Thursday, March 18, 2010

Hockey : 'better the devil you know than the devil you don't'


Basically it means that it is often better to deal with someone or something you are familiar with and know, even if they are not ideal, than take a risk with an unknown person or thing.

In any organization people need to step up, step forward, its not easy trying to find people who can do the job. People are afraid for committing and where I come from, I am saddled with various kind of people. There are people who are representatives, elected or appointed to administer the affairs. Each and everyone practically have a family to run, a house to feed, a job to do and up and above that a commitment to perform to the position we are elected to or appointed to or in the worse case scenario appointed to.

When there is a dereliction of that duty, you get 3 kinds of people
i) the "huh" what happen
ii) the "yes ah" then then then
iii) Not my problem

So I work with the angles and devils, measure what need to be done and in 10 days we put together a package, a team, with the budgets, equipment, selection, coaches the whole works and sent them to a tournament. With it the hopes of the 2 people left behind who worked their heart out to ensure they got to their destination and a silent prayer to reach their target. A semifinal appearance.

I will tell you who was the team was on the ground, one private sector person, one school teacher with a love for the game, a pair of coaches who worked thru the difficulties and 2 other teachers who had the courage to step into the vacant seats of the Manager & Asst. Manager and take the team there.

I mean lets weigh the facts , a state team is going for a National Tournament, no one is bothered to prepare a team, to set team up, to call players to come. So when I and my team of rag tag bunch of people who want to see a team participate got them there.

Countless day and nights working with the national body for the players flight tickets, the state sports council preparing budgets lobbying, gaining their trust and belief. Each step was systematically document and a lot of the dirty tricks pulled against us was shielded away from the Team. They could ill afford the distraction

The people I worked with had good and bad but we focused on what was the overall goal. It was not easy to get to where we are not, we had people withing the organization working against us, not to bitch about them but I rather have them in my face then to do it from the confines of mouse hole.

We are not an rich organization we are managing our debts but when the people your own organization lobby not to give the facilities to train the team and having to fork out cash from your own pocket to ensure players get the entry into the stadium to train leads me to a war path.

At least the devils I had with me could work and get the job done.

I was laughed at when I said the target of the team was the semifinals, but you dont just pluck those figures from thin air... Having failed to qualify for the semifinals in 2009 and further marred by misconduct by officials and in 2008 we finished a poor 8th position. A semifinals position is a lot to shout about by my Team.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/3/11/central/5816361&sec=central


In 24 hours, we stand on the threshold of an opportunity to qualify for the semifinals of an age group tournament that we have failed to qualify. We have done all the right thing. We lot to the last year champions 2-1. We drew with the 3rd places team from last year. Both these team utilized sport school boys from their respective states. We won the rest of the round robbin.

We stand at 13 points out of 6 games, a + 11 goal difference and await the outcome of a last league game where the 3rd placed team from last year MUST win by a 6 goal margin and if they fail to do so I be dancing!!!


We shall know in 24 hours

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