Match point.

I've been glued to the TV the last few days, thanks to my parents. They are huge badminton fans and the World Championships are on (yes, there is more to Astro than English football, thank God).

Malaysian players saw the exit before the semi finals much to our disappointment but I have to say they all gave a valiant effort. This afternoon, I spent it cheering for the only Malaysian pair to make it to the semis, Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, who played against the formidable Indonesian duo (their names escape me now). From the get-go, I thought they gave a superb performance and eventhough they lost the first set, you could see that the crowd was confident all was not lost. The second set a nail biter and the Malaysians pushed it past the 21-point mark and played all the way to 27! It got so nerve-wrecking that I started walking around the living room, wiping my sweaty palms on my shirt with every point won - or lost. I haven't had that kind of adrenaline rush in a while. My dad got so nervous that he left the house at 18-all during the second set.

We lost.

But the crowd did an amazing thing. They gave Choong and Tan a standing ovation for a game well played. And for some reason, it gave me a sense of satisfaction. They played a fantastic game, not letting the Indonesians waltz into the finals without a fight. Eventhough we only walked away with the bronze, I think our Malaysian doubles really gave us something to cheer about, apart from nasi lemak and pirated DVDs. It's not always about winning the game, but how you play it.

And if you think about it, that's how life should be lived. You can't always have your way. Sometimes you win, sometimes you fall. But if you gave your all, at least you won't look back in regret and say 'If only'.

All that from watching a badminton match. Go figure.