RAW Young Talent Spotted!

A young boy hailing from a small flat was identified on the 16 of December. Just 12 and standing just below 3.5ft but he's very promising and shows great skills. I've got something up my sleeves for this kid. Come back here to read all about it....... 

Sponsorship = Support + Recognition

6th World Carrom Championship 2012, Colombo. Sri Lanka (31st October - 4th November).....here I come.

Ok my apologies for not been writing for quite a while. Yes and I'm back from the competition. It was a good experience but sadly my form wasn't up to par and where I needed it the most, it just didn't come. In all the "bad" that happened, something good did happen. A few days after I got back home, as usual I was back on the board - training. Something strange happened cos this stroke which I've been trying for many years finally took place. It was certainly a good feeling although it hasn't been perfected and needs lots of sharpening, which I've already started working on on a daily basis. I'm delighted as this is the widely used stroke in the international carrom fraternity.

Having said that, I'm very grateful to my employers especially my MD and Head of Corp. Comm. for initiating this sponsorship. For a big organization like this, carrom should be nothing but because of the fact that I'm an employee and that I'm crazily passionate about this game, the company came forward by supporting and recognizing this game. This is a huge boost for me as well as for carrom.

Not only did they sponsor me but they also sponsored the team in terms of providing 2 sets of beautifully printed t-shirts and a cool-looking hand towel to go along with it. This is very exciting for me as I've been with this organization for 5yrs already and this is the 1st time they've agreed to this sponsorship.

HUGE THANKS TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING THE GREENLIGHT. KUDOS TO THE TEAM!

My only hope is that they will continue to come forward with the assistance I need for future international outings.

My first ever - 27 years ago!

Hi friends, good to catch up once again. When I look back through the years and how carrom has evolved, its truly amazing. Been there, done that and here I am now - playing international carrom. Did I ever expect or dream that I would come this far? NO! NEVER! Everything happens only by HIS grace. So having had played carrom for almost 30 years, I'm glad I actually won something way back in 1985 during my schooldays. It was my runners-up plaque in doubles with my partner at that time - Edmund Fernandez. The plaque was kinda "dusty" although in was in a showcase but still had to use thinner to remove some stubborn dirt and now as you can see - it's SHINY. As for my partner, I guess now he has totally lost touch. Can't blame them as everyone has gone into different directions doing different things i.e. getting married, having a family, caught up with work, etc. etc. Gladly, my passion for carrom never died. Hope to leave behind a carrom legacy in Malaysia.

Stock Clearance!

20% OFF Board's Selling Price. Starter kits and FREE gift for every purchase. Having a starter kit will enable you to start playing immediately as soon as you receive the board. Delivery's available but chargeable and depends on location of delivery. Don't miss out on this opportunity to own the very best of top quality Indian boards. Call or email for details.

Boards with minor/slight defects are sold cheaper. Guaranteed no defects on the playing surface.

Board Specifications/Spesifikasi Papan:

a. Weight/Berat - 17kg

b. Board Size/Saiz Papan - 32in

c. Playing Area/Kawasan Permainan - 29in

d. Frame Thickness/Tebal Frame - 2in

e. Frame Width/Lebar Frame - 3in

f. Ply Thickness/Tebal Papan - 16mm

SURCO Tournament Speedo

Amazing 500 views

It's amazing to note that exactly within just 3 weeks (21days), SSCH blog received 500 views. Thanks for dropping by to read. Appreciate your support.

Personal Milestones in the World of Carrom

1999 - Certified National Umpire
1999 - Certified International Umpire
2000 - Umpire - 2nd Malaysian Open. Umpired Men Single's Final match between 2 Indian players which lasted for 3 hours
2003 - Missed - 2nd US Open International Carrom Tournament
2004 - Player - 4th World Championships, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2005 - Missed - 1st Asian Carrom Championships, Male, Maldives
2006 - Player - 2nd World Cup, New Delhi, India (Received special award for achieving 2nd best player in Asia which excludes the seeded countries)
2006 - Player - 1st Inaugural ESPN StarSports World Series of Carrom, New Delhi, India
(Given the honours as part of only 16 players handpicked to participate and only 1 from Malaysia)
2007 - Missed - 2nd Asian Carrom Championships, Chhattisgharh, India
2008 - Player - 5th ICF Cup Carrom Championships, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2008 - Missed 5th World Championships, Paris, France
2009 - Missed 3rd Asian Carrom Championships, Pune, India
2010 - Missed 3rd World Cup, Richmond, Virginia, USA
2011 - Player - 4th Asian Carrom Championships, Male, Maldives
2011 - Super Slam Carrom House was officially registered as a business
2011 - Organizing Secretary - 6th ICF Cup Carrom Championships, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2012 - Player - 6th World Championships, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2013 - Player - Champion of Champions, Gurgaon, India.
2013 - Re-certified International Umpire (Grade A)

Also umpired hundreds of games and coached a number of teams.

First ever White Slam successfully executed in Malaysia

The whole day, my break was quite disappointing as never once I was able to make a pot during a break and this is not normal for me. 90-95% of the time, at least 1 carrommen gets pocketed. On the evening of 29th July, at about 3pm, it finally happened. On the 7th frame/board of final round-robin match between Baharuddin & myself, it was my turn to break. When I broke, 2 white carrommen was pocketed on the left and right side of the bottom pockets, 1 black carrommen also accompanied on the bottom left pocket.

I was pocketing as usual but then the opening, tactical and strategy was so perfect and I didn't realise it in the end until my opponent made a comment as we looked at each other with 8 black carrommen left on the board. He said in Bahasa "I didn't get to play at all". That's when both of us realized that I've just created a small history. My excitement was beyond words. One thing I know for sure is it was made possible for me by my God. It's his gift to me as "promised". Although at the end of the 6th board, I had a 5pt lead but that's nothing as anything could happen as we were playing not up to 8 boards but "Race to 25pts". Having made that slam was certainly the icing on the cake after emerging as the top player in the selection.

An extract of the score sheet is scanned and attached.

6th World Championships Player Selection - Malaysian Contingent

The month of July 2012 is certainly a month which I'll never forget for the rest of my live. Firstly on the 14th of July, I managed to win Kejohanan Karom Piala Korporat Individu 2012 (Corporate Cup Carrom Championships 2012 - Individual).

Top 8 Men players from that competition were selected to qualify for the upcoming 6th World Championships scheduled to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from the 31st of October to 4th of November 2012. This selection was held on the 29th of July. Only 4 Men and 4 Women will be chosen to represent Malaysia. From the Top 8 Men, 2 were serving their suspension and are not allowed to participate in international competitions. That's left with 6. One of them was then appointed as the Team Manager. And then there were 5 of us who had to fight for the 4 places.

While among the Top 8 Women players, 2 didn't turn up. So that leaves 6 and out of that, one of them decided to drop off after playing 2 games due to some personal commitments. In the end, there were 5 Women competing for 4 places as well.

Now, on top of emerging as the Top Shot during the selection, the icing on the cake so to speak was I managed to officially execute the 1st ever White Slam made by a Malaysian player. The break and execution went so well and that made it possible for the Slam. I'm so glad it happened to me finally after having been involved in international carrom since 1999. Although in the past I've achieved 1 White & 1 Black Slam respectively during friendly matches but officially this is the one. Thank God I finally made it. Hope to be able to do more slams.

Top 4 Men

1. Yours truly
2. Wan Arif
3. Baharuddin
4. Suhaizan

Top 4 Women

1. Suzana
2. Pushpa
3. Jamilah
4. Zaida

Here are some pictures taken during the selection event (Courtesy of Frankie):

Participants trying hard to make it to the Top 4

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.