Table Tennis...Black cat, white cat...China Born, Singapore born...

"I won S$500,000!!!!"

Watching the semi-finals of the women's singles table tennis competition between Singapore and South Korea, I constantly heard the Beijing crowd chanting "Jia You Zhong Guo, 加油中国！！！". Its an obvious support for our China born Fang Tian wei but now Singaporean. Its also a reminder of their native roots. We are confirm with a silver medal now after an overwhelming victory against the South Korean, winning 3 straight rounds in a row.

Thus it turn out that Singapore second Olympic medal after almost 4 decades wait was clinch not by a local born and raised sportsman but an athlete and migrant from a different country. In the BBC SPORT website, she was term as an "Import from China like the rest of Singapore team". They were either speaking a matter of fact or a statement of sarcasm. But a medal is a medal and a Singaporean winning it is still a Singaporean whatever the media downplay on our athlete or the cheering of a different nationality of the spectators. If this medal was anything, it was a inspiration of our future generation to look at sports not as a academic diversion but part of a life achievement when winning on the international stage. Enough of Mathematics/Science Olympiads from those prestigious school, the brainy people of our population. There could be lots of sports talent just hidden in our neighborhood schools all waiting to be groom and lead by our sports leader, coach and manager.

Does having good academic results in math, science, history or geography means a fulfilling or full circle life? I disagree for I was part of that factory system. Its time our future generation make their choices earlier in life instead of letting the parents advocating and be the director of their life. It will turn out they will be merely actor/actress and by the time they are no longer in the "show" (independent from their parents), they will only look back and realize nothing much is done for themselves. Guidances and inspiration are needed instead of boundary of limitation.

Maybe when all the variables in the formula are right, from the sports association, parents, teachers, school and finally to the person him/herself, we might not have to wait more than a decade for another medal. And regarding our government use of foreign talents in the sports scene there is a term in China that sum it all up - “不管是黑猫或白猫，会抓老鼠的就是好猫”. "Black Cat or White Cat, as long as the cat can catch rats, its a good cat". Let us all put aside the differences and maybe bias, glue our eyes on the TV 7.30pm tonight to support our SINGAPORE OLYMPIC TABLE TENNIS TEAM in their final match against China.

*The author of this blog is still really piss off with the Singapore ERP system... to pay S$9.00 "administrative fee" or to appeal??? Maybe its time some hero go tear down the gantry one fine day."