From dreams of Messi the Flea to fleeting dreams that can come true

WHEN Lionel Messi started playing football, he was called the “Little Flea”.

He was so small that he was not given a chance as a footballer at all. In fact, he was cut off from a junior selection team at 11, just when he needed funding to go through a hormone deficiency treatment to spurt his growth.

But Messi did not give up. At 17, he scored his first goal in senior football for Barcelona in 2005.

And on Wednesday, the 38-year-old Argentine World Cup winner, who stands at 5ft 7in, showed he is a flea that no one can still catch when he netted his 900th career goal.

His trademark left-footed strike in Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw with Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup saw him become only the second player to reach the mark after Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who has hit 965 goals so far.

Messi did not let his small stature mess up his dream, and now he is standing tall by living his dream.

In Malaysia, meanwhile, a dream has turned into a nightmare for national footballers. The players are facing the consequences of an act, that is not of their own doing.

The damage was caused by others, who allowed the fielding of seven mixed-heritage players through doctored documents.

FIFA have meted out a 12-month ban for the seven players and fined the Football Association of Malaysia. Right now, national pride is at its lowest and the players have been belittled.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) too have docked the team of six points in the Asian Cup qualifiers in matches that Malaysia had won against Nepal and Vietnam with the seven players.

The dream of featuring in the 2027 Asian Cup is over.

While the culprit behind this wrongful act is still unknown with some still trying to defend the act, former coach M. Karathu has done the right thing – he came out to fire up the players like Faisal Halim, Safawi Rasid and others in the Harimau Malaya’s team to fight on and keep the Malaysian flag flying high.

He wants them to stand tall and swat all the negativity around them by playing like warriors against Vietnam in their final Group F match on March 31 in Ninh Binh.

Victory will not win them a berth in the Asian Cup but it will win them their pride and honour. And that’s the right spirit.

It’s when we are down in the pit, that we must learn to rise up no matter how hard it can be.

That is something that singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia needs to do as well.

The 27-year-old’s confidence has taken another blow after losing in the Orleans Masters men’s singles qualifying tournament this week.

The former All-England champion seems to have recovered from his injury that saw him out for most of the time last season but he is still struggling to win even against players who have not achieved as much as he has.

Zii Jia needs to climb out of the pits. Even his former coach Wong Tat Meng has narrowed it down to his mindset.

It’s a mental battle, and one that Zii Jia has to win.

Tat Meng spoke about freeing his mind from whatever that is holding him back.

A song by En Vogue comes to mind – “free your mind, and the rest will follow”. That song is about being colour-blind, but it works for Zii Jia too.

However, it is up to him.

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) under a new leadership have given Zii Jia a pathway to return by inviting him to be part of the Thomas Cup Finals training team.

Who would invite someone who is in the doldrums if they did not believe in him?

Now, Zii Jia should have faith in himself too and grab the chance – get as much help as he can in the next one month – and return to court a transformed man.

Like former basketball great Micheal Jordan said: “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”

Messi did not let his lack of height stop him from reaching for the sky. Jordan just kept trying and navigated through each hurdle.

We can either fall or find ways around roadblocks.

The Harimau Malaya led by Faisal can restore their pride, Zii Jia can stand tall again. There is always hope.

*The writer wishes every Muslim in the country Selamat Hari Raya. Forgive, forget and move forward as we learn to live in harmony.