THURSDAYS are badminton nights and a few of us would sweat it out for two hours until midnight at the White Fairy badminton hall in Puchong.This week was extra-hard. We had a friendly match and it was fun, but everyone was soaked in sweat – it was that hot.
That had me thinking of our athletes who will be in Cambodia next week. It won’t be fun but competitive and worse, they will competing under sweltering conditions at the SEA Games.
Not only is the mercury hitting 37-40° C, there is also a thick haze rearing its ugly head, no thanks to open burning in Laos.
Never mind the competition, even the opening ceremony in Phnom Penh on Friday is going to be a challenge for all athletes.
Some of the athletes who have arrived early – the preliminary football matches start today at the outdoor Olympic Stadium and Visakha Stadium – are already sweating buckets.
To make things harder, some of the matches have been scheduled for 4pm. There is no air-conditioning for them, unlike in the Qatar World Cup.
To be fair, one cannot blame Cambodia, who are hosting their first ever SEA Games. The weather is beyond their control.
They have been trying their best, both as organisers and competitors. After a draining civil war that saw millions killed, they have recovered since the 1990s and won the most golds in aquatics in the last few Games.
This time, they will still be planning to splash to victories in the backstroke and breaststroke events – while others hope to avoid a heatstroke.
In the Malaysian camp, athletes have been told to drink lots of water, stay hydrated and keep ice packs to cool down.
Competing under such extreme conditions will be tough for the athletes, but then all 11 nations competing in the 581 events in 37 sports in Phnom Penh will face the same challenges.
It’s all about who can show stronger resolve and withstand the challenges.
That leads us to the burning question – can Malaysian athletes turn the heat on and give a hotter than usual performance or will they melt and go limp.
Will there be a rash of records at the newly built Morodok Techno National Stadium, where track and field sports will be held?
The stadium is the centrepiece of a sprawling sports complex, the country’s first modern multipurpose and international standard sports facility, which was built by China in 2013.
And Malaysia can hope to bask in the sunshine.
US-based Shereen Samson Vallabouy could blaze the track in the women’s 400m based on current form, having only recently broken the long-standing national record.
Hopes are also high on athletics, led by sprinter Khairul Hafiz Jantan to meet their 10-gold medal target. Other sports like karate, led by flagbearer R. Sharmendran, aquatics powered by Phee Jinq En, hockey, wushu, cycling, and men’s gymnastics could also deliver.
Badminton are sending a mixed team with the core players being the first-timers – can the team led by Leong Jun Hao shine?
Malaysia will announce their overall target soon and hopefully, that will fan the fire in the contingent, led by chef de mission Datuk Mohd Nasir Ali and supported by two deputies Shalin Zulkifli and Sharon Wee.
They need to do better than their sixth spot at the 2021 edition in Vietnam, when they finished a rung below Singapore.
It won’t be easy. There is Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand, all powerhouses now, along with Myanmar and the Philippines.
The hosts especially will be out to do a great job, and live up to their slogan – “Sport: Live In Peace” which reflects the country’s journey from being a strife-torn nation to a respected member of the South-East Asian community.
They have lovable rabbit mascots in Borey (meaning solidarity) and Romduol (national flower), dressed in their traditional martial arts attire, to showcase gender equality.
There will be thousands of athletes and officials and no lack of fans with entrance being free.
Cambodia is not likely to let the weather get in the way and pour cold water on its “hot, hot” show.
