| Title | : | Champion Fellas |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9789671029220 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 165 |
| Publication | : | First published March 6, 2016 |
Malaysian writers, both new and established, write about how sports bring out the best in us. There are stories about the personal growth that comes through overcoming enormous odds: a young man with cerebral palsy conquers the swimming pool; an aerobics enthusiast overcomes grinding poverty and the predictions of a fortune teller to make a career in sports; and a mother of two young sons overcomes the reluctance of a whole community to establish a ‘Football and Reading Club’ in the shade of a mighty tree.
But the darker side of the subject is also explored in these stories. A schoolboy faces bullying, and the culture of machismo on the football field; a national hero gets away with rape; and a golf course becomes the scene of a sniper attack when the man entrusted with the investigation of a national scandal turns up to play a round with his friends.
At every turn expectations are overturned: a young woman boxer wants to be seen as appealingly feminine; a childhood enthusiasm for ‘free’ football gives a Malaysian student the mental resources to steal a movie poster; and a man skilled in base jumping is haunted by the memory of a tragic death at every jump.
The book is a fitting memorial to a man who inspired so many others, both on the sports field and off.
Champion Fellas Reviews
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I love most of the collection of short stories in it. Among my faves are by Hanna Alkaf, Marc de Faoite, Joon Teoh, Tina Isaac, Masturah Alatas, Zed Adam Idris & Shaqila Munisamy's stories. A recommended read. 3.5 star from me!
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Interesting collection of fiction and non fiction around the theme of sport. Very nicely designed book with some great stories.
(Disclaimer I have a story featured in this book) -
I am a Goodreads giveaway winner! A bit late on the review, my bad.
When I first heard about this anthology, I was pretty stoked. Being both a football fan and a book lover, I have yet to really see anything that sort of bridge between my two favourite hobbies. There's also this weird perception that sports fans are brainless jocks and bookworms are not interested in sports. So, seeing that not only this anthology exists, but it's also set in Malaysia, I was pretty sold.
Now, with all anthologies, it's always a mixed bag but for me, it boils down to the pros and cons. So, pros: I find most of the non-fiction work in this book are definitely the highlights. The opening entry, "For You, Borodada" by Aresh Dutt is very heartwarming and the perfect start to the book as a dedication to D.K. Dutt, the man inspiring the existence of this anthology. I also love Rehman Rashid's "Silent Running" and Mastura Al-Attas' "Watching the World Cup with My Father". Some of the short stories in here are great too. I can totally see why Hanna Alkaf won the competition because her short story is definitely the best out of the bunch. Saras Manickam's The Princess of Lumut is pretty good at plucking heartstrings. The book also surprisingly shows a lot of variety in the sports activities itself. I assumed it would be mostly badminton and football, since that's what our country is mostly into, but there's a lot of different sports like bowling, golf, parachuting, freaking dragon boat competitions, etc.
So, here comes the cons, which I guess explains the rating. There are more entries that didn't work for me than the ones that did. There are a few that are okay, interesting on its own, but I can fairly see that some definitely needed more work. I wish the editors pushed some of the writers to polish their work more. There are also stories where there are just simply no plot ... Things happen and they end. I would turn pages and be surprised the story is over. Also, I can see that some writers struggle to balance the sporting element into the storytelling and the worse ones just basically pasted it somewhere in the story and call it a day. I find that a missed opportunity, tbh. Also, again, being a sports fan, I am rather surprised that the best parts of being a sports fan aren't really explored. You know, the exhilaration of the game, the idea of destiny, the comradery between teammates or fans, the glory of winning, the crushing defeat etc etc. It does make me wonder if most of the writers themselves are sports fans.
Still, I think this anthology is on the right track. The idea of an anthology revolving around sports is definitely unique and I am very much looking forward to the next instalment. -
People say my father is crazy. He is the one who first pushed me into the pool to teach me how to swim. People say that it is a terrible way to teach your child how to swim and particularly a child with useless legs. But that was how I learnt. From a young age, I learnt that unless I fight to stay alive, I would die. My father was my trainer for many years. He always pushed me a step further from where I was, even when I was at the top. I have lost count of the many medals i have won. It was only when I turned professional two years ago that the Paralympics Council assigned me a coach. I feel sorry for my father because he has been feeling rather left out. Now, most of the time, he tends to the vegetables and flowers he grows in our backyard.
- Fifty Laps by Shaqila Munisamy
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Malaysian literature always came through for me. I have fell into reading slump for the past few weeks and decided to pick this up. I just skimmed few pages of this book and i was hooked instantly because of the introduction. To be honest, I was never a sports fan. Last i was truly engrossed with sports is 2014 FIFA world cup when Germany won. To cut short, the editor decided to make this short stories a compilation to honour her father in-law’s legacy that love sports, i am intrigued to see how our local authors integrated sports in their writings. It was diverse and it was not really go into normal routes - which is kinda motivational or inspirational. Some were short and gutsy, some were heart-wrenching and sort of reminiscing to the supposedly golden age of Malaysian Sports. The story that was deemed winner which is written by Hanna Alkaf touched a social issue which is taboo specifically among Malay Community. You will find story about Golf, Badminton, Swimming, Cycling and other sports in this book. In addition to this, I have also come to recognize some of the authors featured in this collection as some of them did write many stories in Fixi Novo. Overall, this was quite a solid collection. A short but meaningful read! -
I picked up this book without expecting much and was really surprised by it. While I haven’t been reading much local fiction recently, this book is definitely tempting me to read more.
Really liked “Princess of Lumut”, “Tryouts”, and “Paramour”. Meanwhile, the story “Big Balls” (which should seriously have a trigger warning disclaimer) really shocked me and felt totally different from the rest of the short stories.
With that, the only notable flaw from this anthology is the inconsistent quality of writing. Some stories stood out while others were quite flat.
However, I’ll definitely recommend picking this up if you’re feeling nostalgic about your days playing sports in school or as a kid, or just looking for a short read. -
Truly enjoyed Dash, Paramour, Fifty Laps and Pretty Punches
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Goodreads first reads winner.
This collection of stories depicts the Malaysian spirit for sports and how! Each piece of story carries its own emotion and links it to the common thread of sports. Be it pride, suffering, nostalgia(and this one is my weak spot), love, care, understanding, self-identity and many others, all through diligent sportsmanship. I personally, though, didn't come up to terms with some stories. And being a non-native, there should have been translations of the terms for international readers.
I wish the foundation all the best and hope this anthology continues in the memory of Borodada. -
A good collection of short stories revolving the sports theme, coming from people of all walks of life - some showed heartwarming stories that are inspirational to us, which are balanced off by stories which show the dark side of sports when one is consumed by greed and the overbearing need to not fail. A very good compilation of stories indeed for those who love to read about sports.
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Inspiring collection of short stories about ups and downs of Malaysian sportsman. I enjoyed reading it.
Given for an honest review.
