More on fighting spirit

I talked about Li Tian's fighting spirit. And I inferred that without it we will not have our own GM. Mark was not so lucky. I was not sufficiently aware his first 2 years. By the time I realised, the damage was done. But kids are resilient. I believe he will bounce back with my full support.

We need many Tigers to struggle with each other in healthy competition to bring out the first GM.

In order for them to do this every stake holder need to play their role. At the train the trainers course for instance, I see PICA already taking steps to control the trainers in Perak by forming a committee of trainers. Why? They are not the certifying body. They themselves have no clue on training. Is this helpful? Or will this lead to more politics? MCF needs to be more discerning. What actions and policies move us to our goal and what actions do not.

Any action that can lead to the reduction or destruction of the fighting spirit of our players are wrong policies.

So what can we do? We cannot stop them from forming those committees. True. But we do not have to support them. MCF does not need to support such actions. Then we will have direction.

Suspect tournaments do this to our players. They rob the players of the ability to gain glory by their own efforts. Someone else can take it away from them. Will they continue to fight, if someone else less deserving wins by nefarious means? Is the lesson here to them that they must suck up to the organisers or they will lose. Look very closely what happens; What happens to their fighting spirit when they do that? Is there any point to training? Lets instead learn how to suck up properly. GM class sucking up. Is that what we want for our children/players? To suck up to small people or they get victimised? Note: I am not asking them to be rude. In fact gentlemanly behaviour is part of their development.

So what can we do? We do not organise. We do have power you know. We can stop supporting such tournaments. Yes, simply not go. We can support the organisers that run good tournaments. There are many now. Then we have direction.

Something happened at World Youth.

I am informed that during the world youth, the parents grouped together and told MCF that they will not pay for an MCF official to go to Turkey. And MCF backed down. They nominated a parent who was there as their representative. So we can effect change if we have the courage to work together.

Another important point is the message to our children. If the adults stand for what is right, they too will learn fighting spirit from us. If they see us meek and accepting of abuses, that is what they will learn too. They will have learned helplessness from us.

I dont think we can continue to look the other way if we are serious about finding that first GM. I don't think we can afford to support indiscriminately wrong policies, abusive officials. Why? Because they undo the work we have done. For every step we take forward they move us back. For every child we build, they tear down. Is that why we have had no movement for 40 years? No results. Our National juniors now are nowhere near where they should be in terms of Fide rating, relatively, even compared to our own past.

So Greg, you have the helm now. Don't keep us spinning our wheels again. I hope you wont let us down. For others we can take affirmative action. We are not helpless unless we choose to be.

This is not about us. It is about the players. They are the ones who compete, who sweat it out. We are only meant to support that effort.