player does not mean that we are showing loyalty of the player's country. It is just we are elated that he/she has brought the game to a new high. Especially when an Asian can overcome a Caucasian in event which they used to excel. Women doing better than men like Ye Shiwen. It inspire us.
Heidi Gan, Malaysia's marathon swimmer is one. She made Malaysia proud when she kept up with the leaders in the London Olympics. Stroke for stroke she kept on, despite swimming in less than pristine water of Hyde Park. Though she did not get a medal, she has great potential, if give proper support and exposure.
It was reported that RM 20 million was spent on the preparing for the Olympics. I wonder what happen to our Sports Toto's funding, which is supposed to fund ALL sports in Malaysia. Takings from one draw could be enough to cover 6 or more Olympics! If the money could be used for sports, Ms Pandelela, our diver, could have better facilities and could have hope for gold in the next Olympic.
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