One super series title was hardly an above average track record . I know he won many tournaments in open era and his career started going downhill when super series was introduced. I am, as Taufik's fan, just jealous with the talk and the comparison of LCW and LD. I always have to dig the history to bring Taufik as an object of discussion.
Taufik tied the knot early in 2006 following his success winning OG, WC and 2 AGs. He's been a family oriented and business guy more than longing for more titles as what he stated (from my loose recollection) when asked about more titles: " Saya rasa sudah cukup lah. Kasih kesempatan juga buat yg muda2. Masak harus saya terus". (" I think I've achieved enough. Let's give more chance for the younger juniors. How come it has to be me everytime?") He's a Olympic Champion, World Champion and two times Asian Champion that Indonesia have, a feat none of has LCW accomplished. LCW shines in consistency, but Taufik forever shines as a Champion in Indonesian fans heart.
Taufik's also known as a family guy and good father figure. I've seen him playing with his kids in the park near their house in Cibubur. His family also very well known as epitome of happy family. He didn't just retired young and rich, but he retired happy!
I wished he retired earlier. May be right after AG 2006. It was painful to see him lost and lost again between 2007-2012. A great player with a mediocre performance in a third end of his career. I guess he doesn't care about that. I remember in an interview he said originally he doesn't like badminton and prefer playing football over badminton. he played badminton only to improve his economic condition. It worked for him and didn't work for the others. Ah yang sudah, sudahlah. Bagaimanapun dia tunggal putra terbaik yang pernah kita miliki.
Actually Singapore has long been part of Malaya (old Malaysia), then administered largely by the British, who were the colonial masters. In a sense Singaporeans were once Malaysians and both people can travel across the causeway (bridge linking Spore to the south) and vice versa without difficulty. There are still familial relations and close ties on both sides of the causeway. Singapore attained self-government in 1959 with limited control from the British. With a view to taking over the destiny of Singaporeans, the then Singapore government thought it best to merge with Malaya to form Malaysia to ensure a better future. The marriage took place in 1963, but it did not work out as Singapore wants to develop faster without undue hindrance from the Federal government. It lasted only 2 years when Singapore divorced from Malaysia in 1965 (not 1961). Singapore then went on her own way to find answers to her varied problems, the chief of which is that Singapore is barren with no natural resources, unlike Malaysia.
Hahaha my bad, did not miss him out because i think he is outside the category. Was quoting examples from players who are active on the current badminton scene.
It was still a pleasure to watch him play, and he managed to go to the final of WC in Paris 2010! Most of the time, he gave a very good first game... For the second game it did not matter so much, we knew it was pretty much over
And that hurts all the other nations as well. Two is already the minimum (max for IOC/BWF), so it'll be much better for the two players of the same nationality to be separated in different halves. There should be a reasonable limit and right balance to how things should be carried out without blatant discrimination which is against the principles of Olympism.
Nokh's preference should not be called racism. It is easy to see that people like players from some nation better then from others ; I would say 99% of the people watching sports are like that. Even you have a tendency to prefer CHN players ; no one would think it is because you are racist, it is just so natural to lean towards one group or another.
