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The season has come to an end, and this will mean that my term as team manager has ended as well. I must say that it has been a journey that i’ll not forget. Besides it being a little dream fulfilled that i was able to serve the team, it has also been a journey of ups and downs, learning things along the way and probably matured a little bit more for e rest of my life journey. Of course, it has been an opportunity to get to know more people n hopefully, touched the lives of the people.
Some people might be asking me, what are some of my takeaways during my term? How do i feel and stuff..maybe i hope you can give me the chance to share it with you here in this blog, and YES hoepfully you’ll read it till e end.
In general, besides having a good running year(good timings, making the cut to sUNIg as a reserve and other landmarks), i believe i also had a decent term, alongside with the rest of the committee to help manage this team. Looking at the team expanding with a huge intake of freshmen in Aug, to the 1st ever Cross Country camp( a miracle in my perception), sUNIg( where the ladies won n the men were 2nd), success in IVP Track n field, The team trip to Taman Negara, and not forgetting the various cross country races, it has been heartening to see the team so big compared to when i first joined the team in Aug 2008. I am deeply grateful for the privilege and honour to serve the team with the best of my abilities. Of course there are things i have done well and there are also some that i didn’t do it that well. For those things that i have not exactly done well to your expectations, I apologise and i seek your forgiveness. For the things that i have done well enough, i hope i have been able to bless you and alongside my batch of committee members, made your time in the team an enjoyable one.
I must do admit that a little regret i might have is that i may not have build a strong friendship with everyone, i apologise but i want to let you know that i love everyone of you and appreciate your friendship and i hope i can catch up and connect with you during the holidays, whether be it at post training dinners or other possible occasions before sch starts n busy life strikes in=)
To those who i may have diasppointed: if there are things and my habits that i have disappointed you with, i sincerely apologise and will reflect upon it and work to improve on it. I hope you can be gracious enough to forgive me and help me along the way. DO continue to let me know if there are things that i have not done well, i will continue to listen, engage and reflect.
Then, you probably be thinking, with all those things mentioned above, why ” I choose love” at the title? How is it related?
During my term as team manager, a number of events has made me think a lot and hopefully mature in the way i do things, how i see people and things. One of the key aspects is on how i see people n manage them. Despite the highs, there were a few lows, for e.g the management of the blog, and somehow affected people in the team.
As far as the bonding with the majority is pretty good, we can definitely do more to enhance the bonding of this team. What made this team such a closely knitted family unit is really our willingness to embrace and accept one another. As the team grows bigger, there will be many, different personalities and all of us come from different and unique backgrounds. Despite the differences, we come together as one because of more than just the passion for running, but our connection and friendship with one another. During my team manager term, a number of the people, be it seniors or freshmen, spoke of how this team’s like a family. My biggest wish, before i graduate is that this team can really a group of people who not just come together becasue of the love of running, but a group of people who are friends for life.
At the same time, as we continue to embrace and accept various people, i feel that we have to be aware that because of our imperfections, we may either offend or hurt or disappoint from time to time. However, i believe this is when we make a choice, whether to nurse that pain and allow it to rot our hearts or do we choose love to actually forgive the hurt( of course time is required and restitution of trust is required) and still be gracious to accept and embrace one another? I am pretty sure that such times will come to test the depths of the friendship, and i believe it’s our decision to love one another in spite of tough times that will keep this team closely knitted and connected.This will also mean so expectation management from everyone of us, in a sense of give and take for things to work out=)
As the new season edges in, i would like to urge EVERYONE of us to really make a decision to say, ” I Choose Love” and continue to embrace, accept and love not just the graduating seniors and the current seniors, but also the new incoming freshmen. The strength of this team is NOT just built upon the new team leadership, the strength and unity of this team is dependent on ALL of us.This team can only be as strong as how strong the people want it to be and it is the people and the human spirit that will enable the team to move forward to greater heights.
To the new team leadership: As i mentioned before, i see a dynamic, energetic and strong team in the 6 of you. I know that you guys can lead this team to greater heights and wanna believe that you will continue to stay strong, energetic and dynamic and you will outdo the previous committee=) Do feel free to speak to me for anything, ultimately all of us are friends to one another.=)
Meantime, all the best to the graduating seniors and almuni who have entered the society and to the rest of us, have a blessed holidays, enjoy and have fun!=)
yours sincerely,
Nic Tey=)
“The essence of the Youth Olympic Games is not winning, or not even to make medals, but to bring the youth of the world together, to play and to have competition.” - Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, 12 Aug 2010
This (long) short summary is for those who come in second-best.
After ending 7 days of deployment at Bishan Stadium covering Youth Olympic Games Athletics, I’ve talked to a lot of athletes. There are only so many gold medal winners, so I interviewed people who didn’t get medals, or just missed the gold. Unlike an interview with TV or talk with the newspapers, speaking to athletes immediately after their competition has ended brings out a different element in them, something unscripted, impulsive.
So I present you with who I feel – in personal opinion – are the heroes of YOG’s six days of athletics competition. All of them (except one) narrowly missed out on gold, or for a place in the final.
All of them are on the list because second-best doesn’t always equal disappointment. All of them have character, honesty and a pure will to break their own personal records.
Because this blog celebrates athletes who try, try, try – even when they just miss their ultimate goal:
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1.
“Yes, I want to win. But I know the others are very good. So maybe a medal will be enough.”
- Bianca Razor (ROU), after her qualification heats on Thursday, 19 Aug 2010.
Romania's Bianca Razor (L) congratulates 400M Gold Medalist Robin Reynolds (R) of the USA after the final (Photo: XINHUA/SYOGOC-Pool/Meng Yongmin)
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2.
“I do not fear the rain, because my name in my country means ‘of the rain’…. I feel like I’ve touched gold. My country will be so proud, because we all say steeplechase is the Kenyans’ race.”
- Virginia Nyambura (KEN), winning the Girls 2000M steeplechase in heavy rain at Bishan in a PB of 6:29.97
Kenya's Virginia Nyambura (457) leads the pack in the Girls 2000M Steeplechase Final at Bishan on Monday (Photo: Richseow)
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3.
“I had to go all out. I didn’t want to regret.”
- Mao Yanxue (CHN), after going from 5th place to 2nd place in the last round at the Girls 5000M Race-walk final at Bishan on Saturday, 21 Aug 2010
Mao Yanxue of China at the podium after winning silver in the Girls 5000M Race-Walk (Photo:XINHUA/SYOGOC-Pool/Meng Yongmin)
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4.
“She’s got class, that girl… she’s got every right to keep trying.”
- Commentator at Bishan on Wu Meng-Chia (TPE). She had outjumped everyone at the ‘B’ final on Sunday, 22 Aug 2010, but still continued to try to break her personal best in the morning heat.
Wu Meng-Chia of Chinese Taipei practices clearing the high jump bar at the Asian Area Qualifiers on 22 May. (Photo: SAA-Citrus PR)
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5.
“Things like that happen. I’m still thankful for silver, because it was so close… the Brazilian guy deserves all my respect for winning the gold.”
- Matsubara Sho (JPN), gracious after being beaten by 4 cm by Brazil’s Caio Dos Santos at the Boys’ Long Jump ‘A’ final on Sunday.
Matsubara Sho of Japan reacts to the crowd as he receives his silver medal for Boys' Long Jump 'A' Final on Saturday (Photo: XINHUA/SYOGOC-Pool/Meng Yongmin)
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6.
“She’s tearing up the competition!”
- Commentator at Bishan, watching Liao Ching-Hsien (TPE) in her heats. She missed out on the ‘A’ final by 0.02s, but still went on to beat her PB at the ‘B’ race in 11.88s.
Liao Ching-Hsien of Chinese Taipei (673) starts strongly in the Girls 100M qualification heats on Wednesday, 18 Aug (Photo: XINHUA/SYOGOC-Pool/Liao Yujie)
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7.
“I enjoyed it. That’s what’s most important!”
- Nashimoto Masaki (JPN), still happy despite coming in 2nd in the 100M final on Saturday, 21 Aug 2010.
Boys 100M Final: Great Britain's David Bolarinwa (331) gets bronze, Odane Skeen (429) of Jamica wins gold & Nashimoto Masaki (438) of Japan claims a silver (Photo: Mark Dadswell/ GettyImages-AsiaPac)
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8.
“I knew the others were faster and stronger. So I just stayed with the leader… and I hoped for a medal.”
- Moe Kyuma (JPN), finishing 2nd in the Girls 3o00M ‘A’ Final in 9:23.70
Follow the leader: Japan's Moe Kyuma (432) keeps pace with race leader Gladys Chesir of Kenya (452) in the Girls' 3000M 'A' Final on Sunday, 22 Aug 2010 (Photo: Chen Bin)
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9.
“I’ve been doing this (the 400M) since 2005. I left for several years to play football, but I’ve returned… What would a win here mean to me? Everything… I need to do it for myself.”
- Nikita Uglov (RUS), after winning the Boys 400M qualification heat . He eventually placed 7th for the ‘A’ Final on Saturday, 21 Aug 2010.
Russia's Nikita Uglov (608) outruns Najee Glass of the USA (722) to win his qualification heat on Wednesday,18 Aug (Photo: SYOGOC)
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10.
“Alhamdulillah (Praise God)… All that matters is that I can match my pace with them.”
- Hamza Driouch (QAT), after finishing 3rd in the Boys 1000M ‘A’ Final in 2:21.25. He was later awarded the silver when the 2nd placed runner was disqualified.
Qatar's Hamza Driouch (575) races for the finish in the Boys' 1000M 'A' Final with Morocco's Abdelhadi Labali (490) in hot pursuit. (Photo: richseow)
I would hope to see some of these boys and girls again when they race among the best men and women in the world at London 2012. But for now, let them inspire us as we also keep trying – keep trying to better ourselves.
—-
shelter
(This post is possible only because of the efforts of the Pool Photographers (I give them all due credit) & my team of reporters at Bishan.)
This post is long overdue. It’s been buried by the rush to finish exams, the post-exam slacking & now, the excitement of the Redang trip. So before this drags on, this post is hereby declared to be written in honour of the faithful, decisive leaders of NUS Cross-Country who saw us through the 2009-2010 season.
This is our way of (very simply) saying thanks:
Melvin
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Jayanta
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Mel & Mel
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Melvin (again) & Valerie
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“It is better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb.”
(George Rodriguez)
——
Peace,
Shelter
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