centre in Yunnan

THE National Sports Council has signed a memorandum of understanding with the administrators of the Yunnan Province sports administrators in China as the Chinese province will serve as a training hub for our local athletes.

The MoU was done between newly appointed NSC director Zolkples Embong and the Yunnan deputy director Shen Jubin. Also present was Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said.

While the centre has been providing a string of world class Chinese athletes, the Malaysian officials hope with the introduction of the new centre, the locals will be able to spar their skills with their Chinese counterparts.

Hopefully, the facilities will be fully utilised by our locals and not just another eye wash project courtesy of the ministry.

pic: Azalina watching the handing over of document between Zolkples (right) and Jubin.- courtesy of NSC.

-The Man Who Sold The World-

play time's over puppets

AND the clock is ticking...

Those individuals who had an easy route by being planted in various governmental organisations are trembling as their positions may be comprimised once the general elections is over.

Take the Sports Ministry for example. There are many who were offered jobs within the administration all via lady minister Azalina Othman Said. She might not head the sports ministry again, given the criticism that has been hurled and those who were handpicked by her better start looking for other alternative to pay their bills.

To be fair to these group of people, they are only finding a means of living and feeding their families. However, some fail to realise the basic importance and go on to be arrogant and make enemies along the way.

They claim it is part of the job and that if we were to be in their shoes, we would do the same. Well, there's always a more diplomatic way to weave around rather then the unpopular stand out approach.

Remember, the minister will continue being a minister. The rest are mere puppets of her political play- old puppets are easily replaced.

-The Man Who Sold The World-

lonely lane to the future

GANESAN Subramaniam has been running for the past 22 years.

The national middle and steeplechase specialist called it quits right after the 2005 Manila SEA Games.

Today, all Ganesan wants to do is coach. Sadly, he doesn't know how to do so or where to go.

Ganesan is not alone. There are many athletes in the country who have 'wasted' their youth and education all for the glory of the nation. Yet, only the officials and the presidents of the associations seem to have a bright future while these stars are left in the cold.

It's just a lonely lane to the future for our once heroes.

Ganesan, who works in RHB Bank, was told of a possible VSS scheme being handed out to the employees by the end of the year. True or otherwise, he has made up his mind to quit the banking line and concentrate on coaching.

Currently he coaches four potential national materials for free at the Kampung Pandan Sports Complex and the Titiwangsa Lake Gardens.

He applied for a job in the Sukan Teras programme but was rejected due to age. They claim Ganesan, 37, is too young for the job and that with children around, it wouldn't project a good image. Sigh!

It is of no wonder why former hockey international Arul Selvaraj has left the country to coach a South African varsity team while the other former nationals have left the scene for good.

Here we have a former international who can inject so much of valuable experience to the younger runners, yet he is not given a chance to do so. Then we have the Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said saying we need more local coaches, yet she was the same person who appointed a string of foriegners including Aussie Damien Kelly to head various posts within the sports administration of the country.

This is what you call "cakap tak serupa bikin!"

-The Man Who Sold The World-

cowabunga, homer's back!

NO..there were no doughnuts or Duff Beer involved. Just the good ol' fashioned Malaysian police style.

PJ police have called for a press conferance with regards to the finding of the figure as this is being typed.

For those ignorant of the facts here goes;

A life sized Homer Simpson figure was 'kidnapped' by what police believed to be an inside job at the GSC Cinema in One Utama on Monday (3am).

Two people were spotted carrying the figure via the CCTV footage.

The Simpsons Movie is slated for realase next Tuesday (July 26) nationwide.

Du'oh! Can we have some Duff Beer and some doughnuts at Moe's Tavern!

Besides Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge and Maggie here are some of the other characters;

1 Charles Montgomery Burns

2 Comic Book Guy
3 Carl Carlson

4 Selma Bouvier

5 Patty Bouvier

6 Dr Julius Hibbert

7 Ned Flanders

8 Todd Flanders

9 Rod Flanders

10 Barney Gumble

11 Edna Krabappel
12 Itchy The Mouse

13 Krusty The Clown (Herschel Krustofski)

14 Lenny Leonard

15 Nelson Muntz

16 Martin Prince

17 Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

18 Otto Mann

19 Scratchy The Cat

20 Snowball

21 Santa's Little Helper

22 Seymour Skinner

23 Waylon Smithers

24 Moe Szyslak

25 Ralph Wiggum

26 Clancy Wiggum

27 Groundskeeper Willie

28 Milhouse Van Houten

29 Robert Underdunk Terwilliger aka Sideshow Bob

-creamcrackers crew-

leave your ego at home

SPORTS is about working together, even in individual events.

Working in a sports related office is the same.

Now what happens when a newbie suddenly brings his ego to office? Apparently those with a particular daily Sports Desk aren't too happy with a new jurno who has been dictating terms to the other more senior writers.

Creamcrackers also learnt that just because the mentioned reporter had a short stint in a national body, the said reporter "knows everything within the sport and no one else knows better but him". Well, that was what we were told.

We at creamcrackers offer our condolences to those working with him.

To the said reporter we say; "Dei matcha, leave your ego at home!"

Note: We are in no way lowering the said reporter in the eyes of society as defined by Professor Winfield and also seen in the cases of Sim v Strech and Morgan v Oldham Press.

-The Man Who Sold The World-

it aint cool dude!

EVER wondered what happened to the extreme sports scene in the country?

The nation was all hyped up when the Asian X Games was held in KLCC, Bukit Jalil and Sunway for three consecutive years in the early 2000 during then Sports Minister Hishamuddin Tun Hussien Onn's era.

With the new minister Azalina Othman in charge, little progress is seen within the sport.

It would be wrong to solely blame the lady minister for the lack of development as this rests on the shoulder of the association (Xtreme Sports Association Malaysia). Nevertheless, there have been antics of hers which do suggest she is neither interested nor bothered to follow through Hishamuddin's mini projects.

Azalina was right for not bringing the X Games back to Malaysia as the government paid ESPN millions just for hosting rights. However, it's surprising to note the minister is not aware of the current x-games situation for she was only spotted once during Nestle-Milo's X-Games product (or rather packing) at Bukit Jalil during her early days as minister.

Even during the opening of the Bukit Kiara ramp (next to Royal Selangor Club) which also houses the ministry's office, Azalina was said to be more interested in the hilly view rather than the lads showcasing their skills on the ramps.

Azalina has stressed many a times that her administration believes there is more than just the eight core sports. However, antics of hers make observers wonder to why isn't she neutral when it comes to all types of sports- regardless the fact it was initiated by a friend or a foe.

Perhaps we're just too paranoid, or perhaps we're right. And with another election around the corner, a new minister is set to take charge and let's see what good (or mess) he or she will create.

Note: There are several ramps available for public use around the Klang Valley namely Taman Metropolitan (Jalan Ipoh), Section 13 Shah Alam and the PJ City Council ramp.

-The Man Who Sold The World-

who's to blame?

THIS was caused by a partially opened manhole lid.

The car was going at a slow rate during the heavy rain.

Now imagine this, if the same situation were to be fall upon a motorcyclist?

The Honda was driving along Jalan Maarof heading towards Damansara when the car hit the half opened manhole cap causing the car to flip and turn sideways.

The driver Stanley Chin escaped unhurt but wondered who is to blame for the cause of the accident.

Imagine if Stanley were to be driving fast, or riding a motorcycle instead- the consequences would be unimaginable.

Stanley claimed the heavy downpour caused water to gush out from the manhole thus the lid being half opened.

-The Man Who Sold The World-

malaysia to face sanctions?

"I have to study the report in detailed"

Those were the words of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak after asked by reporters on his view with regards to America calling Malaysia a human trafficking heaven.

Najib declined to comment further while his boss and his newly wed wife wine and dine at the wedding of the Brunei princess in Bandar Seri Bagawan.

Dubbing it as modern day slavery, US government spoke about possible economic sanctions over the country and several others identified due to their ignorance towards human trafficking.

This coming from a country which fails to stop illegal immigrants from entering into their soil, has the highest number of rampant shootings and social ills. It is also the country which saw the birth of MTV, which has in recent days glorified black music and their sexy video-clips making nine year olds "wanna spank their teacher's booty".

Do what I say, don't do what I do; that's the United States of America!

HUMAN TRAFFICKING BLACKLIST
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Equatorial Guinea
Algeria
Malaysia
Myanmar
Cuba
Iran
North Korea
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Syria
Uzbekistan
Venezuela

-The Man Who Sold The World-

whats up MSBF??

WILL Moh Keen Ho (pic) be a wasted talent?

There has been very little done to promote the son of former national billiards player Loon Hong in the international scene. Boasting with only the Asian Junior Championship title won two years ago, Keen Ho has nothing else to show despite the fact he has a lot more to offer.

The Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation (MSBF) are aware of this. Yet nothing is being done and the players suffer.

MSBF got to get their act right in beefing up what was once known as a parlour game.

Players have been only receiving allowance of RM500 from the National Sports Council (NSC) for the past five months. There are rumours that some may want to quit the scene if this continues.

NSC have stalled the salaries due to a back log caused by their administration, but NSC have pointed out that the national body ought to get their accounts in order too.

So who is to be blamed? Keen Ho is going to be just another washed out star if nothing is done. The national team is still coachless while the only proper running tournament in the country besides those organised by the local centres is the problematic XZ Series.

It's time for MSBF to get their act right. Otherwise, snooker- a sport which used to deliever medals for the country- will just be another parlour game in the country.

-The Man Who Sold The World-

of wedding bells and fairy tales

PAK Lah's tying the knot..again!

THE cabinet will annouce the marriage of Jeanne Danker (pic), or now referred to as Jeanna Abullah to Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in a private ceremony at the Seri Perdana this Saturday.

Little is known of Miss Jeanne but unconfirmed sources state the she's 54 and has two children from a previous marriage. She's been in the hotel industry as well.

The Abdullah's have more to celebrate as Khairy Jamaluddin's (Badawi's son in law) UPB-MyTeam will be promoted to the Super League next season, together with Police. It has been a fairy tale of all sorts for the debutants (MyTeam) and Badawi.


-The Man Who Sold The World-

crèche art

"IT looks like the work of a six year old!"

Haven't we all heard this line before? When the local sports officials introduced the new Malaysian tiger-stripped uniform, many were taken aback with the unimpressive design.

Miles apart, Britions are going through the same thing after English officials unveiled the new 2012 London Summer Olympics logo.

Advocates shower praisers over the new logo, saying the jagged emblem bearing the numbers 2, 0, 1 and 2 will connect well with the younger generation.

However, many wonder how much of tax payers money was spent to come up with such a 'child-like' design?

And a poll conducted by BBC says it all with 83% of the respondants voting against the design.

The logo is as dry as British humour- even the Englishmen aren't laughing about it.

-The Man Who Sold The World-

hingga akhir nanti

ALLEYCATS frontman Loganathan Arumugam passed away earlier this morning in Penang. He was 54.

According to elder brother David, 57, Loganathan or better known as Loga, has been suffering from bad cough for the whole year. He was diagnosed with lung cancer eight months ago.

Loga and his brothers David and Shum formed the sensational pop group The Alleycats which has stood for the past three decades. The intial members comprised of Tan Chin Hock, Chester Anthony Passerella, Khoo Fook Sin and Frank Ong.

Starting off as club singers, the group made it big after several recording contracts in Hong Kong and Singapore.

They recorded all time favourites among others Senandung Semalam, Hingga Akhir Nanti and Sampaikan Salam Cintaku.

The Shanmugam brothers are well remembered for their afro hairdo which they spot till today. The passing of Loga is a great loss to the local music industry and may he rest in peace.

Pic: One for the album- Loga (3rd from right) during his younger days with The Alleycats.

-The Man Who Sold The World-

50 rules to safety

GOT this off Motorcycle Cruiser. A very interesting read for road users in general. Here are 10 out of the 50 steps which ensures a safer journey.

1. Assume you're invisible
Because to a lot of drivers, you are. Never make a move based on the assumption that another driver sees you, even if you've just made eye contact.

2. Be considerate
The consequences of strafing the jerk du jour or cutting him off start out bad and get worse. Pretend it was your grandma and think again

3. Dress for the crash, not the pool or the prom
Sure, Joaquin's Fish Tacos is a five-minute trip, but nobody plans to eat pavement. Modern mesh gear means 100-degree heat is no excuse for a T-shirt and board shorts

4. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Assume that car across the intersection will turn across your bow when the light goes green, with or without a turn signal.

5. Leave your ego at home
The only people who really care if you were faster on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.

6. Pay attention
Yes, there is a half-naked girl on the billboard. And the chrome needs a polish. Meanwhile, you could be drifting toward Big Trouble. Focus.

7. Mirrors only show you part of the picture
Never change direction without turning your head to make sure the coast really is clear.

8. Be patient
Always take another second or three before you pull out to pass, ride away from a curb or merge into freeway traffic from an on-ramp. It's what you don't see that gets you. That extra look could save your butt.

9. Watch your closing speed
Passing cars at twice their speed or changing lanes to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.

10. Beware the verge and the merge
A lot of nasty surprises end up on the sides of the road: empty McDonald's bags, nails, TV antennas, ladders, you name it. Watch for potentially troublesome debris on both sides of the road.

-The Man Who Sold The World-