Skills vs Stamina, Which Comes First?

I did a very simple experiment these past few months...to determine the single most important aspect in squash.

Some say squash is the most demanding sports in the world in terms of fitness. High level of fitness is greatly required to properly play this fantastic game.

I had doubt about this claim, although I admit fitness/stamina is crucial towards how far a player can move up the rank in squash.

I placed more importance on finesse, because to me, squash is about technique. I remember, during my younger days, watching in awe how (King) Kenny of Malacca beautifully control the ball and made his opponent move like a headless chicken around the court.

Kenny was the man who inspired me to take up squash seriously. I met him before I knew Fahmi, another squash's gem from Malacca. These two were the biggest impact that influenced my early life.

I had been playing squash without the aid of stamina last year (played one week, rested three weeks, played again, rested another month). The result was humiliating...I lost even to the young player who took up squash just recently.

So I tried a new formula...build up my fitness before I hold squash racquet again, by concentrating on badminton.

I played two to three times a week (badminton), sometimes until my body told me to stop. I also played ping pong sparingly (at least once a week) and watched my food intake. I tried regulating my sleep pattern to ensure that I sleep around the same time every night.

After a month and a half, today I picked up squash racquet and headed towards the court. I'm fairly confident that my level of fitness has arisen significantly, although the same could not be said of my skills. Skills and techniques improve and rot in tandem with practice...if you didn't practise, your skills and techniques will surely deteriorate with the passing of time. 

I played against Cyrus and comfortably won, which was strange. I used to struggle against him, but not this time. We played a total of five games, and I won all.

Next was Megat, my long-time friend when off court, but arch-enemy when inside court. Megat is now a coach for Penang under-12 category. I never beat Megat before, and this trend seemed to continue when I went down the first two sets against him.

But something strange was happening, as the match went on, I felt more and more comfortable moving around the court. As the match progressed, his point lead was narrowing, and I won the third set after levelling the score.

I strongly believed this miracle has something to do with my fitness level. I used to think fitness is second after finesse, but now after this experience, I think fitness is more important than finesse, at least in squash.

The Day I Failed Everyone (part 1)

1. It was March 10, 2016. Our team will be facing the mighty Nurani for a spot in the final. We had just squeezed through the group stage albeit losing a final group match against Jaya (we sent out a weakened team against them for the final group stage match).

2. After our opening victory against Lembaran (I won the first match against their first player Fahimi), and after watching Jaya trounced Lembaran, I figured out that Jaya was too strong for us.

3. So to reserve our energy (we would be beaten anyway by Jaya even if we fielded our strongest squad), I told Syaher to prepare our fringe players for the match (no disrecpect to anyone, but it was tacitly understood that our core players would be composed of mainly from last year's squad).

4. This rotation was also to give everyone in the team a chance to play, even though I was completely sure they would be roasted alive by the likes of Amir, Jack & co from Jaya. There was a a wide gap of class between them. I just hope that they (our players) didn't drop dead in the court due to shock.

5. Surprisingly, Aliff played well above my expectation. I was not really sure how good Aliff was, because I rarely played against him. But he did rattle Amir (former USM player) a bit. Aliff's intensity of play and his willingness to chase out every ball were his most precious attributes.

6. But Amir was a class of his own. I knew Amir only last year. I was told he was from Sabah and trained with USM team. We didn't speak a word back then, not even exchanging greeting, but I knew he also heard about me from somebody else.

7. As predicted, Aliff was beaten. For me, it was a successful failure, because he gave his best. As I sat down to referee the next match, I realized I was paired with Jack as the marker (squash requires a referee and a marker to run a match. As USM were running out of budget to hire external umpire, we were forced to referee each other).

8. I didn't have a very good relationship with Jack. Last year in this same tournament, he was the sole umpire for our final group match against his team. I won the first match but lose the second, partly because Jack was deliberately trying to tilt the match to their favour.

9. I counted THREE (3) occasions when the ball was out but Jack called it in. One or two is okay, but THREE? It was absurd. Dalilah, who was watching upstairs, told me afterwards that she thought the umpire was grossly unfair.

10. Of course I agreed with her observation. That was not counting the moments when "let" was called "stroke" and points awarded to my opponent (people familiar with squash would understand these technical terms). I was losing my temper when I finally shouted for Jack to explain his awkward decisions.

11. But we patched up when the match was over (I won the third match). Jack was just anxious for a win, because he thought my dear friend Syairazie, who was training with us beforehand in the same court, was to be our last player. He knew what he saw that he was no match for Syairazie.

12. Syairazie, a hard-hitting ball player with monumental stamina, was there because of my invitation. I introduced him to squash during my stay in Unimas, in which he picked up the game very well, as duck to water. I showed him the basics of squash, and the rest was history. He improvised his technique on his own.

13. Syairazie wasn't even in our team, he was just there to train with us. But he did send shiver down to Jack's team spine due to his manner of play. Syaher, our last player, was roundly beaten by Jack afterwards.

(To be continued in part two. Time for sleep)  

Sukad 2016

1. It was to be our last ever training session before the real tournament kicks off. It sure left a very big memory to the furthers corner of my mind.

2. I arrived quite late, after the session was already under way. I just came back from Sedim, where for the second time in a week, I immersed myself in the coldness of the renowned Sedim river. It was a very refreshing outing out in the wild.

3. Suhana greeted me with her usual playful manner - "Just coming eh?". "Nope...been a while already", was my short reply. It was a full house affair...all three courts were fully booked. The more the merrier.

4. There were plenty of girls, a rare sighting given the usual all men affair that was the norm every other day. I realized one of the girls was the same girl that went to Kelantan last year. Not sure what was her business there this time around, but I had no desire to ask.

5. All six of us were present. And they were training hard to build their momentum for the upcoming event. I placed no hope for us to advance even from our group stage this year, given that Faiz and Alamin are part of the defending champion's (Restu) team.

6. Faiz and Alamin are giants of squash in USM. Watching them play is already a feast to the eyes...what's more to challenge them in court? Not even in my wildest dream that I dare to imagine defeating them in their favourite playground.

7. I noticed Sarah was among the girls playing in the other courts. She came to me afterwards, smiling and greeting me in her usual jovial manner. She was part of Fajar Harapan's squash team.

8. When it was about time to dismiss, Suhana asked for team's photo. I refused, claiming that she needed to be there in Kelantan, then we all can have a picture together.

9. Honestly, that claim was just an excuse that I made up. My time was over a long time ago...I didn't want to spoil their moment of joy. Although superficially okay, but deep inside, I was deeply broken. A broken man like me in their young and peaceful photograph would only ruin everything.

10. Syaher unexpectedly joined me to refrain from taking the photo together. He might have his reason...although he didn't mention why. Maybe he was not keen on taking picture.

11. So there it was. A memorable picture full of youth and vigour. It captures the spirit of the moment. Every time I see this pic, I remember my youthful past...full of excitement and passion. I have lost all of this now.

12. This may well be my last ever Sukad. I hope I will enjoy every minutes of it.

The Journey Continues...

It all started when Malik inadvertently put forward a request I couldn’t refuse… a chance to play in the forthcoming SUKAD tournament. This time, SUKAD will be making its round in Kelantan, the land of my ancestors. The last time SUKAD was being played in the main campus, my team was being eliminated in the preliminary stage.

Since that disappointing outing, I hanged up my racquet in despair. It was a poorly assembled squad. Having been ripped off the services of Ah Yong and Zamri that brought us to the quarter final feat a year earlier, I trained my close friends Fahmi and Firdaus with the aim of taking part in the tournament.

It was a horrible venture…we ended up having more laugh than the determination to win. But it was a good display from them…no hard and bitter feeling…because they just wanted to have fun. It was such a pleasure to have them as my friends.

Of course Malik’s sudden invitation provides a mix of adventure and excitement to me. It was squash that brought me to Kelantan for the first time in 2004. It was always my desire to observe the psyche and nature of Kelantan’s people…their state often regarded as the Malay heartland and their people, the real Malay.

My great-great grandfather and his family fled Kelantan's palace many generations ago…in search of a greener pasture. They were a servant to Kelantan’s monarch, until they came into that fateful decision. They crossed the deadly jungle separating the eastern and the western part of peninsula Malaysia before setting foot in a prosperous land of Kedah.

They settled down and started making a living out of a strange environment. A few generations passed…and I was born.

It was poverty that forced my ancestors to flee and explore the new world, but it was squash that did the same to me. If the hunger for food and basic needs were the driving force behind their quest for migration, for me it was the hunger for success and the insatiable thirst for experience. Indeed, the squash odyssey has taken me to a multitude of places…the deserted land of Ujong Pasir, the sprawling city of Bandar Hilir, that haven of serenity in Kulim, and into a deep remote area in Londang.

Along the way, I’ve had the pleasure to meet the kings of squash…namely Kenny and abang Nik. Kenny, dubbed the king of Malacca at that time, bewildered me with his string of beautifully executed shots. Together with Fahmi, they were the bedrock of the Malaccan team in the MSSM. Abang Nik, former national player who once trained with the likes of Azlan Iskandar and Ong Beng Hee, was in the class of his own. A complete player with a fleet of amazing strokes, he led by example and was considered a legend among my peers.

The prince…such as Fahmi of Seri Mahkota. A young boy who didn’t quite grasp my thick accent of Kedah at the said time, showed how a kampong boy could be turned into a class player. He formed a great friendship with Kenny. I could still remember they playfully lit up a firecracker together outside the Ujong Pasir court, in the middle of an important match.

The queen…Sahar. My classmate and former national under 18 champion. She was so well known inside the squash community and competed on the international scene on a regular basis. There was one moment when a Chinese woman rushed towards us during a tournament, asking with bated breath “which one is Sahar?”

They’ve heard about her long before they’ve even knew how she looked like. It’s true that words travel faster than light at times.

The princess…in the name of Vanessa. I’ve touched on her before, so I won’t elaborate much here.

And, last but not least, the show-off pony like Azim.

Hi. I am Rambut Pacak. The greatest, bestest ever squash player in the world. Beat me if you can.

We were kept apart in the final last year because I wanted to play against abang Nik, who was in his last appearance for SUKAD. I am looking forward to meeting him this year, but to my despair, he is scheduled to feature in the MASUM circuit in UTM.

Maybe luck was on his side. Good riddance to him.

A nuisance of legendary proportion, he’s too smug for the beautiful game of squash. Never in my adventure of squash have I met a character that matched him. Squash is never a battlefield for me, it’s a beautiful game of techniques and skills. You win matches by striking a delicate combination of ball control, fitness and movement on the court. If you play squash for the affection of the crowds, the game will lose its charm.

It’s hard to draw an early conclusion from the freshly released schedule. We were grouped together alongside Tekun, Bakti Permai and PETAS. By far, we are the strongest and the most well balanced team on paper. But anything could happen…nothing could be taken for granted.

The crux of the Tekun’s team lies on their two front man, Amar and Shimie. Amar is a dangerous player…and he plays dangerously as well. He’s a fast player, and the fact that he’s a left-handed further complicated the matter. Shimie is unpredictable. A greenhorn player who first picked up the squash racquet less than a year ago, he has shown much progress throughout the year. Nizam, a novice who is still learning the trade, is vastly improving with the passage of time. So we could expect a heated opening match ahead.

Bakti Permai and PETAS were still a big mystery. But I didn’t expect a miracle of Shakespearean proportion from them. Maybe they were just a bunch of beginners trying to gain some experience. But, if Hanif’s joke were to become a reality (Azlan Iskandar is going to play for Bakti!) then we are doomed for sure.

But, fret not…we have two of the most outstanding players on our side. Malik is physically the fittest player around. If his mounting work didn’t distract him, we could expect a good showing from him. He plays with brain, and he seemed all fired up to face his opponents. Farid is the most underrated player ever. There are little variations in his game, but he’s unbelievably an effective player. He gets the work done…the true objective of playing a team game.

With a fairly competent Hanif waiting in the pecking order, we have a quartet of highly exciting players at our disposal. If we remain true to our game plan, a birth in the final for a second successive years isn’t that far from our reach.

Farid and Malik. The lynchpin of Aman’s success last year. Seen here celebrating our success at KFC.

So roll on SUKAD! If I won this damn thing this time around, I’ll retire peacefully from squash for good.

One Rare Gem...

After a manic couple of days, I'm normal again.

I steadied the ship, took a good control of my life, and tried to contain myself from doing anything stupid.

So far, I succeeded.

I'm back to my former self.

Long may it continue.

So I went to Penang Squash Academy Centre. A classy prodigy was strutting her stuff there...she was no other than a certain Vanessa Raj. I wrote about her in great length some years ago. Then, she was a lovely 11 years old girl. Her fickle emotion led her to cry on a tiniest reason...in fact, she almost cried whenever she failed to return my shot.

I missed that little Vanessa.

But that was then. Now, she is thirteen...standing taller than me now. Although her biological age is somewhat young, now she displays a matured attitude comparable to a fully grown up girl. Her childish act was long gone...now she possesses a rare composure and calm, on and off the court.

Up against an equally young player in the final, she was made to sweat...for the first time ever.

I saw her the other day in the preliminary round...she defeated her opponent without dropping a single set. A walk in the park. But this time around, he was a tricky opponent. Equally skillful and boasted an ego beyond his age, he trapped Vanessa with his cunning shots and techniques over and over again.

Vanessa fell for his tricks on a number of occasions. But she fought back, never to give him much time to breath. Vanessa executed some breathtaking drops...I feared she may fail in her attempts and broke down as her former self, but it was not to be. She has somewhat mastered her emotion and skills comparably.

Their control of the court was amazing. The pace of the game was somewhat slower, maybe due to their relatively young age. But their performance was worthy of a praise.

After dropping the first set, she walked out of the court, sitting quietly besides me. I set my sight on her...but she didn't utter a single word. Maybe she was thinking about the match.I thought of offering her some words of encouragement...but I refrained myself from doing so. She knew what she was doing.

The problem with her first game was that she hasn't force her opponent far enough from the T zone. The T is like a throne in squash...whomever conquered it is the king. You control the T, you'll control the court and you'll control your opponent's movement. Stray from the T long enough, you'll be dead meat not long afterward.

In her second game, she changed her game plan. Now, she played more cross-courts to throw her opponent off balance. She varied her shots...attacking more on the left side of the court. In other words, to the back hand of her opponent.

Her strategy worked...she won the second game.

But he didn't give Vanessa any favour in the succeeding set. He cut and dropped the ball to disrupt Vanessa's game plan...much to her dismay. If she can improve on her smash, the tide would surely turn in her favour. Her drop shot was just excellent. A beauty that makes the game sparkle.

She fought the tie to the fifth set...before eventually losing in the deciding set. Even though she lost the game, I was proud of her attitude, her fighting spirit. Her calmness and her composure were exemplary...worthy of an emulation.

She is one of a kind...a rare gem. It's strange for a significantly older person to admire a younger protege, but she filled me with enthusiasm to play and compete with my full potential. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose a match, as long as you are giving your best.

Thank you, Vanessa. Your attitude and personality gave me something to ponder about.

The next Nicol David?

Taken from The Star

Monday December 10, 2007

VANESSA Raj was the toast of the Penang elite squash squad when she returned the Nicol David Challenge Trophy to the state after a two-year absence.

Her efforts at the Muadzam Shah courts in Alor Star also helped Penang secure the team title at the national Milo-Elite squash tournament for Under-12 players.

Vanessa beat Celine Yeap 9-0, 9-5, 9-1 in an all-Penang final.

This is the sixth time that a Penangite had won the coveted trophy since its inception nine years ago by Nestle to unearth talented players for admission to the Bukit Jalil Sports School.

The inaugural winner was Sarawakian June Tiong (1999). Since then, Penang players have won it every year except in 2005 and 2006 when Tan Yan Xin and Yong Sue Ann, both from Selangor, captured the trophy.

The past winners from Penang were Nabila Ariffin (2000), Low Wee Wern (2001 and 2002), Nas-serine Ariffin (2003) and Low Wee Nee (2004).

“I am so proud to become the holder of the Nicol David challenge trophy and at the same time put Penang back on the pedestal.

“I dedicate this win to my parents (Robert and Flomina) for their support and encouragement and my coach of one-and-a-half years, Khoo Teng Hin,” said a bea-ming Vanessa.

As for attending school at Bukit Jalil, she said that she had not come to a decision yet.

Her coach Teng Hin said: “Vanessa has good potential to become a future champion. She has made tremendous strides under my tutelage.”

She was attracted to the game at six through her elder brother Brian’s involvement.

Brian is the reigning Penang Under-18 champion.

In the inter-team final against Selangor, Vanessa scored the winning point for Penang by beating Yong Sue Ann 9-7, 9-3, 9-4.

Lim Jee Nee had given Penang the opening point with a hard-fought four-set victory over T. Mithila, 3-9, 9-1, 9-3, 9-3.

Meanwhile, Shaun Kwan played a pivotal role in Kuala Lumpur’s success by winning the boys’ Ong Beng Hee individual trophy and the inter-team title.

In the individual final, Shaun defeated his team-mate Mohd Hanan 9-6, 5-9, 10-8, 9-2.

He also helped Kuala Lumpur to overcome Pahang 2-0 in the inter-team final with a 9-0, 9-5, 9-5 win against Al Nikc Ally Abdul Rahim.

Raja Abas Raja Azman had given Kuala Lumpur the first point by beating Choh Calveen 9-6, 9-2, 9-0.

A total of 120 players from all the states except Perak participated in this annual tournament.

******************************************************

I first met Vanessa two years ago. In 2006, I took up squash to fulfill my co-curriculum requirements. USM imposed a regulation to complete certain unit of co-curriculum activities for undergraduates, ranging from archery, badminton, swimming, tennis and lots more. Failing to meet this requirement would exempt us from graduating.

I am no stranger to squash. I was MSSM Malacca under 15 silver medallist in 2000, and won gold medal in the team event the same year. In 2003, I was made captain to lead KMK in KAKOM...in which I won every match, only dropping a set against a KMJ player. The rest, I won with straight set.

When I arrived in USM, I faced a harsh reality. There was a hell of good players here. I struggled to keep up, and finally resigned from taking squash too seriously.

I subsequently lost interest in squash...the game which I once regarded as " The Beautiful Game"

It was not until one late afternoon, when I decided to stay back after the class had dismissed. I played alone...trying to recapture my lost stroke. Squash is a game of art...a very beautiful art. If we hit the ball correctly, the ball will keep bouncing beautifully until it came back to us.

An Indian family entered, a woman with her daughter and son.

Feeling tired and worn out, I took a rest.

The woman asked me to be his son's sparring partner...an offer I couldn't refused. A young boy in his fifteen's, I thought I could teach him some lessons. After all, I have 5 years experience in squash, and had competed in numerous high-level tournaments.

But, in the end, it was him who had taught me some painful lessons. He crushed me 9-0, 9-0...without dropping a single point. I was sparring with a monster, albeit a young one.

He was non other than Brian...then a rising 13 year old squash prodigy. He is the elder brother of Vanessa. Fresh from winning the under 15 title, he was on a break before embarking on another tournament. Personally, I was not quite pleased with his somewhat arrogant attitude. But he was an incredible player...the reason (for me) it was OK for him to be a bit arrogant.

Vanessa was then an innocent ten year old girl. She constantly refused to strike the ball...citing she was tired as an excuse. Her mother asked her to have me as her sparring partner. She hesitated at first, but accepted her mother's request later on.

As a 20 year old boy, I was certainly stronger and faster than her. But she constantly outwitted me with her excellent shot. She has a very good stroke...and excellent technique too.

But whenever she failed to strike the ball properly, she would throw out her racquet and sat at the center of the court all alone. After all, she was only ten. Her emotion got the better of her almost all the time...something that her mother was trying really hard to fix.

When squash classes ended, I rarely went to the squash court. The last time I saw her, she was already about my height. She'd grown up rapidly...and she keeps improving up to this day. Gone are the days when I was able to bully her around in the court. She certainly can humiliate me at ease nowadays...the way her elder brother did to me.

It's not long before she could succeed Nicol David as the world number one. And I'm quite sure she can.