Seek Knowledge-Happy Deepavali

May the light be upon you

It's Deepavali, and due to COVID-19, our freedom to celebrate this festival of lights is restricted to contain the spread of the pathogen. Your movement can be restricted, but not your brain. In challenging times like these, the brain works wonders, unfortunately not in a positive sense, but negative: fear. You are living in fear of contracting the virus, your livelihood, your children's future, political stability, etc.

Out of fear of this uncertain time, you hope to find answers to the many questions that impinge on your mind now. Fear only breeds fear, and it further darkens your journey in life. What it needs is a light that will give you the silver lining that will obliterate this darkness. And this light is none other than "Knowledge" as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "The antidote to fear is knowledge."

Knowledge has a beginning but no end. And it is never complete as we humans keep on evolving to find ways to live a healthy and prosperous life. To put it simply, knowledge is a journey and not a destination. In essence, good and bad are part of knowledge, and it depends on how you apply it in your life.

For my dear and wise friend, the Late Mr. V.M Chandran, knowledge gained from life is for the betterment of "mankind" and not to exploit "mankind." He was an avid reader and had excellent observation skills. His belief was when you are blessed with knowledge, be the light that will light up others' lives. A man that shares the wisdom of great sages: Gaining Knowledge is the first step to wisdom. Sharing is the first step to humanity.

Every festivity has its meaning that we can apply in our life. Deepavali, the festival of lights, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. When you encapsulate all these, it comes down to one: Knowledge. "The first end of life is knowledge; the second end of life is happiness. Knowledge and happiness lead to freedom": the wise words of Swami Vivekananda.

Be Safe. Take Care

 

Thank You

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a Safe Raya-Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

This year Hari Raya celebration will be different from previous years. We need to comply with the Movement Control Order(MCO). No interstate travel and only 20 people are allowed in one house. Stay Safe!

There will be less fun for kids as they will miss their balik kampung journey and their relatives and friends in the kampung. They will remember this year for the rest of their lives and will share it with their future generations.

For the grandparents or parents in kampung they will certainly miss their children and grandchildren. Hari Raya is one of the times of the year where they can spend their precious time with their loved ones. All is not lost as with the invention of modern technology i.e smartphone, Facetime, Facebook, etc you can still celebrate Raya virtually.

Wishing all Muslims a Selamat Hari Raya celebration. May you and your family be blessed with wisdom, prosperity, joy, and good health.

Take Care.




Thank You

VM Chandran-A True Friend by Syed Akhbar Ali

Mr VM Chandran,Tuan Haji Baharuddin Dato Mokhsen and Mr Woo Choon Chow

Well it is certainty not easy to write something like this.Our human psyche is more tuned to accept the passing of elders who have advanced in age.But when our peers leave us there has to be more deliberateness in accepting it.

I want to say that Mr VM Chandran was a nice man.He was a good person.In the local parlance he always had a "niat yang baik" or good intentions.

Having known him almost 22 years and having spent hours at a stretch with him discussing everything from business,family,politics,government,country,
society,economics,the Americans,Indians,Japanese and everything else under the sun I came to understand him well.

In the adage 'reading maketh a full man" seeks a good example that would be Mr Chandran. He was well read therefore knowledgeable.Conversations were easy and enlightening because there was always a reference to facts and information that had been properly written somewhere.Aristotle who was a student of Plato became a teacher to Alexander the Great.Alexander and Aristotle discussed that they could not implement Athenian democracy in all societies.Each society had to find its own level.

The intense reading habit also helped at work where Mr Chandran carefully read every single document and contract that came before him.'We must read'he would say.'We must know the details'.Do not let others tell you what is in the document.Hence Mr Chandran could navigate through a diverse portfolio of businesses.

His vast reading habit even made him well versed about health care issues which did benefit many people who had need of advise on health care.Mr Chandran even wrote a series of useful articles about private health care which I carried in my blog.The articles elicited much discussion and comment and perhaps effected some reaction upon the private medical health sector.

By nature he was kind unto many people,especially those who needed help.He really went out of his way to help people.Passing is finality.It is a reminder to cherish the time that we have.Mr Chandran would have agreed.And laughed about it too.

A Tribute To Mr. V.M.Chandran-The Man With A Golden Heart

 Madam Yasotha Selvarajah and her soulmate Mr.V.M.Chandran 

My friend, Mr.V.M.Chandran, was not born on a bed of roses but he turned his life into a beautiful rose. The fragrance from this rose pervaded and touched many lives during his lifetime. A simple man that is shy of power, position, title, and fame but a great man in his own way.

Chandran's life journey began in darkness. When he was barely two years old and not aware of the world around him, his father passed away, leaving him and his three-year-old sister, Malar in the hands of his mother. Life was challenging and there was a time the family stayed in a room on the first floor of a shop lot in Seremban. His mom a woman of strong will power brought up the family single-handedly.

His mother was an inspiration for Chandran to succeed in his life. With perseverance and determination to achieve his academic dreams, he completed his tertiary education at King George V(KGV), Seremban and went on to become a qualified Chartered Accountant and Lawyer. 

From an early age, Chandran's household name among family and friends was "Gandhi."He was truly a "Gandhian" in spirit. With open arms he will lend a hand, to encourage someone and even counsel them in the time of need. He never made a fuss about meeting and helping anyone.

He was a man with extensive knowledge and wisdom in a large number of fields. Walter Lippman the American writer once spoke of men who plant trees that other men will sit under. My friend was such a man.

Chandran went on to tie the knot with his beautiful sweetheart, Yasotha Selvarajah and the couple were blessed with five handsome boys-Vishven, Srishti, Rahulan, Govind, and Jairaj. Together, with love, care, and attention the couple educated their children to become leaders in their individual fields.

Education is a topic close to Chandran. He shared with me that education alone is not enough and emphasized that virtues are equally important to shape a person. His philosophy was knowledge gain from education is to benefit mankind and not to exploit mankind.

Despite his busy schedule, he always found the time to call or visit his friends and former teachers from KGV in Seremban. And since I had moved to Seremban from KL we will meet occasionally for lunch and then proceed for tea. I cherished this get-together and always looked forward to our next meeting. 

In fact, we were supposed to catch up on Jan 22, which sadly didn't materialize with the passing of Chandran on the 20th of Jan.

During the many years I knew this beautiful man, he never once placed his family second and made it clear that family mattered most. He will apprise me of the academic progress of his sons when they were in the UK with his wife and later when they began their career.

And without fail every year when Jan 25 arrived, my friend will murmur to me; "Enbaraj, today is Yasotha's birthday." Chandran's love for Yasotha is immeasurable." Truly both of them were born to be soulmates.

The last 18 months of his life, I must say, was the most challenging time indeed. He was undergoing treatments at the hospital. But this didn't deter him from living his life to the fullest. He did what he always love to do: visiting family, friends, teachers from KGV, and his yearly pilgrimage to Sri Venkateswara Temple in Thirupati.

His greatest joy was in spending time with his beloved grandson Jayce chandran, Srishti's son. Whenever I spoke to him on the phone I can hear the sound of Jay playing in the background.

Recently when I met Chandran at his home, he was playing with his grandson with his eyes gleaming with joy. There is a saying that eyes are the windows to the soul and what I saw in my friend's eyes is like a sort of freedom that is best described by our very own poet in her Whatsapp status, that is, There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask, "what if I fall?"Oh but darling, what if you fly! This beautiful poet is none other than Chandran's soulmate, Yasotha Selvarajah.

When I saw my friend for the last time resting in peace, my heart quivered for a second as if a part of me had left me. I was trembling for a moment. Then after regaining my composure, I thanked the Great Lord for giving us this man with the golden heart, and please take good care of him.

The beautiful Rose might have left us but its fragrance will live eternally in our memories.

I will truly miss you, my beloved friend and brother.

Thank You.

Edited by my niece Sasmiita Segar.

Puisi Yang Cukup Bermakna Untuk Coach Dharma-Untuk Coach Luar Biasa

Bagi pihak keluarga,saya ingin ucapkan ribuan terimakasih kepada penulis puisi ini. Puisi yang cukup bermakna untuk adik saya,Dharma.

Kejayaan adik saya adalah hasil sokongan dan dorongan yang diberikan oleh Majlis Sukan Negara(MSN) dan Persekutuan Hoki Malaysia.

Saya berpendapat ilmu kejurulatihan yang ada pada adik saya lebih baik digunakan untuk membimbing jurulatih-jurulatih hoki di sekolah-sekolah sukan di Malaysia.

Dengan adanya jurulatih-jurulatih yang berilmu di tahap pembangunan saya yakin Malaysia dapat capai prestasi yang baik di peringkat dunia.

Di Malaysia kita ada ramai pemain-pemain muda yang cukup berbakat untuk di bentuk jadi pemain taraf dunia.

Ada satu peribahasa yang cukup bermakna yang penulis gemar gunakan:"Kalau nak lenturkan buluh,biarlah dari rebungnya."

Saya berharap Kementerian Belia dan Sukan, Majlis Sukan Negara, Persekutuan Hoki Malaysia dan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia dapat mempertimbangankan cadangan saya.

Terimakasih

                                       -----------------------------------
Untuk Coach Luar Biasa

Insan ini bukan sebarangan,
Dalam berjuta mungkin seorang,
Sudah terbukti merentas zaman,
Jasa tercurah bukan kepalang.

Insan ini tak kenal penat,
Seawal fajar sudah tercegat;
Sudah disaksikan padang keramat,
Tak pernah henti perah keringat.

Insan ini hatinya mulia,
Memimpin pasukan julang negara;
Banyak kali menjadi juara,
Yang tidak nampak jelaslah buta.

Insan ini hatinya cerah,
Sekecil perkara habis dibedah;
Supaya selesai semua masalah,
Seluruh pasukan dapat faedah.

Insan ini cintakan watan,
Tidak memilih untuk berkawan;
Sekecil2 jurulatih di lapangan,
Kami dibantu tak tagih ganjaran.

Di Gelang Patah pernah bertandang,
Bukan mencari pari semilang;
Tapi membantu di atas padang,
Sekolah kecil juara disandang.

Insan ini permata kita,
Usah dibiar berlalu duka;
Lupakah kita segala jasa,
Juara Asia dan ke-4 dunia?

Terima Kasih Tuan Dharma,
Jasa Tuan takkan dilupa;
Kami memandang penuh mulia,
'Kita langgar!" azimat sentiasa!

Tulisan;
Yang pernah jadi coach hoki kampungan

An Arrogant Man Is A Weak Man! by Maninderjit Singh

It's people like Mike that gives us hope in Malaysian hockey. He takes the time and trouble to elucidate his views concerning Malaysian hockey tirelessly. I'm sharing his latest article on the current affairs of Malaysian hockey for you to peruse.

Recently Mike apprised me that Malaysian hockey needs at least 10 years to prepare a formidable team to qualify for the Olympics. Frankly, in my view, the decisions that are being made now are in fact destroying the development of the game.

For now, I will give you one example as to the decision not to renew the contract of the coaches upon reaching its term. It was legally right but was it morally right when the coaches were informed that their contracts would not be renewed just a few weeks before the National Hockey League.

Whatever decisions we make now will have an impact on the future of the game.

Thank You.
                                    .................................

Mike's views are as below:

Don't confuse confidence with arrogance. Arrogance is being full of yourself, feeling you're always right, and believing your accomplishments or abilities make you better than other people. 

After failing 5 years miserably and lost a ticket to Olympic, and given another term till next Olympic cycle is like a death crop awaiting for final funeral rites. The decay of the game smells immensely throughout the country.

Just because you command votes, it doesn't mean that 32million people are happy with the progress and ongoings. Day by Day, the public perception & support is deteriorating badly & sports lovers' anger & frustration is increasing enormously. The boiling point is coming close...

After Congress, the quality of Bearers is at the lowest ever due to dirty political maneuver & en-bloc withdrawal of high profile personalities & former internationals who were honest & had the passion to save the game. It will be a nonfunctional Board that has a more "carelessness mindset" than corporate values & low standard of understanding the depth of the game (most are a school or state players). The current Board lacks modern knowledge & comes without any success profile in their achievements & lack in implementation methodology. Therefore, it will be stagnant progress without any deliveries until next Olympic.

People often believe arrogance is excessive confidence, but it's really a lack of confidence. By removing many former international from the outfit & not considering others to help out will haunt your decision & there will be a price to be paid. Time will tell & you're giving yourself more rope to be hanged. 

People like Tai Beng Hai, Yahya Atan, Stephen, Logan Raj, K Enbaraj, Lim Chiow Chuan, Nor Saiful, Mohd Dharma, Mohd Madzil, S Vellapan, Iman Gobinathan, Saliza & Kerpal Singh are removed or decided not to continue & terminated without any valid reasons. Honor former international with respect & not just throwing them away without any reasonable reasons. There are many potential & credible Coaches like Sarjit Singh, Arul Selvaraj, Eugene Lee, Nor Azlan Bakar, Fairuz Ramli, Kelvinder, Selvaraju, Kaliswaran & many more that are not called in to support the game. More so, personalities like Ow Soon Koi, Yoges, Maheswari, Ramakrishnan, Lum Sau Fong, MA Sambu, Keevan Raj, Baljit,  Collin Sta Maria, R Shanker, S Kuhan and many more who are capable international out there that could contribute well towards the game but been ignored. Mantra - without Former Internationals, you will never succeed! 

Even top officials including TO/Umpires are sidelined & ignored. They've served the Nation with pride at the highest level (Olympics) & were dedicated to the sports. Arrogant people are insecure, and often repel others. Sad state of affairs.

Other Top Nations are having a busy schedule like playing in Pro League & preparing for Olympic. But here, the custodian is busy with politicking & still unsettled after Congress. The gap is getting wider between the top teams & us at the international level. Full of arrogance without knowing the real facts & how to manage the game at its best. 

Where is your lackadaisical Post-mortem report & blueprint? Little bird said that most players were not happy with the Foreign Coach. And you're caught in catch 22 situation. You have failed big time & more to come as the signs are already showing...

Arrogance is an unhealthy ego in sports that need repair. If you feel you & your team could not contribute progressively & lack the ideas to save the game, its an easy solution - just step down and call for a fresh election, with that we could get the right person in the right position who embodies excellent & at least there will light at the end of the tunnel rather than darkness.

To all the Affiliates who sold your souls, well done & keep it up. You have lost your check & balance rights. You were supposed to be the heartbeat of the Organisation but rather succumb and bow down to unqualified bearers who are directionless. Even at your backyard, you have failed but showing your supremacy at the National level is just finding a needle in a haystack. You have lost it due to a Tour!

Time to buck up or pack your bags up...

By Maninderjit Singh (Mike)
Former international
12th February 2020

Pivotal Role Of Coaches-Loughborough University

"It is important to educate athletes and coaches at all levels of participation in the vital role effective coach-athlete relationships can ultimately play in their success and satisfaction." 

Researchers from Loughborough University have highlighted a good quality relationship between coaches and their athletes in ensuring world-class performance and increasing successful and satisfying participation in sport at all levels.

This ongoing research program-carried out by a team of researchers from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences and led by Dr. Sophia Jowett, alongside national and international collaborators-emphasizes that the coach-athlete relationship is not an "add-on" or by-product of sport, but the foundation of sport.

Dr. Jowett and her research team have developed the world's first and only theoretical model to explain the content and quality of the coach-athlete relationship. This model is known as 3+1Cs: Closeness, Commitment,
Complementarity,and Co-orientation.

The 3 + 1Cs model and its accompanied psychometric measures have enabled them to systematically explore the links between the quality of the coach-athlete relationship(i.e. 3 + 1Cs) and important factors such as performance, satisfaction, motivation, passion, confidence, physical self-concept across different level of sport participation ranging from elite to grassroots sport.

Dr. Sophia Jowett said the team's research shows that relationship developed between coaches and athletes is a fundamental medium that can make the journey to achieving great success less arduous and more fulfilling.

We have heard the best athletes in the world vouched how grateful they were of their coaches' effort and belief in them. Their statements not only underline their appreciation, respect, and commitment to their coaches but also reflects the importance of this coach-athlete relationship.

Dr. Jowett said now is the time to incorporate this accumulated knowledge and understanding around coach-athlete relationships into coach education programmes, as well as into sport policy development that aims to support the developing athlete and coach or promote the interest of sport at all level

While our research is ongoing, we now have more research findings than ever before to show how pivotal the quality of the coach-athlete relationship is for athletes and coaches'experience of sport, Dr.Jowet emphasized.


Thank You.

Medical Health Insurance - "Does the introduction of new medical technology exacerbate the cost of Medical care?"By Mr.V.M.Chandran

In loving memory of my dear friend, Mr. V.M. Chandran.

Medical Health Insurance is a risk mitigation mechanism where for a comparatively small amount of monies per year, one can hedge against risks which may be of significant value such as medical expenses. This depends on what type and extent of coverage one has, which is predetermined to compute the premium based on personal information which includes age, occupation, medical history including family, any pre-existing illness, and other key matters.  

Today a good 80 to 85 % of patients in private hospitals use medical insurance as their primary source for funding their medical expenses. This has become a key integral part of Private health care. 

An interesting aspect of Medical costs is that its inflation in Malaysia is running as high as 12 to 15%, which itself is a "world record" whilst premiums for medical insurance seem to be "  hitting the roof" with a remarkable increase of 30% for 2020. Maybe the traditional economics "Supply and Demand" seem not to hold its assumptions in Private health care.

Insurance companies seem to have a forceful argument that technological innovations in Medical science have increased the cost of medical care. This is their principal justification as they "pool" the total claims and spread it over a larger population by creating such an astronomical increase in premiums. A point that is continuously debated because Insurance companies seem to move at a "snail's pace" to approve technological treatment including "robotics". Indeed some regard them as a hindrance to scientific progress in medical care. Probably, Insurance companies in their actuarial calculations have never inbuilt aspects of new technology development unless it is the latest medical health insurance policy.

On the other side, Private hospitals indicate technology has helped in efficient operating levels and much earlier recovery of patients. Yet the benefits that it is supposed to accrue is not reflected in the patient "billings". Indeed, medical health care has skyrocketed with technology.  A simple appendicitis operation by traditional surgery would cost around RM8,000. A new technological approach seems to put the bill around RM20,000. Obviously, the classic argument of capital cost, operating cost including maintenance and training cost would seem to be their cost build-up argument. 

The key question that arises from advancement in technology is to whom the benefits in the form of operational efficiency and speedy recovery are advantageous???? Surely not to the patients in " dollars & cents". If any, the private hospitals turn around time for patients and more effective use of assets paves the way for higher utilisation of those assets and better occupancy level, ultimately for better profits. All this is a significant cost to the patient.

While I have blatantly stated the point that new technology is benefiting private hospitals, it must also be recognised that I am aware that a few hospitals are ethical about such things and allow the choice to the patients ie whether to adopt traditional or technology-aided procedures. This I must mention to differentiate them.

This brings me back to the aspect of Medical insurance. If patients have regular claims on their medical bills, the issue of "civilised" increases in premiums seems to have a sound foundation. However, where the insurance premium increases are burdened on people who have the "cover" but had not utilised it, should they be subjected to the same "pari passu" treatment as patients who make claims against their insurance? Here the Insurance companies are playing "Robin Hood" ie pooling all the premiums, with or without claims to pay for claims of patients who incurred the medical expenses. Is that proper?

M Shanmugam of Star media had raised in one of his articles on Health care the issue of "No Claims Bonus" - NCB. The term NCB is best known for Motor Insurance, where predetermined discounts are provided for motor insurance premiums when there are no claims when renewal arises. It seems to be a benefit that is accrued to the vehicle owner for ensuring that his vehicles were not subject to any claims. Sort of a "Reward" system.

Introducing NCB for Medical insurance can be the best roadmap action to be taken by Insurance companies in Malaysia. Much too long we seem to be "short-changed" as all medical insurance holders are lumped together. What makes matters diabolically interesting is that in various other regimes some form of "Reward " system is in place for Medical insurance holders who maintain their health and or who do not make claims for medical expenses.

Some of the prevailing scenarios are:

1. NCB is provided on 50% of the ceiling sum over a period of 5 years. The NCB  is not used to discount premiums but rather is added to the ceiling sum each year till the 5th year. 
This effectively means at the end of the 5th year, the ceiling sum has increased by 50%, whereas in the intervening period the premium is charged on the original base case.
This scheme has its advantage as it can help the medical insurance holder to capitalise on new technology for medical care with a larger ceiling sum. Insurance companies are reluctant to implement.

2. In some places where the Medical Insurance holder has not made any claims on his Insurance, the cumulative premium paid during the term is reimbursed after some administrative charges.

3. There are places where the NCB amount on Medical health insurance is given "portable" rights ie transferable to other existing insurance policies of the individual, which could enhance its value.

The regimes that provide such facilities particularly on NCB for Medical health insurance seem to cater across the board recognising each group and attributing to the careful management of their Medical health insurance. The "lazy" approach of "lumping" everyone as one is an easy way out but the justice of equity is not there. 

In a nutshell, it would seem Insurance companies are maximising their returns with regard to the idiosyncrasies that exist in their field. A "clean sweep" system is adopted as the Insurance holders are burdened with ever-increasing premiums. This would become more acute as Medical science moves forward innovating new techniques and procedures. The health insurance remains stagnant in a time of its own and their only solution is to increase the premiums. 

Insurance companies must be more creative in their health insurance and one key area is to engage with Private hospitals in the introduction of new technology. Indeed if any they are the Private hospitals'  biggest paymaster, so they have the negotiating powers to determine the "monies worth" of the charges. This is a duty of care and responsibility that Insurance companies owe to the health insurance policyholders.

Unfortunately, they seem to omit this part of their duties that seems to help in catalysing the escalation of medical health costs in the country. The failure to take such responsibility seems to have a devastating effect on the cost of private Health care in Malaysia and the problem is growing.

V M Chandran
January 2020.

MHC-The Facts Were Staring Right at Us (Conclusion)

A few years ago, I brought my nephew to a colouring competition at one of the nearby malls. He loved colouring and had been looking forward to this competition for quite some time. The environment there was rather disruptive with sounds of screaming children, loud music and shoppers bustling about. Despite all the distractions around him, my nephew managed to focus on his colouring for the entire three hours of the competition. While observing him, I had an epiphany. I realized that when you are highly passionate about something, you will give your full attention to it regardless of the disturbances around you.

Yes, it's the passion to learn and not lack of concentration as I assumed earlier about the Malaysian hockey team's problem. Because when you have the passion to learn you will give full attention to what you're doing and the issues of concentration will not arise at all. To put it simply, if someone needs to be told to concentrate, their heart isn't in the game.

Now let's look at how these new findings apply to our Malaysian hockey team. Malaysian Hockey Confederation(MHC) spent millions of ringgit to secure hockey experts around the world to train our team in specific skills, leaving no stone unturned in their preparation for 2020, Tokyo Olympic Qualifier. The boys attended all training as required by the team management but did anyone see these boys do self-training to master the skills they learn from the experts. An expert coach can only guide in the few training hours. It's the players that must do the hours of practice to master the skills they learned. 

Before the 1991 Olympic qualifier, I hit thousands of balls to master my technical aspect in my penalty corner hit. Even that didn't help me initially until I mastered the mental skills which are calm and keeping composed. In the few seconds in executing a short corner you must be calm and composed to elicit the best out of your implicit memory where all your technical aspects in hitting have been encoded. You need brains to use your brawn intelligently.

I hope I have provided you a clear picture of our hockey team's problem. And this problem will persist as long as the system in place churns out mediocre players and rewards them handsomely for their mediocrity in hopes they will change. Top earners in sport earn high income because they have a passion for learning to be consistent in their performance. The mark of a champion is consistency.

What is the mark of mediocrity? Inconsistency, which is the trademark of our national hockey team. And if nothing is done the attrition rate among youth hockey players will increase and when the money dries up these mediocre players who are representing the country for a living too will drop out from the game. I hope I'm wrong though symptoms are showing that Malaysian hockey is in a crisis; high attrition rate and mediocre players

Over the years thousands of youths went through the Sukan Teras then 1 Mas hockey development programs with the objective of creating a bigger pool of hockey players for the Malaysian Hockey League(MHL); a platform to select future national players. Did the MHL grow?

There is a saying that two people can look at the same stars but see things differently. Maybe my views are different from the Malaysian Hockey Confederation but my intention to write this article is to bring to your attention that the game of hockey is diminishing in our country.

I hope the phrase I commonly used for the Malaysian hockey team "It's so close yet so far" won't change to  "it's beyond our reach."Then playing in the Olympics will always be like building castles in the air.




Thank You.

Happy Chinese New Year 2020

Too many things on my mind that I overlooked that it's time to celebrate Chinese New Year.
It's the year of the Rat and I hope it will bring joy, peace, and love to you and your family.
Have a great Chinese New Year 2020.
Gong Xi Fa Cai.


Thank You.

About Me- Written By A Dear Friend(Edited)

My Beautiful Family

The towering figure of K.Enbaraj(seated 3rd from the left) used to be the dominant figure in the defense of Malaysian hockey from the late 80s to the early 90s. This 6-footer started sporting life as an athlete and till today, well over 35 years later, his 400 meters record in Malacca High School(MHS) still remains unbroken. He was in MHS just for his 6th form and the school where he came in contact with hockey was St Francis Institution(SFI).

At SFI he was trained in hockey by a non-hockey playing coach Mr.Durairaj.Apparently, this teacher was so advanced in his techniques then that he trained the boys to run with the ball using the reverse stick. Today as Enbaraj watches the various hockey games he sees this style commonly used and it brings memories back to 40 years especially of Mr. Durairaj's vision of the game.

Enbaraj, like most of us, has certain peculiarities and in his case, he used to be the "live wire" of the team. A person who spontaneously gives nicknames to his colleagues like "Boss" for Mirnawan.In the case of "Boss" it has stuck on and somehow it personifies Mirnawan. As much as Enbaraj takes the mickey on his teammates, they too have given him back and to many, he is known as "Unta" or "Camel".It is probably his height, movement, and the ability to carry a sufficient store of liquid that may have prompted such a nickname.

"Unta" is a true "Gandhian" in spirit, of course barring the amber liquid. He gets emotional when he sees people being ill or mistreated including being undermined. He tries in his own ways to change things and usually finds resistance in the initial period. With time and sufficient experience from the setbacks, he finds people tend to appreciate and understand his point of view. Something he puts down to everyone's "learning curve".

Used to be living in glamour as one of the finest fullbacks in the world with the best consistent flat hits for short corners. All this came to an abrupt end when the Malaysian hockey contingent broke camp just 2 weeks before the 1992 Barcelona Olympic."Unta" returned home and in helping his friends move a large glass sheet, it broke on its weight which resulted in Enbaraj having a severe injury to his leg. His muscles and ligaments were severely damaged and he literally bade farewell to his Olympic dreams. This also meant that he had to come in term that hockey was history for him. Something that devastated him as he painstakingly tried to return and it was near impossible. He even had a knee surgery in the hope it would help him but all that only added further frustration to his life.

After a short stint with Yayasan Negeri Sembilan in 1995-96, The "Camel" faded away in oblivion. The humorous Enbaraj was suffering from severe arthritis and the debilitating illness nearly crippled him. The years of suffering took a toll on him and this in a way changed his outlook to life. His philosophical approach of "mind over matter" aided and abetted his struggle to contain the effect of his illness. This forced him to change his lifestyle.

This trial and tribulation he has undergone in his life post-1992, in a way have given Enbaraj a better understanding of people. He believes that everything is time proportional and there are no short term remedies particularly if people used to certain ways. Change cannot be forced on rather it must be a process encompassing all the necessary elements if there is to be a success. Ultimately it must be a self-regulating process and this has to be started with the young.


Thank You.

Poor Organising of Malaysian Hockey League

 safety of players is the priority-My brother Dharma and Roslan decided to wet the pitch than their throat.

A hockey fan went for a National Hockey League game today with the hope of watching a quality game between THT and UITM and ended up disappointed.
What a day for this hockey fan watching how hockey has fallen to the lowest level today. He shares his interesting day as below.

I left competitive hockey in 1995 since then have not touched or watched hockey till early 2018 maybe. So I decided to come to watch a National League game today and was shocked to see the difference from then to now. The stadium has only max about 20 spectators and the way the organisers have organised this prestigious tournament(once upon a time) is an utter disgrace.
Before the game, THT officials complained of a "Dry Patch" in the field. Next minute I see the THT officials themselves are carrying water in a container to water the dry patch.
This is ridiculous, where are the organisers? Malaysian Hockey Confederation, don't you make sure the game pitch is fully functional for a game of this standard?
What a disgrace the organisation of hockey in this country has become.
Where are the stadium officials to properly water the pitch? It is an AstroTurf for god's sake, if not wet can be dangerous to players. Let that, even on half time 3/4 of the pitch became dry due to sun and pitch was not watered. Seriously, what the hell are you organisers doing? Where is all the money going? 
MHC organising committee needs to be answerable for this.
Next is out National Sports Council who I believe is tasked to manage and maintain the first hockey stadium in the country. If not mistaken, it hosted the Champions trophy in 1993 but the upkeep of the stadium, make me want to cry. We used to have a working digital board for high-level games but today we have to human, mending a manual board.

The scoreboard is there. Where is the crowd?

Seeing And Taking Action In Development Part 3

One of the questionnaires in a survey done by the USA Olympic Committee with the USA Olympic medalist from 1956, Melbourne Olympics to 1984, LA Olympics was, "who are the key people behind their success", the answers were:

1. Parent
2. Coach
3. Friend

Parents and coaches have to work hand to hand in a child's progress from the fundamental stage to all stages; an enjoyable learning curve.

There are seven stages in the development of a child in sports: as illustrated below:

• Stage 1: Active Start ( 0-6years old)
• Stage 2: Fundamental (girls: 6-8, boys 6-9)
• Stage 3: Learn To Train (girls 8-11, boys 9-12)
• Stage 4:Train To Train (girls 11-15, boys 12-16)
• Stage 5:Train To Compete(girls 15-21, boys 16-23)
• Stage 6:Train To Win (girls 18+, boys 19+)
• Stage 7:Active For Life

In what are the qualities, these Olympians saw in their coach:

1.Former international
2.Ability to teach
3.Motivational skills

Coaches must have the ability to imbue their players with their knowledge on the game, and that will only happen when there is a two-way relationship between them.

How successful is your development program from Stage 1 to 4, can be gauge at the Stage 5 level.

At Stage 5; after the age of 21, if the dropout rate among the youth players is very high, and the quality of players is not as desired, then the development program must be revamped from Stage 1.

Vice Versa, when you have embodied excellence from Stage 1 to 4, players with such qualities as below will blossom from the development program and will end up playing hockey for life.

Self-discipline- The word discipline is derived from a relationship between a disciple and a master, and the etymological meaning is to learn. We will see players with self- discipline, that is want to learn.
Learning doesn't happen by compelling, or by instilling fear or suppression on players

Self-training-Short camps, and during off camp players doing self-training to master the skills the coach had thought them. Creativity cannot be given by a coach, it's the players that must work hard for the creativity to flower out.

Self-knowledge- You seek answers, to uplift your game.
You will question yourself " Where is my game heading?"; Understand your own strength and weakness, and seek ways to improve your game, that will elevate your team to greater heights.


Thank You.

Seeing And Taking Action In Development Part 2

The two areas we see from past results that need to pay more attention are physiology and psychology.

Let's move on to what are the components in Developing players and my thoughts are in blue,

1.Anthropometric

The measurement of the size and proportions of the human body.

From the talent detection stage, we must look for youths who are not involved in hockey but have the anthropometric to be a world-class hockey player as speed is the prerequisite to be one. Look for youths from the outskirt of Pahang(Felda Settlement), Perak(Trolak) and Sabah, as the environment they are in as played a role in developing their neuromuscular, cardiovascular and energy system, the much needed multilateral development before we move to specialize a sport.

2.Physiology

The measurement of aerobic and anaerobic system i.e speed with and without the ball, Beep Test, ISRT(Interval Shuttle Run Test)
Researches done in hockey had shown that the ability to change direction while maintaining balance without loss of speed is a key physical component necessary for world-class hockey player i.e agility.

Malaysian players' main strength in physiology is speed and agility, we must not lose this key physical component. Endurance is another area we need to improve.
All Sport and Project schools must have a full-time Physical Trainer to monitor and measure the players' progress.

3.Technical
The measurement of dribbling skills with speed and other basics skills i.e hitting, pushing, slap hit, etc
Dutch coaches consider these technical skills are one of the most important factors affecting the performance of top-level hockey players. Other technical skills that are key in the field are being able to dribble without losing speed and good vision.

Coaches must be equipped with a portable video camera i.e handphone or tab to video the player's technique in training and during the game. iThe coach then shows the video clips and correct the players' technique. With excellent technical skills, players will learn other specialized skills i.e drag flick, injector, and trapper with ease.
Basic stance in dribbling that the Dutch coaches emphasized, "Vision Dribble" must be imbued to all our young players.

4.Tactical

The measurement of tactical or game intelligent i.e positioning & deciding, knowing ball actions, acting in changing situation and knowing about others.

A player will get a proper understanding of the game when he is good at reading the game, right action at the right moment and the outcome is successful.
Coaches must create many mini-games that will stimulate the player's brain and show videos of high-quality international matches.

5.Psychology

The measurement of motivation, confidence, anxiety control, mental preparation, team emphasis, and concentration.
Excellent psychological skills play a decisive role in an important match.

All sports school and project schools must have a fulltime sport psychologist to guide the players.

Below every component, I have put the sentence "The measurement" is for coaches to measure the players' progress and with the results to guide the coach and player.

Another area of concern to me is " SAFETY", "Excellent" in your development program start with attire and please make it compulsory for all youth hockey players in Sports Schools, Project Schools and in 1 MAS Development program to wear a mouthguard.

Now we will move to the key people behind a successful athlete in the final part.

Seeing And Taking Action In Development Part 1

I will be disseminating information on the Development of players in three parts as this is a vast area to cover.

Looking back at the past results, especially in the Olympics and World Cup Qualifiers, we have consistently lost concentration in the last ten minutes of the game e.g.

• 2010, World  Cup Qualifier in Invercargill(New Zealand 2 Malaysia 1).Malaysia was leading from Amin Rahim's goal until Hayward scored in the 57' and 60' minute for NZ to take the one spot available for 2010, World Cup.
• 2012 Olympic Qualifier in Ireland(South Korea 3 vs Malaysia 2).It was 2-2 till Jung Hyun scored the winner in the 67' minute that put Malaysia in a difficult position against Ireland)
• 2016, Olympic Qualifier in Antwerp, Belgium(Malaysia 2 India 3).India scored the winning goal in the last 5 minute)

From the above results, we can see that two areas of concern are physiology and psychology.

Whatever the weakness we see at the senior level must be due to our development program whereby improvisation must be put in place.

Excellence must be embodied in the development stage in producing quality players.

There is a Malay proverb " Nak Lenturkan Buluh,Biar dari Rebung" in English is "If you want to bend the bamboo, do it when it's young. 

During my tenure in coaching the age group teams, I saw that coaches and parents are obsessed with winning without realizing the psychological damage they are doing to the child.

"Excellence in development must give room for failure as a stepping stone to learn. While the obsession with winning does not.  

Above is a video where Coach Stan Van Gaudy, former head coach of Miami Heat(NBA)  depicts the problem in developing quality youth basketball players at the development level in America. We in Malaysia are also facing the same scenario.

The issue of thinking players was brought up by some hockey officials during the Junior Asia Cup in Kuantan,Pahang.

The question to ask is how we trained our youth hockey players from the development level. Did we coach them on "what to think" or "how to think" make the difference?

If it's what to think then we have created robotic players who have lost the ability to think to make a decision when faced with situations new to them.

"To create thinking players, we need thinking coaches".

Before I pen off, I will share with you the key to my successful penalty corner conversion rate in 1991, Olympic Qualifier in Auckland, New Zealand.

Till today I can vividly remember that after our Saturday training session, our national coach Terry Walsh will encourage us to take a book from the coffee table. There were many books written on how athletes and business personalities achieved success in their respective fields.

Guess what, I took a book on how America going to regain the prestigious "America Cup" from New Zealand that was written by Dennis Conner.

Dennis Conner shares in his book that even the smallest details are important to regain the America Cup.

Dennis Conner achieved his dream to regain the prestigious America Cup. And Malaysia too qualified in style for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

"Psychological aspect distinguishes between elite and sub-elite"

Thank You 

P/S To continue on this topic in my next posting

MHC-The Facts Were Staring Right at Us

First and foremost the use of the nomenclature "Post Mortem" to figure out the reasons for the Malaysian hockey team's failure to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics sounds morbid and dreadful. Changing it to "fact-finding" 
sounds better since you're looking for facts. 

This reminds me of the wise words of Dr. Bertrand Russell: "When you are studying any matter or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only: what are the facts, and what is the truth that the facts bear out. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe, or what you think could have beneficent social effects if it were believed, but look only and surely at what are the facts."

My fact-finding mission began in July 2015 after Malaysia lost to India 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Qualifier in Antwerp, Belgium. A win would have sealed our place for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. This is where I got the phrase "It's so close yet so far".

All these facts have been compiled and written on this blog in Dec 2015 under the title Seeing And Taking Action In Development -Part 1,2 and 3. I will repost it for MHC and my readers. Please bear the English grammar and look at the facts.

The facts were staring at MHC but they didn't change hence the players didn't change and the result didn't change. This was reflected in the 2018 Asian Games final in Jakarta where the phrase so close yet so far haunts us again.


Thank You

P/S I hope my articles will be a help for MHC to chart the future of Malaysian hockey.