FOOTBALL teams use the power of new signings, the size of their trophy cabinets and the storied history of championships to put off the opposition. Still others just wield a brush – heard the one about the lady sponsor who thinks she can pummel her football foes into submission by the power of pink paint?
Our beleaguered football authorities however opted for the zoological way out – facing reality of mediocrity for the easy choice of verbal semantics. In their quest to revive the fortunes of our national football team the guardians of our football prowess concurred to ditch the poor tiger. (For the purpose of this week’s sporty diversion, we set aside the other wholly valid reason of national integration which we acknowledge is ministerial prerogative which we accept).
So; in the next international assignment, our team of footballers will call themselves Harimau Malaysia and no longer Harimau Malaya!
Did you manage to spot the difference? One’s a documented species; its dwindling numbers a sign of our slow but steady criminal neglect to drive it to extinction. The other? Well, perhaps a mass cull would help relieve us this forlorn hope that one day we will consistently be rated better than Bhutan – our football manhood to me, is well past resurrection.
Okay, like humans the world over, in times of strife; nothing should be discounted when problems need to be addressed. But a name change? You heard about a drowning man clutching at straws, haven’t you? Then again, in some communities, a perennially sick child sometimes regain health and vigour when the parents replaces the name given at birth. Shades of throwing the baby..err name; out with the bathwater don’t you!
THE CURSE OF LOCAL FOOTBALL
In Malaysian sporting lore, there is no sport more frustratingly underperforming for so long than our national football team.
We spend so much time, energy and resources to participate in international tournaments, always promising to put up a good fight.
But when all’s over bar the shouting, we somehow always end up wooden spoonists.
So will nomenclature show us the way to reverse the fortunes of our football team?
Perhaps we can, but the omens are not that good.
From the East Coast came tragic news that an actual hissing, roaring striped tiger was killed while crossing the road! This Harimau Malaya met an untimely end crossing the LPT (East Coast Highway). To compound our sense of loss – nay, grief; the cat was carrying two foetuses in its womb. A pregnant Harimau Malaya, about to find somewhere safe to deliver a pair of twins? So daddy Tiger must be out there somewhere.
READ: Tiger dies after hit by MPV at LPT2
A HUNTED VARIETY
Now if anyone wanted proof that there are still `em Tigers out thar…here’s the very dead proof!
Unfortunately this one is only good for the taxidermist.
A few weeks before that there was news about the evil deed of three hunters who were caught with their freezers exposed. No laughing matter this – some busybody neighbour caught a whiff of exotic odour from the tiger carcass.
The three hunters were brought to book immediately – and were made to pay a paltry fine.
Much was made about the inadequacy of our laws – someone caught shoplifting 5 cans of a certain alcoholic beverage with references to the Harimau may end up getting a 5 year jail sentence. Moral of the story here – avoid a judge who is teetotaller maybe?
PRESERVATION THE KEY
In the jungle, the Malayan tiger is a dying species. In the wild in the Peninsular, it is estimated that there’s just over 250 Harimau Malayas left.
Minus the two – one slaughtered for its prized testicles no doubt; the other by an unfortunate confrontation with a 4-wheeled monster; its continued prosperity in this, the year of the Fiery Monkey looks quite unlikely.
Which is just as well. I doubt is has found a safe haven (name change notwithstanding) on the national badges worn on the chests of 11 prissy Malaysian footballers. If our woefully inaudible roar on the football pitches is any measure of our determination to thrive and prosper, the uphill fight to replenish Harimau Malaya’s dwindling numbers will continue to be an uphill one.
Razak Chik
Tue Feb 09 2016
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on Feb 2 announced 'Harimau Malaysia' as the national football squads new name effective immediately.
Palestin minta AS campur tangan halang Israel takluk Rafah
Pihak berkuasa Palestin (PA) pada Isnin melakukan libat urus dengan pihak tertentu secara intensif untuk menghalang rancangan Israel menyerang Bandar Rafah di selatan Semenanjung Gaza.
Ia susulan Tentera Israel mengeluarkan arahan kepada warga Palestin di kawasan kejiranan timur Rafah supaya segera berpindah pada Isnin dan menggesa mereka bergerak ke pekan al-Mawasi di selatan Gaza.
Ia susulan Tentera Israel mengeluarkan arahan kepada warga Palestin di kawasan kejiranan timur Rafah supaya segera berpindah pada Isnin dan menggesa mereka bergerak ke pekan al-Mawasi di selatan Gaza.
Israel arah penduduk Gaza berpindah
Israel melakukan serangan udara di Rafah pada Isnin dan memberitahu rakyat Palestin supaya mengosongkan bahagian bandar di mana lebih daripada sejuta orang dipindahkan akibat perang yang berlangsung selama tujuh bulan.
Kesemua bandar tersebut dikatakan bergelumang dengan keadaan kotor sehingga menyumbang kepada penyebaran cirit-birit dan penyakit lain.
Kesemua bandar tersebut dikatakan bergelumang dengan keadaan kotor sehingga menyumbang kepada penyebaran cirit-birit dan penyakit lain.
Insiden hon ketika pengebumian: Kertas siasatan lengkap, tunggu bahagian perundangan
Kertas siasatan kes itu dihantar ke Bahagian Perundangan Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah negeri untuk penilaian sebelum tindakan lanjut.
Kekejaman zionis: Dunia perlu kuatkuasa undang-undang antarabangsa terhadap Israel
Negara-negara kuasa besar perlu menguatkuasakan sepenuhnya undang-undang antarabangsa sekiranya Israel tidak bersetuju dengan cadangan genjatan senjata terbaharu yang telah dipersetujui Pejuang Hamas, pada Isnin.
Hamas umum terima perjanjian gencatan senjata
Al-Jazeera melaporkan Hamas setuju terima pelan gencatan senjatan tiga fasa yang dikemukakan pasukan pengantara, Mesir dan Qatar.
Media main peranan sumber maklumat kerajaan kepada isu rakyat
Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor menggesa pengamal media mengamalkan sikap bertanggungjawab dan beretika dalam menyampaikan laporan.
Faisal alami kelecuran tahap empat, enam bulan pemulihan
Pemain sayap sensasi skuad Harimau Malaya Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim atau dikenali Faisal Halim disahkan mengalami kelecuran tahap empat selepas menjalani pembedahan pertama pada Ahad.
Malaysia tidak campur urusan perniagaan syarikat pertahanan
Malaysia adalah sebuah negara perdagangan bebas yang memberi ruang kepada semua pemain industri global untuk memasarkan produk dan perkhidmatan mereka di Malaysia.
Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Malaysia mengambil pendekatan untuk tidak campur tangan dalam urusan perniagaan mana-mana syarikat global dengan mana-mana negara tertentu.
Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Malaysia mengambil pendekatan untuk tidak campur tangan dalam urusan perniagaan mana-mana syarikat global dengan mana-mana negara tertentu.
Iran, Turki sambut baik tindakan Hamas terima cadangan gencatan senjata
Langkah Hamas penting dari segi "kecerdasan politik penentangan" dan Israel digesa lakukan perkara yang sama.
863 polis, tentera dan pasangan akan mula mengundi awal
Seramai 625 anggota polis, 238 orang tentera dan pasangan akan mengundi awal dalam Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB), hari ini.
COVID-19: Perlawanan sosial remehkan SOP boleh pengaruhi Liga-M
Dijalankan mengikut norma baru, segelintir peserta bagaimanapun dikatakan gagal mematuhi prosedur operasi standard (SOP) yang ditetapkan.
[INFOGRAFIK] Rekod karier Aaron Ramsey di Arsenal
Pemain tengah Arsenal, Aaron Ramsey sudah lama berkhidmat sejak dari 2008 lagi dan di penghujung musim EPL ini beliau akan menyertai pasukan Juventus. Ini adalah rekod karier beliau.
Debar sepak mula makin terasa, semangat #webelangtogether kian membara
Penyokong Malaysia dan Thailand mula membanjiri Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil bagi menyaksikan pertemuan separuh akhir pertama Kejohanan Bola Sepak Piala AFF Suzuki 2018 malam ini.
Ronaldo signs for Juventus from Real Madrid
Five-times world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Italian champions Juventus from Real Madrid.
Kenali Alireza Beiranvand, bekas gelandangan jadi wira gagalkan penalti Ronaldo
Beiranvand pernah melarikan diri dari rumah semasa kanak-kanak kerana impiannya menjadi pemain bola sepak dihalang oleh keluarga.
Former England captain Wilkins dies aged 61
Former England captain Ray Wilkins died on Wednesday in a London hospital at the age of 61 following a heart attack.
Virgil van Dijk sertai Liverpool dengan nilai 75 juta pound sterling
Pemain Southampton Virgil van Dijk sah menyertai kelab Liverpool dengan nilai 75 juta pound sterling, rekod tertinggi pernah dicatat untuk pemain pertahanan.
M'sia gagal ke pusingan akhir kejohanan AFC B-23 2016
Hasrat Malaysia meraih slot ke pusingan akhir Kejohanan Konfederasi Bola Sepak Asia (AFC) Bawah 23 2016 tidak kesampaian selepas mengalami kekalahan kedua malam tadi.
FAM ambil tindakan tegas terhadap pihak cetus kekecohan
Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) akan mengambil tindakan terhadap mana-mana pihak dan individu yang mencetuskan kekecohan pada perlawanan bola sepak di negara ini.
Gerrard dinamakan Pemain Terbaik England 2012
Steven Gerrard dinamakan Pemain Terbaik England tahun 2012 selepas memenangi lebih 40 peratus undi peminat, mengikut Kesatuan Bola Sepak England.