MALAYSIAN TEAM (MEN) AT OLYMPIAD

The Start 

Malaysian Olympiad Team...due to its very 'humble and polite' average rating, alway seeded somewhere at the middle of the ranking...or sometimes maybe at top 75% of the team if there is not so many teams.

This normally leads to yo-yo performance during the first few rounds...before stabilizing somewhat during the middle rounds. A good example is during 2006 Turin Olympiad at in which:
First Round: Lost 0-4 to Spain
Second Round: Won 4-0 against Honduras
Third Round: Lost 0-4 to Slovenia
Fourth Round: Won 4-0 against Angola

Forgive me for initially thought that we will continue this pattern...lost, won, lost, won...and with IM Mas not on board this time around... who knows, will it be lost, lost, won, lost !?

...and how i was wrong..and pleasantly surprise...that this year Olympiad is different...we managed to hold our own amateur 'kampung team' against a strong, professional, world class team...and even when we lost...Boy! we damn sure gave them a hard time!

Example is on the very first round...some say we performed well against a not so strong Netherland (maybe based on Netherland's round 2 or 3 result)...I say, after being grilled by Malaysian's Tigers in the first round, they are not able to recover and still in state of shocks, few rounds after!

GM Loek...being maimed by Tiger Mok, only recovered on 4th round.

 A very good starts that makes even the ardent critiquer of Jimmy's suddenly mentioned that he did not hate Jimmy...and suddenly fully supportive of the team....

(Unfortunately after another more rounds in which fortunes swings widly...as expected to happen to every teams over a long run, even to Russian Team...suddenly yeah, still supportive... but with a naughty words sprinkled in...Jimmy shoud be replace...Li Tian not yet ready....hmm, i guess not really good ethique to critic players that are still in the field playing for country...huffing, puffing, shaking...bloods, sweats, tears all over... that it is a mistake to have them in a team...well, just my opinion)

The Target 

I don't know about Malaysian target in this Olympiad. MCF...as usual...remain consistent in maintaining 'elegant silent', as they say in politic or 'China Wall of information' as they say in Finance

So allow me to set the target to Malaysian Team.

OK, since we are seeded at number 86, should we finished top 80 is good, top 70 is excellent and we have very good chances to finish top 70 since our opponent in the last round is Thailand (Team that is seeded number 109) and now we are already inside top 80 bracket!

The Next Posting 

Personal View: Malaysian Players (Men) at the Olympiad