Message to parents

I remember a time when Mark asked me why I would try my best to help as many of the strong players around him as possible.

My reasoning went like this. The best way for him to be strong was when others around him were strong too. Healthy competition. Iron sharpen iron.

This way the field in Perak would be helpful if he tries for National level. The best way for our National players to do well Internationally, is to have many strong National players. That is the direction to succeed.

By acting selfishly, we condemn our own players and our child will never be a world beater. Of course this may mean that the world beater may not be our child. But that is still our best chance. Otherwise they get beaten by someone else out there anyway. If my son has to lose, then let it be a strong Malaysian that beats him. No shame in that. That is my reasoning.

Of course the other reason is that I like them, our mental warriors. I see something special in each and everyone of them.

This was much more eloquently put by the Author of Kite Runner. When the boy's father was dying, he asked, "Baba, what will I do when you are not around?" His father answered, "Son, I hope I have brought you up in the way that you will never need to ask that question".