Euro 2012 vs. The Bidayuh Olympian

Oni wat otto lobih ningak koyuh de kurang bikait duoh otto?

During Gawai, I have to admit that I had great time at home. Even though, strangely; I didn’t really go all out on Gawai visits this year. It was mainly due the lack of transportation (because I usually ‘fly’ back) at home but I nevertheless had a wonderful time. I’m on of those Bidayuh who go off to other places to work and is married to a non-Gawai celebrating wife.

So in so many ways, how I celebrate Gawai now seems more towards spending more time at home with my family. To most of my friends, I really apologize for not being able to visit you guys this year. Maybe next year, as long as I can keep tab of whose and whose house to go to and not to forget the possibility of acquiring some mode of transport.

The northern hemisphere is experiencing summer which usually means two things:

• Closure of all European domestic football leagues and Champions League
• Some sort of summer sporting event goes on

So, the first thing is a huge letdown, but it’s okay coz the chaos is ensured to start in August! In the meantime, we’ll just have to keep busy with what’s happening in the summer. Namely, the Olympics!

“Huh? The Olympics? Hey, man…we got the Euro 2012 going on as well,” most of you might be telling me right now.

I know that the Euro is on but, I mean what exactly it has to do with us? Really…tell me…. I mean, we’re already addicted to European club football, and even World Cup football. The World Cup is fine coz...there is a ‘potential’ for Malaysia to take part in it. But the Euros? C’mon, seriously guys. Unless you’re of some Portugese descendent from Melaka or something like that, I don’t think that we should be going gaga over the Euro 2012.  

Why the Olympics?

If there’s any reason why we (I’m especially referring to ‘we’ as a Bidayuh) should look forward to the Olympics this year is that we have a Bidayuh in the Olympics. Believe it or not, this Bidayuh even has the potential to win something. So it’s not like she’s one of those athletes that go there to fill the quota and just to ‘gain experience’. She’s actually in contention.

Maybe most Malaysians would think that our fighting chance of getting an Olympic gold medal is from Datuk Lee Chong Wei, but seriously…seriously…he’d have to beat Lin Dan first. Plus the fact that he’s now injured, heal or not – I know he’s gonna go out there trying to win it…but he’s facing opposition that is of equal if not stronger force right now than him.

I’m writing off his chances, but it’s just based on the timing of things, his injury and his ehem…family problems…I’m just questioning if his iron will can truly overcome that on d-day. If it does and he wins the gold, my oh my, I think he just needs to retire after that, spend quality time with his dad and be given the title ‘Tun’.

But instead of simply considering a Penangite…I think it’s only right that we should put some glimmer of hope on a Sarawakian who is also in the contingent. So who knows, she may spring a surprise from the springboard. So keep our fingers crossed and let’s hope she can do it. I wonder if she’s related to anyone from my kampong? Hahaha. I'm guessing probably a lot of people now might be claiming to be her relatives now and maybe a lot of people may have visited her house last Gawai too. 

Anyway, my bet is that Germany's gonna win Euro 2012. Hahahaha. England's not going to win it coz they play like Liverpool in their last BPL campaign. But wait, at least Liverpool won something. Hahahaha. I'm only glad that they finally let Steven Gerrard to captain England. But the team to beat is still Spain, and believe me...many people probably think that they were lacklustre in the final group match..but think about this; they played the game without placing an all out striker. It was a 4-6-0 formation..and yet, THEY WON!

Stevie works as a part time accountant.