I have been hearing or over-hearing, to be precise, all sorts of comments and critcisms levelled against our national shuttler, Lee Chong Wei, since the end of the match between him and Lin Dan last night. Mostly, those comments are overheard from older men idling away in groups in coffee shops.
Let us not forget one thing. While it is healthy to analyse an issue, let us not get into an analysis paralysis situation. And if we must criticize, let us do so in a constructive manner.
First, some hard questions.
1. Is the gap between the World No. 1 and No.2 very wide?
Answer: No.
2. Did Chong Wei lose the game because of too many unforced errors?
Answer: Yes.
3. Is Chong Wei not such a good player after all?
Answer: No, he's a very good player.
4. Could Chong Wei have played the match differently and won?
Answer: Yes.
Now, let's take a look at what, in my personal opinion, are the qualities of a winner. They are in no particular order.
1. Positive attitude - Always expect success - embrace the challenge.
2. Enthusiasm - Love what you do.
3. Motivation - Write down your goals, strive to be better today than you were yesterday.
4. Self-Control - Winners make things happen - losers let things happen to them. Trust yourself and your preparation.
5. Determination - Be mentally tough, deal with the obstacles.
6. Positive Self-esteem - Feel good about being you.
7. Focus - Focus on the objective and work towards that. Don't get sidetracked.
8. Self-awareness - See your unlimited potential. The sky is the limit. Push yourself to reach for it.
9. Self-Commitment - Measure your success against yourself. Don't get caught up with competing against others. Instead, commit yourself to excellence.
10. Patience - Rewards come to those who persevere.
In short, a winner is someone who embraces challenges instead of getting frustrated, someone who thrives on obstacles. A winner is also focused. It is like walking on a road. The winner keeps walking towards the end of the road, whereas other lesser mortals, like me, try to explore smaller streets that connect to the road, and end up getting bewilderedly lost.
Now comes my analysis.
For the record, Chong Wei is a world class shuttler. His game is most deceptive and he attacks where his oppponent least expects it. He has beaten Lin Dan in several matches before and ranked No. 1 for some time.
So, what went wrong? How did Lin Dan win so easily without any fight from Chong Wei? The answer lies in the lack of a winner's attitude. Chong Wei stepped onto the court knowing he's playing on Lin Dan's home turf and that Lin Dan is the crowd favourite. He did not possess the mental strength necessary to compete against Lin Dan last night.
Had the match been held in Malaysia last night, Chong Wei most likely would have beaten Lin Dan. And therein comes his title, "Jaguh Kampung" (Village Champion). This ambivalent title has stuck with all our No.1 National Shuttlers, past, present, and most likely future, if nothing is done about it.
