A single picture does tell a thousand words.... Shall try to put more colours and visuals to this dull blog soon!
Felt kinda sad today as I had to witness the downfall of an Indonesian sporting legend on TV. Still only 27, he had won the Athens' Olympics gold medal for Badminton men's singles, and while his peers with older age had pressed on with their pursuit of the next medal, Taufik Hidayat had really dissappointed his millions of fans around the world. Known in the badminton world for being the most outrageously talented of his era, he lived up to the hype by winning Olympics in 2004, and followed it with a World Championship the following year.
Soon after reaching the top, his performance on the circuit started to drop drastically, and even though he was still ranked in the top 10 all along, he had never managed to challenge the dominance of the top 2 players in the world anymore. He could have been a much greater player as he not only had the flair, but also the composure to succeed at the very top level, never panicking even when his opponents were at a better form. Success had gotten the better of him, and he started losing his form as his superstar status afforded him the luxurious life, something of a taboo to top athletes.
Losing tamely to a former world no.1 player, Wong Choon Hann of Malaysia, who had bounced back from serious injuries himself to compete at the top level, Taufik had lost his aura of invicibility that once blanketed the whole badminton arena. It was perhaps just as well that he lost earlier, as none of his fans would want to see him getting pummelled by top players such as Lin Dan, his long time nemesis and current world No.1.
Although it is a pity to see such a bright talent dropping out of the game at such an early stage of his career, it is perhaps better to focus on his glorious past and celebrate his past greatness rather than dwell on his current shortcomings. So here's to Taufik, the once revered Indonesian badminton prodigy that had graced the many top badminton tournaments with his legendary skills (especially his backhand smash): you will still be a hero in our eyes, despite all the current difficulties you are facing now!
Felt kinda sad today as I had to witness the downfall of an Indonesian sporting legend on TV. Still only 27, he had won the Athens' Olympics gold medal for Badminton men's singles, and while his peers with older age had pressed on with their pursuit of the next medal, Taufik Hidayat had really dissappointed his millions of fans around the world. Known in the badminton world for being the most outrageously talented of his era, he lived up to the hype by winning Olympics in 2004, and followed it with a World Championship the following year.
Soon after reaching the top, his performance on the circuit started to drop drastically, and even though he was still ranked in the top 10 all along, he had never managed to challenge the dominance of the top 2 players in the world anymore. He could have been a much greater player as he not only had the flair, but also the composure to succeed at the very top level, never panicking even when his opponents were at a better form. Success had gotten the better of him, and he started losing his form as his superstar status afforded him the luxurious life, something of a taboo to top athletes.
Losing tamely to a former world no.1 player, Wong Choon Hann of Malaysia, who had bounced back from serious injuries himself to compete at the top level, Taufik had lost his aura of invicibility that once blanketed the whole badminton arena. It was perhaps just as well that he lost earlier, as none of his fans would want to see him getting pummelled by top players such as Lin Dan, his long time nemesis and current world No.1.
Although it is a pity to see such a bright talent dropping out of the game at such an early stage of his career, it is perhaps better to focus on his glorious past and celebrate his past greatness rather than dwell on his current shortcomings. So here's to Taufik, the once revered Indonesian badminton prodigy that had graced the many top badminton tournaments with his legendary skills (especially his backhand smash): you will still be a hero in our eyes, despite all the current difficulties you are facing now!
posted by leonhart @ 2:45 AM
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