Mighty Ducks: A Journey of A Thousand Mile

The Junior Duckies closed the official hockey season with a fourth placing at the national inter-SBP hockey tournament (well technical official season as although there are many other invitational tournaments; only those organised by Kementerian are sanctioned by the school) today. All the Bapak Itiks seemed to be contented with the results given the limitations the boys and the team had had to work with all this while – that the team is new, they rarely had any games exposure let alone on the turf, there was no coach all along and serious training only began a month ago (if navigating mid-year exam with only less than 2 hours training each day is considered serious training after all). They didn’t even have a proper set of jerseys before this (by the way I am describing an MCKK hockey team not a school from Ulu Manong!)


Personally the rational mind dictates that it was a good result and a good start – though you can’t help but to play around with the “what ifs”; after all until semi final yesterday the boys were considered the top seed and a favourite to at least go to the final. It could have been the boys all the way to the championship but in the final analysis, the lack of a proper hockey program in koleq all these years put us at a slight disadvantage. However on the plus side, despite the so-called neglect – we have to give the credit to the boys and take pride that they managed to emerge as the top four and those who were present during the tournament would agree that we were in the same league as the so-called hockey giants of SBP like SMS Machang, SERATAS and Sains Johor. It was only minor issues – mostly due to lack of practice – that disadvantaged our boys.


On top of that, the drama leading up and during the tournament was fit for a movie! SM has not recovered from his broken bones so understandably the parents insisted that he could not play. He managed to persuade the parents at the time the bus was almost leaving koleq’s compound and not before the parents had to guarantee not to pursue any liability claim ha ha. Two of the players (Farid and Amin) had conjunctivitis throughout the week and had barely recovered. Some of the boys kept having cramps and muscle pains that I wished I had taken a nursing course! And before the semi final, Topoi (another key player) who caught a cold a few days before the tournament got worse and his body was almost exploding (and he vomited in the middle of the game) after the 2nd game – KNO and I were panicking whether we should send him to the hospital right after the game. Thank god we didn’t because if we had he would have been admitted and IV-ed for dehydration – we rested him for a night and got him to drink as much as possible to bring the temperature down; at least he managed to play in the semi and 3rd/4th placing.

Full results are as follows:


GROUPING

MCKK vs. Sains Dungun: 0 – 0
MCKK vs. SBPI Kuantan: 5 – 0
MCKK vs. SBPI Gombak: 2 – 1
MCKK vs. Sains Johor: 0 – 0

To emerge as Group B champion (Sains Johor eventually qualified to the final after defeating Group A champion Sains Machang)

SEMI FINAL

MCKK vs. SERATAS: 0 – 0 until full time, lost penalty flick 2 – 1

(SERATAS went on to win the tournament after defeating Sains Johor)

THIRD AND FOURTH PLACING

MCKK vs. Sains Machang: 0 – 1


Everything happened so quickly – I checked this blog entry and it said Joe, Chibiok, Epit, Idzam and KNO committed to Mighty Ducks on 13 January 2007. For the next one month we were having weekly meeting to strategise how to approach koleq and to lay down the foundation of what may resemble an adequate hockey program for MCKK. By the first week of March the hockey program was launched and we did not have any rest since. A week after that was MC-RMC Weekend, then MSSPK tournament for 4 days, then MC-PFS Carnival, then the North Zone, last week’s intensive training and this week’s national level tournament. In between we managed to squeeze in one or two intensive trainings for the teams.


There should not be any tournament after this until we manage to talk our way through to enroll the boys for some invitational tournaments at the year end. We can get some break and breathing space – yet there are many things that need to be put in place that I am sure the so-called break will be short-lived. By next week there will be call for post-mortem, we have to start planning to assemble junior teams (F1 and F2) since there is none for the time being and work out how to lure the F3 back to the field (since the whole team has avoided hockey pitch lock stock and barrel save 2 players). By the time we put through our proposal we have to be content with all the weekends already fully booked with academic oriented activities until the end of the year.


But we owe it to the boys to soldier on. It’s really cruel to whip up so much sentiment and hope that for once they will be looked after only to take a back seat and let the euphoria dies down. I am telling myself and everyone to kiss many of your weekends for the next few months good bye!

As the person entrusted with the responsibility to look after the boys’ welfare and manage the soft issues (together with Epit), I am touched with the rapid change of attitude so far. When we first came back giving a pep talk after a game can be challenging but the boys now listened attentively to you. We were extra careful when we reprimanded them before but we are a lot more open and honest now and they take it professionally too. I was on the verge of giving up at Sungai Petani before since I could not handle the communication breakdown, but now I feel like I have known them for a very long time.


This is the potential of koleq boys that never fail to amaze me; or never fail to make us come back. They are quick learners, they make a turnaround quicker than McKinsey does any company when they put their minds together, they put 200% efforts if you manage to convince them that it’s a worthwhile fight. And how you wish those who have had close quarters with them; see them for what their talents and potentials are – that we have the privilege to mould the best brains, the best talents and the best potentials.

On behalf of everyone in Mighty Ducks – I just have to thank Joe and KNO so much for taking overall charge of the tournament this time around; from before the boys reached Kuantan to after they have left. Thank you for making sure everything was OK even at night and thank you for looking after Fird who had to stay outside; thank you for the mansion that TNB provided for the team ha ha (a scene of Bobo and Wahida’s sexual escape too)



I have to specifically mention these few names as well on behalf of everyone in the team:

The other Mighty Ducks who were there – Badut and Red (the other half), Canoe and Chibiok.

Bobo and Wahida – who joined for full 2 days and ponteng one day of work. Thank you for the financial contribution as well and sharing the passion and pride.

Jita – who drove all the way from KL for a day trip and for the monetary contribution so far.

Kuchai, Radin, Pejal, Fadhil – for the financial contribution for various expenses from the jerseys to the isotonic drink to the rent of pitch

Fuad (Class of 96) and Nuddin (Class of 98) – the only other old boys not from Class of 94 who made it there and stayed with the boys

KE (Class of 92) – for the support and coordination and understanding

MCKK Staff – Cikgu Badri, Cikgu Khairi and Abg Megat for all the support so far

Thank you to all the other Mighty Ducks (Epit, Mpro, Idzam, Wong and Chamat) whose contribution (time, efforts, financial etc.) I should not even mention here for it will not do justice. Thank you to everyone (especially the whole batch of 94 who had adopted these boys as if they are our own flesh and blood) and finally – thank you to the boys for making it possible.

Interesting time ahead – we just ask you to be patient and stay with us throughout.



FOOTNOTE – MIRACLES OF SMS

“4th place lost 1 nil to machang. Not bad though cud ve been us. But we lost 2 better teams on both accounts. D gud thing is our boys r almost at par despite d neglect. Interesting time ahead. Thank u 4 all ur help n sacrifices cudnt hv been where we r without u. Take comfort dat we r doing smthing gud”

“Tahla, I just kesian dgn backgrnd dia n really wanna see him go far in life”

“Gud job n u played well. Less heart attack comprd 2 sp. I know u guys were almost at par. Cuma tinggal bits n pieces nk improve. Interesting time ahead. Remember think long term n work hard we hv 2 earn d victory. We ll c u smtimes”

“Hei thanks a lot.. Maybe my physical is ready but not 4 my mental.. That’s y I look nervous. Nway thank bnyk2.. Tradition will be recreated.. We’ll do da senior job (Italian job) hahaha.. Ok, drive lek lok..”

“Please say thanks 2 abg joe, canoe, kano, n badut too coz willing 2 spend time wif us.. Aar! Sebak la plak!!!”

“Wahidah baru call, ingatkan mende, rupenye tanya result match. Send my regards to d team. Tell them this gonna b d best thing ever happens to them in koleq so make it something worthwhile n to be remembered of. G’luck to d team!”

“All the U-16 team would like 2 wish tank you 2 the all old boys 4 spending ur time & effort 4 us..”

“By the way, the team would like 2 say srry.. We just manage 2 get 4th in tournament.. I think koleq is not fully prepared yet..”

“U guys did great given d time n limitations we had. U guys deliverd what is askd of u in this tournament. Next is 2 bring it 2 d next level. Gud job.”

“We’ll do better next time, insya allah”

“You guys are on track for THE elusive victory. Its just the beginning”

“To be honest, that is still good news. Thanx bro”

“Tough luck! There’s next year 2 look 4wrd tho. Congrats to korang & d boys 4 making further in such a short time thn dreamt possible ”

“Champ group tu!”

“Mcm mane badut dpt nick name tu n tosen tu islam ek?”


More pictures here, some videos here (as always KNO beat me to it and was the first to upload)

Full report on the game given by Joe here