PPM Updates

Cagers qualified for the final this morning. Second time in a row, at least something in the kitty already.

BM and English teams are finishing the group debates. English should sail through comfortably to the octofinal (knock out rounds).

BM is winning against Sains Kuching, however they were defeated in the first debate against Labu, which was so obviously unfair that Labu debaters were actually crying “on site” when announced as the winners, because even they could not believe it.

Since you have to win all the debates at the group level to qualify to the next round, it’s almost wishful thinking that Labu would lose their last debate this afternoon if we were to be in the running again. I have been a debater and a coach long enough not to hang on to wishful thinking in debates.

I dread going back to face the boys late this afternoon. I have never come across a team so decent, so dedicated and so deserving of PPM – perhaps even more deserving than my own team back then – but to explain that the world is not a fair place, for kids at that age, is something none of us would want to do.

I have to be in office today for important meetings, so the others keep sending updates from the debate rooms.

Here are some.

Ben’s:
Never give up till defeat – be resolute in defeat. Save some tears to share with the boys.

Izrin’s:
The BM’s at their best. Sayang betol that they had to go through cruelty like this.

They have just confirmed that we are out now, because Labu won their last debate and becomes the group champion. The boys won their last debate – each of the speakers have begged best speaker title in all their last 3 debates.

More updates maybe tomorrow or the day after. I have to figure out how to console the boys without breaking down myself.

Never felt the world is this unfair, it’s worse when the victims are a bunch of kids. I wonder how teachers, who are supposed to guide and instill sense of fairness in kids, can be so blatantly unfair and arrogant because you come from the schools which hate MCKK. They need to grow up (but then again they are around 25 – 30 years old, kids themselves).

My heart goes out to the BM boys, one of the best MCKK teams I have seen since I know MCKK.

Wamakaru wamakarullah Wallahu khairun maakiriin.