My Boron was Gone

I bought this Boron 200 back in 1992, when I was selected to play for the University. I needed a racquet with lighter tension but heavy on the head to generate more speed. And it had served me well. After a few years, I mainly played on the front court which required more placement rather than power. This racquet was perfect.

But, it has a limited use since it can't generate power for backcourt smashes. So, I tend to rotate between it and another Yonex, the Carbonex 21. That cracked a few years back.

The real McCoyThe crack was a subtle one but the symmetry and balance were all goneThe grip was real woodLast months, I decided to start playing badminton again with my schoolmates from MRSM. There was no excuse since the court was only about a 5 minutes drive from my apartment. And it was good fun actually. And for that, I needed to get my gears sorted out. I sent the couple of racquets that I had for restringing, but the Boron cracked under tension.

I don't think I would be able to get a replacement for the Boron since they had stopped making it a while back. And frankly, I don't even know which racquet was good anymore nowadays. Time to look around I think ...

Banzai!

It's June! And this would mean that I can enjoy my sushi again. I did promise to stay away of Japanese food for the month after Malaysia got beat in the Thomas Cup Final. I meant the month of May of course!

So, the curfew was lifted, and it was time to enjoy a bit of sashimi and temaki!

Banzai!!!

My Two Sen

I couldn't count how many times I had to restart my heart last night while watching the Thomas Cup Finals. So close, yet so far.

I had a couple of observations post-match.

Firstly, it was great fun and at the end of the match, one name stuck to my mind. And it wasn't Liew Daren.

Park Joo-Bong.

The great South Korean doubles specialist had been the Japanese Badminton head coach for a number of years and had revolutionised the game there, turning it into a super-power.

How Malaysia could do with somebody like him, plus the almost alien concept of political non-interference of course.

Don't get me wrong, we did well, and one thing we could take out of the loss was the fact we got some up and coming doubles players post Koo Kien Keat. The lack of singles player coming through the ranks was still a major headache. And it had been so for many years.

The second major observation I had was the unity sports brought to the nation. I wonder what ISMA's thoughts were when they saw throngs of Malays singing the name of Lee Chong Wei and Liee Daren during the match last night? How could we give so much face to these pendatangs? I meant the whole squad of it ....

Malaysians thrive in adversity and when it came to national event - the MH370 tragedy brought to mind - we glued together and rallied on as a family. Shame that it took these to unite the nation while certain parties kept using the racial card to gain political mileage. I bet they would be doing a police report against RTM for showing the match live after pleading the rights from ASTRO. Sigh!

Sunday Afternoon Park Trip

We got our wish for an afternoon in the park today. Right after arriving home from my photowalk, we packed up and left for Taman Tasik Perdana. Getting there early was the ticket. It was just after 4 in the afternoon when we arrived at the car park.

It wasn't too hot when we roamed around. Equipped with the badminton racquets and basketball, we just ran around. We were soaked half an hour later, had a quick snack on the grass and continued on.

By half past five, we were already making our way back to the car as the cloud gathered, threatening to rain. Luckily it didn't and we continued on, this time at the playground.

After we were done, it was straight for dinner at KLCC.

Taman Tasik Perdana had some of the area upgraded and the place was a treasure in the middle of hustle and bustle of KL. As usual, many newlyweds were there, having their ceremonial wedding photographs taken.

The flowers were very well-maintained on the most part. The herb garden was reopened, and was well worth a visit. The whole place was clean and the grass were cut and looked after well. The lake was unfortunately still in a state. Plenty needed to be done there. Ironic wasn't it that the place was called there Lake Garden for the lake, and it was a site sight.

Parking could also be organised better. It wasn't made easy by the fact that there was only a single entry point if you drive in, and mazy cars were parked illegally. A pain if you were to arrive during peak hours. A separate entrance and exit would make a world of difference.

Some extra benches would also be great. Better still, a designated picnic area. They had a food court which was about to open. Great vision by the City Council.

One of the island there was undergoing some renewal work, but the part which were opened certainly looked great. Well manicured grass and all. visitbe frank, the Lake Garden area was a hidden gem. The butterfly and bird park were just around the corner if you plan for a whole day's outing. There was also the orchid garden not too far away. Well worth visit.

LCW

He came up short again. This time his aching muscles gave way but he fought through to the end, and was stretchered out of the court.

Poor Dato' Lee Chong Wei again showed what he was made off and did the nation proud. It was a game of high quality and clearly he was irked and distracted at the beginning of the second set. Maybe it was gamesmanship from the organiser again we would never know.

A very tactical game, more like a chess match. Both players were tired but at the end his age took its toll. I don't think LCW would ever win the World Championship he was craving for. He would be too old for the Olympics on three years time one would think.

We need a new generation of shuttlers to carry the weight on his shoulders. But as it stood, the search would be a long one .....