Asian Tiger

Let me tell you why I have this sudden urge to take up tennis. 5 days ago, I met up with a hometown friend, Rogerines. Rogerines was and is a good tennis player and have taken up residence in Kuala Lumpur in search of greener pastures. She is now in the sales line selling IT services to corporations. Rogerines lives a good life; driving an expensive cars, taking exotic holidays and could afford to eat at more up-class restaurants. I assumed that all these was because of her success in sales but Rogerines told me her secret.

You see, Rogerines coached tennis on a part time basis. Usually in the early morning or in the evening depending on how her schedule was like for the day. Her occupation as salesperson helped her schedule a little bit more flexible than the most of us. Guess how much she gets paid for every hour of coaching? RM80!!! Assuming that she coaches 1 hour per day, that’s RM2,400 per 30 days. That’s a lot of money. Now you know why I want to take up tennis.

I asked Rogerines what are the important things to consider to purchase before getting into the court. These are some of the things she mentioned:

Tennis Shirts – good tennis shirts are required to keep the sweat away so that you remain comfortable in the game. Tennis is a strenuous game and involve a lot of sweating. Today’s apparel technology allows for optimum ventilation, dryness, comfort and muscle support.

Tennis Skortz – for the ladies, proper skirts and skortz should be worn during the game. Elastic waist bands promote comfort and stretching. Like the tennis shirt apparel, it promotes ventilation and dryness.

Tennis Shoes – Proper sized shoes must be worn during the game. Too tight and your feet suffers from cramping sensations. Too loose and you might suffer from a sprain. Choose wisely as your shoes are what separates you and the ground.

Tennis Racquet String – after buying your own racquet, consider restringing it. This is because tennis racquets being mass produced may lose its tension over a period of time and may also be brittle. If you don’t change the strings, it may break during your game and you need more energy to return shots from the lack of tensions. Todays top of the range strings offer explosive power, soothing comfort, precise control and incredible feel.

Even with Johnny Wilkinson being the top scorer in the recent Rugby World Cup 2007, England failed to defend her title in one of the most cautious games ever. The Rugby World Cup is held every 4 years. Where do you head to for world class contact sports? If you are a rugby/football fanatic like a few friends that I have, American football is the next best thing. For the really sports fanatics who prefer live action to televised delays, get your Super Bowl 2008 tickets here.

I have been an England fan for as long as I remember. I watched England lift the World Cup in 2003 and the win was sweet. Really sweet. All the nights of waking up during the ungodly hour, the thirst from cheering, the sweaty palms from tense moments and the experiences of mini heart attacks all seem to have been worth it.

What is it with this rough contact sport that gained fans from all over the world? Is it the show of muscles and braun? Is it the sight and smell of sweaty bodies? Is it the sound of bone-crushing clashes? Or perhaps it’s the sheer delight of the sport?

Well, I don’t know about you but the English fans are the ones that had me glued to the game. Cross my heart, I will be a forever an England fan.

Note: Photos from the Official World Rugby site.