Thank you for 1,000 views!

It's great to note that Super Slam Carrom House has achieved 1,000 views today - 25th July 2012. It's a historical day I'll always remember today. Hope this blog has been informative and helps you to improve your carrom playing skills. If you wish to provide any feedback, kindly email to me at superslamcarrom@gmail.com. Once again, thank you very much.

Kejohanan Karom Piala Korporat Individu 2012 (Corporate Cup Carrom Championship - Individual 2012)

12th July (Thursday)
After work on Thursday, I headed to our office to ensure a proper checklist is done of the items that needs to be taken over to the venue. In a way it was good as we didn't miss out anything important which was needed for the competition. I had to cut small pieces of rubber to be placed on all 4 corners of the board to avoid damage during transportation. Later during the day, an interested player who badly needs to warm up his game dropped by for a few rounds of "sparring". It was good for me too as my form wasn't as consistent as it should. I was getting worried as D-day was the following day.

13th July (Friday) - Pre-Competition Day
The day started early for me as I headed to Wisma OCM to meet my friend, it was not so good a news as there were the only 2 who were going to be involved in making sure the equipments were transported safely to the playing venue. The truth is - this is no surprise. Anyway as we headed from 2 different directions and mode of transport - well mine was foot power while the other's was a car, we met at a mamak at about 10:30am for some light breakfast as we weren't sure if there would be any food available at the venue.

The guy who came to pick up the boards had to be briefed on how the boards needs to be handled as they were very new and we can't afford any form of damage. As the lorry transporting the goods arrived there and as we started arranging the stuffs in the venue, it was a good sight to see another member of our committee dropping by to give a helping hand. Of the 3, 2 including yours truly have bad back problems among other issues. My only worry was to prepare the whole venue for the competition was going to take its toll on me. This is not a 1st experience for me but it has certainly happened before where not many including the exco coming to help where help is needed the most.

Anyway, the whole venue was setup and I had to get back to the match fixtures. The reason for my head cracking up was due to the fact that the number of entries was odd for both ladies and men. Initially, there was 43 men and 15 ladies signed up for this event. But as usual, when no payment is made upon registration, players don't bother to turn up. As a matter of fact, they don't even bother to call and inform the organizers that they're unable to make it. Only very few did. This has been going on for years and it has to stop.

So as I couldn't really find a solution to the match fixtures, I decided to make sure the boards are stable and not shaky. All 20 boards had to be wiped clean. Once that's done, I prepared the baskets where the contents of it is:

• 9 white carrommen
• 9 black carrommen
• 1 red (Queen)
• 1 brush
• 1 pen (to fill up score sheet). Players were encouraged to write their own scores.

All this was done so that on the day of competition there's no "helter skelter". I left the venue about 6.45pm and I got a ride from a another exco member. We made our way to Wisma OCM as we had to finalize the match fixtures and do the draw. There were only 3 of us - Asst. Sec, Chief Umpire and yours truly.

14th July (Saturday) - Competition Day
So the day was finally here. Woke up at 6.30am. Another friend came by my house to hitch a ride about 7.15am. We left my house at 7.30am and stopped at a rest area along the highway for a drink. Arrived at Dewan Komanwel, Majlis Sukan Negara, Bukit Jalil at about almost 8.30am. Some players had already come. Keys to the venue was with our Asst. Sec who arrived at about almost 9am. Registration began at about 9.30am. Player's strikers were weighted and endorsed so that they don't use unapproved ones. Striker weight should not exceed 15gms. There were many new players who've been playing OutPocket for many years and are still playing but took time to come and experience the true carrom. A carrom which can truly show your skills. My only hope is that they'll adopt this format of carrom. This will be good for the carrom community all over Malaysia.

Since not all players who registered turned up, slight shuffling had to be done but not compromising on the number of groups for men which remained at 11 groups, while ladies had 4 groups. Competition commenced with preliminary group league matches at 10.30am and everything went well. Our VP1 arranged for a caterer to bring food which was to be sold to interested buyers. Lunch break was at about 1ish and 2pm. After lunch all knock-out rounds were played.

The day was totally stressful as my form was bad. There were inconsistencies but nevertheless, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ never let me down. Quarter-Finals was played like if it was the finals as the opponent was the defending champion. I managed to squeeze through by a slim 2pts margin.

When I stepped into the Semis, my form was back and I felt like I was "filled". Throughout the matches I never failed to pray and ask God for guidance. During the course of my matches I felt disappointed as I was unable to play at my best but I never stopped praying. And I was handsomely rewarded by gaining back my form. Won semis 25-6 and then as I moved on to the FINALS, the opponent was another tough one. Of course, it's the finals and what could one expect? My opponent was Big, Strong and Friendly and he was certainly a worthy opponent. I realised that he's not to be underestimated. He played quite a bit of control and trying to be defensive. In my heart I knew after the Semis that my Lord was with me.

As many pairs of eyes watched the game and I can't deny the fact that I was very nervous but still I managed to keep my cool. It was tough and nerve-wrecking but as we approached the last frame/board, I had a 9pt advantage and all I had to do is reduce the number of carrommen on the table without having to worry about pocketing the Queen. Somehow the form was so good that I even managed to cover the Queen and win the last board/frame. Final score: 25-12. I was the happiest guy around and as I was congratulated by my close friends and supporters, I thanked my God for the victory which was made possible only by Him. This victory is sweet in the sense that this will be the last edition of Corporate Cup which will then be replaced by another national championship.

Prize Money

Women
1. Champion - RM500
2. Runner-up - RM300
3. 3rd Placing - RM200
4. 4th Placing - RM100

Men
1. Champion - RM1000
2. Runner-up - RM500
3. 3rd Placing - RM300
4. 4th Placing - RM100

Results

Women
1. Suzana
2. Puspa
3. Zaida
4. Angie
5. Mery
6. Jamilah
7. Nurul Ashyikin
8. Mahanim

Men
1. Yours truly
2. Baharuddin
3. Suhaizan
4. Shamsul
5. Wan Arif
6. Ikhmal Faizal
7. Shaharuddin
8. Sahipul

Thank you all for your prayers and support. God bless.

Enjoy playing international format carrom.

15th July (Sunday) - Post-Competition Day
Extremely exhausted. No amount of sleep was enough for me to recover. Need more rest.

Tournament Pics

Medals & Hampers

Women's Event taking place

Women's Event taking place

All events taking place

Women's Event - 5th-8th Placing

Women's Event - 5th-8th Placing

Women's Event - 5th-8th Placing

Women's Event - 4th Place

Women's Event - 3rd Place

Women's Event - Runner-Up

Women's Event - Champion

Women Top 8 with their Prizes

Men's Event - Semi Finals 1 in the background and Semi Finals 2 in the foreground

Champion's Medal & Prize Money

Champion's Medal Up Close

SURCO - Jenama Papan Terulung di Dunia

SURCO adalah jenama papan karom yang terulung di dunia - sejak tahun 1952. Ia merupakan papan yang pertama dan paling diikhtiraf oleh Persekutuan Karom Antarabangsa dan Persekutuan Karom All-India. Jadi buat pilihan yang bijak. Kami adalah pengimpot tunggal di Malaysia.

White Slam & Black Slam

Watch and learn how slams are made. There's a very small element of luck but mostly it's pure skills. Made possible over years of practice and competition. Here are some of my friends who've made slams. Typically White Slams are more supreme than Black ones unless when a player gets an opportunity to break and missed potting any, then it is. Otherwise it's always been white as more carrommen are on the board and it poses more challenges to do a slam clearance. Enjoy the videoclips.

White Slam by Karnal Abdin (UK)

White Slam by Yogesh Pardeshi (India)

Black Slam by Chamil Cooray (Sri Lanka)

White Slam by Nishanta Fernando (Sri Lanka)

White Slam by Parimala (India)

White Slam by Kabir (Pakistan)

 

White Slam by Robin (Bangladesh)

White Slam by Shafee (Maldives)

Inside Pocket vs Outside Pocket

Well many carrom players out there are aware of the existence of 2 types of carrom boards. Firstly, it's the OutPocket (OP) type where I first started playing carrom back in the early 80s. I've won many competitions back in school, workplace & church. Then in the late 90s as I was searching for international carrom, I came across the international community playing Inside Pocket (IP) carrom. Honestly, I felt it was silly since I've always been playing OP. But as I started playing IP and understanding the rules, it wasn't that bad at all. In fact there came a time when I totally gave up playing OP.

Now the question is, why did I gave up playing OP completely:

1. Disco powder used in OP is totally incontrollable for the striker. In fact once you place your striker on the board to strike, it starts moving.
2. Rules of the game is not fixed. Mostly when a competition is attended, players are briefed on the rules and it's mostly "house rules".
3. Stands are too high for a player to sit comfortable and play the game.
4. With the presence of disco on the board, a player's skills are not visible as the movement of the striker is determined by disco.
5. In fact when I requested to purchase some OP carrom boards from India, the manufacturer mentioned it's the board used by children/kids. Can you imagine some of them here are still playing kid's carrom. So basically they need to grow up and graduate into playing IP.

Why did I choose to seriously play only IP:

1. This is mode of carrom played worldwide. Accepted by the international carrom playing community. So it's best you play what everyone plays as it's recognized and sanctioned by the International Carrom Federation (ICF).
2. We have a law book by which every player abides by.
3. Given some time, everyone gets familiar with the rules.
4. A player has the opportunity to display his/her skills. For example, a player can break and finish a particular board/frame.
5. During international events in Asia, boric is used while potato flour is used across Europe and in Malaysia as well.
6. Usage of potato flour on the board allows better control of the striker.
7. By adopting international carrom, it has allowed me to represent my country in many international events. This has given me the opportunity to play amongst the world's best.

One should trying playing IP before making judgements that it's silly, etc. Recently I had a friend who purchased a carrom board from me. He admitted that he's an avid OP player and over the years have won competitions. But after trying his hands at playing IP, he's now my "disciple" and helping me to spread the news on playing the right carrom.

Once you start playing IP carrom, I can bet you'd give up playing OP for sure just like I did. Unfortunately there's a huge carrom playing community still playing "karom kampung" or kid's carrom which is the OP.

Shown below is 2 types of carrom boards:


Inside Pocket (ICF Approved)

Outside Pocket (Not Approved)

My wish is for all the OP playing community to move to playing IP. Then the standards of carrom can be elevated to a higher level. Get in touch with me if you want to know how.

How International Carrom Is Played

Here's some basics as to how it's played:

1. Arrangement of carrommen in the centre remains unchanged.

2. Break to start

• Singles - The player who wins the toss gets to break first and will play for White.  And for Singles, break is done backwards instead of front. This is to allow carrommen to be brought closer to our side. As it makes it easier to use thumbing and pocket the carrommen into the pockets located on the player's side.
• Doubles - Break is done in front motion. You're not alone and in this case you have to think of your partner as well. Turn of play is always anti-clockwise. So when a due is ready for placement, it will be done by the person sitting on your right. For further details refer to "How International Carrom Is Played".

3. Game

• A game consists of 8 boards/frames or 25points - whichever comes first.
• In competitions, a full game will consists of the best of 3 games which is quite lenghty. So normally for example, this is only practised from Q-Final onwards. Then again, this is left to the organizers.

4. Points

• For example, at the end of the 1st game, Player A won and Player B's 3 carrommen is left on the board. So that means Player A gets 3pts. If Player A had also covered the Queen, then an additional 3pts is awarded. Totaling 6pts. Even if Player B had taken the Queen and lose the game, he doesn't get the points for the Queen. You need to win a frame to be awarded points for the Queen. In the same manner, if Player A did not cover the Queen but won the frame, he only gets points for the remaining carrommen.
• These points are then accumulated after each frame. The player reaching 25pts or at the end of the 8th board/frame will be declared the winner.

Carrom Boards & Accessories for Sale!

Hello Malaysian Carrom Lovers! The much awaited carrom boards are finally here. And it's all the way from India. Which is the capital of carrom board manufacturing. The almost 2 months wait is finally over and its totally worth it. These boards are from the first ever carrom board manufacturer in India. SURCO is a trusted brand since 1952. They've been around for almost 60 years. The rest are all copy cats and "wanna-be's". This is truly the real deal.

"PURCHASE A BOARD FROM ONLY THE BEST BRAND IN THE CARROM WORLD"

Advantages of owning a SURCO carrom board:
1. First carrom board manufacturer approved by ICF.

2. Having almost 60years of experience manufacturing world-class boards.

3. Dedicated and focused to only manufacturing carrom boards and its related equipments - nothing else.

Here are the SURCO model's that Super Slam Carrom House is offering:



Tournament Strikers - 15gms

Champion Strikers - 15gms