Introduction
The Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) was established since 1958 under the Malaysian Ministry of Education to promote sports in schools through the organization of sports competitions and development programs. It oversee 24 sports at school level including badminton. The MSSM Level Tournament is only open to Malaysian students under the age of 18. It is organised in three stages :
Stage 1 : MSSD Daerah (Inter-School)
Stage 2 : MSSS Negeri (Inter-District)
Stage 3 : MSSM Kebangsaan (Inter-State)
This is one competition, Kiera could not get to MSSM stage 3 for three years in a row. Only the finalist (Champion & Runner-up) in each stage will qualify for the next higher stage, therefore the competition gets tougher as the stage progresses. This year, despite emerging Champions again for the MSSD Petaling Perdana district, having qualified for the MSSS, she suffered a first round defeat in the GSU15 category. Similarly in the GDU15 category, Kiera paired with Ho Wenjie only made it to the quarter finals in MSSS.
The prize for winning in the MSSM (Stage 3) is significant. In the past not only the top boy and girl in the U12 category will be selected for the Bukit Jalil Sports School (precursor to the National Junior squad. Now ABM) even the Singapore Sports School will poach them by offering full scholarship to study, train and play in Singapore. Those who excel in Education and Sports may be offered Singapore citizenship too. Such were the value of the top prize for MSSM.
In 2023 MSSS, at 13yo, Kiera made it to the semi-finals for both GSU15 and GDU15 categories which was close but not enough to qualify for MSSM.
In 2022 MSSS, at 12yo, she lost in the quarter finals in GSU12 but made it to the final in GDU12. However that year (post MCO) the Ministry of Education decided to exclude U12 doubles for MSSM presumably due to budget constraints. So there you go. This was one tournament that eluded her.
Over the many months of reflection, in my own post mortem as to why Kiera did not perform well in MSSS this year may be due to the following factors (although Kiera denied them) :
1) The week before MSSS, she received new Victor merchandize from Rexcool whom had sponsored Kiera for her badminton achievements. She may not be used to the new Victor racquet which was different from the usual Yonex racquets she has been using.
2) One week prior to the MSSS, the Petaling Perdana coaching team organised training sessions which was heavily weighted toward doubles. As the result of this, her lack of singles preparation may have been hampered by this factor.
3) The age category U15 may also be disadvantage for her having to compete with players a year senior to her in terms of strength and speed. Note the MSSS pool of players advancing to the later knockout stages were mostly SBA and Pjba players.
4) The coaching team (which comprises of school teachers) may be another factor but in my opinion this is not a significant factor for her poor performance.
Be that as it may, Kiera has another shot at the MSSM U15 category next year when she turn 15 years old. So lets see if she can break this jinx.
Friday, 20 September 2024
Saturday, 14 September 2024
THE ONE OPPORTUNITY SLIPPED BY
We spoke about many good progress Kiera has made in 2024. However, I like to touch on one major tournament that slipped out of her hands. Like all athletes, performances has ups and downs. Similarly for Kiera in this year’s JET finals.
She was drawn into a difficult preliminary group with Mirza Batrisya (BJSS, Pahang) and Dayana Farisha (Terengganu). Many eyebrows were raised because all three drawn into this group were top rank in their respective State BAs. Particularly Mirza who was arguably considered the TOP U14 girls in the country (in the absence of Low Zi Yu). However the draw here were based on points earned during JET 1 & JET 2 despite some inconsistencies in the draw. Kiera was distraught. We made all attempts to keep her motivated and approach the game positively but it was never easy convincing a growing up mind with a bundle of nerves. To make matters worse, on the night before her first match, she developed an abdominal discomfort likely from a bad Calpis cultured milk she had consumed after dinner. So severe was her discomfort that she could not sleep on the first night. We feared the worst as she may not be at her best due to insufficient sleep. The next day, fortunately, she won against Dayana but lost to Mirza. Mirza won both her games in the group. Only the leader in each group qualifies for the quarter finals. Thus Kiera’s quest for honours in the JET Finals ended in the preliminary round.
Similarly in the U14 doubles category, Kiera and Eva could not top their preliminary group after losing to the top ranking pairs of Putrajaya and Terengganu although they won the Johor pair. With two losses and only one win in their group, their doubles quest also came to an end.
The significance of the singles lost to Mirza was telling because had she beaten her and made it to the semi finals, she will automatically be invited to represent Malaysia to play in the Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships 2024 in Chengdu, China. This year in particular, ABM do not have U14 players in their Academy. Therefore BAM selected top four finishes from the JET Finals to represent the country for U15 category in Chengdu. Thus the reason why a good opportunity awaits for those who made it to the semifinals as they get to play in this BWF international tournament automatically (with no selection process) and fully funded by BAM.
Some insight on Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships :
1. This tournament is organised Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC) under the flag of BWF. Established in 1959, BAC has been the nursery of Champions in Asian Badminton and used as a springboard for the preparation of World Junior Championship which will be held towards the end of each year.
2. U15 internationally is interpreted as below 15 yo which means 14yo. ABM youngest intake was15 yo. Therefore, this year ABM had to take non-ABM players to represent the Country. The JET Finals is the platform which they select from.
3. This is an annual tournament participated by 10 Asian countries. Each country will have up to a maximum of 4 participants in each category. We can conclude that the four representatives can be considered among the best U14 players in their respective countries.
4. Selected players will be fully funded by BAM and coached by BAM coaches.
5. The four U14 singles selected were, Chong Wan Xin 13yo (Pahang), Siti Nuramina 13yo (Selangor), Mirza Batrisya 14yo (BJSS-Pahang) and Wang Zi Qin 14yo (Kuala Lumpur).
6. Girls doubles were represented by Chloe Leong/Mahalakshmi (Putrajaya), Lau Xin En/Teoh Min Yi (Kedah) and Chong Wan Xin/Mirza Batrisya (Pahang).
7. Mixed doubles selected were Muhd Noor Hanafi/Lau Xin En (Kuala Lumpur/Kedah), Hans Wong/Chloe Leong (Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya) and Hakim Saufi Fakhrul/Mahalakshmi (Kelantan/Putrajaya).
8. The Champion of GSU15 in this tournament is fast rising Indian junior, Tanvi Patri who beat Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen from Vietnam in the final.
For the record, Kiera did not qualify for the JET finals in 2023 when she was 13yo. However she did qualify in the 2022 JET Finals for GSU12 with Nur Sofia Aliyah but only played in the preliminary rounds.
She was drawn into a difficult preliminary group with Mirza Batrisya (BJSS, Pahang) and Dayana Farisha (Terengganu). Many eyebrows were raised because all three drawn into this group were top rank in their respective State BAs. Particularly Mirza who was arguably considered the TOP U14 girls in the country (in the absence of Low Zi Yu). However the draw here were based on points earned during JET 1 & JET 2 despite some inconsistencies in the draw. Kiera was distraught. We made all attempts to keep her motivated and approach the game positively but it was never easy convincing a growing up mind with a bundle of nerves. To make matters worse, on the night before her first match, she developed an abdominal discomfort likely from a bad Calpis cultured milk she had consumed after dinner. So severe was her discomfort that she could not sleep on the first night. We feared the worst as she may not be at her best due to insufficient sleep. The next day, fortunately, she won against Dayana but lost to Mirza. Mirza won both her games in the group. Only the leader in each group qualifies for the quarter finals. Thus Kiera’s quest for honours in the JET Finals ended in the preliminary round.
Similarly in the U14 doubles category, Kiera and Eva could not top their preliminary group after losing to the top ranking pairs of Putrajaya and Terengganu although they won the Johor pair. With two losses and only one win in their group, their doubles quest also came to an end.
The significance of the singles lost to Mirza was telling because had she beaten her and made it to the semi finals, she will automatically be invited to represent Malaysia to play in the Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships 2024 in Chengdu, China. This year in particular, ABM do not have U14 players in their Academy. Therefore BAM selected top four finishes from the JET Finals to represent the country for U15 category in Chengdu. Thus the reason why a good opportunity awaits for those who made it to the semifinals as they get to play in this BWF international tournament automatically (with no selection process) and fully funded by BAM.
Some insight on Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships :
1. This tournament is organised Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC) under the flag of BWF. Established in 1959, BAC has been the nursery of Champions in Asian Badminton and used as a springboard for the preparation of World Junior Championship which will be held towards the end of each year.
2. U15 internationally is interpreted as below 15 yo which means 14yo. ABM youngest intake was15 yo. Therefore, this year ABM had to take non-ABM players to represent the Country. The JET Finals is the platform which they select from.
3. This is an annual tournament participated by 10 Asian countries. Each country will have up to a maximum of 4 participants in each category. We can conclude that the four representatives can be considered among the best U14 players in their respective countries.
4. Selected players will be fully funded by BAM and coached by BAM coaches.
5. The four U14 singles selected were, Chong Wan Xin 13yo (Pahang), Siti Nuramina 13yo (Selangor), Mirza Batrisya 14yo (BJSS-Pahang) and Wang Zi Qin 14yo (Kuala Lumpur).
6. Girls doubles were represented by Chloe Leong/Mahalakshmi (Putrajaya), Lau Xin En/Teoh Min Yi (Kedah) and Chong Wan Xin/Mirza Batrisya (Pahang).
7. Mixed doubles selected were Muhd Noor Hanafi/Lau Xin En (Kuala Lumpur/Kedah), Hans Wong/Chloe Leong (Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya) and Hakim Saufi Fakhrul/Mahalakshmi (Kelantan/Putrajaya).
8. The Champion of GSU15 in this tournament is fast rising Indian junior, Tanvi Patri who beat Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen from Vietnam in the final.
For the record, Kiera did not qualify for the JET finals in 2023 when she was 13yo. However she did qualify in the 2022 JET Finals for GSU12 with Nur Sofia Aliyah but only played in the preliminary rounds.
Sunday, 8 September 2024
TRANSFORMATION Part 3
2. Robust Badminton Ecosystem
When I see a player stands out more from the rest, he or she will in all likelihood has the benefit of a robust support from the badminton ecosystem surrounding the player.
High up on the list will be Kiera’s immediate family’s involvement and support in her badminton journey. Kiera’s mom is the pillar in her pursuit of badminton. Being a NS state player in her junior days, she is passionate about the game and will have lots of say in Kiera’s matches, training arrangements, preparations etc. Both her older brothers Ryan and Aaron were former state players, make good sparring partners for Kiera. Therefore, in our family, badminton is a subject we talk-about daily. I can say that it has been more of a journey of discovery, through her ups and downs, learning new things together, sharing insights and observations of all things badminton.
Second on the list will be non other than her club and state coaches. They play a pivotal role in shaping Kiera’s badminton game, mind and attitude – more so now as she matures into a teenager with a mind of her own. The player-coaches chemistry and regular parent-coaches interaction is the key to her badminton progress. The challenge for coaches and parents is working together motivating her to get to the next level. I think lots of mind work to be done here.
Next on the list are teachers, friends, parents, enthusiasts, kakis etc. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Through close interaction with this group of community, we get support, information and updates about what is happening in the badminton fraternity. We get sharings about MSSD/S/M, local and international tournaments availabilities, trending news about ABM, BAM and at international scene etc. Some discerning parents like KJ Lim (through his Youtube channel), uncle Wilson (armchair critique), cikgu Zaidi (father/coach/enthusiast) and parents whose children are in ABM, do have many valuable insights about their badminton experiences through their own journey with their own children pursuing competitive badminton.
Not forgetting Kiera's doubles partners (not limited to her regular doubles or mixed-doubles partner), the comadarie arising from joint training endeavours has also enriched Kiera's ecosystem. We get introduced to her partner's training clubs, coaches and other badminton contacts - and vice versa which are often overlooked.
Last but not least in the list are what I call beneficiaries. These include sponsors, well being supporters and followers whom play a motivating role to encourage Kiera to pursue her badminton endeavours through thick and thin… she knows she is not alone in this journey. Thank you all. Your kind generosity will not be forgotten.
Coming up : 3) Performance Knowledge
When I see a player stands out more from the rest, he or she will in all likelihood has the benefit of a robust support from the badminton ecosystem surrounding the player.
High up on the list will be Kiera’s immediate family’s involvement and support in her badminton journey. Kiera’s mom is the pillar in her pursuit of badminton. Being a NS state player in her junior days, she is passionate about the game and will have lots of say in Kiera’s matches, training arrangements, preparations etc. Both her older brothers Ryan and Aaron were former state players, make good sparring partners for Kiera. Therefore, in our family, badminton is a subject we talk-about daily. I can say that it has been more of a journey of discovery, through her ups and downs, learning new things together, sharing insights and observations of all things badminton.
Second on the list will be non other than her club and state coaches. They play a pivotal role in shaping Kiera’s badminton game, mind and attitude – more so now as she matures into a teenager with a mind of her own. The player-coaches chemistry and regular parent-coaches interaction is the key to her badminton progress. The challenge for coaches and parents is working together motivating her to get to the next level. I think lots of mind work to be done here.
Next on the list are teachers, friends, parents, enthusiasts, kakis etc. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Through close interaction with this group of community, we get support, information and updates about what is happening in the badminton fraternity. We get sharings about MSSD/S/M, local and international tournaments availabilities, trending news about ABM, BAM and at international scene etc. Some discerning parents like KJ Lim (through his Youtube channel), uncle Wilson (armchair critique), cikgu Zaidi (father/coach/enthusiast) and parents whose children are in ABM, do have many valuable insights about their badminton experiences through their own journey with their own children pursuing competitive badminton.
Not forgetting Kiera's doubles partners (not limited to her regular doubles or mixed-doubles partner), the comadarie arising from joint training endeavours has also enriched Kiera's ecosystem. We get introduced to her partner's training clubs, coaches and other badminton contacts - and vice versa which are often overlooked.
Last but not least in the list are what I call beneficiaries. These include sponsors, well being supporters and followers whom play a motivating role to encourage Kiera to pursue her badminton endeavours through thick and thin… she knows she is not alone in this journey. Thank you all. Your kind generosity will not be forgotten.
Coming up : 3) Performance Knowledge
9 Musings about Stringing Racquets
1) It is equally time consuming to turn grommets to the uncut side or replace with new grommets before stringing. This is important to ensure longevity of the strings by ensuring the new string sits cushioned on uncut side of the grommets.
2) I find that Yonex brand has better quality grommets generally. Whenever I find unwanted broken racquets, I normally will reuse the grommets or keep them as spares.
3) The waxing on your string bed will also give longevity to your strings.
4) Contrary to some people say Tai Tsu Ying skipped string in her racquet is not just for aesthetics. There is a reason why her racquet has skipped string on the 10th hole. It is to balance both ends of the racquet with equal tension by pulling two more horizontal weave at the bottom of the racquet and finish with a knot away from the left end. This way, her racquet stays in shape. I have adopted TTY stringing pattern for Kiera’s racquets because I prefer to do 2 knots instead of 4 knots. The lesser the knots, the lesser the slacks.
5) For Kiera’s racquets 25 Lbs, I normally start vertical from the middle 3 or 4 weaves to the left and to the right +1 Lbs. When it comes to horizontal weave, after the shared grommets from the bottom, I will add +1 Lbs all the way to the top. I find this is her preferred tension combo.
6) From my experience, the best way to choose a racquet is not by studying and matching the specifications for a player. Let the player try playing with various racquets models. Unfortunately, it is not always practical to find racquets this way.
7) For me the most expensive element in badminton game is not shuttle cost. If shuttle can be shared then its not so bad. Replacing strings is the costliest in badminton game.
8) Interestingly, Victor’s new racquet range which comes with PP handle actually makes the racquet more flexible (despite with stiffer shaft) compared to wooded handle.
9) I repair shuttles by replacing broken feathers. Just need a blade, sharp nose plier and rubber glue will get it done. I believe quality shuttles = quality trainings.
2) I find that Yonex brand has better quality grommets generally. Whenever I find unwanted broken racquets, I normally will reuse the grommets or keep them as spares.
3) The waxing on your string bed will also give longevity to your strings.
4) Contrary to some people say Tai Tsu Ying skipped string in her racquet is not just for aesthetics. There is a reason why her racquet has skipped string on the 10th hole. It is to balance both ends of the racquet with equal tension by pulling two more horizontal weave at the bottom of the racquet and finish with a knot away from the left end. This way, her racquet stays in shape. I have adopted TTY stringing pattern for Kiera’s racquets because I prefer to do 2 knots instead of 4 knots. The lesser the knots, the lesser the slacks.
5) For Kiera’s racquets 25 Lbs, I normally start vertical from the middle 3 or 4 weaves to the left and to the right +1 Lbs. When it comes to horizontal weave, after the shared grommets from the bottom, I will add +1 Lbs all the way to the top. I find this is her preferred tension combo.
6) From my experience, the best way to choose a racquet is not by studying and matching the specifications for a player. Let the player try playing with various racquets models. Unfortunately, it is not always practical to find racquets this way.
7) For me the most expensive element in badminton game is not shuttle cost. If shuttle can be shared then its not so bad. Replacing strings is the costliest in badminton game.
8) Interestingly, Victor’s new racquet range which comes with PP handle actually makes the racquet more flexible (despite with stiffer shaft) compared to wooded handle.
9) I repair shuttles by replacing broken feathers. Just need a blade, sharp nose plier and rubber glue will get it done. I believe quality shuttles = quality trainings.
Victor by Rexcool
July 2024 Kiera was sponsored by Victor Rexcool. A new milestone for her achievements. Many thanks to coach Junior and all Artsport coaches for putting this together. Special thanks to Mr Lim of Riff Raff Pain Cast Sdn Bhd, uncle Gavin and uncle Chew for their support and encouragement as well. We will be forever be grateful to your kind generosity.
Saturday, 7 September 2024
The First Time
On August 2024, Kiera participated in a local tournament called Four Season International Badminton Championship 2024 organised by Philip Teh. Historically, his tournaments were notoriously known for delays. It was for this reason we did not pay any heed to it initially.
However just after the closing date, during her routine training in LJYBA, she was asked to partner Wong Wen Khang in the mix doubles open category. This was her maiden pairing for mix doubles in a competition. They were very much a scratch pair with no training time as they submitted their names at the eleventh hour. Simultaneously, her doubles partner, Eva Tham also asked her to join the U18 doubles category. To top it off, she also signed up for the U16 singles category for a good measure. Just like that she participated in three categories for the first time!
We were also worried about the gruelling schedules of her draws, whether she could last all three different categories despite playing the 30 points system. Indeed this tournament recorded many first time for her. The competition carried on for two days consecutively. In the end, very much to our surprise, not only did she survive the tournament without cramps nor injuries, she also came out Champion beating all her opponents in all three categories.
The one that we never thought they could go all the way to win was her mix doubles open category. Despite never played with Wen Khang before, they combined very naturally and her defensive play was like never before. The highlight was the semi-finals match vs the favorite pair. Kiera and Wen Khang came back from behind 12 – 24 and ended up winning 30 - 27. What a match this was. (Video highlights below).
The take away from here was, this tournament has given me a new perspective about mix doubles pairing (which was overlooked before). It became a revelation that could possibly elevate her doubles training hereon. Reasons as follows :
1. The strength and speed of a boy partner pushes the girl to match the tempo of the game;
2. The opponent especially the boy targets the opposing girl mostly. Therefore, the girl partner has to be solid defensively and will bring out the best in her game.
Summary of First Time
1. Mix Doubles in a competition;
2. Three categories in a competition;
3. Champions in all three categories : Mix Doubles Open, Girls Doubles U18, Girls Singles U16
However just after the closing date, during her routine training in LJYBA, she was asked to partner Wong Wen Khang in the mix doubles open category. This was her maiden pairing for mix doubles in a competition. They were very much a scratch pair with no training time as they submitted their names at the eleventh hour. Simultaneously, her doubles partner, Eva Tham also asked her to join the U18 doubles category. To top it off, she also signed up for the U16 singles category for a good measure. Just like that she participated in three categories for the first time!
We were also worried about the gruelling schedules of her draws, whether she could last all three different categories despite playing the 30 points system. Indeed this tournament recorded many first time for her. The competition carried on for two days consecutively. In the end, very much to our surprise, not only did she survive the tournament without cramps nor injuries, she also came out Champion beating all her opponents in all three categories.
The one that we never thought they could go all the way to win was her mix doubles open category. Despite never played with Wen Khang before, they combined very naturally and her defensive play was like never before. The highlight was the semi-finals match vs the favorite pair. Kiera and Wen Khang came back from behind 12 – 24 and ended up winning 30 - 27. What a match this was. (Video highlights below).
The take away from here was, this tournament has given me a new perspective about mix doubles pairing (which was overlooked before). It became a revelation that could possibly elevate her doubles training hereon. Reasons as follows :
1. The strength and speed of a boy partner pushes the girl to match the tempo of the game;
2. The opponent especially the boy targets the opposing girl mostly. Therefore, the girl partner has to be solid defensively and will bring out the best in her game.
Summary of First Time
1. Mix Doubles in a competition;
2. Three categories in a competition;
3. Champions in all three categories : Mix Doubles Open, Girls Doubles U18, Girls Singles U16
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