Sports

The only sports that I am currently good at is jogging as I do it nearly every other day. I can run as far as 5 to 6 kilometres without feeling tired, which I know is nothing to those who look fit and thin. I don't look like I can run far but just try me. Then you'll see. Its an achievement on its own as I am known to be quite on the heavy side.

Jogging is also one of the 'sports' that I can enjoy with my wife as there is nothing that you need except your own two legs. We did go out jogging once in a while but I am more consistent these past 3 months due to my glucose level shooting up after Eid Fitri. I do tend to fall off the wagon, like what Oprah said had happened to her, when festive season comes.

The other sport that I followed religously is footbal or soccer which had been a staple for me since my university days. I was not a football fan in my schooling day as I find it too taxing. I tried playing tennis, cricket and volleyball but except for tennis, I stopped when I go to university. Then the only game I played was football.

Being a heavyweight, I opted for the defence position and I was known to stand like a rock between the striker and the goalpost but was never good enough to be that important in games. That was actually how I approach sports, just enough so that I can play but never too good. As we neared our final year, we lessen the intensity of our football games and instead watch it with passion on television. We would wake up at 3am to watch the Champions League and those who were well-versed in football history coached me on who's who. As there were many Manchester and Liverpool fans, I buck the trend and choose Arsenal. This was before Chelsea gatecrash the party and make the Big Three into the Big Four.

During my university years, the Malaysian football was also in quite a euphoriatic state which saw us choose side according to where we came from. The main team then was Selangor who has the Man U mentality and vanity, which I became a fan of due to my housemate. My own state, Negeri Sembilan was the mid-table filler during that time. Then it all went downhill when they discovered that nearly half of each team in Malaysian football were in the take. We were even educated by the press that the bookie needed to pay-off at least 5 players including the goalkeeper to ensure the other team wins.

Football was also the reason my television is set to switch itself on at 3am during the early years of our marriage and my wife had to endure me and a few other houses within our condominium complex shouting "Goal...!!!!" in the middle of the night (morning?).

And that was also the TV was banned from the bedroom and I have to stay in the living room alone. Luckily, Arsenal had been playing badly for the past few years and my wife have been spared the wake-up call...