Hey all,
So, the valiant Cubs have finally ended their dream run. They were beaten by a surprisingly-brilliant and well organised Haiti side yesterday. Despite this, the cubs still have to negotiate a tricky third-place play off tie, so as to ensure that they leave this tournament with a good reputation.
The fact that this third place playoff match comes just three days after the Cubs' loss shows the importance of being able to bounce back from setbacks. After all, the Cubs will need to dig deep to get all the energy and spirit they can so as to ensure they manage to obtain a win and leave with a medal. Just imagine, do you think the Cubs would be able to play their best, should they be still reeling from the defeat and be unable to get rid of the sickening feeling of defeat? I am sure they would not.
The ability to recover from setbacks is undoubtedly an important part of sport. After all, as many successful athletes have pointed out, there is a difference being a winner and being a champion. A winner is just one who is able to defeat others, while a champion is a completely different person: One who has the right values in sport, who is able to graciously embrace defeat, and more importantly, learn from the defeat. From this point of view, it certainly is tough to consider Michael Schumacher, a F1 driver who is knowned for his willingness to do anything to secure a win, a champion, while Roger Federer would certainly fit well into this category. Although comparisons between these two talented sportsman are not extremely accurate due to them participating in different sports, the fact that Roger Federer is much more well-recieved as compared to Michael Schumacher speaks for itself: That champions are well-liked by fans, while pure winners are not.
As such, I hope that the Singapore Cubs would be able to learn from successful athletes, Roger Federer included, and accept that they have room for improvement before picking themselves up and getting the job done on Wednesday. Should they be able to do this, they will undoubtedly be able to go far in life, as to be a successful sportman, you need to have the right traits. And being able to graciously accept defeat and bounce back from it is up there as one of the most important.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
YOG soccer team: What we can take away
Hey all,
Recently, there has been a huge buzz over the successes of the YOG soccer team. As I am typing this, the outcome between the semi-final match between Haiti and Singapore is still unkown. However, beating Zimbabwe and Montenegro, who were relatively bigger and more skilful than them, is certainly no mean feat. The fact that this comes on the back of a horribly poor AYG showing makes their performances in the YOG all the more impressive. So, what is the secret to their success?
Unsurprisingly, it is none other than the rather cliche attitudes needed for success: Hunger, determination, and teamwork. At least, this is according to my friend, the team captain Jeffrey Lightfoot. Indeed, the bunch of boys in the team have been playing together for four years. The interplay between Hanafi and Suhaimi for the first goal was brilliant: The movement of Suhaimi was superb, and the through ball from Hanafi displayed the fact that he knew where and how Suhaimi will time his run. This is a perfect example of the understanding between the players forged over time. The importance of teamwork certainly cannot be undermined, especially in a team sport. Despite being under pressure, the defensive unit remained cohesive, and this ensured that they kept Montenegro at bay after conceding two rather sloppy goals. As such, they managed to keep possesion well, and when Montenegro had the ball, ensured they could not get a clear sight of goal. I have to admit that, I did not think Singapore stood a chance of winning, seeing that Montenegro were launching repeated attacks on the Singapore goal. However, the players stuck together, and this wonderful spirit ensured they managed to score on the counter attack and see out the rest of the game.
Their determination was also not to be questioned. The best example would be none other than the Singapore goalkeeper Fashah, who launched himself into the face of danger to bail Singapore out of trouble countless number of times. He made a mistake in the match, which allowed Montenegro to equalise. However, he managed to bounce back and his determination to see Singapore through as group winners really impressed me.
What was really nice in the match was to see a full house in Jalan Besar stadium, with even Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew among the enthusiastic supporters. Noone can stress the importance of supporters getting behind the players, and you could see how the support really gave the Singapore players a huge boost during the game. They chased every ball despite their fatigue, and after the match, they acknowledged the supporters for their backing of the players. Hopefully, the support for the team will not waiver, and the supporters will turn out in hordes tonight.
Many say sports can teach us values, and as such, we must be able to channel the spirit of the Singapore team into our lives. They are really a good example for us to learn from, and no doubt we can learn a few important values required on the road to success. So, let us get behind the Cubs tonight, and hope that together with each and every Singaporean, they would be able to overcome Haiti with their spirited play, and get a result for Singapore.
Thank you for reading(:
Recently, there has been a huge buzz over the successes of the YOG soccer team. As I am typing this, the outcome between the semi-final match between Haiti and Singapore is still unkown. However, beating Zimbabwe and Montenegro, who were relatively bigger and more skilful than them, is certainly no mean feat. The fact that this comes on the back of a horribly poor AYG showing makes their performances in the YOG all the more impressive. So, what is the secret to their success?
Unsurprisingly, it is none other than the rather cliche attitudes needed for success: Hunger, determination, and teamwork. At least, this is according to my friend, the team captain Jeffrey Lightfoot. Indeed, the bunch of boys in the team have been playing together for four years. The interplay between Hanafi and Suhaimi for the first goal was brilliant: The movement of Suhaimi was superb, and the through ball from Hanafi displayed the fact that he knew where and how Suhaimi will time his run. This is a perfect example of the understanding between the players forged over time. The importance of teamwork certainly cannot be undermined, especially in a team sport. Despite being under pressure, the defensive unit remained cohesive, and this ensured that they kept Montenegro at bay after conceding two rather sloppy goals. As such, they managed to keep possesion well, and when Montenegro had the ball, ensured they could not get a clear sight of goal. I have to admit that, I did not think Singapore stood a chance of winning, seeing that Montenegro were launching repeated attacks on the Singapore goal. However, the players stuck together, and this wonderful spirit ensured they managed to score on the counter attack and see out the rest of the game.
Their determination was also not to be questioned. The best example would be none other than the Singapore goalkeeper Fashah, who launched himself into the face of danger to bail Singapore out of trouble countless number of times. He made a mistake in the match, which allowed Montenegro to equalise. However, he managed to bounce back and his determination to see Singapore through as group winners really impressed me.
What was really nice in the match was to see a full house in Jalan Besar stadium, with even Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew among the enthusiastic supporters. Noone can stress the importance of supporters getting behind the players, and you could see how the support really gave the Singapore players a huge boost during the game. They chased every ball despite their fatigue, and after the match, they acknowledged the supporters for their backing of the players. Hopefully, the support for the team will not waiver, and the supporters will turn out in hordes tonight.
Many say sports can teach us values, and as such, we must be able to channel the spirit of the Singapore team into our lives. They are really a good example for us to learn from, and no doubt we can learn a few important values required on the road to success. So, let us get behind the Cubs tonight, and hope that together with each and every Singaporean, they would be able to overcome Haiti with their spirited play, and get a result for Singapore.
Thank you for reading(:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
YOG: What we can do to help
Hey all,
As many of us know, the inaugural Youth Olympic Games is just round the corner. Singapore has had the honour of hosting the first Youth Olympic Games, triumphing over Moscow to obtain the right to hold this event. Now, the question is, can we deliver up to expectations, and further enhance the image of Singapore in others eyes? I am confident we can, but for that, everyone has to play a part.
Firstly, we will have to fully back the athletes. Nowadays in Singapore, the lack of support from Singaporeans for the local leagues are extremely disappointing. Just take the S-League for example. It has been valiantly attempting to improve the standard of soccer, bringing in foreign clubs and players and ensuring that players pass a mandatory beep test ( a fitness test, similar to NAPFA), before they can play. However, the support from locals has not increased. Instead, it seems to be facing a steady decline, as average attendances are just over a thousand as compared to the few thousand the league could attract when it was first established. And this is only when perks and prizes are on offer during such matches. As such, there is some worry that the athletes might not get the full backing of us Singaporeans. For these young athletes, they might require some moral support at times, given the inexperience of a competition of this magnitude. This applies especially to our Singapore athletes, who should, at first sight, have more backing from the fans. There is no doubt these athletes will need us supporters to get behind them fully so as to allow them to perform to their fullest potential, and bring glory to Singapore. Surely it will reflect badly on us Singaporeans should we not even bother to back our own athletes? What kind of impression will we be giving others then?
Secondly, we would have to try and make the athletes' stay here in Singapore as comfortable as possible, so as to allow them to have a good impression of Singapore. Some athletes might feel homesick during the course of them competing in the Youth Olympic Games, as this will be one of the first times where they spend more than a week away from home, and some small actions can certainly brighten up their day here. For example, we can greet them with a warm smile should we happen to bump into them, and maybe even congratulate them should they have done well during their event. Some of us who are more introverted might not feel comfortable of doing so, but even a small action of giving way to the Youth Olympic Games bus would allow the athletes' to feel the graciousness of Singaporeans and leave them with a good impression of us.
This is particularly important as our country relies heavily on foreign talent in sporting terms. As we all know, the world is now a place for global citizens, and many athletes will leave their mother land to go elsewhere and pursue their sporting ambitions when they are older. Some of the top athletes in the future who participated in the Youth Opympic Games might return to take part in tournaments organised by Singapore, elevating the interest in the tournaments and no doubt allowing Singapore to benefit financially. Some of these athletes from elite sporting countries and are unable to represent their country at international level might even decide to convert their nationality to Singaporean and represent Singapore instead, simply due to the fact that Singapore culture had a lasting impression on them. Although I do not fully approve of such actions, this no doubt improves the competition for places in the National team, which will in turn result in athlete's ability being of a higher standard.
Therefore, there is no doubt how this YOG is a significant event for Singapore. It might not be one that makes or breaks Singapore's reputation, but it will certainly influnce it in some way or another. Hopefully, Singapore and Singaporeans will be able to deliver.
Now, the preparations are all in place, let us sit back, and enjoy the Youth Olympic Games, and the great sights of sporting triumphs that will behold us and no doubt leave us exhilarated. Thank you.
As many of us know, the inaugural Youth Olympic Games is just round the corner. Singapore has had the honour of hosting the first Youth Olympic Games, triumphing over Moscow to obtain the right to hold this event. Now, the question is, can we deliver up to expectations, and further enhance the image of Singapore in others eyes? I am confident we can, but for that, everyone has to play a part.
Firstly, we will have to fully back the athletes. Nowadays in Singapore, the lack of support from Singaporeans for the local leagues are extremely disappointing. Just take the S-League for example. It has been valiantly attempting to improve the standard of soccer, bringing in foreign clubs and players and ensuring that players pass a mandatory beep test ( a fitness test, similar to NAPFA), before they can play. However, the support from locals has not increased. Instead, it seems to be facing a steady decline, as average attendances are just over a thousand as compared to the few thousand the league could attract when it was first established. And this is only when perks and prizes are on offer during such matches. As such, there is some worry that the athletes might not get the full backing of us Singaporeans. For these young athletes, they might require some moral support at times, given the inexperience of a competition of this magnitude. This applies especially to our Singapore athletes, who should, at first sight, have more backing from the fans. There is no doubt these athletes will need us supporters to get behind them fully so as to allow them to perform to their fullest potential, and bring glory to Singapore. Surely it will reflect badly on us Singaporeans should we not even bother to back our own athletes? What kind of impression will we be giving others then?
Secondly, we would have to try and make the athletes' stay here in Singapore as comfortable as possible, so as to allow them to have a good impression of Singapore. Some athletes might feel homesick during the course of them competing in the Youth Olympic Games, as this will be one of the first times where they spend more than a week away from home, and some small actions can certainly brighten up their day here. For example, we can greet them with a warm smile should we happen to bump into them, and maybe even congratulate them should they have done well during their event. Some of us who are more introverted might not feel comfortable of doing so, but even a small action of giving way to the Youth Olympic Games bus would allow the athletes' to feel the graciousness of Singaporeans and leave them with a good impression of us.
This is particularly important as our country relies heavily on foreign talent in sporting terms. As we all know, the world is now a place for global citizens, and many athletes will leave their mother land to go elsewhere and pursue their sporting ambitions when they are older. Some of the top athletes in the future who participated in the Youth Opympic Games might return to take part in tournaments organised by Singapore, elevating the interest in the tournaments and no doubt allowing Singapore to benefit financially. Some of these athletes from elite sporting countries and are unable to represent their country at international level might even decide to convert their nationality to Singaporean and represent Singapore instead, simply due to the fact that Singapore culture had a lasting impression on them. Although I do not fully approve of such actions, this no doubt improves the competition for places in the National team, which will in turn result in athlete's ability being of a higher standard.
Therefore, there is no doubt how this YOG is a significant event for Singapore. It might not be one that makes or breaks Singapore's reputation, but it will certainly influnce it in some way or another. Hopefully, Singapore and Singaporeans will be able to deliver.
Now, the preparations are all in place, let us sit back, and enjoy the Youth Olympic Games, and the great sights of sporting triumphs that will behold us and no doubt leave us exhilarated. Thank you.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Task 2: We slept with our Boots on
Hey all,
Basically, as I have mentioned earlier, this poem shares about the poets' (most likely) first-hand experience of him fighting for his country. It is a indeed pretty accurate description of the scene during war, with gory scenes of death mixed with tough and testing times for the soldiers. More importantly, it emphasises the haplessness of these soldiers, with this particular quote, "you do what you have to do, with that I will say no more" hinting that these soldiers might be unwilling to do what they actually do, but they do it anyway for the "greater good", which in this case refers to their country.
Firstly, the poet takes a first person POV, making everything that he describes seem much more realistic as we readers have the impression that the author, or to some extent even ourselves, is experiencing the things taking place. The setting of the poem is a battlefield, where the situation is like a typical war setting, where there are gory scenes such as death and blood and and a tense atmosphere, as seen from the fact that the soldiers "slept with our boots on" so they would be able to react in the fastest possible time should there be a need to. This emphasises the fact that one small mistake will lead to a disastrous outcome, and that every second counts. This, in turn, creates the tense atmosphere present.
There are a few literary devices used in the poem by the poet. Firstly, alliteration. There is one significant usage of alliteration in the poem, and that is the phrase "from house to cave, to car to creek". the repeated usage of the "c" sound at the beginning of each of the three words (cave, car and creek) emphasises the fact that the poet's platoon fought war practically everywhere at many different places, making it seem that war is an unavoidable happening. Also, there is a repeated use of the word "and" in the phrase "I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more" instead of divinding it into two respective phrases so as to emphasise the fact that the poet kept firing his gun, likely out of fear or desperation in my opinion. Thus, this brings out the scary side of war and instills in us a sense of fear towards war, something that will prevent us from seeking to start another war, which is exactly what the poet had in mind when he wrote this poem.
There is also good usage of contrast in the poem demonstrated in lines 23 and 24, where the poet compares "hell and god" and "beauty and terror". He is probably linking beauty to god and hell to terror, and as he was climbing up a "steep mountain" at that time, he was most likely describing the arduous journey as "hell" and as he was on a high mountain, he could be considered "close to god" too. He probably writes this to emphasise the fact that war is terrible and that soldiers suffer horribly during war, as we readers will be appalled by how such terrible things can be so near to heaven, a place where we normally assosciate with peacefulness. The word "drunkard" also emphasises how the author might actually detest war but had no choice but to fight in it,
so he "drinks" so as to be able to forget about his guilt when he kills others.
Lastly, the poem is in the form of free verse, making it seem rather messy and untidy. This is very similar to war as battlefields are areas of mass confusion.
Basically, as I have mentioned earlier, this poem shares about the poets' (most likely) first-hand experience of him fighting for his country. It is a indeed pretty accurate description of the scene during war, with gory scenes of death mixed with tough and testing times for the soldiers. More importantly, it emphasises the haplessness of these soldiers, with this particular quote, "you do what you have to do, with that I will say no more" hinting that these soldiers might be unwilling to do what they actually do, but they do it anyway for the "greater good", which in this case refers to their country.
Firstly, the poet takes a first person POV, making everything that he describes seem much more realistic as we readers have the impression that the author, or to some extent even ourselves, is experiencing the things taking place. The setting of the poem is a battlefield, where the situation is like a typical war setting, where there are gory scenes such as death and blood and and a tense atmosphere, as seen from the fact that the soldiers "slept with our boots on" so they would be able to react in the fastest possible time should there be a need to. This emphasises the fact that one small mistake will lead to a disastrous outcome, and that every second counts. This, in turn, creates the tense atmosphere present.
There are a few literary devices used in the poem by the poet. Firstly, alliteration. There is one significant usage of alliteration in the poem, and that is the phrase "from house to cave, to car to creek". the repeated usage of the "c" sound at the beginning of each of the three words (cave, car and creek) emphasises the fact that the poet's platoon fought war practically everywhere at many different places, making it seem that war is an unavoidable happening. Also, there is a repeated use of the word "and" in the phrase "I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more" instead of divinding it into two respective phrases so as to emphasise the fact that the poet kept firing his gun, likely out of fear or desperation in my opinion. Thus, this brings out the scary side of war and instills in us a sense of fear towards war, something that will prevent us from seeking to start another war, which is exactly what the poet had in mind when he wrote this poem.
There is also good usage of contrast in the poem demonstrated in lines 23 and 24, where the poet compares "hell and god" and "beauty and terror". He is probably linking beauty to god and hell to terror, and as he was climbing up a "steep mountain" at that time, he was most likely describing the arduous journey as "hell" and as he was on a high mountain, he could be considered "close to god" too. He probably writes this to emphasise the fact that war is terrible and that soldiers suffer horribly during war, as we readers will be appalled by how such terrible things can be so near to heaven, a place where we normally assosciate with peacefulness. The word "drunkard" also emphasises how the author might actually detest war but had no choice but to fight in it,
so he "drinks" so as to be able to forget about his guilt when he kills others.
Lastly, the poem is in the form of free verse, making it seem rather messy and untidy. This is very similar to war as battlefields are areas of mass confusion.
Task 1: We slept with our Boots on
Hey all,
Firstly, a brief introduction of the poet, Steve Carlsen. Surprisingly, he actually wrote his poems, including this poem, pretty recently, just a few years back to be exact. Apparently, from the sources on the web,apart from exeriencing the US army's tough training regime, he experienced combat operations first-hand when he was sent to Afghanistan to fight. He was encouraged by his then-professor (or he might still be, as this source was written quite a while ago and hence I am unable to determine whether he is still under the guidance of this professor) Dr Michael Collins to share his experiences by writing about them.
Basically, Steve Carlsen is writing about the struggles of hapless soldiers that are sent to fight by their respective countries. He expresses this through various means in the poem. He talks about the "hell" these soldiers have to go through when they are on duty for their country, sharing about what they were required to do when they were fighting such as the arduous journey they had to put up with, giving us a better understanding of how soldiers' lives are like during war. Also, like many other war poets, he also describes the devastation war causes, the first few sentences of his poem already depicting a scene full of gore and violence.
I will be sharing my view and analysis of the poem in the second part of this post later.Look out for the next post. Tata
Firstly, a brief introduction of the poet, Steve Carlsen. Surprisingly, he actually wrote his poems, including this poem, pretty recently, just a few years back to be exact. Apparently, from the sources on the web,apart from exeriencing the US army's tough training regime, he experienced combat operations first-hand when he was sent to Afghanistan to fight. He was encouraged by his then-professor (or he might still be, as this source was written quite a while ago and hence I am unable to determine whether he is still under the guidance of this professor) Dr Michael Collins to share his experiences by writing about them.
Basically, Steve Carlsen is writing about the struggles of hapless soldiers that are sent to fight by their respective countries. He expresses this through various means in the poem. He talks about the "hell" these soldiers have to go through when they are on duty for their country, sharing about what they were required to do when they were fighting such as the arduous journey they had to put up with, giving us a better understanding of how soldiers' lives are like during war. Also, like many other war poets, he also describes the devastation war causes, the first few sentences of his poem already depicting a scene full of gore and violence.
I will be sharing my view and analysis of the poem in the second part of this post later.Look out for the next post. Tata
Monday, May 10, 2010
ACSI and SA brawl: What we can take away
Hey all,
Recently in the news, there has been a rather surprising amount of coverage on the match between ACSI and SA. Never have I seen such mass media coverage of that match. However, sadly, it is not because the players played a great match at a frantic pace etc, but rather it is due to one incident after the match that marred the whole match and possibly the whole tournament. Yes, indeed, I am talking about the mass brawl, where apparently not only students, but parents got involved too. And yes, should you be lost at this point, you must have been living under the Earth for the past month.
So, what apparently happened? well, an SA player was alleged to have punched a ACSI player, an incident that sparked the mass brawl. Of course, that is only one side of the story. The SA player claims that the ACSI player insulted him badly, and might have even been the one who showed the first signs of aggresion. Furthermore, as though the on-pitch fighting was not enough to settle their urge to throw punches and hurl insults, two ACSI boys were assaulted at the busstop nearby, this time by a group of SA boys. Sad to say, this unimaginable incident did happen, and now we are left to reflect on what has become of sport.
In this current world, surely sport has become too competitive? Since when has one taken part in sport "only to win, and to win at all cost"? However, looking at it, that is the case currently. As though attempts to cheat in sports are not enough, unsportsman-like behaviour occurs when players lose. Fighting, hurling insults, ranting at umpires, just to name a few. Have we forgotten what the true meaning of sport is? This incident surely raises a few questions about whether the true meaning of sport is instilled in us sportmen.
Sport is merely an enjoyment, a pastime that many enjoy. Competition breeds progress, and these so-called friendly competitions between schools are suppose to inspire and motivate each and every sportsman to improve one's own abilities. However, students are also hard-pressed to do well in these competitions, by parents, coaches and teachers. This might be the root of the problem. This determination to win has gone a step too far due to the pressure to produce results, and hence all this unsportsmen-like behaviour starts surfacing. So, what can be done to counter this alarming growing trend?
Firstly, coaches should make it a point to educate students on not only the importance of striving for victory, but being gracious in accepting defeat. Also, coaches and schools should recognise those that have really gave it their all in both practices and matches, instead of rewarding only those who perform exceptionally well as "trying your best at all times" is a great value. By doing so, I think such apalling acts that disgrace sport will no longer be witnessed.
We must act before it is too late, and sport begins it rapid descent from a pastime that improves ones moral values to a pastime that only trains ones fitness, and nothing else.
Recently in the news, there has been a rather surprising amount of coverage on the match between ACSI and SA. Never have I seen such mass media coverage of that match. However, sadly, it is not because the players played a great match at a frantic pace etc, but rather it is due to one incident after the match that marred the whole match and possibly the whole tournament. Yes, indeed, I am talking about the mass brawl, where apparently not only students, but parents got involved too. And yes, should you be lost at this point, you must have been living under the Earth for the past month.
So, what apparently happened? well, an SA player was alleged to have punched a ACSI player, an incident that sparked the mass brawl. Of course, that is only one side of the story. The SA player claims that the ACSI player insulted him badly, and might have even been the one who showed the first signs of aggresion. Furthermore, as though the on-pitch fighting was not enough to settle their urge to throw punches and hurl insults, two ACSI boys were assaulted at the busstop nearby, this time by a group of SA boys. Sad to say, this unimaginable incident did happen, and now we are left to reflect on what has become of sport.
In this current world, surely sport has become too competitive? Since when has one taken part in sport "only to win, and to win at all cost"? However, looking at it, that is the case currently. As though attempts to cheat in sports are not enough, unsportsman-like behaviour occurs when players lose. Fighting, hurling insults, ranting at umpires, just to name a few. Have we forgotten what the true meaning of sport is? This incident surely raises a few questions about whether the true meaning of sport is instilled in us sportmen.
Sport is merely an enjoyment, a pastime that many enjoy. Competition breeds progress, and these so-called friendly competitions between schools are suppose to inspire and motivate each and every sportsman to improve one's own abilities. However, students are also hard-pressed to do well in these competitions, by parents, coaches and teachers. This might be the root of the problem. This determination to win has gone a step too far due to the pressure to produce results, and hence all this unsportsmen-like behaviour starts surfacing. So, what can be done to counter this alarming growing trend?
Firstly, coaches should make it a point to educate students on not only the importance of striving for victory, but being gracious in accepting defeat. Also, coaches and schools should recognise those that have really gave it their all in both practices and matches, instead of rewarding only those who perform exceptionally well as "trying your best at all times" is a great value. By doing so, I think such apalling acts that disgrace sport will no longer be witnessed.
We must act before it is too late, and sport begins it rapid descent from a pastime that improves ones moral values to a pastime that only trains ones fitness, and nothing else.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
World Cup Deal: The underlying issue
Hey all,
So finally, after months of negotiating, Singapore has secured the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup, after the stubborn FIFA had finally decreased their asking price. The thought of Singapore being World-Cup free was simply unbelievable, but in truth it was a very possible situation. Now, Singaporeans are celebrating that we are going to have the World Cup being broadcast in Singapore. Question is, why are we celebrating such a seemingly trivial thing, as each edition of the World Cup has been broadcasted in Singapore?
Look no further than FIFA. Basically, they have simply lost their way. As though refusing to implement video replays was not enough, they tried to charge us, a country of a population of four million, the same amount as comparatively much bigger countries like our neighbours, Malaysia. The fact that despite Singtel and Starhub attempted to explain to them the issue that the World Cup deal, in this case, would either generate a huge loss for them or a huge hole in viewer's pocket, FIFA still remained firm on their stance that we should pay that fixed amount really emphasises how they have lost their way. FIFA is supposed to be in charge of promoting football, the beautiful game. By pricing us Singaporeans out of watching the FIFA World Cup, how can that be considered promoting football? Their greediness has simply gotten the better of them. In this world where people pay huge sums of money to broadcast football competition like the EPL, FIFA wants to follow suit and gain as much as possible from the most popular sporting event globally. Another example how money has overwhelmed some? Certainly.
So, had FIFA not finally decreased their asking price, should we Singaporeans have accepted their stance and simply paid up? Certainly not. By doing so, we have released a statement that FIFA have won, and we have all but surrendered to their might. FIFA will no doubt be encouraged to continue their money-minded actions, thinking that they will always be the victors. Certainly, we, and other countries, should not be held ransom by FIFA.
So now, what is the result of this delay in obtaining the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup? Well, firstly, there is less time to find sponsors. Some sponsors have reportedly been put off by the fact that Singtel and Starhub have been unable to confirm whether they would be broadcasting the FIFA World Cup, and they have decided to make do with the loss of this advertisement opportunity by pulling out. And what does this result in? Once again, it either results in Singtel and Starhub losing money, or we having to fork out more money to enjoy the World Cup from the comforts of our home.
Looking forward now, it is hard to imagine what will be the situation at the next World Cup in 2014. FIFA increasing the price for broadcasting rights? Almost a certainty. We missing the 2014 FIFA World Cup? A distinct possibility. FIFA being at fault? A forgone conclusion. There is no doubt where the finger-pointing for this mess should be directed to: None other than FIFA, the footballing body.
So finally, after months of negotiating, Singapore has secured the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup, after the stubborn FIFA had finally decreased their asking price. The thought of Singapore being World-Cup free was simply unbelievable, but in truth it was a very possible situation. Now, Singaporeans are celebrating that we are going to have the World Cup being broadcast in Singapore. Question is, why are we celebrating such a seemingly trivial thing, as each edition of the World Cup has been broadcasted in Singapore?
Look no further than FIFA. Basically, they have simply lost their way. As though refusing to implement video replays was not enough, they tried to charge us, a country of a population of four million, the same amount as comparatively much bigger countries like our neighbours, Malaysia. The fact that despite Singtel and Starhub attempted to explain to them the issue that the World Cup deal, in this case, would either generate a huge loss for them or a huge hole in viewer's pocket, FIFA still remained firm on their stance that we should pay that fixed amount really emphasises how they have lost their way. FIFA is supposed to be in charge of promoting football, the beautiful game. By pricing us Singaporeans out of watching the FIFA World Cup, how can that be considered promoting football? Their greediness has simply gotten the better of them. In this world where people pay huge sums of money to broadcast football competition like the EPL, FIFA wants to follow suit and gain as much as possible from the most popular sporting event globally. Another example how money has overwhelmed some? Certainly.
So, had FIFA not finally decreased their asking price, should we Singaporeans have accepted their stance and simply paid up? Certainly not. By doing so, we have released a statement that FIFA have won, and we have all but surrendered to their might. FIFA will no doubt be encouraged to continue their money-minded actions, thinking that they will always be the victors. Certainly, we, and other countries, should not be held ransom by FIFA.
So now, what is the result of this delay in obtaining the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup? Well, firstly, there is less time to find sponsors. Some sponsors have reportedly been put off by the fact that Singtel and Starhub have been unable to confirm whether they would be broadcasting the FIFA World Cup, and they have decided to make do with the loss of this advertisement opportunity by pulling out. And what does this result in? Once again, it either results in Singtel and Starhub losing money, or we having to fork out more money to enjoy the World Cup from the comforts of our home.
Looking forward now, it is hard to imagine what will be the situation at the next World Cup in 2014. FIFA increasing the price for broadcasting rights? Almost a certainty. We missing the 2014 FIFA World Cup? A distinct possibility. FIFA being at fault? A forgone conclusion. There is no doubt where the finger-pointing for this mess should be directed to: None other than FIFA, the footballing body.
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