Swept Aside

As expected i lost in the first round with a terrible score line. LOL

It was intimidating ok, just to be in a hall with so many pro looking players. Initially I was so nervous but when the match started I was feeling ok. I think I did try hard, but obviously that wasn't good enough. This is already much better than the time I played in my first tennis tournament 2 years ago, where I was just so overwhelmed by the situation, my mind was completely blank and that made my opponent's day so much easier.

Today is a different story. I was actually ready to compete, but the problem is that I just didn't have the skill to back it up. And my partner didn't either. It was kind of embarrassing becoz so many ppl were around the hall hahaha...

I'm sure u know that I have been training for tennis for almost 2 months, working on my serve and trying to improve my fitness. In a way it's kind of frustrating becoz I worked so hard on tennis but in the end there is no competition, and then all of a sudden I just walk into a badminton competition with virtually no preparation. But I don't regret a single bit on the work I did for tennis, I mean I'm sure I will benefit from it in the future.

Today I realize that tennis strokes aren't helpful in badminton. A lot of the times I was just swinging the ball high up into the air, allowing my opponent to smash it back. Even when I was hitting hard, I just couldn't keep the shuttle low enough... And in badminton you have less time to react becoz the shuttle comes back at you in lightning speed. In general I just couldn't read my opponent's game as well as I can do in tennis. OK OK, yes I know I'm coming up with excuses to console myself.

BUT here's what I really feel. Even though it sucks to lose (doesn't matter if it's tennis, badminton or any other sport), anyone who cares about the competition will be upset when they lose, but I genuinely believe that we gain more from losing. Seriously. I'm saying this out of experience. The last time I lost in a tennis event, I learnt so much about my game and how to handle pressure, and as a result I became a better player after that lesson. Whenever we face defeat, we are forced to come into terms with our weaknesses as they become apparent in the match. It's like a reality check.
Sure it feels so damn good to win and we all aim to win, but you don't learn as much from it. Yes it does boost self confidence, but at the same time it makes you arrogant and u tend to take things for granted.
Don't get me wrong, I still aim to win everytime I play, but I'm just saying that losing in sports is inevitable and it actually isn't such a bad thing. Believe me, you may feel awful now, but those wounds will heal after some time and eventually we get over it and grow into a stronger person.


Well I think I have expressed everything that's on my mind... OMG the things I just said in this post sound so philosophical and downright corny. Getting goosebumps... Maybe someone can hire me to be a motivational speaker hahahaha...

Time to get some rest =)