A Paintball Escapade in Malaysia
The Padang Timur field in Petaling Jaya was transformed to life with the array of colors on its otherwise green and gray landscape. From the sup air bunkers, to the jerseys that the participating teams were wearing and the flags that they were so proudly waving, one could not dismiss that something huge was happening right there, at that moment in Truly Asia Malaysia. The sun was shinning so brightly that day, but what was even brighter were the smiles of the old friends reunited from the first Asian Cup in the Philippines and new friends being made from those that were taking part for the first time. This indeed was a splendid way to start what is currently the biggest international paintball event ever organized in the Asia-Pacific.
For a team attending an international tournament one is wary of what could be in store for them as they set foot in the unknown territory of the host country. To start with, it is the dilemma of how to get to the hotel from the airport. At the AC05, true Asian hospitality was offered by dedicated and customer oriented gentlemen- thanks to Malaysian Airlines for training them well- to make sure that each team or player coming in to KL International Airport was met and given a comfortable ride back to the hotel. And to what hotel were they taken to you ask? Of course, nothing but the best -PJ Hilton Hotel. It was home to the international teams for the duration of their stay in Malaysia. It's about a 5 minute drive from the field (transport was provided from hotel to field), and a 10 minute walk to those that wanted a cost-effective warm-up and work out. Another thing that these teams needed, especially after a long day of play is FOOD. Aside from the buffet breakfast at our hotel-home there was an array of places to go to. For those that had adventurous stomachs like mine, mamak stalls could be found around the hotel as well as by the field. A mamak stall is an Indian-Malay food stall open almost 24 hours a day serving favorites like roti canai, chicken satay, naan cheese and my favorite day ender drink the teh tarik- tea sweetened with condensed milk and pulled from one glass to another to give it that bubbly flavor. Yet to those who wanted the more contemporary foodfare, fast foods such as A&W, McDonalds and KFC were also a stone's throw from the venue and gave the much needed nourishment for the day. Attending this year's Asian Cup 2005, was like hitting two birds with one stone. It was a great way to experience the opulent local culture and at the same time play paintball in an international setting.
Teams from Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Guam, Taiwan and the United Kingdom competed in 3 divisions. The Pro-Am, where players were allowed to use their electronic markers, comprises of teams with international tournament expertise. The Amateur, consist of players that have only played in local tournaments but have the courage to bring their games to the next level. And the Novice, were teams that despite their lack of experience in the big games, still gave the audience adrenaline-packed matches to cheer on. Only house markers from Delta Paintball, one of the AC05 sponsors, were allowed and issued out to the Amateur and Novice teams as they entered the field. The game turfs were simultaneously ringing with shots and screams, that if one listens closely, showcases the host of languages in attendance. It could have been a recipe for chaos, but this was dealt with by the ever watchful eyes of the Field Ultimates flown in from the United Kingdom. There were 3 sup air fields, each with one UK Marshall making sure that the players that were hit, were heading to the "dead box" instead of the playing-on and those trying to sneak in a move or two were penalized for their sins. Much can be read in the paintball forums on how these marshals judged the games, among them strict, unbiased and professional.
And so after 2 days of giving their best and of trying to brave the unpredictable weather, the results were in, with the Boonie Dogs from Guam taking the trophy for the Pro-Am Division having beaten Malaysia's Team Slayers. Team Raskal Red (Malaysia) now has bragging rights as the top team of the Amateur Division. And Team Metroport (Malaysia) went up on stage to claim their prizes as winners for the Novice Division. The Awarding Ceremonies was done also in the Padang Timur field with no less than Malaysian distinguished dignitaries present and an Arabian-style dinner buffet, as a sign of appreciation from the event organizers and their sponsors for all the participants and their guests.
There were very encouraging numbers for this year's AC05. There were 10 teams in Pro-Am and another 10 teams in Amateur that registered. The most promising statistic though was from the Novice Division where a total of 20 teams signed up including a female team from the Philippines called Global Pinay. This was such an encouraging turn-out from these first timers in tournament paintball. Adding to this is the support from the Malaysian government entities such as Federal and State Tourism Department, The Royal Custom Malaysia, Malaysian Immigration Department, National Protocol Department, The Royal Malaysian Police, Municipal Council of Petaling Jaya, Ministry of Sports, Selangor State Tourism Action Council and the Malaysian Paintball Association. As well as the assistance of the corporate sponsors like Tiga Events, Allied Martial Arts Gym, Malaysian Airlines, Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel, 3 Events TV, French Connection, Paintball Association UK and PBUK. To Mr. David Ho, CEO of Hovid Bhd, who came and agreed to be the Official Paint of AC05. And to the ever dependable Mr. TC Gan, who has been a great promoter of this sport in Malaysia. And to the unnoticed faces that provided this experience with the much needed human assets, Uncle Bear, the King, the Gunner, Questy, Jaytee, Todo Boggy, Dimple Gamgee, Supahstah, Abbys, Airbabe, DreamCatcher, Speedy Gonzales, Graco, Chanti, Tempus Fugit and the Master. Let this Asian Cup accomplishment, be your trophy to display. I was these individuals and organizations that came together, consolidated their efforts, and created this milestone that will significantly contribute to the growth of the sport in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Before I even come to my final paragraph, let me mention that this tournament wouldn't have been as remarkable without these names. The company that devoted their sleepless weeks to piece together the small, as well as colossal details of this event- Skirmish Paintball Asia Sdn Bhd (SPA). To Dean CK Lau the over-all tournament director, always in the limelight, always there for paintball, that is why you will always be our Uncle Bear. To Raja Khairul, SPA's man of a few words, this event wouldn't have gone smoothly without you providing the balance in the organization. And to the man who took the meaning of "braving stress" to a different dimension, Allan Phang, for being the secretariat and over-all administrative go-to guy. Indeed a tremendous accomplishement by such a young Asian company.
And to those that kept the technical side of the tournament organized and fair; our charming Tournament Ultimate, Mr. Gary Husband, a.k.a "Meester Jabba", Field 3's Kevin Hanson, Field 2's Jonathan Arya and the most talked-about of them all Field 1's Big Dave O'Brien (Don't foook on his field!!), commendable job guys! 10 Seconds Liiive! We also give credit to the hardworking local referees from Delta Paintball, TT Sports and Adrenaline Paintball that trained hard to help our guest marshals keep order in the fields. Without you guys we have 3 British lads running around and eventually collapsing from all the heat. Mr. Andy Hatton of Paintball Association and PBUK, that took time to share his presence and his wisdom in the industry.To the Players on Loan- Paul Quest from Liverpool Showtime (UK), Paul Courtney from Shazam (UK), Chris Goddard from Nationall Paintball Supply, who unselfishly sacrificed personal victory to play for different teams. And lastly to my dependable Raskal Family who took time off from their day jobs to allot themselves for this event, you make us proud.
All this hype and excitement would eventually come to an end. But I believe that every soul that participated here would have tons of stories to share, not to mention heaps of pictures to show, about this paintball escapade in Malaysia. I know that this attempt of mine to put into words what has truly transpired can never match being there and really experiencing the camaraderie between teams, as well as the hospitality and the unique way that Malaysians treat their visitors and brothers (sisters too!) in paintball. Indeed this event was a collaboration of persons from different countries and cultures with the sole commitment of promoting a sport we are all passionate about. There we all were, different eye colors and shapes, various skin tones and an interesting mix of accents all working to make the Asian Cup 2005 Paintball Tournament a triumph for paintball in our region.
To everyone that came, the local and international teams, as well as those that watched and rooted for their favorites, Terima kasih banyak- a little Malay I've been trying to practice meaning thank you all very much!
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Published on 12/9/05