Singapore Women's Table Tennis Team World Champions

Cheers to Feng Tian Wei,Wang Yue Gu, Sun Bei Bei;Li Jia Huei was reserve

Firstly, lets congratulate the Singapore Womens Table Tennis Team for the Greatest Achievement in winning the World Team Championship played in Moscow yesterday 30th May 2010. Its a great achievement and the pinnacle prize for a sport dominated by mighty China with a population of 1.3 billion, for the last 40 years.

The ladies have done us once again proud, and as a Singaporean, I can feel that a small nation of 5 million with a clear vision and plan,dedicated strategy and above all, excellent sportmen and women with national level backing and funds,can win at the world stage. Bravo !

The flipside is that, when I posted this article ( source :Channel News Asia) on Facebook, the responses were overwhelming as to the fact that all the paddlers (table tennis players) were born in China, and the coach and reserve were also from China. It raised the question again about the controversial 'foreign talent' policy of accepting foreign born people to our shores to represent Singapore in everything from Research and Development (read AStar researchers and Biopolis life sciencists)to sports ranging from table-tennis, soccer,athletics and swimming (Tao Li).

Were we not once a nation of foreigners too ? Our forefathers made their ways from China, India, Persia, and Europe to trade and seek out a better life. Times were tough and many did not make it, but the one who stayed and persevered and put in their honest days work and built up this country from a poor fishing village would have been very pleased with the result. A thiving metropolis with new talents and great infrastructure (2 casinos !) and a world class table tennis team.

True, our children will not have it easy, what with all these smart foreign talents in the local schools and excelling in academia, sports and culture but then again, I have this to say :

"When the going gets tough, the best will prevail". Lets take on these challenges together and make Singapore truly Our Singapore.

Running Tips and Tricks ; 50K team run

Stretch before, during and after the run

Last Saturday 22nd May,I took part in the Passion Card 50K combined team run where each team member runs 25Km and the combined time is added and totalled up. My friend from Karate Jane, was my running mate, and other friends, CH Teo and Tiffany Lai were also running. As my running hobby has spanned over 10 years, with 4 marathons and 10 half marathons, I can humbly say that I know some tricks and tips to maintain a decent speed during the run and possibly recovery from the run too. Here are some tips which a new runner can and should follow just prior to the race. I am assuming that the runner has been training religiously and regularly during the months running up for the big race.


Lace your shoes with the Championchip Properly

Firstly, read all the instructions in the handout for the race. This will include how to lace up the shoes, and some running etiquette (proper behaviour). They are as shown in the list below :

a) Keep to the left of the lane, if you are faster and want to overtake, then do so on the right.
b) Don't block people if you stop and walk, go to the left of the lane
c) Stop at water points, and drink just at the point or just after the point
d) Don't spit anywhere, do it in an appropriate manner and make sure there is no oncoming wind, else you or the person next
to you gets spit in their face !
e) Smile for the cameras, before the run and at the finish line.


Know the Route Well. This was at the East Coast Parkway starting from the Ski Center; Total Distance 25 Km

Preparations for the Race
a) Train, Train, Train. As much as 60 - 100km per week for around 3 months before the full marathon to achievere maximum
performance and fitness (this is a reminder to me as it is to the reader)

b) Know the route well, this is to help you VISUALISE how far you have left to go and you can mentally prepare for the full
distance - very important !

c) Bring energy gels (like GU and Powergels) ; these are complex carbohydrates and will not breakdown and give you the immediate spurt, rather it will give you continuous energy for up to 1 hour. Stategise when to take it (like every 10K) and ensure you drink LOTS OF FLUID so that it assimilates well into your system

d) Electrolyte tablets are another source of helping your muscles minimise the buildup of lactic acid . This is a great tip from
Jane Peng , my karate classmate. Take one every 20k with water. Very helpful.


Energy Gels and Electtrolyte Tablets

During the Race

a) Drink water at every water point, this is critical as runners need to be well hydrated and replenished. Additionally, 100plus has electolytes to help reduce the onset of cramps and muscle soreness

b) Take the pain spray. This is offered by the aides along the way, it is called Salonpas anti-pain spray and is a Godsend. It will
cool and thus take away the muscle ache at least for 15 minutes. Critical during the final stages of the run.

c) If cramp hits you, don't panic,stop, stretch, walk first and then run on the forefoot of your feet. This will alleviate the cramp on the hamstring portion. I guarantee it.

There, all the tips from an old 'warhorse'. Time to get ready for the Year end Marathon !! See you at the Startline !!

First Cut is the Deepest - Sheryl Crow

Leaving at the top of his game

Mr. Low Teo Ping - PBM (Public Service Medal)

The President of Singapore Sailing Federation, Mr. Low Teo Ping, will not be standing for reelction,and stepping aside for new blood, as required by the Federation's constituion. I do not know Mr. Low personally but admire what he has done for the sport in the last 10 years since he took over the helm. Since 1999, the
Sailing Federation has :

- Achieved the top sailing nation status in Asia with 5 gold medals at the 2006 Asian Games

- Groomed 14 world champions since 2004, including the most promising youngsters like
Darren Choy and Elizabeth Yin

- Achieved the most Government funding for NSA (National Sports Associations).

- through Sailsmart and SailFun programmes (feeder programmes for youngsters in schools to identify boys and girls with sailing potential and talent),they have increased the number of sailors from 250 to 450

- Increased revenue from nearly nothing to $2.35 M in 2010

The success factors for the Sailing Federation's achievements include :

a) strong governance
b) strong financial framework

which are essential in running any NSA or even a small business.

What a great legacy Mr. Low has left. I salute his dedication, vision and stewardship.

Mount Everest and the Exactness of Financial People

This post appeared in my friend Roland Teo's blog and I find it very relevant in today's world especially dealing with the
Financial people, as it goes to show that alot of times, 80% of our time is spent on dissecting and focussing on 20% of the problems which we have successfully managed and arguments arise over the smallest things. So for the post below,credit goes to Roland Teo.

"Mount Everest. I am sure everyone knows it is highest mountain in the world, way above 8000 metres.

I read recently in the newspapers that there are disputes on the height between China and Nepal, given the height of Everest one would assume the dispute must be over at least 100 meters to be meaningful, right? Well read the article, excerpts as follows:

"After decades of argument, China and Nepal have finally found a solution to their long running dispute over the height of Mount Everest. The world's highest mountain lies on the border between the 2 countries and they have disagreed for years over its exact height. Nepal measures the mountain at 8848 metres - insisting it is nearly four metres taller than China's measurements claim.

Officials from the two neighbours have reached a compromise at talks in Kathmandu - agreeing that the two measurements refer to different things - one to the height of Everest's rock and the other to the height of its snowcap. ...."

My thoughts on this argument; it appears China and Nepal does not have any other major problems to deal with but to engage in arguing over this miniscule issue. The difference they are arguing over of 4 metres represents less the 0.05% of the height of the Mountain. Instead of engaging in decades of argument, why not split the difference by averaging it and both agree that the height is 8846 metres, so both are wrong by a mere 2 metres. Again, given the height of Everest how does the 2 parties know they got their height right anyway?? Further other than the officials and scientist does anybody care whether Everest is 8848 metre or 8844 meters?

The business parallel for this is that I find the finance department in organisations will spend huge amount and time plus long hours to work out to the exact last thousand of dollars the business forecasts. Business forecasts are a prediction of the future and there is no exactly right number, the assumptions are more important than huge spreadsheets that churns out an arithmatecally correct number. Every often a "back of envelope" calculation taking less than half an hour gives a better estimate than those generate after many hours of toiling. Yet from my experience, finance department continue to take great pride in their approach and will come out with forecast profits of, say, $17.345 million - and they will get very upset if I round it to $18 million or the business head of that unit rounds down to $17 million!!! Just like the Everest dispute, this kind of difference is not significant enough particularly in forecasting which is a prediction of the future given a given set of actions and events which may or may not hold true.

What's worse is after toiling long hours and coming with the exact profit forecast which adds up nicely, I found out that the numbers usually doesn't hold up to some common sense questions on the assumptions!!!

Anyway, the point I am trying to make here is in forecasts the assumptions are more important, there are no exactness in the numbers so stop spending long hours churning it. Just like the height of Mount Everest most times it is not worth the effort to get that kind of exactness because it is not that important nor critical.

Further, in life we argue over many things and lose our temper in the process - if you look back many times the issue that we fight over is merely the equivalent of the 4 meters difference in the height of Mount Everest!! "

Everything depends on China and India now

Shanghai Post Office Building photo taken from Jin Ma Tower






Huang Pu river showing the Pu Xi side of Shanghai

Lady Gaga Telephone Spoof

Something to laugh the Mid Week Blues, My Favourite 'Ah Long' Song - Telephone

European Union ? or Disunion ?

The news these days is about the major weakness of the EURO currency in an ever weakening position, week after week. This is mainly in part to the following frightening factors :

a) Greek bailout from bankruptcy to the tune of EUR 110 billion
b) Spain on the verge of bankruptcy to almost twice that
c) Portugal also teetering on the same path
d) Ireland barely surviving
e) Iceland bankrupt now having to depend on IMF loans to get back

Added to that the 2 eruptions of late by the unstable Icelandinc volcano, Eljafallakul, which has made many European airlines bleed red ink, tourists and travellers stranded,the Dow Jones falling 1,000 points in a single day last week, very shaky recovery by the largest economy in the EU, Germany, and you have the Year of Living Dangerously.

Europe was touted as the stable region, in the wake of the toxic asset housing crash, however, time has proven that this region is now the catalyst for a double dip economic recession. Interest rates are next to 0% in Europe, riots have taken place in Greece due to the very tough austerity measures leaving people feeling very uncertain about the future.

Is this the start of the European Crisis of 2010 ? I am betting so.