Role: Liason Officer for Mr M.C Chowhan - the Chef de Mission of India
“If there’s one thing that I gained from the AYG, it is that one has to take pride in our roles and responsibilities… because when we do that, going that extra mile becomes miraculously easier to accomplish. And at the end of it all, the journey culminates into an indescribable feeling of satisfaction and achievement.”
Having traveled for a good 7 years with the Singapore Water Polo Team as a player from 1996 to 2002, and having made life difficult for many an LO (Liason Officer), I thought it be interesting to be on the receiving end of the bargain for once… and therefore volunteered for the position.
Despite the transport woes and accommodation glitches publicized in the local dailies, the AYG2009 has left an indelible impression on me - as a liason officer, as a coach, as an educator, and as a Singaporean.
As the CDM LO of India, I was given the responsibility to plan Mr Chowhan’s daily routine and to make sure that he was ferried punctually from competition venue to the hotel for meetings, and from shopping centres (Mr Chowhan had a knack for sniffing out good bargains for polo tee-shirts, which he promptly bought for his 3 son-in-laws, and dozens of staff back home) to little India, where we would end the day at Ananda Bhavand (a North Indian vegetarian restaurant that became our daily dinner hang out).
In thirteen days, I realized that:
1. Singaporeans at the youth level CAN (and will) compete with our Asian counterparts on equal ground - be it in athletics, swimming or bowling.
2. And more importantly, with the crowds cheering at competition venues… that Singaporeans do care, and are not apathetic to our fellow country boys and girls competing for the Nation.
3. I am proud to be a Singaporean. I know it because every time Majulah Singapura is played, I sing with my head held high, knowing that Singapore is a force to be reckoned with, and that WE, managed to pull off the first ever Asian Youth Games, where we’ve set the bar very high for the 2010YOG, and also for the country that will host the 2nd AYG.
4. First impression does count a great deal. I managed to make that, but also experienced how others who did not make their impressions count did not have as good a time as myself.
My little expectation of my role as LO to the 69-large Indian contingent, has helped me embrace and understand the importance of good service, and left me a more patient, better person. I am thankful for being given the opportunity to serve the College, and to serve my Nation.
Come this September or November, I look forward to meeting my new found friends in Delhi, when I set foot on the beautiful sands of a continent once populated by Maharajahs and Kings of the past.
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