Malaysia's Handball Tribune

RECRUITMENT!!

2012-01-28T17:34:00.002+08:00

This goes out to all handball players from overseas currently in M'sia for work or studies....esp around the Kuala Lumpur region.

If you're interested in playing handball with/for one of the local teams....do leave your name and contact number under the comments section. I will try to get back to you a.s.a.p.

Hiatus

2011-06-05T21:34:00.003+08:00

Dear all,

I will be taking taking a break from updating this blog for a few months as I will be concentrating on my career.

If you feel you need any information on the local handball scene, kindly leave your email address or facebook nick at the comments section and I will try my best to get back to you.

There are many handball tournaments that will be carried out in the next half-a-year, ending with the National Handball Tournament in November (most likely in Johor). So keep yourself up-to-date.

Current event : SUKMA ( Malaysian Games ) held at Dewan Sri Putra, Bukit Jalil. TV station Astro will be covering selected matches. Tune in on 8th June to Astro Arena at 9am to catch a few of the matches.

Next event : Kuala Lumpur Youth Handball Cup on 26th June 2011 at OCM Building, Kuala Lumpur.

Till then......

KL Open Handball Championship 2011

2011-03-20T22:36:00.003+08:00

Teams participating in the tournament :

KATEGORI LELAKI

KUMPULAN A

A1 TERENGGANU

A2 INTI A

A3 A TEAM

KUMPULAN B

B1 BANGI

B2 UPN

B3 NS BOYS

KUMPULAN C

C1 HOISAN

C2 D’PERDANA HC

C3 X-KL

KUMPULAN D

D1 BUKIT JALIL

D2 CEMPAKA

D3 INTI B

KATEGORI WANITA

KUMPULAN E

E1 TERENGGANU

E3 UiTM Melaka

E3 X-KL

KUMPULAN F

F1 CEMPAKA

F2 BUKIT JALIL

F3 FELDA HC

MAHF List Of Events 2011

2011-03-09T20:19:00.002+08:00

Malaysian Amateur Handball Federation

The committee is currently chaired by:

President : Mr. Pandak B. Hj. Ahmad ( Johor )
Vice-President : Mr. Jacob Matthews ( Selangor )

Among the list of events proposed to be organized this year :

Sarawak Open 15th - 17th March 2011

Perlis Open 6th - 8th May 2011

International Invitational Handball Championship - September 2011 in Melaka

Malaysian National Handball Championships - October 2011 in Johor Baru

Kuala Lumpur Handball Open 2011

2011-03-05T21:58:00.002+08:00

First tournament of the year 2011!!!!!

The organizers ( KLHA ) have informed me the the Kuala Lumpur Handball Open 2011 will be held on 10th of April 2011 at the OCM Building in KL.

It will also serve as a selection ground for potential state representatives in the upcoming Sukan Malaysia ( SUKMA ) this coming June.

Start training everybody.

Stay tuned.....

Team Photos

2011-02-01T14:36:00.004+08:00

Kuala Lumpur Handball Association - List Of Events for 2011

2011-02-01T14:10:00.004+08:00

Its the beginning of a new year. Kuala Lumpur Handball Association ( Persatuan Bola Baling Kuala Lumpur ) have sent a me a list of events they propose to host this year. Appears to be quite an eventful year ahead for the handball playing community in Malaysia.

Team Hoisan ( also known as KL Stars ) are the current team to beat in Malaysia. In the year 2010 they emerged as the overall champions. Winning nearly all the events they participated in.

Will there be any challengers to the throne this year? Are there any dark horses waiting to overtake them?

LIST OF EVENTS SCHEDULED BY KLHA FOR YEAR 2011

    Tarikh

 ACARA 
NEGERI/KEBANGSAAN

     Kategori 
 

10 April 2011
 

Kejohanan  Bola   Baling KL Open
 

Lelaki  &    Wanita
 

12 Jun hingga
10 Julai 2011

Liga Bola Baling Kuala Lumpur Yang Pertama
 
 

Lelaki    &  Wanita
 
 

28 Mei
Hingga
11 Jun 2011

Penyertaan SUKMA     
 MSNM Bukit   Jalil
 

Lelaki    &  Wanita

18 September
2011
 

Kejohanan  Bola   Baling Piala Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur Yang Ke-11

Lelaki & Wanita
     

& 9  Oktober  2011
 
Oktober 2011

Kejohanan Terbuka Malaysia

Penyertaan Kejohanan Bola Baling Putrajaya

Lelaki    &  Wanita
 

19 – 21 November    2011
 

Mengelola Kursus kejurulatihan Bola Baling Tahap 1  

25 peserta

2 – 3   Disember  2011
 

Menganjur   Kejohanan Bola Baling Pantai Kuala Lumpur Yang Ke- 3

Lelaki  &  Wanita

25 Disember  2011

Menganjur Kejohanan Bola Baling Kelab Remaja Kuala Lumpur

Lelaki  &  Wanita

P.S. All dates are subject to change. Stay tuned for further updates.

P.P.S. For information, the AGM for the Malaysian Amateur Handball Association was held on 9th October 2010. Johor and Selangor currently hold the positions of President and Secretary respectively.

End Of The Year

2010-11-06T23:09:00.004+08:00

Year of 2010 draws to a close.

Team KL Hoisan has been the team to beat in 2010. The best local team this year.Winning virtually all major handball tournaments held in Malaysia. The latest being the recently concluded Putrajaya Handball League. Read more here.

The Malaysian Amateur Handball Association also had their Annual General Meeting. The new president is from Johor and the secretary is from the state of Selangor. It will be interesting to see what the new year will hold for the local handball scene.

It is nice to note that the interest in handball has increased immensely in the last year or so. There are many teams now that actively participate in the tournaments organized nationwide. The level of handball amongst the participants is slowly rising. It would be good to note however, that the standard of refereeing has to be improved on. Referees play an important role in the efforts to raise the standard of the sport in Malaysia. It is difficult to improve the standard of handball in Malaysia if the refereeing is poor, when the referees are unsure of the application of the rules of the game, and are unable to have good control of the game.

Next up is the 3rd Bukit Jalil Beach Handball Tournament which will be held on November 14 2010. Check this site for more information. Also the Putrajaya Handball Open is scheduled to be held on 28th November 2010.

Stay tuned.

Putrajaya Handball League 2010 - first round of matches

2010-10-10T13:53:00.005+08:00

After the first round of matches, the standings are as follows :

Hoisan KL - 2 wins 0 losses
UPM - 2 wins 0 losses
NS Boys - 1 win 1 loss
TAR - 1 win 1 loss
KBISH - 1 draw 1 loss
UPNM - 1 draw 1 loss
UiTM - 2 losses

Next round of matches on 16 Oct 2010

UPSI Open 2010

2010-10-09T23:06:00.003+08:00

The organizers have to be applauded for attempting to organize such a tournament. I was there for a few games. What I noted.

".........this paragraph has been removed as word came from higher up that the content was deemed too revealing and would not be beneficial to the wider readership................"

Again.....I was only there from 2pm to 7.30pm. Maybe the conditions before and after were different......I wouldn't know.

Putrajaya Handball League 2010

2010-09-21T20:57:00.004+08:00

Congratulations to Team Hoisan from KL for winning the KL Mayor's Cup 2010. They defeated a spirited Team Sahara from Singapore in a tightly contested final. It was good fun participating in the tournament, it was also a good experience being able to watch good handball being played. The organizers ( Mr. Ng Num Thiam in particular ) should be commended for organizing tournaments such as the KL Mayor's Cup as it will not only help bring up the level of handball in this country but also foster closer ties amongst the handball enthusiasts in the region.

Next up on the Malaysian Handball scene......information subject to change.....

Putrajaya Handball League 2010

Venue : Dato' Mokhtar Dahari Court, Precinct 18, Putrajaya.
Court size : 40 x 20m
Dates : 2/10/10, 9/10/10, 16/10/10, 23/10/10, 30/10/10
Time : 1700 hrs - 2100 hrs every Saturday of the month
Duration of each match : 20 mins

8 men's teams and 8 women's teams will be invited for the event.

Handball clubs that are interested can contact the organizing chairman: Mr Ng at 0133068448 before 30^th September 2010.

Stay tuned for further updates.....

KL Mayor's Cup 2010

2010-09-15T19:34:00.003+08:00

Handball Tourney - The Kuala Lumpur Mayor's Cup 2010.

Date : 19/9/10

Venue : OCM Sports Complex ( off Jln Hang Jebat )

Duration per match : 20 mins

The teams ( as of 15/9/10 )

Lelaki

Kumpulan A :

A1 Bukit Jalil

A2 UPSI B

A3 Team A

Kumpulan B :

B1 Hoisan

B2 UM

B3 UITM United

Kumpulan C :

C1 Segamat

C2 Young Dream

C3 UITM

Kumpulan D :

D1 UPSI A

D2 KBISH

D3 NS Boys

Wanita :

Kumpulan E :

E1 BUKIT JALIL

E2 SJ GIRLS

E3 FUTURIST YOUTH

Kumpulan F :

F1 SPY KL

F2 MZH

F3 Segamat

Kumpulan G :

G1 UITM United

G2 Legend

G3 UIAM

Kumpulan H :

H1 UPSI

H2 UITM

H3 JB

GAME	TIME	TEAMS	RESULTS
1	0730-0750	E1 VS E2
2	0755-0815	F1 VS F2
3	0820-0840	G1 VS G2
4	0845-0905	H1 VS H2
5	0910-0930	A1 VS A2
6	0935-0955	B1 VS B2
7	1000-1020	C1 VS C2
8	1025-1045	D1 VS D2
9	1050-1110	E2 VS E3
10	1115-1135	F2 VS F3
11	1140-1200	G2 VS G3
12	1205-1225	H2 VS H3
13	1230-1250	A2 VS A3
14	1255-1315	B2 VS B3
15	1320-1340	C2 VS C3
16	1345-1405	D2 VS D3
17	1410-1430	E1 VS E3
18	1435-1455	F1 VS F3
19	1500-1520	G1 VS G3
20	1525-1545	H1 VS H3
21	1545-1605	A1 VS A3
22	1605-1625	B1 VS B3
23	1625-1645	C1 VS C3
24	1645-1705	D1 VS D3
25	1710-1720	SEMI WANITA 1
26	1720-1740	SEMI WANITA 2
27	1740-1800	SEMI LELAKI 1
28	1800-1820	SEMI LELAKI 2
29	1820-1840	FINAL WANITA

30 1840-1900 FINAL LELAKI

Next up......

2010-08-01T09:57:00.002+08:00

Wow....been more than a year since the last post. A number of tournaments have come and gone.

Current national champions are the KL Stars.

That aside.....next up is :

Kuala Lumpur Mayor's Cup 2010

Date : 19 September 2010

Time : 0800 hrs - 1700 hrs

Location : OCM Sports Hall, Jalan Hang Jebat

A one day tourney. Knock out system.

To date, tourney still open for registration.

My concern now is the MRCS exams.......More Retraction Continue Suction.

Enjoy the handball.........

Updates....

2009-07-29T19:16:00.002+08:00

"Dear Dr. PYH,
We just concluded Putrajaya Open on 21st June 2009.
8 juniors and 8 senior teams took part in Precinct 9 open sport arena hard court. The champions are as follow:
Junior Boys: Bukit Jalil
Junior Girls : Prisint 9
Senior men: TAR Sports Club
Senior Women: Flager

Coming October will be pioneer level 2 coaching course. At the same month, KL Open will be held in OCM Indoor Hall.

2010 MHL will start in January till May 2010 play alternate Sundays. So please promote this campaign for the coming more exciting MHL 2010 season! Thanks Dr.

- Ng Num Thiam"

Conclusion : Malaysia National Handball Clubs League 2009

2009-06-02T18:28:00.003+08:00

The league has come to its close. Who were the overall champs? Find out here. Olympic Council of Malaysia secretary Dato' Sieh Kok Chi graced the event.

Not been able to post regularly. Been really busy in the OBGYN department.

The Handball League was run well this time. The level of referee-ing has gone up. So kudos to the organizing committee headed by Mr. Ng Num Thiam of the Malaysian Handball Association.

Till then........

Malaysian National Handball League 2009

2009-03-20T17:28:00.003+08:00

The Malaysian National Handball League is starting this Sunday, 22nd March 2009.

How will the teams fare this year? The usual suspects vying for the title would be KL Star ( the defending champions ), Vanilla Star ( last year's runner-up ), Gombak, NS Boys. Word is in that there might be a few dark horses in the fray this year.

Matches are scheduled to start from 7.45am beginning with the women's teams. Vanilla Star play against team UPSI at 11.30am and against NS Boys at 5pm.

Pre-National League Warm-up

2009-02-18T19:09:00.002+08:00

There will be a handball tournament this weekend (21&22 Feb) in Tanjung Malim. Any team interested in participating can contact Kamilee at +012 647 8789. Some teams might be interested in using it as a final tune-up before the league starts.

Latest info

2009-02-18T19:04:00.000+08:00

Appeared in my mailbox today.....

"Dear Sir,
Our 4th National Handball League will start next month (22 Mac 2009)) and will end in May 17 for 5 alternate Sundays.
We will invite 10 men's teams and 10 women's team to take part. All games will play in OCM Indoor Hall from 9.00am - 4.00pm. Handball club teams from Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Johor, Perak, Kelantan, Melaka and Perlis and an expat team show interest in this league .Singapore Youth Olympic team turn down our offer as they are in the mid of selection of their national team, but they agree to have an annual game with Malaysia team after our MAHL in August.

With the successful organising the last three leagues since 2006, we have identified many talented handball players to be competed in the international level if MSN can approve our training program for the talented national teams (both men and women) and for more international participations. In conjunction to the league, Asia Handball Federation (AHF) is offering Malaysia to conduct a referee course during the league. Some participants may come from Asia and South East Asia countries.Thus, it is an honour for Malaysia to promote this olympic games to all Asia handball members.The main sponsor for this league are MILO and MOLTEN.Thanks

NG NUM THIAM

National League Organising Chairman "

New Year.....

2009-02-10T21:18:00.002+08:00

Been a long while since I've had the time to update this blog....been caught up with work at the hospital. Dreading to hear the mobile phone ring when on-call..... "Doctor....patient asystole......"

Anyway... heard that the National Handball League is starting again soon. It'll be held from March till May. Not sure how many teams will be involved this time.

Vanilla Stars are bidding to go one better this year. The team is also on the look-out for potential team-mates. Anyone out there interested in playing for Vanilla Stars?

Till then.....

BEACH HANDBALL!

2008-10-31T19:36:00.003+08:00

Latest from Malaysian Handball!

"Dear Dr. pyh,
How are you?
Our 1st beach handball will kick off this Sunday (2 November) from 8.30am till 1.00pm in Bukit Jalil Family Park.
8 men and 8 women teams are the finalist.
The men's teams are:
1.RHINO (N.S)
2.ELEVEN 1 (PYTRAJAYA)
3.GOMBAK (SELANGOR)
4.HOISAN (KL)
5.CEMPAKA (KL)
6.BUKIT JALIL (KL)
7.NIMBUS (MELAKA)
8.UPSI (PERAK)

TWOMEN'S TEAMS:
1.LIBRA(KL)
2.CEMPAKA(KL)
3.NIMBUS (MELAKA)
4.ELEVEN 1 (PUTRAJAYA)
5.BUKIT JALIL(KL)
6..UPSI(PERAK)
7.LEGEND RATU(PERAK)
8.LEGEND DEWI (SELANGOR)

Teams will play knock out system, prizes are medals from 1 to 4 placing with a champion trophy. ESPN will be the telecast channel, with the other sponseships from NESTLE and MOLTEN
Thanks
NG NUM THIAM"

Wow! With ESPN telecasting the event? Sponsorship from Nestle and Molten? Sounds too good to be true isn't it?
Alas, I won't be there to witness the event.I'm oncall.
I wonder if it'll be anything like this. =)

Handball enthusiasts....do show up and support the event as you are able.

See you at the next major tournament. I might be there as a referee rather than as a player this time.

Its been a while....

2008-09-20T19:32:00.004+08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts.....been really busy. I won't be able to play much handball, so don't expect frequent updates.

I'm working in one of the university hospitals in Kuala Lumpur. Currently based in the pediatric wards. I don't get much time off between the usual working hours ( which are typically prolonged for doctors anyway ) and my on-call duties.

I've gotten a few messages requesting information about upcoming handball tournaments in Malaysia.

Here is the latest from Mr. Ng ( Secretary of the Malaysian Amateur Handball Association )

"Dear XXX,
We just concluded our KL Open last month (suppose to be in October) and you were away in Indonesia . There was no cash prizes this year's If states teams are not enough, we may suggest club teams to take part. I will let you know then. Our national championship will be in December in Melaka or KL.
Peter NG "

For those who want to contact Mr. Ng directly, drop me a message with your email address. I'll email you his contact details directly.

P.S. We were runners-up in the National Handball League 2008. My personal opinion is that quite a few quarters breathed a sigh of relief that our team didn't beat the local favourites. Sorry guys, the final match was the first time I've stood in as goalie. Let in a couple of soft goals that could have changed the momentum of the game. What are our goals for the next tournament? 1. To win the tournament if possible ( gonna be a bit difficult as many team mates have gone back to their home countries ) 2. For Jeppe to lose 15kg and get chiseled abs for next season.... hahaha

Match on 22nd June 2008

2008-06-26T14:51:00.006+08:00

Reports in the players' own words.

Thomas said:

"Hi Guys,

2 games and again 2 victories!!! Yeahh

The second game was amazing..6 players and the best motivation ever!! A team in front of us quite unusual, as they were strong and tough guy. Completely ready to beat us.

But come on… the cream of European handball was on the field…

We knew it would have been hard so we decided to impress them by playing hard handball with tough contact in defense all together, as I like to say you come one times but no two…quick move and strong on our legs...on top of that a really good David in the cage saved us many times. In attack hard to make strategy, the only and the best was quick pass then boum boum jump in the defense and being aggressive in the contact…it worked as they got many 2 minutes (ok I took few punch in the face and bleed, so I switched to bull dog style )…

Good point for us Jeppe blood got no more trace of vodka thanks to first game J , which allow him to make good shoots at the hip and score. On our last attack good play which finished with a 7m that Ferdi put into the goal. Then this is how we won this crazy game…

Hope you liked the story, I hope you will all come.

I want to finish first this year

Ps; I got only a yellow card this time

Thomas"

Ingvar said :

"Hi all

It’s correct as Nicolas wrote. Two victories during Sunday.

First one was a good game – with full team (7). Result 7-15.

The second match against NS Boys with only 6 players was a hard one.

Good team play and excellent motivation. The status was 7-7 with one minute left. Then we got a penalty that Ferdinand nicely put to the goal and sat the end result 7-8.

Hope that more of you can make it for the next match day 6^th of July.

So far it’s Simon, Thomas C, Nikolai, Thomas J, Jeppe and David = 6 players

Need some more.

Sunday 6^th July	09.40 – 10.10 am
Sunday 6^th July	01.00 – 01.30 pm

I’m traveling that week, Ferdinand has moved back to Finland to do his National Service.

Ingvar"

Finally....

2008-06-19T17:57:00.001+08:00

Exams are done with.... Results have been released... Am finally able to afix the title "Dr." to my name.....

Hope to be able to meet up with the team sometime.

Newsflash!!

2008-06-14T15:53:00.002+08:00

Excellent start!
Might not be able to join the team this time round as my graduation is only in July. Next tournament perhaps?

Message from Malaysian Amateur Handball Federation

2008-05-30T14:33:00.002+08:00

" Dear YH,
Our 3rd national Handball League kicks off this Sunday (1 June 2008) and will end in 20 July 2008 for 4 alternate Sundays.
There are 8 men's teams and 6 women's team confirmed taking part. All games will play in OCM Indoor Hall from 9.00am - 4.00pm. These clubs teams are from Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Federal Territory. We have to object some teams from Melacca and Perak due to last minute confirmation and dates available of the OCM Indoor hall..
The next handball tournaments will be KL Open (August), Malaysia Open (October) and OCM Sport Carnival ( November 2008).We had just concluded the Youth League from February till April 2008. These are the few development program carry out by MAHF in 2008. Whats more, IHF is offering MAHF to organize 2010 Youth Olympic qualifying round in Malaysia too.
Wait for the sponsorship workout.Thanks

NG NUM THIAM
MAHF Games Organiser Chairman"

Malaysian National Handball League 2008

2008-05-26T11:00:00.001+08:00

The league will start on the 1st of June. More updates soon.

Post SEA Games

2008-01-09T11:24:00.000+08:00

Just done with a block of exams. Thankfully all went well.

The Star newspaper summed up the Malaysian handball performance in Korat. Thailand and Vietnam were streets ahead. Compare this to the report sent in a few months ago. Here.

What happened?

Was there a postmortem done? If so, what was the conclusion?

SEA Games '07 in Korat

2007-12-12T15:24:00.000+08:00

Been a long hiatus. Too busy. Not too sure what the local scene is like. Anyone care to update?

Latest news is that Malaysia is battling for bronze after losing to both Thailand and defending champs Vietnam.

Any change from last year? I do not know yet. Will have to watch the match recordings.

Oh no......

2007-09-21T15:16:00.000+08:00

Hectic schedule these few months. Coming towards the end of my psychiatry rotation. Criteria to diagnose schizophrenia....depression....mania....bullimia nervosa......etc etc etc. Frantically revising for the upcoming exams. Obs & Gynae rotation next.

Handball takes a backseat for the time being....and I predict it will be for quite a long period of time.

Amidst the frantic flipping of textbook pages in the library, one can't help but notice the news plastered on the front page of every newspaper strewed on the desks. What happened to Nurin?

If you are not aware of what has been happening, do update yourself here, here, and here.

Rage and protest against what was done to this little girl have swept the nation. Many have called for closer scrutiny of our moral values. One can't help but think reform must happen at the grassroot level. Our whole mentality must change...as a nation. Some might argue that a few bad apples are spoiling the lot. But for such an atrocity to happen????!!!!!

Anyway, I'm not here to point any fingers. Neither am I here to debate about a topic which I might not be familiar with.

Just hope to make the handball playing community in Malaysia mull over a few things. Are we able to make a difference? I want to suggest that everyone is able to make a difference in our society. Even when doing what we enjoy. We don't have to go around donating money..or go out and preach moral values. We can make a difference by simply ensuring we uphold the standards of sportsmanship on the court. Not only the players but also the coaches, the referees and the organizers. Most times, our attitude on the court reflect our lives off the court.

Examine ourselves! Lead by example.

Lost my train of thought.....

To make a diagnosis of schizophrenia....the patient must have hallucinations, delusions, thought block, thought insertion.............

p.s. pray that such a horrific event would never occur again.

She is now part of the beauty she once made more beautiful

Have YOU Registered???

2007-08-18T21:25:00.000+08:00

The general elections are not far away.

Do REGISTER to vote.

Even better, do turn up to VOTE.

Your responsibility and privilege as a citizen, your right as a person.

Final Day of the 2007 Malaysian National Handball League

2007-07-02T21:17:00.000+08:00

Blogger's thoughts :

Here I am. Back to routine in Penang. Slightly disappointed that we lost our semi-final game against KL Stars by 2 goals. Would the outcome have been different if the referees had called the game better? Or if only we had converted those easy goals? Stepping on the 6 meter line? What a stupid mistake! TWICE!! ( haha I'm referring to myself here ) Anyway what is done is done.It was good fun while it lasted. Bronze..3rd best in the country are we?

KL Stars are the national champions of 2007.

They won the title in a tough match against Kinta. I have to say that as an observer, KL Stars were the better team. They played hard and defended tough. Their goalkeeper made a number of excellent reflex saves with his feet. Kinta on the other hand were a bit softer on defense. They allowed the same KL Star player to score from nearly the exact same spot the same way a number of times. By the time Kinta man-marked him it was a bit too late. I have to say here though that Kinta's defensive methods on occasion caused a number of us to raise an eyebrow or two. There were a few incidences of grabbing from behind and pulling the opponent's throwing arm that were missed by the referees.

All in all, it was a good day. The standard of refereeing improved over the last few league games. It was obvious during the semi-finals and finals. That being said, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Many dubious calls were made. Many offenses went unpunished. Again it is easy for us to be critical when we are not the ones being scrutinized. One thing though is that the referees have displayed a willingness to learn. This in itself is a sign of better things to come. We can only hope that it will not stagnate.

Kudos to Cempaka Handball Team and Magnasoul. I think these are the two teams that have shown improvement over the duration of the league.

I can't comment on the women's games. Wasn't there to observe many of them. Not sure who this year's champions are. ( Anyone want to update? )

In conclusion I would say that Malaysians are playing better handball. This is not to say that our standard of play has improved. It is more because the referees are getting better. The game has become cleaner. I make this comment not as an expert but only as someone who has been in Europe and observed the different levels there. A lot more has to be done before we can even think of competing in the Asian region. Mr. Karel Modou has recommended a grassroot training and development programme of at least 7 years before we can even hope to see fruit. What will happen I wonder?

Thanks lots to Mr. Ng Num Thiam who played a big part in organizing the 2007 Malaysian National Handball League.

Pictures :

Vanilla Stars after their last match

With Ferdi and Louis the CRAZY Frenchman - who uses his umbrella indoors!

Vanilla Stars
( missing in action are : Thomas, Nicholas, Gonzague, Guilliame )
With Dato' Sieh Kok Chi ( in white T-shirt ), Mr. Karel Madou ( in orange t-shirt ), Dato' Hj. Suhaimi B. Hj. Yaakub ( in light orange shirt )

Note 1 : Dato' Sieh Kok Chi is the Secretary of OCM, Dato' Hj. Suhaimi is the Patron of the MHA.

Note 2 : Mr. Karel Madou - he is currently giving the Malaysian Handball Team a few training sessions before they leave for the Korat SEA Games. A little on Mr. Madou's background :

Karel (Cor) Madou (PT CSCS M.Ex.Sci): Born in the Netherlands, Karel studied German linguistics, physical education and physiotherapy, and worked for 12 years as a teacher before he switched to managing a wellness and physiotherapy practice. He was a successful national level powerlifter in the early 90’s, but originally came from a background in track and field. Since 2001 he has been working as a physiotherapist in a rehabilitation clinic in Switzerland and as a sports physiotherapist of a semi-professional handball team TV Endingen ( An elite handball team in the Swiss Handball League). He recently completed a Master of Exercise Science in ECU (Perth) in 2006. His research interest includes the physiological demands of team handball and the effects of whole body vibration on balance and stability in patients with multiple sclerosis.

I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with Mr. Madou albeit only for a short time. I think he brings vast experience to Malaysian Handball. With his background he is more than able to give us a complete view on the aspect of handball training. From physical training right down to playing on the court. Many of us don't realize that preparing for a tournament takes months if not years of conditioning, both physically and mentally. Knowing what to do or how to perform a drill is not enough. More importantly is knowing how far we can push our bodies to achieve peak performance and the correct methods of doing so.

Mr. Madou is leaving Malaysia on the 10th of July. Hope the MHA will be able to glean as much knowledge from him as possible before he leaves.

TV Endingen

P.S. Won't be blogging too much in the next few months. Gotta concentrate on my studies. A few more weeks in Family Medicine, then it is 2 months of Psychiatry and another 2 months of Obstetrics & Gyneacology. Major end-of-year examinations in December.

Vanilla Stars - Match Reports

2007-07-02T21:14:00.000+08:00

Again the match reports done up by Ferdinand O.

Hi Vanilla Stars,

Today was the big day of the Malaysian National Handball League 2007.

The Malaysian Handball Champion 2007 for men and women will be crowned

today.

With meeting the KL Star team in the semi-final we had a big task in

front of us as they are the defending champions. The semi-final matches

were played on a 2 x 10 mins modus and our match was scheduled for 8am

already, which ment we had to be in full speed mode from the first

minute. And so we did.

Our defence was strong and we were able to neutralize their left 45

 with

his dangerous distance shots. Ferdinand D. openend the scoring for us

and we started with a 1:0 lead. Though KL Star was able to equalize and

to take a 2:1 lead which soon equalized by us. KL Star again went one

ahead to which we responded with two goals in a row and took a 4:3 lead

into halftime.

KL Star got a better start into the second half and some of our

 distance

shots got safed by the goalkeeper. KL Star used this  opportunity to

extend their lead and with only one goal in the second half we were not

able anymore to turn around the match. Finally KL Star won 7:5 and made

it into the final. For use was the match for 3rd and 4th left.

Team and scoreboard: Ferdinand D. 2, Ferdinand O., Remi 1, Louis,

 Romain

2, Han, Simon, Vincent, Nikesh, Ingwar

In the match for the bronze medal we met the Harun Boy team who lost in

the other semi-finals against Kinta. Again our defense was strong and

we

were able to take the lead from the beginning. With Louis and Ferdinand

D. using their physical fire powers from the back we started scoring

and

lead soon 2:0. Though with their fast and unorthodox play Harun Boys

were always a threat. After Ferdinand O. got a 2 minutes penalty Harun

Boys were able to reduce the difference to 1 goal (4:3). Though soon we

extended our lead again and went into the break with a 7:4 score. In

the

second half we controled the game and were able to find the gaps in the

defense from Harun Boys. Especially the play with the pivot Ferdinand

O.

became more and more effective and we scored several goals from the

circle. With a 13:8 victory we secured the 3rd place of the Malaysian

Handball Championship.

Team and scoreboard: Ferdinand D. 4, Ferdinand O. 4, Remi, Louis 2,

Romain, Han 2, Simon 1, Vincent, Nikesh, Ingwar

Special thanks to Nikesh who helped us out as the goalkeeper for this

two matches.

Besides the medals we also got a  RM250 price money. The plan is to use

it for a BBQ on 13. July. Make a note in your calender. More

 information

about location and how will follow.

Great matches and a great fun today,

Thanks guys,

Ferdinand

And STARS Collide.....

2007-06-25T22:53:00.000+08:00

Semi Final 1 : Vanilla Stars vs KL Stars

Blogger's note :

First match of the day against the KL Stars. A team we've played against before....and lost. Heard we're gonna be without Thomas and Nicolas and Guilliame and Gonzague again.

Match is only 10 minutes per half. 20 minutes for a semi-final match?????!!!! What the heck? Thats less a half in a proper tournament! Louis, you're gonna have to re-produce the last 10 minutes of our previous match from the very beginning this time. That will open chances for the rest of the team as well. We can't afford to let our guard down. Crisp and sharp passes. It is an all-or-nothing match.

I think quite a bit of emphasis has been placed on the standard of refereeing in general. Might turn out to be a good match after all.

P.S. Romain!!!! Abstinence for one night!!! No partying on Saturday night!!!!!! No beer too!!! If I'm not mistaken, our match is at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning! haha
P.P.S. Not sure if this post will do us good. Just a reminder to keep us psyched up I suppose.

Pre- SEA Games Update

2007-06-17T09:11:00.000+08:00

I received a report from Mr. Ng Num Thiam who is the current Malaysian National Coach and also secretary of the MAHA ( Malaysian Amateur Handball Association ).

"Subjek: Result of Pre-SEA Games handball competition with Thailand from 15-16 June 2007

Good news from the Malaysia handball men's team in Thailand! The Pre-SEA Games handball competition with Thailand team in Bangkok yesterday gave us a high sprit of "Malaysia Boleh" when the men's team thrashed the Thai national team with a score of 41-22.
A total of 17 players and 2 officers headed by national handball coach, Mr.Ng Num Thiam, and team manager, Mr. Wong Yung Seng, said the team had been formed since last year's national handball league and national handball championship.From the 17 players took part in the Pre-SEA games competition, 80% are new faces, only 3 players from the last Vietnam SEA Games remain in the squad.
According to Mr.Ng, the players are under the 2nd phase of training now interverly on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at OCM/NSI.
The top scorers in yesterday matches were Ler Thiam Huat, Liang Gin Hua, Toh Yip Fatt and Muhd Khairul Hafidzin Wahab where each of them scored 8 goals each.The 2 goalkeepers also performed well were Raymond Tan Chiau Hee and Teh Hup Heng.
The second matches was played this morning with the score of 34-17, also won by Malaysian team.Our players were given the opportunity to try at various position with strategies that will be used during the coming SEA games in December.
We had observed the strong and weak points of the oppornent and will correct our weak points as well.Hopefully this early matches can inspire and give us a high moral support to our teams that had targeted to go into the final in the SEA games 2007 in Bangkok.
The next pre-SEA Games matches will be with the Singapore teams on 8 July 2007.Good luck Malaysia.
NG NUM THIAM
National handball coach. "

Blogger's note :

I wasn't there to watch the match. So I can't comment. But if this is a gauge of what is to come, I would say the the Malaysian team has improved much.

Will put up more when I am updated.

Vanilla Stars vs KL Stars

2007-06-17T09:02:00.000+08:00

Match-up of stars? Apparently not!

Again the match report by Ferdi :

"Hi Vanilla Stars,

One good half wasn't enough against KL Star to
win the match. KL Star beat us by 24:19. Especially in
the first half we had difficulties to
break their 3:2:1 defence and score our share of goals.
With Thomas sick we were missing our usual left-handed
fire power from the center right position. Louis tried
to fill his space, but we felt it that this wasn't his
natural position. In addition the chances we had we missed to goal
or were saved by the KL Star goal keeper. Eventhough
our defense was good with Ingvar as  our hijacked
goalkeeper we soon were trailing behind KL Star. The
first five minutes the scores was still balanced with 4:4,
but than the goal drought started and we were trailing
a 14:5 behind KL Star at half time. In addition Nicolas
got injured and wasn't able to play anymore. The signs
didn't look so good for the second half.

However our attack improved and we were able to reduce
the score difference goal by goal. Ferdinand started
of with a few nice goals from 9 m and Louis, now
playing at his usual center left position, found his way
through the KL Star defence and scored 4 goals in a row.
Still the high goal difference from the first half  was
too high to turn this match around and KL Star
deserved the victory.

Scoreboard: Ferdinand D. 6, Louis 4, Romain 8, Nicolas 1,
Ferdinand O.,Remi, Gonzague, Simon, Ingvar, Han

Looking at the results from the other matches we are still
on track for the semi-finals. Gombak lost against Kinta
which makes us equal on points but we have the better
goal difference.

Standing after 8 matches:

1. KL Star         8-0-0        16 pts

2. Kinta             7-1-1        15 pts

3. Harun Boys   4-2-2         10 pts

4. Vanilla Stars  4-1-3           9 pts

5. Gombak        4-1-3          9 pts

6. Cempaka      4-0-4           8 pts

7. UPSI            3-1-4           7 pts

8. Magnasoul    2-1-5            5 pts

Pemuda and UTHOM have withdrawn already.

This week no training. To many feel the strain of the
long and hard season;-) Keep you updated when the next
training is planned.

Next matches:

Sunday, 24.06.07 at 2pm against UPSI (last league game)
Sunday, 01.07.07 two matches (semi-final and final).
Exact time not clear yet

Please mark them in your calender. Looks like we are
going to miss Nicolas, Gonzague and Guillaume for these
two matches already.

Talk to you later,

Ferdinand"

Blogger's note :

Not sure what to say guys. Total breakdown in the first half. A highlight of the game has to be Loius's performance. Huge difference compared to the previous game. Keep it up!

Random

2007-06-04T01:21:00.000+08:00

Random.

Been busy lately. Lack of updates etc. 2 more matches to go. Will wait to see if we make the semi-finals of the Malaysian National Handball League. Paediatrics is fun.

Pics from National Irish League 2006/2007 :

St Pats vs Dagda
(notice the defense. tough defense from the FRONT!! face-to-face confrontation. not cheap shots from the side or from the back. no arm pulling. )

Jakub ( St Pats ) takes shot.
Notice the defense ( no hacking from behind!!! esp. when the opponent is in the air! )

2007 Irish National Handball League Champions!
Beat Dagda 27-26 in a pulsating final

UCD Handball Team 2006/2007

Tor taking a shot on a fast break during one of league matches. Defending him is Marco Volt (ex-Estonian national player). Notice the size of a proper handball court (UCD Sports Center). Makes a difference in offense and defense.

Saint Patrick's Handball Club 2006/2007 Irish National Handball League Champions

Vanilla Stars vs Magnasoul

2007-05-18T23:42:00.000+08:00

"Dear Vanilla Stars,

an easy victory on last Sunday against Magnasoul improves our goal score.
With Thomas, Louis, Nicolas and Ferdinand we capitalized on our physical
advantage and cruised to 34:11 victory. The only scare we had was in the
beginning as we weren't sure whether we would have enough players to
start due to the fact that the match was brought forward by one hour and
not all players got the message in time. Fortunately Guillaume D. was
willing to play goalkeeper until Guillaume L. arrived and his experiences
as an ice hockey keeper helped us to start with a 7:1 lead within ten
minutes.  Magnasoul had no answer to our fire power from our center back
positions which and we went into halftime with a very comfortable 18:4 lead.

In the meanwhile Simon and Guillaume L. have arrived and soon where
contributing to our victory. Simon started to open the scoring on the
right wing while Guillaume L. continued with the excellent goalkeeping
Guillaume D. has started with. Also Nicolas used his chances and scored
a few goals from the pivot position. In the second half we continued to
increase our lead to 20 goals at 28:8 with ten minutes before we finished
the match with 34:11.

Score board: Ferdinand D.: 5,  Ferdinand O.: 3, Nicolas: 6,
Remi: 1, Thomas: 8, Simon: 5, Louis: 6, Nicolei

Next training: Coming Wednesday, 7pm to 8pm at Wisma OCM

Next match is on Sunday, 27.05. against UTHOM

go Vanilla Stars Go,

Ferdinand"


Blogger's note :

Sorry for lack of updates recently. Been really busy with my pediatric rotation.
The injury has also kept me from doing strenuous activity.
Keep it up guys. Excellent so far. Hope to see you all again soon.

Goalkeeping 2

2007-04-24T21:17:00.000+08:00

How To Position Yourself In The Goal

Assume the basic stance whenever an opponent has possession of the ball within shooting distance of the goal. The stance is similar to a court player's defensive stance. Stand tall with your feet shoulderwidth apart and knees flexed. Your weight should be slightly forward on the balls of your feet and evenly distributed. Keep your arms up and elbows bent with your hands either shoulder or waist high. You will adjust your hands according to the type of shot and your personal preference.

Your movement should provide maximum protection of the goal at all times. Pay particular attention to guarding the short corners of the goal. These are the top and bottom corners closest to the attacker with the ball. Because the attacker is closer to them, the short corners are easier to shoot at than other parts of the goal. For this reason it is important to stay between the attacker with the ball and the short corners. This will force him to take a more difficult shot, which decreases the chance of scoring.

Be aware of the entire offensive situation, but keep your eyes on the attacking player and the ball. Move laterally along an imaginary arc between the two goal posts. Do not move directly along the goal line. A good rule of thumb is to start in the center of the goal, one step out of the goal line. From this position, however, there is no way you can see the goalposts. You must learn to sense where you are in relation to the goal opening. Having your hands up between your shoulders and waist will help you locate the goalposts and determine your position. As the ball is passed from player to player, uses short, quick shuffle steps to mirror the movement of the ball. Be ready to change direction at any time. Paying attention to the defense, the developing offensive situation, and the ball helps you anticipate when and where a shot will be taken.

P.S. Easy to say, slightly more difficult to do. Will try to put pictures with the posts the next time.
P.P.S. Next post, "Blocking Shots".

Vanilla Stars vs Kinta

2007-04-24T20:52:00.000+08:00

What a match it proved to be!!

Ferdi has the report :

"Dear Vanilla Stars,

today's match showed us what is Handball all about: "Passion, excitement, great moves
,tactics, important goals and fighting spirit". The match wasn't for the weak or the
faint-hearted. With the equalizer scored in the last three seconds we were able to
draw against Kinta and still leaves us the door open for the semi-finals.

From  the beginning  we knew that this match wouldn't be an easy one and would
require all our skills. Kinta displayed a tactical clever attack and also a solid
defense. With grouping their attacking players at the wings they opened up our
defense in the center and their right and left center back were able to find their
way through to score their share of goals. Therefore not surprisingly they took an
early lead. Only after we took an early time out we got our guts together and we
started to drive the ball and played out our chances. Also our defense became more
solid. Soon we took the lead, which we could extend to 11:8, but a lack of
concentration in the last couple of minutes reduced our advantage to 11:10 at
half-time.

Second half started similar to the first. Kinta took the lead and from there onwards
the lead changed between us and Kinta. No team was able to set off more than two
goals. In the final minute we had a draw 22:22 and Kinta was attacking. Again their
center right troubled our defense and banged a cracker into our net. With only half
a minute to go we had only one chance to equalize. The ball was hurried to the
middle and soon passed to the left wing. From there the ball came to Han who
bravely charged into the Kinta defense. They were only able to stop him via a heavy
foul, which resulted into a penalty for us. The clock showed only 5 seconds when
Romain took the ball and sink it unstoppable into Kinta's goal to secure a draw for
us.

Team & Score board:

Ferdinand D.     6

Ferdinand O.     2

Nicolas          1(?) (I thought he scored 2)

Remi             2

Thomas           1

Han              1

Romain           5

Simon            1

Louis            4

Vincent

Guillaume    (Goalkeeper)

Next match is on 13.05. against Magnasoul.

Next training is on coming Wednesday, 25.04., from 7pm to 8pm at Wisma OCM.

Go Vanilla Stars Go,

Ferdinand "

Blogger’s note :

Was a really enjoyable match. Referees were consistent. Both teams were made of experienced players. Hard attacking, tougher defending. Thanks lots to team Kinta. We might just meet again. Also thanks lots to the referees.
Speaking of the referee-ing, just a small, small comment. I can’t understand the rational for some of the referees’ decisions. E.g. When Vanilla Stars are on the attack, Kinta come out to defend. They manage to stop the Vanilla Star player from advancing. Why is it then a ‘free-in’( or should I say ‘free-out’ ) to Kinta? Shouldn’t it be ‘free-in’ to Vanilla Star so that they start the ball again from 9-meter? There was no ‘travel’, no ‘illegal dribbling’ etc, in short no fouls! So why should Kinta get the ball? Another minor detail is that it would be good if the referees made their hand signals clearer (and correct). It became quite confusing especially when teams wanted to start a fastbreak or re-start the game immediately. I’m not complaining though!!! The referees were consistent!! The same happened for Kinta too.
To Vanilla Stars, just an observation. I think Ferdinand D. was right when he kept asking us to drive the ball more. Our drives died after a few passes, sometimes after only 2 passes!! Every time we kept it simple and drove the ball, it nearly always resulted in a goal. I take my share of the responsibility. Sorry bout that guys. Another thing is that it was my responsibility to stop Kinta’s Right Center Back. Spoke to Ferdi after the match. Realized that I could have stopped him most times. Should have been experienced enough to realize it during the match. Apologies. Won’t happen again.
About team Kinta. Guys, Kinta had only one bench player while we had a full team. We have to also bear in mind that many of the old hands from team Kinta were absent from the game. I didn’t see many of my old friends. I am not sure if the players we saw are the only players that will be playing for the rest of the League. I highly doubt that. It would be good to keep it in mind.

P.S. Internet connection a bit slow today. Will load pictures next time.

Goalkeeping 1

2007-04-16T20:47:00.000+08:00

Goalkeeping. A specialized skill not everyone can hone. Most, if not all goalkeepers in Malaysia do not have proper coaches to guide them. Most goalies come from a variety of backgrounds e.g. futsal or basketball. Famous soccer goalkeepers who trained their reflexes by being shot-stoppers in handball teams include Peter Schmeichel ( famous for his star-shaped jump to cover as much of the goal as possible, allowing him to excel in one-on-one situations) and Petr Cech.

Goalkeepers in team handball have to cope with shots coming at them at speeds of up to and over 80mph. It requires all their courage, skill, and exceptional reflexes to stop the ball from entering the net. Goalies are always at a disadvantage.

Why is goalkeeping important?

A poor goalie can make a good team mediocre, and a good goalie can make a mediocre team competitive. Not only are you the last line of defense but also the first attacker in offense because of the responsibility of initiating the fastbreak. Your effectiveness greatly affects the psychological state of your teammates, and your overall performance is considerable influence to team success. Regardless of your success or failure, you must be a leader and display the qualities of confidence, composure, and courage.

Next post : How To Position Yourself In The Goal.

Back To Basics

2007-04-16T20:31:00.000+08:00

I thought I'd post a few things to do with playing handball.

Many of us lack the fundamentals of playing in a specific position. What are the wingers supposed to do in a game? What is the optimum position for a goalkeeper when attempting to block a shot from the wing?

I have to emphasize that everything posted is for personal use only. A few of the posts will be based on experience, information on other posts have been gathered from different sources. Hope they are useful, especially to my fellow Malaysians.

P.S. I'll try to include a few tactical plays in the near future.

P.P.S. Again I have to say, I only blog when I feel like it.

P.P.P.S. Also, I DO NOT claim to be an expert in team handball!!

Vanilla Stars VS Cempaka

2007-04-16T00:18:00.000+08:00

Again we have to thank Ferdinand for the match report.

"Dear Vanilla Stars,

great match today.

Finally we played the game we wanted to play all the time. Calm, concentrated, converted our chances and with brilliant goalkeeping by Guillaume we played a very good defense. Therefore we were able to cruise to a clear 29:11 victory over Cempaka.

This time we were awake from the beginning and immediately took the lead, which we never gave up until the end. Driving the ball opened up a lot of chances for us and their offensive 5:1 defense played to our strength. We had a balanced squad and from every position we scored. This time it helped us that we had substitutes and everybody could get a rest and their share of play.

The game went into half-time with a 14:8 lead for us and with the start of the second half we continued from where we stopped before the break. With the time passing our defense became more and more invincible and we blocked most of the distance shots from Cempaka. What passed us was collected by Guillaume. Romain and Ferdinand were also able to steal one or the other ball and therefore Cempaka scored only three more goals in the second half.

Sorry no score board this time.

Unfortunately the incident, which happened after the match leaves a bit of a bitter taste to our victory. It is still unclear to me what provoke the referee like that and what led him make such bold statements. I am surprised that we are considered as Expats know-it-all. Looks like showing your emotions during the match the same way as you do in a European league is interpreted differently here in Malaysia. Anyway we need to see what happens in the next matches.

Next training is scheduled for coming Wednesday, 18.04.07 from 7pm to 8pm at Wisma OCM (double confirmed this time).Plan to have another training coming Saturday. Let you know about time and location.

See you,

Ferdinand"

Blogger's Note :

1. Thanks for the match guys. I think my having not touched a ball for the last 2 months showed during the match today. Slow reaction plus indecisiveness. Hope it'll be different when we play Kinta next week. So sorry for missing the last 2 matches. Heard you guys had barely enough to make a full team and ran your asses off for 50 minutes.

2. A referee losing his temper just because a player shows emotions is a sign of a lack of confidence in the referee's own refereeing ability. Thomas has refereed in France. I have refereed in the Irish National League, been a table-official for the 2005 European Challenge Trophy and also the 2003 Special Olympics ( I hate to mention these, and I have always avoided talking about it, I do not mean to belittle anyone but due to circumstances today I am forced to say that I do not know anyone else in Malaysia who has been exposed to this level of play ) . We all know that no referee is perfect, but to lose one's temper over such a trivial matter? I would suggest that if a player complains too much on the court, just give him '2 minutes'. Send him to cool off. If there is anything to discuss, do it after the match.

3. Bold claims by the referee.

We are in Malaysia, we play by Malaysian rules
I'll make sure you don't get to play again next year
Go play in your own country

Sigh...here we go again. Always the "Malaysian Rules". What are the Rules of Handball that Malaysia follow? Are they different from those set by the International Handball Federation? Do you mean that all these years our referees only know the so-called "Malaysian Rules"? Do the referees know the difference between good/legal defence and dangerous play? Any of our referees actually played handball before? Have any of them refereed outside Malaysia? Do any of them DARE to referee outside Malaysia? Will any of our local teams succeed outside Malaysia? I think not. I have played in Italy, albiet at the lower levels. I can safely say that most under-16 clubs in Italy will trash our men's national team. Sad but true.

" I'll make sure you don't get to play next year. " " Go play in your own country." The Vanilla Stars are a team that have been there and done that. Most of us have already played overseas. We are playing together in Malaysia because we like the game, and we are happy that the organizers have allowed us to participate in the league. We don't have anything to prove. We play to get a good game, and if we can win while we're at it, why not?

4. In the last few games, the only grouses we have are that the referees do not protect the players. Players are being pulled back by their shooting arm, or even dragged from behind while in the air, and nothing is being done to the culprit. This is dangerous play and can seriously harm a player.

5. Well guys, guess in a way we can only respect the referee ( respecting his decisions is another matter ) and try not to complain too much. We can't change the way we play definitely because we're not doing anything wrong. If they wanna ban us, well nothing much we can do about it too. Just see how things go.

SECOND LOSS!!!!!!

2007-04-02T14:04:00.000+08:00

Vanilla Stars vs Gombak

Again the match report by Ferdi :

"Dear Vanilla Stars,

looks like we still have a fare bit to go before we can show a solid performance over the whole length of a match. 15 minutes in the second half wasn't enough to secure a victory and therefore the Gombak team run away with a 25:23 victory.

The start was already woody as Romain, Ferdinand and Thomas tested the post and cross-bar with some wood-cracking shots, but unfortunately Gombak utilized on our lack of converting our chances and lead immediately 3:0. From there the whole first half we were always trailing one or two goals. Our defence was the weak point in this phase and we conceded easy goals from the wings. Also our 6:0 starting formation wasn't the chinese wall as we planned and some distance shot found there way into our goal. After changing to a 5:1 formation we could at least limit the goals from Gombak's distance shots.

Luckily our attack improved and it was also relatively easy for us to score our goals. Easy driving of the ball, starting from the wings, provided good distance shooting possibilities for the center or center left/right. Thomas was able to capitalize on these opportunities and kept us going at this stage. Though it wasn't enough to take the lead and therefore we went into the break with a 12:15 for Gombak.

It seemed the break brought some fresh concentration to us and suddenly our defense was solid and the conversion of our chances increased. Soon we leveled the score and took over the lead. Again driving the ball from the wings provided us the chances. In addition Romain had some good actions on teh right wing and scored his share of goals in this phase. After 15 minutes in the second half we were leading by 21:17. But suddenly our concentration was gone and we became too easy going. Chances were missed and the defence lacked the bite of the first 15 minutes. Additionally the referees had some decisions, which weren't in our favor and suddenly Gombak leveled again. The last five minutes became hectic and we tried to defend our lead with force instead playing out our chances. Gombak used this for a few fast breaks which finally saved them the victory.

At this stage I like to say thank you to Antoine who supported us in this match as goalkeeper. he adapted fast to the game and did a good job as rookie to handball.

Players in this match and goals :

Ferdinand D. (2)

Ferdinand O. (3)

Nicholas (2)

Thomas (9)

Romain (7)

Simon

Antoine (GK)

Nicolei

Vincent

Other news:

Training is canceled for coming Wednesday, 21.03.07!!! OCM needs the arena for a different function
Next training is scheduled for Wednesday, 28.03.07 from 7pm to 8pm at OCM. I'll look for an additional training slot on 31.03. at SportPlaza, PJ. I'll confirm time by end of this week
Next matches are on 15.04.07 against Cempaka and 22.04.07 against Kinta

Please try to free some time for the trainings.

Go Vanilla Stars, Go

Ferdi "

Blogger's note :

We can't afford any more losses.

L-R:Marini, Tina, Asmiza, Sani, pyh

(A&E ward in Penang GH)

FIRST LOSS!!!

2007-02-27T07:15:00.000+08:00

Summary of the match against Harun Boys by Ferdinand :

" Hi Vanilla Stars,

Unfortunately the match didn't turned out as we planned it to be. Even

though every player gave his best, it was not enough to bring home a

victory. Haruna boys had 14 players whereas we started with 8 players

where one got already injured after five minutes. This meant the rest

of the players had to play through the remaining time and the stamina

wasn't strong enough to turn the game around to our advantage and we

lost finally 28:25.

Chinese New Year and its holiday season left his marks and it was clear

that we will have a shortage of players for this match. Therefore I

would like to say a big thank you to Seyed, (goalkeeper) , Nicholei and

Inglewar, who helped us to fill our ranks on a short notice.

Considering that Seyed never new and played handball before, Nicolei has

still many years as junior ahead and Inglewar wanted to be only our

substitute they did a great job. Also a special thanks to Roland who

arrived from a business trip this morning and came nearly straight from

the airport to the OCM building. Unfortunately he picked up an injury early

in the game, which sidelined him for the rest of the match. Roland, hope the

injury isn't so serious and I wish you all the best.

Harun boys got a better start and took a 3:0 lead as we still struggled

the first few minutes in organizing ourselves. Roland than opened the

scoring for us and we were able to equalize. Though we had our chances,

but we didn't capitalize on them and therefore we were soon trailing a

2 to 3 goal lead of Harun boys. Just before halftime we could shorten the

difference to one goal, but a few small unfocused moments let Harun

boys took a 13:11 lead into halftime.

Again Harun boys got a better start into the second half and even had

very quickly a five goal lead (16:11). With a team effort we fought

back and could again catch up to a one goal difference (17:16), but now

the game took its toll and not much power was left in us for the last 15

 minutes of the match. Easy goals were scored now on both sides and

Harun boys finally utilized on their advantage that they could change and

rest their players whereas we had to play most of the match without

substitute. Nevertheless we put up a good fight with some good moves

and nice goals even though we never played or trained before in this

formation.

Scoreboard: Ferdi D.: 4, Romain: 13, Ferdi O.: 5, Roland, Gonzague and

Nicholei 1 each "

Blogger's note :

To Vanilla Stars :

So sorry I wasn't able to make it for the game. Due to exams I'll be missing the next game as well.

Just a note to say that based on results last year, both Kinta and KL Stars are very unlikely to drop any games ( apart from the occasion when they play against each other ) enroute to the finals.

We'll want to make sure they lose their games when they play against us!!!

Vanilla Stars VS Pemuda

2007-02-13T09:44:00.000+08:00

The arrival of Vanilla Stars in Wisma OCM caused quite a stir. Other teams had only heard that there would be a team made up of ‘foreigners’ participating in the League this year. It was made worse when they realized that the team had a local amongst them. This local was recognized by some as a member of team Kinta last year. Team Kinta incidentally took second place in the 2006 League.

The match started without much ceremony. Handshakes between both teams, greetings exchanged. As this was the first match Vanilla Stars were playing together, it took a few minutes for the players to click. The ball exchanged hands a few times, going up and down the court. Vanilla Star’s Right-half tried to draw first blood. Unfortunately his attempt from 9 meters clashed against the post with a resounding “clang”, drawing “ooohs” from the crowd.

A few minutes more and Vanilla Stars began to find their groove. In a short span of time it was 5-0 to Vanilla Stars. 10 minutes before half-time and Vanilla Stars were 10 – 6 up. Out of the blue there was a lapse in concentration. This allowed Pemuda to score on a number of hard shots from 8 meters. It wasn’t helped by bad passing from Vanilla Stars allowing Pemuda to capitalize on the turnovers. At least 3 goals were given to them on a silver platter resulting from fastbreaks. Half-time ended with Pemuda having the upper hand leading 11 – 10.

The match resumed with Pemuda being allowed to extend their lead to 13 -11. Vanilla Stars called for a much needed time-out. After the 1 minute break, Vanilla Stars started to play a better passing game. Goalkeeper from Vanilla Stars was kept busy. He even managed 2 pointblank saves snuffing out the danger that resulted from Pemuda’s fastbreak attempt. A change from 6-0 defense to 5 – 1 proved effective. Fluid passing and better placement of shots allowed Vanilla Stars to troop out the victors. Final score 22 – 16.

A special mention has to go out to the goalkeepers from both teams. Goalkeeper from Pemuda did a good job, making some excellent saves in the process. Unfortunately, his heroics weren’t enough to prevent defeat. Vanilla Stars did not have a goalkeeper initially and it was the cause of slight anxiety. One of the team members had to offer himself. We threw him into the deep end of the pool and he did really well on the first day of the job. I think Vanilla Stars just found their goalkeeper.

Blogger’s comments :

The match was slightly marred by verbal confrontations between certain players from both teams. This was a result of controversial calls ( or rather failure to call ) on the part of the referees. For those who had the opportunity to witness the match, it is to be noted that none of the Vanilla Stars were called for illegal defense.

VANILLA STARS!!!

2007-02-13T09:26:00.000+08:00

THEY WEAR PINK!!!!!!

Top ( L-R ) : Thomas , Nicholas, Guilliame, Ferdinand, Gonzague

Bottom ( L-R ) : pyh, Remi, Romain, Ferdinand

The latest team to join the National Handball League. The Vanilla Stars are a team made up of ex-pats who want to play handball in Malaysia with a local face added in for extra spice. Team members come from different parts of the world i.e. Sweden, Germany, France, Argentina and… Malaysia.

Blogger’s comments :

The only people I met from team Kinta were Kamilee and Chan Seng. Didn’t get the chance to meet up with my old friends. Team Kinta played the first match of the day while we played the final match. Hope all of you are doing well. Looking forward to playing against you guys later in the League. Would be a good game don’t you think? =)

P.S.

It is a rare opportunity that we get a team consisting of players who come from traditional handball playing countries. France, Germany, Sweden etc are traditional handball powerhouses that feature prominently in international tournaments e.g. Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships. Most of the players from Vanilla Stars have played at a level higher than our Malaysian National League. All the players from Vanilla Stars have been exposed to a level of handball higher than the Malaysian National League. They (except for the local ) come from countries where our national players would not even make their youth teams.

One thing I have to point out about the Malaysians is that we do not have enough exposure. It is sad but true. There is not much point in watching World Championship games when we do not even know the basics of proper defense. Players in the World Championships are so good that the referees are there just to supervise the technicalities. World level players very, very seldom commit the fouls we see in our local scene. Thus, watching the World Championships wouldn’t give us a realistic glimpse of what to expect.

In our local scene, we still see players being hacked from behind. Shooting arms are pulled, fastbreaks are being chased down with opponents deliberately being tugged from behind etc. all these normally result in a 7 meter shot and punishment handed to the culprit. Not in Malaysia. Referees hesitate to blow the whistle!! Some claim that here in Malaysia, we play by Malaysian rules!!!! Huh???!!! And we are expected to deliver medals in international tournaments?!

What good is it if someone becomes the top scorer in the Malaysian League, yet 50% of the goals come from taking 4 steps or more? If the referee doesn’t spot it, the player won’t realize it. When we meet teams or referees that are more observant ( as in international matches ), our goal tally drops by half! Then we face a tougher defense than we are used to, the goal tally drops even further. What is left?

We now have the chance to observe a team like Vanilla Stars play. Wouldn’t it make sense to observe and learn as much as possible?

Don’t concentrate solely on beating the team of ‘foreigners’. We take what we know is correct, apply it to ourselves, and go out guns-ablazing. Wouldn’t that be true “ Malaysia Boleh” ?

MALAYSIAN NATIONAL HANDBALL LEAGUE 2007

2007-02-13T09:24:00.000+08:00

Kejohanan Liga Bola Baling Kebangsaan 2007

The Malaysian National Handball League of 2007 has started. Matches began on the 11^th of February at Wisma OCM ( situated along Jalan Hang Jebat, next to MABA ).

The teams :

Men’s :

1. Kinta 2. UPSI 3. Kutho 4. Magnasoul 5. KL Star 6. Gombak 7. Cempaka 8. Harun Boy 9. Vanilla Stars 10. Pemuda

Women’s :

1. Libra 2. UKM 3. LION 4. UIA 5. Cempaka 6. Gombak 7. Kutho 8. Harun Girl 9. MSSMKL 10. UPSI

Match dates are :

25/02/07

18/03/07

15/04/07

22/04/07

13/05/07

27/05/07

10/06/07

24/06/07

01/07/07 – Semi-finals and Finals

* Recap of last year. KL Star emerged as champions with Kinta coming in second.

UPDATES - from MAHF

2006-11-13T20:44:00.000+08:00

NATIONAL HANDBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Date : 12th -14th December
Venue : OCM Building

* 8 states have confirmed participation.

** The 2007 National League has been scheduled to start in January 2007.

*** More updates on both events soon.

Comments?

2006-11-01T00:41:00.000+08:00

In response to "ball-catcher"'s comment on the 19th of August 2006.

In summary, what "ball-catcher" said :

Not enough is done to promote the game locally
IHF rules must be implemented during local games
Overall attitude of players on the court depend on the match organisers and team managers
As a former national player in the 2003 SEA Games he feels:

a part-time coach is not sufficient
the team manager was not supportive of the players
crappy training venues during the build-up to SEA Games
unrealistic expectations placed on the players
blame game when expectations not met
lack of financial support

I do not feel that "ball-catcher"'s comments are unfounded. Ask anyone around you. Not many would know what bola baling is. You get blank stares when you say you play handball. Some might give you a knowing look then ask if it is the game 'played against the wall'.

What is team handball or bola baling as it is known in Malaysia? Check it out here.

In truth, bola baling is usually played only until Secondary School level. Where the ultimate would be the MSSM ( Majlis Sukan Sekolah-sekolah Malaysia ) tourney. After secondary school, barring a few scattered "tournaments", handball fades into the distance. In recent years, there have been more tournaments organised e.g. the recently concluded National League. Yet much more can be done to promote the sport among the masses. Getting the public interested would also mean getting their support. When more people support the sport, more can be done at grassroot level in developing the sport in this country. How can that be done? My best guess would be via the media. International matches could be shown, articles published. Not forgetting our local players as well, more recognition could be given to them, more write-ups done about them. Many among our local players are professionals ( not in handball, but are engineers, successful businessmen, teachers etc. ) and can serve as role models.

It is true that in our local tournaments many of the referees are not fully able to implement the rules as drawn up by the IHF. Whether it is due to ignorance or incompetence we do not know. But the fact of the matter is that if the rules are not implemented properly during games our system of play will be stunted. Our play will be confined to the wimps and fancies of these referees!

Touching slightly on the 2003 SEA Games comment. It is not easy getting a qualified coach. Even if a coach were found for us, how many of us will be able to commit ourselves? That brings us to the topic of financial support. I do now know how much funding the Malaysian Amateur Handball Association (MAHF) gets from the Sports Ministry. I do realise that because bola baling is such a small sport in Malaysia funding might not be much. Yet it has come to the stage where there are reports of national handball trainees having to bring their own maggi mee packets to cook and eat after training sessions. These players come from different walks of life. Many sacrifice their work day just to turn up for a training session. Perhaps, perhaps more could be done in terms of financial support for the players?

Team handball is a slow growing sport in Malaysia. In has been around for sometime but its growth has been stunted. We are nowhere near the level of our neighbours Thailand or Vietnam. It is unfair to expect a gold or silver from the SEA Games. Not if things carry on the way they are. If anything the SEA Games can only be used as a stepping stone for the Malaysian National Team to learn and improve. If we were deprived of the opportunity to play in the SEA Games just because we do not bring back the gold or silver, progress in this particular sport will never happen.

I am not making excuses for below par performances by the players. What I mean is that the handball event of the SEA Games is actually the lowest level of any international handball tournament in Asia at the moment. We do not even dare to dream of participation in the handball event of the Asian Games. We'd be slaughtered. We have to start small. But at least we get to start somewhere.

Again I have to say that we do have good referees. As proven in the recently concluded National League. Ideally, much more could be done to develop the sport. Perhaps the MAHF could take note of "ball-catcher"'s comments?

P.S. The management of Malaysian Handball has changed over the years. It does seem that more is being done now to develop the sport.

University College Dublin Men's Olympic Handball Team

2006-10-26T22:29:00.000+08:00

UCD 1st team (2005/2006):
Top ( L-R ) : Emilliano Guevera, Yaz Ebramjee, Oisin O Brannagain, Pit, Tor Austed , Robert Hamm
Bottom ( L-R ) : Andrea Ongaro, Greg Bendelac, Jean-Francois, Andre, Lutz, pyh

Short Introduction : Emi - former Argentinian National Team, Yaz - Mauritius, Oisin - Irish National Team, Pit - Latvian National League Div 1 ( 10th toughest league in the world ), Tor - former Norwegian League Div 1, Robert - Germany, Andrea - Italy, Greg - France, Jean-Francois - France, Andre - Latvia, Lutz - Germany

Random....

2006-10-26T20:40:00.000+08:00

A little behind in posting. Not much news on the local scene so far. Latest is that the Malaysian Handball Open 2006 will be held soon.

I wonder about the progress of Malaysian handball. In international tournaments, as far as I know, we have not won a single match yet.

Brings me to the point of this current post. In 2003 national Men's and Women's teams from Thailand were in Malaysia for an exhibition match. Malaysia lost both matches. At that time, the Thai players were better than their Malaysian counterparts. Yes, they were better organised. They had better skills. They were fitter and faster. Yet, they were no where near proper international level.

Fast forward to the year 2006. I cannot claim to be an expert on the international handball scene. I was surprised to see this article.

ARG-THA 2006-08-15

After the debut two days ago, the Thai girls proved stronger both in defence and attack in their second WC appearance against Pan-American representatives ARG. A small number of goals were scored in the first half. Enthusiasm and speedy attacks even brought a 12:10 half-time lead including six goals alone by Sriruksa. But when play resumed ARG remained at the wheel concluding four counter-attacks to break away 16:13. Thailand was visibly tired suffering from a nine-goal difference in the very end (21:30).

Thailand in the Youth World Championship? Losing to South American powerhouse Argentina by only 9 goals??!! And this is already their SECOND World Championship appearance!

While playing in Ireland, I had a team-mate who was a former Argentinian national player. He was already in his mid-thirties but his courtsense was astounding. The Irish Olympic Handball League is still in its growing years and is no where near Bundesliga or even Serie A level. There are former Estonian, French, Latvian and Russian national players plying their trade there. Other foreign contries represented include : Malaysia ( yours truly ), Egypt, Norway, Lebanon, Spain, Mauritius, Japan. Not to mention the Irish National Team, plus the occasional Algerian professional, Bundesliga and Serie A player make the league a pretty competent one. This particular Argentinian led the league in steals and assists for a number of years.

Back to my orginal point.. when are we going to be able to make real progress? Other countries are already pulling ahead. We do have the facilities. Courts, gym equipment, fitness personel...perhaps what we lack are good coaches. We have locals claiming they have been in the sport for the last 20 years. By that they feel they are justified to coach or referee. The thing is that at what level have you been involved in handball? School? District? State? From what I see, our womens' teams have not made any progress in the last 3 years.

Our mens' teams are no different. Yes, there has been slight improvement. Yet overall there is a lack of structure in attack. In defence there is really much to wish for.

Are we actually willing to learn from others?

P.S. We also have to take into consideration the fact that Malaysian players are not full-time. Nearly all have other commitments e.g. school, putting food on the table...
P.P.S. Not much is done in terms of financial incentives by the sporting bodies.

DeepaRaya

2006-10-26T20:37:00.000+08:00

A little late in coming...but all the same...

Selamat Hari Raya and Happy Deepavali.

Malaysian Handball League 2006

2006-09-11T10:41:00.000+08:00

The Malaysian Handball League for the year ended yesterday with the Men's and Women's Semi-finals and Finals respectively. The League brought together different handball clubs and associations from all over the country to compete over 4 months. Most of the clubs were composed mainly of their state players. The League is also part of an ongoing process to select potential candidates for the handball event in the 2007 SEA Games.

The Men's Finals was between KL Star and Team Kinta.

KL Star and Kinta have met once in the league a few weeks ago. The game ended in a school yard brawl and both teams had the game forfeited. The situation then could have been handled in a better fashion by the match officials. The culprits got away literally unscathed.

The game started at 2.30pm. KL Star came roaring out of the blocks with a succession of hard shots from 9 meters. Kinta were on the back paddle in that short burst of KL Star's energy. KL Star hit 3 past the Kinta goalkeeper in a space of 6 minutes. Kinta's normally solid defence was rendered porous. Kinta tried to wake up from their slumber and managed to keep out KL Star's onslaught for the next few waves. It just wasn't Kinta's day as their best attacking opportunity on the fastbreak was muffed and hit the post with only the goalkeeper to beat. After that KL Star took the opportunity and hit another 3 goals past a hapless Kinta goalkeeper.
Being down 6-0 in a space of 12 minutes probably pricked the slumbering giants of Kinta. Kinta began to play harder but not smarter. The goal came off a Kinta attack disrupted by the KL defence on the 6 meter. Kinta's hardworking right-winger cut across from his position and managed to knock the ball into the KL goal. A minute before half-time and Kinta was able to get the ball into the back of KL's net. No. 13 from Kinta made amends for his earlier fastbreak miss and managed to latch on to another fastbreak opportunity. This time he made no mistake.
After the short breather both teams came out knowing the next few minutes would decide the league champions. Again it was KL Star that came out strong. In the next 3 minutes their talismanic right-half hit another two past Kinta from exactly the same spot and using the same move. Kinta finally woke up and began to press for the elusive goals. It was not to be Kinta's day as they could only find the net twice more while KL Star sealed the game with another goal a few minutes from end.

Final score 9 - 4 to KL Star.
Kudos to KL Star for they were the better team that day.
Players from KL Star who made the difference : Right-half - No. 4 and Left-half - No. 3
Players from Kinta who played their game : Right wing ( can't remember his number ) and the two goalkeepers.
* A few points ( not excuses ) about the Kinta team

Kinta was a team that had NEVER trained together. Players come from all over the country.
The short time allocated for the match ( 15 mins per half ) wasn't enough for the players to find their groove. Not making excuses for Kinta. But being a team without opportunity to sharpen their skills together, they are usually slower off the blocks and need some time to find their rhythm.
Kinta's lack of opportunity to train together was dreadfully exposed by a well-organised KL Star.

Amongst the spectators were the patrons of the MHA and newspaper reporters. I am sure the match left them satisfied.

Overall the 2006 Malaysian Handball League was a success. A shout of thanks to the organisers. There were a few incidents that left a bad taste in the mouth. Perhaps the organisers would be able to iron out the problems in the upcoming events. Refereeing for the Finals was excellent. Keep it up.

From a personal perspective, this particular Kinta player only played well in one match of the League. On individual defence in 0ne-on-one situations it was not bad overall. On offence, not being able to train with my team-mates made a difference. My understanding of my team-mate's play is still not there. Only way now is to hit the gym and try to improve certain physical aspects that can better my offence. Hopefully the next time we meet in tournament it will be better. A silver medal will have to suffice for now.

P.S. A shout to Pau Siang and Wooi Siong.

Thanks so much for giving me lifts to and fro. Really appreciate it.

I arrived at Pudu at 5pm. Placed was packed. All the main bus companies that I usually use were fully booked. Had to settle for some company called SE Express. They promised me it would be direct to Penang. Got the 5.30pm ticket. Bus only arrived at 6.15pm. Took 4 hours to reach Ipoh bus station. Stopped there for about 40 minutes waiting for passengers to get off and new ones to board. Just outside the toll at the Ipoh exit, the stupid bus broke down. Some radiator problem. Stopped by the highway for an hour. Driver managed to do something about it. Journey continued at about 5okm per hour. Stopped at Butterworth. Again to let some off and take others on. Reached Penang at 2am. Nearly eight hours in the bus. Naturally woke up late the next morning. Went in late for hospital ward rounds.

Playing Tough or Playing Rough..

2006-08-11T16:08:00.000+08:00

Is there a difference?

I can't honestly say that I have been involved in the handball scene for too long. Certainly not in the Malaysian scene. From the time I got actively involved in 2003, I can only sadly say that there are players in Malaysia who act as if they do not know the difference.

There was a time when nobody defended properly. They did not know that it was good defence to use one's body to check the opponent's attack. Words like 'grab', 'block' and 'push' did not feature much in the vocabulary while in defence at that time. Defence in handball was played similar to basketball, where players held their hands up hoping only to block the opponent's shot.

Someone brought in a new aspect of defence. Something that was already second nature to countries where handball was already an established sport. The Malaysian National team got to play against other countries from the region. We lost all our games but yet we came away with a little knowledge.

The sad thing is that there was nobody available to show or teach the enthusiastic Malaysians proper defence. Many players began to adopt a certain brand of aggressive defence. Instead of checking the opponent's body from the front, opponent's arms were pulled back, pushes came from the back, some try to cut an opponent on a fast break... the list goes on. What can be done about it? Many would plead ignorance of the rules proper due to inexposure. The refereeing committee are not absolutely sure themselves.

I guess apart from education in handball, perhaps a little can be done to change or enlighten the attitude of players toward the game. We can be aggressively tough. After all why not? We play the game to win. We are way past the stage of 'just having fun'. Yes, we have fun, but while doing the best we can. Is it not true? Yet do not mistake the word 'tough' for 'rough'. When we defend on someone we go all out. But...the end does not justify the means. If an opponent is good enough to get round the defence it just means the defenders have to buck up the next time. It does not mean that the defenders try whatever it takes to prevent the opponent from scoring.

Playing tough would mean using the proper techniques bearing in mind the safety of the opponent. It does not include losing rational for that split moment. Of course as in all cases there is a risk of someone getting injured, but the chances of injury would be minimized drastically.

All being said, it has to be noted that there are many excellent people amongst handball players in Malaysia. People you would gladly have as your team mate or as an opponent.

It's A Start....

2006-08-10T23:07:00.000+08:00

I am not sure if there are any websites where information on the handball situation in Malaysia can be readily accessed. Please let me know if there are any and I will put their links on this site.

This blog is created to provide what little information on the current situation/updates/current events of handball in Malaysia and personal views on certain issues. Bear in mind that this is a personal blog. The blogger will not be held resposible if any information /comments are misused or taken out of context.

So do feel free to leave any comments. Only thing required is that the name and the association with handball is added in e.g. player/coach /observer, team/club etc. Also feel free to use this blog to publicize any handball related event or even as a promotional area for any team. Send me the details and I'll put it up as a post.

p.s. I only blog when I feel like it.