Luck and Practice

I was fortunate to be able to join the debate fraternity.I never have really been out of it for a good part of 19 years. I would be first to admit that practice and Saiful are two words that would have serious worldly repercussions if combined too often but I did practice, albeit, sporadically and specifically. Nonetheless, divine interventions helped my limited practice to be specifically on what was needed at that time to win or do well in the few tournaments that I entered.

Here's the list.

1. 1990 UPM Inter-College Tourney

- three beautiful teammates, so I was inspired to do all sorts of research to get to the final

2. 1991 UPM Inter College Tourney

- Our team was conned or Shanghaied into losing the finals the previous year so in 1991, I was pissed and thus ever willing to get the most potent of data.It was here that I developed my unique squirelling approach. We won and I was best speaker.

3. 1992 - kicked out of the UPM for purportedly having a short tongue and thus inable to pronounce words correctly. Insane, took me out of debate for a year but UPM lost all they could have lost (probably would have lost even if I was around) but my reputation was intact and called back in 1993 and I met OMAR SALLAHUDDIN.

4. Perfected my art of multiple definitions and parameters and got to the finals of the Battle of Wits. Lucky because Omar's team in a mindboggling decision lost in the semis. Ha ha, easy path for us in the finals. (My first prize money even though we lost the finals)

5. Went to the AllAsians (the first one) got to define 4 out of 5 times in the prelims and thus we won all four. Got to the octos but cannot define as we were the opps. Lost but reputation still okay as breaking then, means, you're good.

6. Went to the first royals in 95. Perfected the art of coin flipping so that we will get the 'Affirmative' position all the time. Got 4 out 5 and won 4 out of 5. Got through to the semis and the coin did not favour us and we were on the wrong side. Thus we lost.


Really not bad considering we only practiced defining and defending our parameters. Tough luck as by 96 people just simply got better and our way was not in style anymore (not that it was ever in style anyway)