Hail the winners

THIS week, Malaysians, whether sportingly inclined or not, are celebrating the achievement of Datuk Lee Chong Wei as he did us proud by winning the prestigious All England Badminton Championship.

Yes, everyone loves a winner.

In our case, the fact that our appearance at the top of the world podium is rarer that a blue moon, makes this even more an occasion to be savoured.

Politicians, as is their wont, are the first to jump onto the bandwagon to congratulate him and to bask in the glow of Lee’s glory.  Many companies also use this opportunity to get themselves featured in newspapers by putting messages of congratulations. So don’t be surprised if the pictures of Lee Chong Wei, posting proudly with his trophy, confront you rather too often these few days.

However, there are some who begrudge the fact that Lee was bestowed the Datukship. Though I do feel that there have been rather a lot of that title, and similar ones, floating about these days, and some conferred to characters whose contribution to the nation and community are somewhat obscure, to say the least, however, in the case of Lee Chong Wei I contend that it was the right choice.

Firstly, though we have been one of the prominent badminton playing nations for over half a century, our achievement at that most important of the game’s competitions, the All England Championship, has not quite matched our reputation. Chong Wei’s feat has gone some way to lay to rest that ghost of underachievement.

Secondly, Chong Wei’s performance was no flash in the pan. He has been consistently among the elite players for some years now. And it was certainly not just a walk in the park either. He has reached the peak of the game based on a mountain of hard work, hard work not just by him, but also by a number of support people who have been working quietly in the background.

Thirdly, that we do produce world-class badminton players is no accident. Though there has been much talk about the importance of ‘quality over quantity’, I hold the view that quantity does beget quality. Badminton is a case in point for Malaysia. Almost every other person I know has dabbled in that game at some time or other. And we are not short of facilities either. In Kuching there are a number of badminton halls. There is one badminton centre in Kota Sentosa, seven miles from Kuching, which houses over 20 courts. Such is the popularity of the game that it is fully booked most days.

The accolade given to Chong Wei in many ways is the acknowledgement of these facts and it also honours the people who form the foundation on which a champion can emerge.

Sometimes it is too easy for us to applaud a champion in his days of glory without fully appreciating the rough and tough road he has to travel to reach that pinnacle. It is a tough, tough road. Someone once said, “If you want water, you must be prepared to dig the well.” This is most apt as regards sporting success.

This week in Kuching we have the privilege to witness a top junior tennis tournament — the ITF (International Tennis Federation) under 18 Group One competition. If it is about ‘digging well’ to drink the water of success, there is certainly a lot of digging being done by these young sportsmen and women at the SLTA (Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association) courts where the competition is held.

The effort and determination of these youths is astounding. I talked to a few of the players and every one of them said that they train at least six hours a day.

“How many hours do you train a day?” I asked a 15-year-old Chinese player.

“I train from 9 to 12 in the morning and then another three hours in the afternoon.”

“So you don’t go to school?”

“No, I have to do some home study.”

The fact that she speaks good English seems to indicate that she does do some serious study.

“How long have you been playing tennis?”

“I started playing tennis when I was four years old.”

“Do you hope to turn professional?”

“Yes, I hope to play in the WTA and be successful like Zheng Jie Shi and Li Na.”

Zheng Jie and Li Na are the two Chinese ladies who made headlines when they both fought their way to the semi-finals of the Australian Open this year.

The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) is the professional organisation for women’s tennis. These young people play in the ITF competitions to gain sufficient points to qualify to be members of the professional bodies — WTA for the women and ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) for the men.

The challenge facing these young dreamers is daunting. Not only have they to hone their skills, strengthen their bodies and increase their stamina to an extent beyond that of ordinary mortals, they also have to contend with the equally determined and well-trained fellow dreamers on the other side of the net.

They need to develop their EQ (Emotional Quotient) so that they don’t allow their emotion to seize up their games. They are indeed sorely tried in that department of emotional control.

Firstly, there is the frustration of not being able to execute each stroke to the perfection that is demanded to win the point, and then there is the aggravation of disputed line calls. All these conspire to let loose the demon of anger that can overwhelm them. I saw a quite a few rackets (and at least one broken) thrown in frustration.

For some the weight of expectation can prove quite unbearable. A case in point perhaps is the young hopeful from Kuching. He was the only one of four Malaysians who made it through to the second round. Perhaps we have made too much fuss over him. In his match against a tough American player he started off very well. He secured the first confidently and was leading in the second when he hit a brick wall, citing cramps to his leg.

I wonder how a fit player who has been training as hard as any could suffer from that ailment. Some opined that the mental strain might have proved too much for the young mind and it manifested in his physical discomfiture. Whatever it was, it is a pressure he has to learn to cope with.

The mountain that the young sportsmen and women have to climb is big. They have to hold at abeyance many of the activities associated with youth, including that of full-time study, and they have to trade their youth for the pursuit of that dream of reaching the summit. Many will not make it to the very top but even with that awareness they soldier on. That, in my book, makes them winners.

So when we salute the achievement of a champion like Datuk Lee Chong Wei, we salute too the courage of the many who dare to live their dreams. They are the inspiration for us to live our dreams whatever they may be. So hail the winners!

The writer can be contacted at dunstan.desee@gmail.com.