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Good old Federer reaches maiden Paris final Posted: 12 Nov 2011 08:24 AM PST Federer will meet either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or John Isner in the final. — Reuters pic PARIS, Nov 12 — The Roger Federer of old let his class do the talking in a 6-4 6-3 dismissal of Czech Tomas Berdych to reach his maiden Paris Masters final today. The Swiss third seed, looking to become only the second player after Andre Agassi to win titles at Roland Garros and Bercy, dropped only 10 points on serve as he set up a meeting with either local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or American John Isner. Former world number one Federer, who for the first time since 2002 has spent a season without claiming a grand slam title, was in another league throughout the contest against the fifth seed. Asked if he was playing the best tennis of his career at Bercy, Federer joked: "Yes, I think. "Let's say it: Yes, I do. It doesn't make any difference, but I think I'm more consistent now. I'm able to play several matches in a row, which I had a problem with before," added the Swiss, who has won only two titles this year — his worst total since 2001. "This is the first time I've played several matches (here) and I was able to prove myself." Federer, who became the first player to reach the final of all nine Masters tournaments, got off to a brilliant start by breaking Berdych's serve to open a 2-0 lead. Sprinkling the court with winners, the Swiss kept the aggressive Czech at bay and bagged the opening set with yet another scorching forehand. He broke again in the first game of the second set and never looked back during an 80-minute display of brilliance. Berdych, who was impressive in his quarter-final match against Briton Andy Murray yesterday, struggled to cope with Federer's array of shots and failed to earn a break point throughout the contest. "I'm pretty confident to say that that's the old Roger like he was playing, you know, the years that he was really winning everything," the Czech, who prevailed in the Paris indoor tournament in 2005, told a press conference. "We can count the unforced errors what he did like maybe on the fingers on one hand, which is incredible, playing really well. "He started every set really great and just didn't give me any chance at all." Both players will be at the ATP World Tour Finals in London from November 20-27. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Redknapp trial date set for New Year Posted: 12 Nov 2011 06:36 AM PST Redknapp and his former chairman at Portsmouth, Milan Mandaric, are jointly accused of two counts of cheating the public revenue. — Reuters file pic LONDON, Nov 12 — Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp and his former chairman at Portsmouth, Milan Mandaric, will go on trial in London on tax evasion charges on January 23, Judge Leonard QC announced today. The 64-year-old Redknapp, the favourite to become the next England manager, is currently recovering from minor heart surgery and is not expected to return to work at Premier League club Spurs until at least the end of the month. Appearing in court documents under the name Henry, he and 73-year-old Mandaric, are jointly accused of two counts of cheating the public revenue. The charges against them concern two payments, totalling US$295,000 (RM927,037), from the former Portsmouth chairman to the club's then manager via a bank account in Monaco between April 1, 2002 and November 28, 2007 that are alleged to have evaded tax and national insurance contributions. Redknapp and Mandaric, who is now Sheffield Wednesday chairman, both deny the charges. The trial is due to last for two weeks. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Bachchan baby to escape TV news spotlight Posted: 12 Nov 2011 05:16 AM PST Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is expected to give birth to her first child this month. — Reuters file pic MUMBAI, Nov 12 — In an unprecedented move, Indian TV news channels have drawn up a set of guidelines for media coverage of the birth of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's baby. The Bollywood actress is expected to give birth to her first child in November, and the Indian media has followed her pregnancy obsessively ever since father-in-law and actor Amitabh Bachchan announced it in June. In a surprising act of restraint, the Broadcast Editors' Association (BEA) has circulated ten-point guidelines, hoping to avert the inevitable media circus around celebrities in India. The guidelines include no pre-coverage of the event, no "breaking news" ticker and no astrology story related to the birth. Rai, 38, a former Miss World, has been married to actor Abhishek Bachchan for more than four years and the star couple had been fending off baby rumours for months before the pregnancy was confirmed in June. Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Times Now and BEA vice-president, downplayed the coverage issue. "Aishwarya's baby is not a big deal at all," Goswami told Reuters. "It is just one of the many things that editors discuss." The BEA guidelines also state no unofficial pictures of the child will be broadcast and that no television OB vans will be parked outside the Bachchan residence or the hospital where Aishwarya is expected to give birth. India has dozens of 24/7 TV news channels, many of whom have been criticised for their high-pitched and melodramatic coverage. The new chairman of the Press Council, a quasi-judicial body which acts as a press watchdog, recently criticised the media, saying it was acting against the interests of the people. "Eighty per cent of the people are living in horrible poverty, unemployment, facing price rise, healthcare," said Markandey Katju. "You divert attention from those problems and instead you project film stars and fashion parades and cricket as if they are the problems of the people," the former Supreme Court judge said in an interview to a TV channel. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

‘Call of Duty’ has US$400m in sales on day 1 Posted: 12 Nov 2011 02:08 AM PST Fans at the premiere of ''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3'' in Los Angeles September 2, 2011. — Reuters file pic LOS ANGELES, Nov 12 — Activision Blizzard's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" video game racked up more than US$400 million (RM1.3 billion) in sales on its first day in stores in the United States and the United Kingdom. Activision said in a statement yesterday its biggest holiday title had sold 6.5 million units, which breaks last year's record of 5.6 million units, or US$360 million in sales. The version of the game released last year called "Call of Duty: Black Ops" went on to sell US$1 billion in less than two months. Shares of Activision, the largest US video game company, rose 1.5 per cent in light premarket trading to US$13.17 yesterday on the Nasdaq. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls among new 7 natural wonders Posted: 12 Nov 2011 01:25 AM PST The poll organised by New7Wonders has attracted great interest, including Argentinean football star Lionel Messi who called on fans to pick his home country's Iguazu Falls. — AFP/Relaxnews pic GENEVA, Nov 12 — The Amazon rainforest, Vietnam's Halong Bay and Argentina's Iguazu Falls were named among the world's new seven wonders of nature, according to organisers of a global poll. The other four crowned the world's natural wonders are South Korea's Jeju Island, Indonesia's Komodo, the Philippines' Puerto Princesa Underground River and South Africa's Table Mountain, said the New7Wonders foundation, citing provisional results. Final results will be announced early 2012, said the Swiss foundation, warning there may yet be changes between the provisional winners and the final list. Sites that have failed to make the cut include Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, the Dead Sea and the US Grand Canyon. Residents of Jeju welcomed the announcement, with a 2,000-strong crowd bursting into cheers of "We made it", the Yonhap news agency reported. Jeju Govenor Woo Geun-Min said the listing would open "a new chapter" for the island's tourism industry. "This will greatly help attract tourists to Jeju, enhance investment and bolster awareness about Jeju's agricultural products," he told journalists. The island is renowned for its tangerines. The poll organised by Swiss foundation New7Wonders has attracted great interest, mobilising celebrities including Argentinean football star Lionel Messi calling on fans to pick his home country's Iguazu Falls. The results come after a long consultation process lasting from December 2007 to July 2009, when world citizens were asked to put forward sites which they deemed were natural wonders. More than a million votes were cast to trim the list of more than 440 contenders in over 220 countries down to a shortlist of 77. The group was then further cut to 28 finalists by a panel of experts. Anyone in the world was then able to vote for the final seven via telephone, text messages or Internet social networks. Founded in 2001 by filmmaker Bernard Weber in Zurich, the foundation New7Wonders is based on the same principle on which the seven ancient wonders of the world were established. That list of seven wonders was attributed to Philon of Byzantium in ancient Greece. New7Wonders said its aim is to create a global memory by garnering participation worldwide. But even as the natural wonders poll came to a close, the New7Wonders foundation has set its eyes on a new survey — the top seven cities of the world. Participating cities will be announced on January 1, 2012. — AFP/Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Dogs help US veterans cope with trauma of war Posted: 11 Nov 2011 06:52 PM PST A US Navy SEAL Team 18 member handles a multi-purpose dog during a demonstration of combat skills at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida. — Reuters pic NORFOLK, Virginia, Nov 12 — As the number of veterans grappling with the psychological scars of war mounts, researchers are looking into whether specially trained dogs can help them deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.  Jonas, a two-year-old dog, is trained to scan owner Ian Lord for signs of stress or anxiety and respond with licks, cuddles and demands for pats.  Lord, a 25-year-old Air Force veteran in Norfolk, Virginia, credits his pet with helping him cope with the aftershocks of war.  "He makes it a lot easier to recover from a trigger, like sounds of a helicopter overhead," Lord said. "The difference is, instead of getting wound up about it the rest of the day, it's like OK, go outside and throw a ball around, or just cuddle up to him a bit and kind of snap out of it."  The number of veterans receiving post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs rose from 254,930 in 2006 to 408,167 in 2010.  With 40,000 more US troops expected return home from Iraq at year's end, the number could grow.  Psychotherapy and cognitive processing therapy, which includes education and awareness about symptoms, are the main treatment methods, according to deputy chief consultant for specialty mental health Sonja Batten.  But other treatments also are being used, including yoga, acupuncture, meditation and psychological service dogs.  The department doesn't know how many veterans are using service dogs as part of their treatment, and there is debate over whether the approach is beneficial.  But a new study is underway to determine whether the dogs can help vets. It will aim to pair at least 200 dogs with veterans in Florida and Colorado.  Carol Borden, executive director of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc. in Williston, Florida, one of the organizations taking part in the study, said dogs are specifically trained according to an individual's needs.  "We talk to each veteran and find out exactly what their challenges are," she said. "There are multitudes of things we can teach the dogs to do, depending on each individual's circumstances."  Lord saw four years of active duty and served in Iraq, Afghanistan and surrounding countries. He said he was diagnosed with PTSD after suffering "almost the stereotypical meltdown" in 2010, when a simulation-style training course stirred suppressed memories of getting shot at in Iraq.  He was honourably discharged from the service.  Jonas came into his life thanks to his wife medical student wife Megan, who had been training Jonas as a therapy dog for hospital patients. The couple noticed Jonas would start cuddling and licking Ian whenever he exhibited PTSD symptoms, such as anxiety, depression and sleeping problems.  The dog's service is prescribed by Lord's psychiatrist, giving Jonas the same legal rights of entry to businesses and public spaces as guide dogs for the blind.  "As soon as people hear he's a PTSD dog, the next thing out of their mouths is, 'Oh, thank you for your service, sir,'" Lord said. "They connect the dots pretty quickly." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Ka Siong: Guru tak perlu risau dasar kerja sembilan jam Posted: 12 Nov 2011 02:38 AM PST ALOR SETAR, 12 Nov — Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong hari ini menasihatkan para guru agar tidak 'panik' dengan projek rintis sistem bekerja sembilan jam Kementerian Pelajaran. Projek itu yang akan dilaksanakan mulai Januari tahun depan di empat negeri — Pahang, Melaka, Johor dan Sarawak — berasaskan satu kajian di Melaka Tengah yang mengenalpasti tempoh bekerja yang ideal bagi guru. Laporan media menyebut kira-kira 5,000 guru dari hampir 104 sekolah di seluruh negara akan menjadi perintis kepada sistem waktu bekerja sembilan jam mulai Januari depan. Presiden Kesatuan Perkhidmatan Perguruan Kebangsaan (NUTP) Hashim Adnan berkata, pihaknya difahamkan sistem waktu bekerja baru itu akan dilaksanakan di empat negeri iaitu Pahang, Melaka, Johor dan Sarawak sebagai percubaan selama enam bulan. Hashim menambah NUTP bagaimanapun berpendapat waktu bekerja tersebut tidak sesuai diamalkan di sekolah. "Jadi saya rasa mungkin ada guru-guru yang khuatir kerana mereka merasakan tempoh sembilan jam waktu bekerja itu tidak mengambil kira waktu persediaan mengajar dan juga penglibatan dalam kokurikulum. Saya rasa semua itu akan diambil kira," kata Wee dipetik Bernama Online hari ini. Bercakap kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Wisma NUTP Kedah di sini hari ini, Wee (gambar) berkata projek itu bagi melihat sama ada benar pendapat orang ramai bahawa tugas seorang guru itu sangat mudah. "Saya harap semua guru di empat negeri tersebut tidak perlu risau kerana kita hanya membuat percubaan. "Apabila projek rintis itu meyakinkan kita dan kita dapat membuat kesimpulan secara konkrit, barulah kita memperluaskannya ke semua sekolah di seluruh negara," katanya. "Jangan anggap itu (projek rintis) sebagai satu kata putus dari kementerian. Biar mereka lakukan dahulu dan melihat hasilnya," kata Wee. Hashim berkata NUTP menerima maklum balas daripada guru terlibat yang bimbang dan tertekan ekoran perubahan waktu kerja baharu itu. Tempoh percubaan waktu bekerja sembilan jam sehari di sekolah terpilih itu akan dilaksanakan dua sesi iaitu 7.30 pagi hingga 4.30 petang dan 1.30 petang hingga 6.30 petang selama enam bulan. Terdapat sekitar 400,000 guru di seluruh negara pada masa sekarang. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Sukan SEA: Nur Suryani kutip emas pertama Malaysia Posted: 12 Nov 2011 02:25 AM PST PALEMBANG, 12 Nov — Penembak kebangsaan, Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi menjadi penyumbang pingat emas pertama untuk Malaysia selepas memenangi acara 50m Rifel 3 Posisi pada temasya Sukan SEA ke-26 di Lapang Sasar Menembak, Kompleks Sukan Jakabaring di sini, hari ini. Pingat gangsa menjadi milik seorang agi penembak negara Nur Ayuni Farhana. "Saya sememangnya tidak menjangkakan pingat emas pada penyertaan kali ini," kata penembak berusia 29 tahun itu dipetik Bernama Online. Menurutnya, insiden kelewatan ketibaan peluru tidak menjejaskan konsentrasinya. "Soal itu adalah kepada pihak pengurusan. Bagi saya, saya mahu mencuba yang terbaik dan menumpukan perhatian kepada acara yang saya sertai," kata pemenang pingat emas acara 10m Air Rifle berpasangan wanita pada Sukan Komanwel 2010 di India bersama Nur Ayuni Farhana Abdul Halim. Dia akan tumpukan perhatian kepada acara 10m Air Rifle pada Rabu ini bergandingan dengan Shahera Rahim Raja. Pada acara 50m Rifel 3 Posisi wanita hari ini, Nur Suryani mengumpul 679.8 mata, mengatasi saingan terdekat Sununta Majhacheep dari Thailand yang mengumpul 676.3 mata. Nur Ayuni Farhana pula mengumpul 675.4 mata. Selain kejayaan Nur Suryani dan Nur Ayuni Farhana, skuad menembak turut meraih dua pingat perak melalui Khalel Abdullah dalam acara 25m Standard Pistol lelaki dan Mohd Hadafi Jaafar dalam acara 10m Air Rifel lelaki. Acara penyampaian pingat bagi pemenang-pemenang hanya akan berlangsung esok. Pada temasya di Laos dua tahun lalu, skuad menembak negara tidak meraih pingat emas dan sekadar membawa pulang enam pingat perak dan lima gangsa menerusi 16 penembak lelaki dan wanita kebangsaan. /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Penembak kebangsaan, Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi menjadi penyumbang pingat emas pertama untuk Malaysia selepas memenangi acara 50m Rifel 3 Posisi pada temasya Sukan SEA ke-26 di Lapang Sasar Menembak, Kompleks Sukan Jakabaring di sini, hari ini. Pingat gangsa menjadi milik seorang agi penembak negara Nur Ayuni Farhana. "Saya sememangnya tidak menjangkakan pingat emas pada penyertaan kali ini," kata penembak berusia 29 tahun itu dipetik Bernama Online. Menurutnya, insiden kelewatan ketibaan peluru tidak menjejaskan konsentrasinya. "Soal itu adalah kepada pihak pengurusan. Bagi saya, saya mahu mencuba yang terbaik dan menumpukan perhatian kepada acara yang saya sertai," kata pemenang pingat emas acara 10m Air Rifle berpasangan wanita pada Sukan Komanwel 2010 di India bersama Nur Ayuni Farhana Abdul Halim. Dia akan tumpukan perhatian kepada acara 10m Air Rifle pada Rabu ini bergandingan dengan Shahera Rahim Raja. Pada acara 50m Rifel 3 Posisi wanita hari ini, Nur Suryani mengumpul 679.8 mata, mengatasi saingan terdekat Sununta Majhacheep dari Thailand yang mengumpul 676.3 mata. Nur Ayuni Farhana pula mengumpul 675.4 mata. Selain kejayaan Nur Suryani dan Nur Ayuni Farhana, skuad menembak turut meraih dua pingat perak melalui Khalel Abdullah dalam acara 25m Standard Pistol lelaki dan Mohd Hadafi Jaafar dalam acara 10m Air Rifel lelaki. Acara penyampaian pingat bagi pemenang-pemenang hanya akan berlangsung esok. Pada temasya di Laos dua tahun lalu, skuad menembak negara tidak meraih pingat emas dan sekadar membawa pulang enam pingat perak dan lima gangsa menerusi 16 penembak lelaki dan wanita kebangsaan. "} Share it with others Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Souvenirs from France Posted: 11 Nov 2011 03:56 PM PST NOV 12 — They live a lifestyle where clichés seem entirely original.  Even when their arms are full, a baguette can be seen conspicuously tucked under an armpit. It is almost as if that part of the body, often scorned as an object of odour despair, is made for that precise purpose.  Here, dogs are men's best friends; even for the destitute and homeless. The odds of encountering a homeless man begging for a stick of cigarette are higher than a stray dog begging for food. A man can be homeless but a dog is usually never without a master. I suppose it makes perfect sense to have someone who loves you unconditionally as your best friend. Dogs certainly make great candidates.  Old and young couples take lingering strolls with their palms locked together, almost always stopping for long embraces and kisses. Evidently, their air is not only filled with the scent of expensive perfume but also of love and desire. It is a home where love is often made, not just babies.  They live a lifestyle of contradictions that can easily inspire a voluminous collection of great ideas for dinner party conversations.  For example, some women (of any age) may feel completely at ease lying naked on a public beach, but would never be caught dead strutting along the promenade in a G-string bikini, as you would have seen on American television. They make nudity seem natural and unintentional. Nobody blinks or gapes and it's just another summer of sun and fun.  Foie gras isn't just a piece of politically incorrect food but something that provokes the question of how well the rest of world are treating their own animals before turning them into American quarter pounders and fried chickens. The cows I've seen on the Pyrenees are probably one of the healthiest and happiest in the world and needless to say, pets are not meant to be chained and confined to the porch. Neither are they to be subjected to the ridicule of being dressed up like human beings.  Prostitutes are tolerated more than pretty women who prey on wealthy men (and vice versa). Should sexual morality be held more sacred than deceit, dishonesty and greed?  Among the three virtues upheld by their national motto, liberty is perhaps the one that is most treasured and practised by them. It is often linked to a philosophical way of life, rather than just a literal translation of the word.  Restrictions and obstacles are to be limited and overcome as much as possible so that one can experience joie de vivre to the fullest. Being obedient to the notion that "I-shouldn't-be-doing-this-because-society-says-so" does not make you decorous, but someone who's absent of mind, spirit and soul.  They talk about politics, religion and sex more openly than Malaysians talk about food. There are no sensitivities surrounding these issues because one of their greatest thinkers once said that he might disagree with what another person says, but he would defend to his death the right of that person to do so.  Plus, it would be completely delusional to believe that if you don't talk about sex, it means you don't think about it at all. The same applies to the rest of the other issues. Besides, isn't it true that dissenting views are the ones that make far more interesting and intelligent conversations? A winning view is one that withstands the test of challenge, not one that is won by default.  I went for a walk on the promenade overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Biarritz on an early Sunday morning. It was quiet and calm as the whole sea resort was still recovering from the night's partying. I stopped at one point to breathe in the cold morning air and when I looked down, there was a small group of men and women getting undressed together.  From afar, one would have thought that they were just a bunch of crazy kids attempting to conquer the cold sea water but for their silvery white hair.  Stripped down to their bathing suits, only then was their age revealed. They could easily be at least 70 years old judging from the loose and heavily wrinkled skin all over their tanned bodies  They ran towards the sea and dived into the freezing water with the courage and capriciousness of teenage adrenaline. Their total abandonment sent a strange shiver down my spine and it wasn't until later when I understood that feeling as freedom and happiness.  According to French revolutionists, "Liberty consists of being able to do anything that does not harm others: thus, the exercise of the natural rights of every man or woman has no bounds other than those that guarantee other members of society the enjoyment of these same rights."  I learned from them that freedom applies to all; whether you're a grandfather, a mother of three, blind or a homosexual, as long as you've not done anything to have caused that right to be taken away from you. You're free to live the life you choose and not what society expects of you. Passing judgments should be left in a court of law; not at school, the workplace, supermarket, park or even the street.  Perhaps that is why women sunbathe naked but not strut around in mini bikinis. It's not about parading their bodies for the whole world to see. It's about feeling free in your own skin.  Maybe that's what liberty really means. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Like night and day, a Malaysian football story Posted: 11 Nov 2011 03:49 PM PST NOV 12 — What a week it has been!  It truly has raised a variety of different emotions in most Malaysian football fans. On Monday evening, I watched a football match in which both teams seemed to just want to kick the ball as far as possible, quite possibly trying to destroy as many footballs as possible in a single game. It certainly ended up being like a competition to see which team triumphed in taking wilder kicks than the other.  For 90 minutes, both teams presented an excellent example of what can only be called "anti-football."  Almost all the players on the pitch were playing as if they were taking out some sort of revenge on this otherwise beautiful game and eventually, I felt more tired watching the whole farce than the players in action.  However, on Wednesday, I saw a very different football match with both teams showing some imagination and creativity as they comfortably played the ball be it at passing or while in possession. Both teams played with a level of ease which belied their age and delighted true football aficionados.  Though they were just the U-23 squad for the respective countries, but all the players were full of confidence. By now you would have figured out that both the matches I have referred to above, involve the Malaysian representatives in the SEA Games 2011 football tournament held in Jakarta.  On Monday evening, the young men (or boys, by the looks of it) that coach Ong Kim Swee put out against Singapore played like a team of schoolboys. Then on Wednesday evening, Malaysia took on Thailand, and things changed...  for the better, fortunately.  Honestly, it does not matter to me — and it should not matter to anyone involved in the sport in Malaysia nor the Malaysian fans — how our opponents performed. What I would like to highlight is that the difference in quality, performance and attitude of our team with respect to those two matches was like night and day. Was the Malaysian team too taken up and followed the Singaporean's style of play, at the expense of our own qualities and abilities? That seems obvious, because when playing against a team of Thailand's more calm and refined style of play, our boys too went up a notch or two as compared with the performance just two days before.  The excitement of watching the match against Thailand simply escalated upon seeing Malaysian captain Bakhtiar Baddrol's run, a-la Steven Gerrard, into the penalty box to receive a cross with an excellent first touch and then take a shot for our first goal of the night. Then when Izzaq Farris completed a wonderful piece of control at the edge of the penalty box before placing the ball into the net for the winning goal, I felt a great sense of relief and exhilaration in my heart! It just proved our Malaysian footballers are capable of playing much better than we give them credit for.  But of course, the key is to carry on playing in such a style that the team is more suited to play and feel more comfortable with. If the team continues to follow the pattern of the game as set by our opponents, it is almost certain that we will not succeed because we will not be able to shape the flow and tempo of the game.  Good players will almost be forced to turn average during the course of such a game. We have to think long and hard about how to shape the identity of this fine young squad we have. This is where the coaching staff and players must distinguish and choose the right playing style for our team, then determine how to ensure our game plan is mastered and becomes an identity for the whole team to follow. More importantly, for this tournament especially, the players must be driven with confidence that they have the ability, not just to compete, but to succeed in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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