MAPCU Volleyball Competition 2008

It's the first MAPCU (Malaysian Association of Private College and University) competition after I joined Nottingham, and we Nottingham are the host for this MAPCU Volleybal competition! The organizer is our sports manager of the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus - Ali Kader! As usual, I recieved a call from Ali which he asked me whether I'm free on Saturday morning to help, and why not? I'm so excited to be an "active student" again.

I woke up at 7:00 a.m, which is unusual for a Saturday. Ali reminded me to wear cap since it'll be freaking hot on the court. Get set around 7.30a.m and ready to walk to Sports Complex. By the way, I didn't realize that the feeling of walking the path to uni in the morning is so refreshing.

It took me 3 songs time to walk to Sports Complex (I'm having my walkman phone wiht me while walking there), and you know what? I'm the earliest who arrive, and it's expected... as always. So I walked around and take some snaps, and I sense Ali in my radar range at 7.55a.m. He was surprise that no one is there yet to start the preparation (so am I...). We qucikly set up a simple registration counter. UCSI was the earliest team to arrive (8a.m sharp) and they get a chance to explore our Sports Complex while me and Ali handling some stuffs.

Almost reach Sports Complex, the Volleyball courts are empty, so I expected something:


A sneak shot inside the empty office, waiting for someone to open it up:


Yes! Ali came, and we quickly set up the registration counter:


The first team to arrive, UCSI, and slowly, the others:

Basically my job starts with helping the participants college/uni to register their players and accepty payment (too bad it doesn't goes to my wallet). The participating parties are:

1. Nottingham University
2. UCSI
3. HELP UC
4. Taylor College
5. APIIT
6. IMU and
7. Nilai University College!

Basically every college/uni send out 1 team each for male and female category except HELP uni college, they sent 2 for each category. So the people who are suppose to help around show up and we're getting a grip on it (one of them is Alex). Referees arrive, registration and verification of participants complete, and LET THE GAME BEGINS!

My tag for the day *Syok*:

All the IDs from the participants for verification purpose:

When everything is under control, the team managers play badminton in the hall:

Nottingham female VS Nilai UC female -.- support who?

I get a chance to talk with my ex-college team, just exchanging information *Glad that some still recognize me*. They asked me how's life here, and I asked what had change there. Nilai UC really changed, especially the canteen, I have to get a chance and go back to have a look. Then a minute later I'm busy distributing drinks for the teams, REVIVE isotonic drink is our main sponsor, but I enjoyed the other sponsor's drink TWISTER more.

All about strategy:

Nilai team!

Had my morning updating the scores at the main booth, then I took lunch with Ali and Edwin (Nilai UC staff) at Nottingham cafeteria around 2p.m, then we went back for semi-finals. It seems like there're lack of man power, I became one of the score keeper for female's matches. By witnessing the competition, I started to feel that volleyball is actually quite fun. It requires a lot of teamwork and communication among teammates which I poorly can do it. Well, I just play it once during my life in Nilai with the female team, I was so bored working in the President Hall and I joined the girls coz that's the only game played during my working period that day.

Score keeper's view:

It started to rain around 4:00p.m, where I'm still the score keeper. The girls really don't mind to play in the rain (as expected). The rain somehow stimulated the fighting spirit of the players, even I as a score keeper also get a bit "excited" (about the game).

Gonna keep the score board coz raining:

Female team continue semi-final match even it's raining:

The competition ended at 5p.m something, the rain stoped after the semi-final, so final is quite OK except the wet ground. All the players are so into the games, glad that they enjoyed the event. The winning team is:

Male Champion: Nilai UC
Male 1st Runner Up: Help UC Team A
Male 2nd Runner Up: UCSI
Female Champion: Help UC Team B
Female 1st Runner Up: Nilai UC
Female 2nd Runner Up: UCSI

Trophy and medals:

Nilai UC Team:

Congratulation to the winners, all the games are good! I took some pictures for the winning team after sorting out the medals. Then everyone went off. Of course, I have to stay back to clean the mess. So we collect all the score sheets into the office, keep the PA system, and place the chairs back to where they belong. Finally, I'm off around 7p.m. Fuh~ what a tiring day.

Group photo:

Later, Brandon called me to do Solid Mechanics 2 Lab Report together. So we decided to had dinner at Semenyih first. Coincidently, I met Nilai UC Team at the restaurant, they were having dinner too, what a small world. Then I managed to sweep some stocks from The Store before going back home.

I'm so happy that I have the chance to participate in the organizing committee to run the competition, hope that there's more to come (I still prefer we send team to other colleges instead of being the host).

Gonna finish Proverbs today, in Proverbs 31:9, "Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice." Helping others is very important, recently I learn that through helping people, we helped ourselves as well. Maybe sometimes we thought that it's just worthless or strange to do something, but God actually send us to someone in need. Others might be praying for angels to come and help them, and you (Yes! YOU!) never know that you're playing such an important role (Experienced it personally). I pray that Teng will be able to finish his lab report that he had drag for so long (I'm also doing lab report now). Uncle Tome will be flying back from Austrailia next week, I pray for his journey mery too. Heard that Nilai Sunday Worship is going to lead the Youth Service of First Baptist Church this coming Sunday, hope it'll be a success. Audri's puppy (the name is Sunday) back home in KK was stolen, pray that it'll be back soon. He was so moody and sad for that incident. Amen.