National Press Club Gala Dinner

Pic: Having her fortune told by a Bird!

The National Press Club of Malaysia, of which this blogger is the Secretary General, had some fun with sponsors on 28/11/08 at the Petaling Jaya Hilton. The pictures below speak for themselves, even Elvis the Pelvis attended!

The New Straits Times Futsal champions, walked way with RM3,000 cash!
National Press Club vice-president Joe Fernando, also fondly known as JoeKuda.
VVIP's at the main table, waiting for Godot!
National Press Club president Mokhtar Hussin.
With amber liquids in their stomachs, this group had great fun.
Journalists and guests having their Palm-lines read. Good or bad, got to work tomorrow...
Futsal champions planning to play in the World Cup next.
Pretty! Pretty! But pity they are guys!
Big sponsors in small talk.
Energetic like men!
Wanna share the joke?
Elvis showed up, and the crowd went wild....
Ranch-hands rode in on their horses, right to the doorsteps of the Hilton.
Elvis is alive! Elvis is Alive!
NST Journalists with National Press Club manager Stephen Francis (right).
Here is more proof Elvis is alive...
Dog-gone-it, he just refuses to fade away....
The New Straits Times men and women's Futsal champions high in spirits....
Welcome, guests mingling before the function.

Rajan will leave sentiments at home

AFTER 10 years of siting on the Tenaga Nasional bench, National Juniors coach K. Rajan is now plotting for their downfall in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) which starts on Dec 5.
And he will not allow sentiments to get the better of him.
“There is no question of sentiments creeping in, as I will be planning for a win, and it is not impossible judging from our League encounters,” said Rajan.
In the League, National Juniors lost 3-1, and drew 2-2 in the return leg.
“Tenaga have a solid defence, but their forward line has been severely hit after Selva (S. Selvaraju) pulled a ham string.
“However, it will not be an easy encounter as Tenaga, even with retired internationals, have always proven to be deadly in the knock-out stages,” said Rajan.
Rajan knows the Tenaga players like the back of his hands, and Tenaga proved their mettle last season when they limped into the final, but beat Ernst & Young on penalty strokes in the final.
“It will be experience (Tenaga) versus fitness, and since we will be playing in a two-leg format, we will have to go all out in the first match, as Tenaga are masters of upset in the return leg,” said Rajan.
The National Juniors are preparing for the Junior World Cup next year, and the MHL is a selection of sorts, as Rajan plans to trim his squad of 30 by January.
“The boys know the score, those who do not perform in the MHL will be axed by January, so they better give their best in the knock-out stages.”
QUARTER-FINALS -- Dec 5: Ernst & Young v Royal Malay Regiment (National Stadium), National Juniors v Tenaga Nasional (National Stadium), JLJ v Sapura (Tun Razak Stadium); Dec 10: Nur Insafi v Maybank (Penang).
RETURN LEG -- Dec 7: Royal Malay Regiment v Ernst & Young (Tun Razak), Tenaga Nasional v National Juniors (KLHA), Sapura v JLJ (KLHA); Dec 13: Maybank v Nur Isnafi (Seremban II).

Koshy: Leave top clubs out of plan

ERNST & Young team manager George Koshy welcomes the move by Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to help revive the club structure in Malaysia, but with a different twist.
MHF president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had said that at least five Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) teams will be in for a windfall, as plans are afoot to give them money, clubhouses complete with artificial pitches, and in return they are supposed to start grassroots development.
Koshy, who is also the Kuala Lumpur HA president, supports the idea, but feels MHL teams must not be the target group.
“Four teams in the MHL have their own strong corporate sponsors, and so I feel they should be left alone as com plications might arise if the MHF starts to fund, or provide a clubhouse for them.
“They have their own corporate image, and respon sibilities, and many issues need to be ironed out before the project can be launched.
“The idea is good, but it will take a long time to, say, build a clubhouse and lay the artificial pitches. Not to mention the high cost.
“So, I feel it would be better is MHF start with clubs which already have a home-ground, and playing fields like Kelab Aman, Royal Selangor Club, and other clubs in different states.
“These clubs also have many ex-internationals as mem bers, and if the MHF support them further, I am sure hockey will mushroom with parental support,” said Koshy.
In the MHL, Ernst & Young, Tenaga Nasional, Sapura and Maybank have solid backing and are able to fend for themselves, but the same cant be said about teams in Division Two.
And the cost to play in the MHL?
“It is a corporate secret, but I can safely say that it costs more than an arm and a leg, especially since we have hired the best players in the country,” said Koshy.
Royal Selangor Club and Kelab Aman have a strong hockey tradition, but funding and coaching has always been a major problem.
“I am sure that if the MHF sponsors established clubs, it will not only cost less, but the country will also have a bigger pool of player in a short span,” said Koshy.

It's now of never for E&Y

ERNST & Young team manager George Koshy summed up his team’s chances in the Malaysia Hockey League TNB Cup by saying “It’s now or never.”
The League champions, who won all nine matches com fortably, not only have 12 national players in their fold, but also received a kind draw in the quarter-finals on Dec 5.
Ernst & Young will be playing Division Two runners-up Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) and it is expected to be a walk in the park, and even in the semi-finals, they only have to contend with wither Nur Isnafi, or Maybank.
Division One runners-up Sapura will have a tougher path, as they meet dark horses Jurulatih dan Jentera (JLJ), aptly nicknamed Lightning Hose, who are the Division Two cham pions.
“We have been bridesmaid for far too long, and with the present batch of players, and a kind draw, we are knocking on the doors of our first Overall (TNB Cup) title,” said Koshy.
Ernst & Young have the distinction of playing in six Overall finals, and it was heart-break each time as they only have silver medals to show.
Their first final appearance was in 2001, and then they made the cut on five consecutive occasions from 2003.
The last two years were especially disappointing, as the gold medals slipped between their fingers on penalty strokes to Sapura and Tenaga Nasional.
“Basically we have the same players from last year, with only two changes. But with the National Juniors playing as a team this season, the other Division One teams are a little ‘diluted’ as they had to source for more experienced players,” said George.
QUARTER-FINALS -- Dec 5: Ernst & Young v Royal Malay Regiment (National Stadium), National Juniors v Tenaga Nasional (National Stadium), JLJ v Sapura (Tun Razak Stadium); Dec 10: Nur Insafi v Maybank (Penang).
RETURN LEG -- Dec 7: Royal Malay Regiment v Ernst & Young (Tun Razak), Tenaga Nasional v National Juniors (KLHA), Sapura v JLJ (KLHA); Dec 13: Maybank v Nur Isnafi (Seremban II).

JLJ out for upset, then walkover...

DIVISION TWO champions Jurulatih dan Jentera (JLJ) will be banking on their 19-year-old penalty corner flicker to do the damage against Sapura in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Hockey League on Dec 5.
But the irony is that, even if they advance to the semi-finals, JLJ will give a walk-over.
“We will give our best in the quarter-finals, with an eye to upset Sapura, but after that, we have a prior arrangement to play in Brunei on Dec 21, which clashes with the semi- finals.
“Even if we advance, we will have to give a walkover,” said JLJ coach Kamaruddin Misman.
Their exciting flicker is Shafiq Yaakob, who has scored 10 goals in eight matches. JLJ also have the distinction of scoring 24 goals, and only conceding nine.
“We were playing at a different level (Division Two), so it will be interesting to see how my boys stand up against the runners-up of Division One (Sapura),” said Kamaruddin.
The coach has been training his charges, with an average age of 25, for the past six months. JLJ were also the champions of the Armed Forces games last month.
“Shafiq has a powerful flick, and his placing is also intelligent. And now he will get a chance to pit his skills against an established goalkeeper (former international Nasihin Nubli).
“My defense has also proven to be solid, but then, we were playing against our peers. I know we will be tested to the limit, but my team is not afraid, instead, they are eager to play in the last eight,” said Kamaruddin.