36 OPINIONS <strong>CHRONICLE</strong> 18 05 GOH WEI CHOON GRAPHICS EDITOR
18 05 <strong>CHRONICLE</strong> bpl talk Solidarity through adversity CLEMENT ONG ALTHOUGH the recently concluded Manchester derby dominated the headlines, with Manchester City crushing their United rivals 6-1, one should not forget that City constitute only one of the two currently unbeaten clubs in the league. The other club holding this unblemished record is, surprisingly, Newcastle United. At the moment, Newcastle are sitting pretty at fourth, behind Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea. This comes as a surprise to many, since the club was embroiled in turmoil at the start of the season. Firstly, midfielder Joey Barton controversially demanded to be transferred out due to what he claimed was a lack of ambition within the club’s leadership. Moreover, the club lost two influential players, namely excaptain Kevin Nolan and defender José Enrique, to West Ham United and Liverpool respectively. They also searched in vain for a successor to the prolific Andy Carroll, who moved to Liverpool last season for £35 million (S$70 million). All this meant that Newcastle entered the season in a seemingly GOAL DELIGHT: Cheik Tioté (far left) celebrates his late match goal against Arsenal. PHOTO | INTERNET shambolic state. But they have so far confronted any doubts over their ability with an impressive run of results which saw them climb up the table. Of particular note is the team’s defensive solidity this season, which saw them conceding just six goals in nine matches so far. This stands in stark contrast to last season, when they leaked goals throughout the campaign, including heavy defeats to Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City. Newcastle have also been playing more like a unit this season. This could be credited to the dynamic central midfield pairing of Yohan Cabaye and Cheik Tioté. Cabaye, a French midfielder signed from French champions Lille, was a seamless fit into the team, and struck up an understanding with the more defensively minded Tioté. The results that have followed show a team that allies a solid backline with a healthy dose of finesse in attack. But as impressive as Newcastle’s form has been thus far, the strongest team they have faced is arguably, Arsenal. It remains to be seen if Newcastle have the pedigree to challenge the likes of Manchester United, City and Chelsea, whom they will face in three consecutive weeks at the end of this year. But if Newcastle remain galvanised, and continue to maintain a high level of performance in the league, the Toon Army could rise from obscurity, to possibly challenging the Europa League, or even a Champions League spot. SPORTS 37 Tennis player Serena WIlliams on the 2009 US Open semifinal incident where she threatened to choke a lineswoman with a tennis ball. F1 driver Lewis Hamilton after finishing second in Korea. Medals to rule them all XAVIER KOO sports talk IT COMES as no surprise that in a results-driven society like Singapore, the viability of a sport is determined almost entirely on its medal-winning potential. This was shown when Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) Chief Lee Bee Wah was questioned for fielding two inexperienced youths—Isabelle Li and Zena Sim— for the 2011 SEA Games in November. Lee nominated the two in hope of developing the youngsters who were just entering their professional phase. The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) subsequently rejected the nomination on grounds that the selection of world-class female players like Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu and Li Jiawei, world ranked fourth, ninth and 18th respectively, should take precedence. In the quest to use our best athletes for international competitions, we have overlooked the painful reality that this over-emphasis on sporting excellence has spread to multiple levels in Singapore. In our relentless pursuit of glory, we have neglected the larger benefits of sports for young people. Sporting competitions develop character, and through these ex- periences, participants learn intangible qualities like fair play and humility in the face of defeat. Unfortunately, these benefits are now only conferred only upon the privileged, medal-worthy few. At the amateur level, the pursuit of results is unrelenting. Schools pride themselves on their niche sports and actively recruit players through the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme to enhance their teams. Schools like Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Raffles Institution and Saint Andrew’s, for example, are constantly placed among the top three for rugby GRAPHIC | WEE JIA HUI at the national level and attract hordes of DSA candidates. Through DSA, secondary schools can admit anywhere from five per cent of their annual intake, to a staggering 100 per cent. Unsurprisingly, the environment of results-motivated competition leaves out equally passionate, but relatively undeveloped, athletes. And like their professional counterparts, they are usually relegated to mere bench-warmers. Findings by the Straits Times in 2006 showed that, on average, only 15 per cent of students make the team. The result? Some defect to other sports or even worse, quit entirely. This problem is aggravated in schools with limited spots reserved for those who are deemed “good enough”. Similarly, budding athletes in the international arena need their fair share of competition experience. This will aid their overall development as professional athletes, helping them deal with the reality of competitive sports—the stress, the stakes, even the defeats—that they will inevitably face. The pursuit of sporting excellence inadvertently favours established rather than budding athletes. Ms Sum Chee Wah, director of Education Programmes Division at the Ministry of Education, told the Straits Times in 2008: “Students with potential will represent their school in competitions and be groomed by the National Sports Association (NSA). “Many of our national athletes were first exposed to sports via cocurricular activities and inter-school games competition.” Does this mean that the less talented will never get competition experience? It may seem obvious enough but we must realise that there is more to competition than just winning. Until the day we stop our obsession with results and start thinking about athletes, the chase for sporting excellence has gone too far. GRAPHIC | WEE JIA HUI Norwich City winger Anthony Pilkington on his pre-BPL football experiences. Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan on Liverpool’s idea of negotiating their own overseas television rights.