Juniors, a FGM evaluation.

Caveat: This evaluation is not complete and only confined to players we know and was our views up to NJ 2011. Juniors can improve rapidly over a short period of time and so this is offered only as a means in forwarding my arguments below. Also note that my conclusions are given in broad strokes.

On a purely technical basis, I believe Edward Lee is the most advanced of our current Juniors. This is followed by Zhuo Ren and Sumant. The next category would include Li Tian, Mark, Nabil, Jianwen, Eng Chiam. And then the next band would be Elgin Lee, Syakir and Roshan.

Now what is the distinguishing factor of the groups above? They have all played in Asean, Asian or World levels in age group tournaments. These are our National treasures and heavy investments have been poured into them.

In any one day, it is possible for any of them to beat each other. The determining factors would be their state of mind pre and during competition and correct current strategy.

Let me now offer Yit San and Yit Ho in comparison. Both strong players but they have essentially come up from MSSM and a few International tournaments of late. But they have not had the exposure of the boys mentioned above. It is my argument that it is the exposure to high level preparation that the other boys have that gives them the edge.

The experience of Asean, Asian and World is not something that can be easily repeated and so Yit San and Yit Ho has a higher mountain to climb. Not impossible but much harder.

So now lets look at what MCF is doing to protect these players. They are the future to break that glass ceiling and get us that GM.

As we have seen, the focus always return to finding the next U12 "potential". And so we dump all the investments we have made in those boy's above. Now why would that be? It doesn't make sense. These guys are the closest to being IM's and GM's.

So what is happening? It starts to make some sense to me if you see that those players have now reached the stage where the current trainers in Malaysia cannot handle. They have all reached the stage where they need thematics, competitor analysis and mental training in order to move forward again. Does this make sense?

So as you have witnessed, they now attack the older juniors. Publicly as in the case of Zhuo Ren, Sumant and Mark. Then they try to foster animosity between them and their parents etc. To forward what agenda?

You see, if the attention is now diverted back again to the U12, then won't the training schools be filled once again? That is the limit of the trainers skills in Malaysia. Now the drums are beating for Li Tian. And when he is over 15, I believe it will be somebody else. And the cycle starts again.

So are we all being manipulated? If so, by whom?

Our best bet is to focus our resources on the group above. Make sure they are not knocked out of the game by these dirty methods. Actually you need a group to move forward. Solo runs reduces our chances to almost zero as we have seen over the last 30 years.

So lets look at NAG and NJ. For NAG, the top 4 gets to represent the Country and only the Champion for NJ. Does this make sense? Many of the NAG players will disappear over time. So shouldn't the focus be on National Juniors? The top 4 or more?

Big question. Why 4 for NAG and 1 for NJ. Why send our top junior out one at a time with no training and no support? Is this not sabotage?

It is this band that will take us to the next level. Iron sharpen iron. This band that will pose the serious threat to the seniors. So why are they abandoned after all the investments? Why are they attacked by our own people in order to promote the next U12? Or 13 in Li Tian's case.

Figure this out and then do something about this and we will be able to progress.

ps: The same arguments can be repeated for the girls. I do not have much experience with them but I think the same truths hold.