Paintball versus Money

I hate this... I really hate this...I am blogging about this because today, I lost a good player to money. What do I mean by that? "Losing someone to money"... Money... the root of all evil... has cause many disastrous things to happen in our lives. People lost lives, lost families, lost friends...all because of MONEY.

How many paintballers have gone down this path?

- No money so I am unable to play in this tournament
- No money so I am unable to commit for the whole season
- No money so I am unable to play regularly
- No money so I cannot buy paintball gear and sponsored gears no matter how good the offer is
- No money so I am retiring from paintball

You have survived...you still eat, you still sleep, you still play paintball once in a while...

But really, this is pretty sad for paintball. Yes, no doubt, you will need to have dough when it comes to playing paintball but surely with some planning, things will not be that tough. We have all gone down that path knowing that money doesnt grow on trees and you will need to save up for the game, in fact for everything that you do and love. I have gone down the path of not being able to draw money from the ATM simply because there was too little credit left, I have gone down the path where my teammates told me that they are sitting out and not playing in the next tournament. But seriously it is something that you will have to manage and overcome. For a start, playing paintball is not really cheap but surely not expensive to the point where you have to give up completely for something you love.

A professor once told me, it will be so sad to hear from a child that his family is unable to see him through school because they have no money for the child's education. Well, in some ways, I compare this to paintball. From my previous line in education, I have times and times told this to many graduates that if money is a problem for them to further their studies, then it is not a problem.

The solution is simple. Save up, work for it. Giving up is so so loser...

I was once very close to scolding a teammate of mine for his non-committment to paintball when he told me that he doesnt have enough money for paintball. Well, to some extend, I feel for him. But on another hand, I was angry at him for not saving up when he jolly well know that we are going for tournament next month. But what can I do? People have different priorities and paintball is not everything.

But if its a committment, then see it through...plan for it. Dont commit and disrupt the plan when everyone know that they are competing next month. Its like the Boston Celtics saying that they can no longer play in the NBA because they have no money. You just got to find the dough! Its not an excuse, its not a reason, its simply a calling that you know you have to fulfil.

If you are in my shoes and I remarked "I dont have money for tournament or gear" Honestly, what do you expect me to do? Feel sorry? pay for you? help you? lend you money?

Believe me, when I first started playing paintball, I have been through all these... paying people to play in tournament. No way am I going to do that anymore, yes it was tough on my pocket. But its not substainable...

In conclusion: Save up and fulfil your committment. Simple.

Paintball Pro Shop in Asia - Singapore and Malaysia

Firstly, Merry Christmas to all paintballers from the local community and around the world. Since this is the time of the year to do some shopping, I thought perhaps I will take this time to highlight some of the paintball pro shops in the local region. I thought this entry is useful as there are more and more bogus paintball website sprouting from the asia region. So be extremely careful when you are doing online shopping. You might end up spending more than you can ever imagine...

Skirmish Paintball Asia in KL

Pro Paintball Resources in KL

Napshot in KL

And there is Werdnahol from KL and KCHL paintball from Penang too!

In fact, just before this...staff of RD went around KL to visit some of these shops and at the same time play a couple of rec games. One thing that amazed me after playing these games (even though I have still prefer speedball): I feel like this is the first time that I have ever played paintball. As Kiko said: "We played freaking hard!!!"

RD staff playing rec games in KL.

* Newly added - Singapore's paintball proshop Paintballers World, One Commonwealth Building, 1 Commonwealth Lane, #03-03, Singapore 149544. Visit their online shop, www.paintballersworld.com

Singapore's biggest paintball proshop and distribution center!

*Former location

*New location

What is loyalty in paintball?

Today, I learnt it the hard way.

It is quite irony as I was chatting away with a friend from Penang about loyalty in paintball. I have seen people who displayed loyalty in paintball, I have seen loyalty being displayed over my short experience with paintball. But nothing beats me to think about loyalty so hard today.

Somebody once told me "Your loyalty will not last long..." Well, my reply was simple "I have come so far to be loyal to people in paintball... and I am doing fine, so let's stay that way" BULLSHIT! There is no loyalty in paintball! Why? People are always out to get the best deal, so SHOO emotions, SHOO loyalty. Its all bullshit!

I have heard stories...many stories. Stories that I dont like to hear, stories that make you look at someone from a different angle. Someone who doesn't care about loyalty. I was naive, very naive. Yes, the feeling of being betray is no good. But THINK THINK THINK! Dont just commit without thinking!

For all those out there who preaches loyalty like I do. Let's stay that way....for as long as we can. For those who are unloyal to people...or doesn't regard loyalty, just watch your steps. Words go around, so just be very careful. Paintball is a small world, its a small industry.

Treat everyone equally, treat everyone with respect, treat everyone with loyalty!

Politics in paintball... so who's the winner eventually?

Politics...its everywhere. Go to work today...it's there. Go to school today... it's there too. Go play sports... it's there waiting for you to be involved. One thing is clear, we can never eradicate politics. It is in our culture to have politics lurking around our lives. In paintball... there are MILLION if not ZILLION issue with politics...just to list some that you might have already experienced:

1) This can happen anywhere in paintball, from teams going against one another to paintball field operators fighting the shit out of one another to offer the best paintball rates. Reduction in prices and VIOLA a price war is created. Who will reap the benefits whenever there is a price war? Surely the end consumers... I am not a business student, I have never been taught any lessons on business but surely I do understand the meaning of using quantity to overcome the lower earnings (I am sure there is a term to this). In simple terms, it means selling things cheap but make higher sales. A good strategy. In return, you make more money by getting loads of customers and everyone is out there to get the best deals. Can this really work? Yes, if there is more demand than supply.

But price war is never good. You can never win with a price war...nobody wins from a price war, not even consumers (well at least for paintball in Singapore). Why? Simple. Land cost in Singapore is hefty, land don't come cheap. Field owners need to earn some dough to pay for rental. There is only a handful of paintballers in town thus little demand. And soon, fields that are unable to last will throw in the towel and call it quits. Near to Singapore, we have the most classic example, how many paintball fields are there in JB? When I first started playing paintball, there was none. Now? We have so many fields, just JB alone. The pie is small, shared it with all and you might end up with peanuts. Can you make a living if you are only paid with peanuts? Well, yes...you can, surely for the first year...2nd year? 3rd year? make a living out of this? Hmmmm....let me consider again.

In my first Penang MPOC, there were only 2 paintball fields. One is ran by Mr. H and the other is by Mr. S. Only 2...now? Correct me if I am wrong...but I think there are 8! 6 more new fields in a short span of 1 year? So who can last longer? We'll see...

I was talking to Arthur Chang from Taiwan who frequents LA. He told me that more and more fields are folding in the states, simply because there are lesser players out there. Which leads me to my second point.

2) Look at yourself, look around you... after picking up paintball for quite a while, where are you now? It is like making a self assessment of yourself in the organization that you have worked for after spending 5 years there. What have I achieved? Where am I going? Have I improved? The same goes for playing paintball. Where are you now?

Okay, let's do a recap. You were introduced to paintball by so and so (most probably a friend who wanted to do some shooting over a weekend) and you were hooked to the game after playing once. You called yourself a noob and go onto the internet to find ways to improve your game, check out the new gears, come up with a wishlists of the things you want to buy. You go to your local field to find like minded people, people whom you called noob and start forming a noob team. You find time to practice, you find time to get yourself involved in the game, you play more and more. You get yourself into the politics of paintball (though you never meant to start it that way but you are somehow always trapped by oncoming news). So you took part in tournament and you started playing competitively. After you have done all that, you try to look back and look around you. And you realised something:

a) First, those who are already playing paintball are already playing paintball. If you have been playing long enough, those who were there when you first started playing are still playing paintball.

b) There are lesser people picking up paintball. I am saying this because you hardly see any new teams or newcomers playing or competing. Well, once in a while, you will see some...but the process of forming one is slow and thus you don't see many new start ups.

So what has this got to do with paintball politics? It does...especially in Singapore paintball. Why? Here's why... I was told by my teammates that I am an outright farmer. A farmer who farms seeds (setting the interest of paintball to newcomers) but never be able to harvest the fruits (teams that are ready for the bigger show). It truely makes sense. From not knowing how to play paintball, to playing paintball competitively... we are only involved in the building process. Its like a bird will always be with the mother bird until they learn how to fly...that is the situation of Singapore paintball. And it is with this...that we will need to find time to refine if tournament paintball is the way to go. A farmer that doesnt harvest fruits...hmmmm. Not a very good investment. Is this the reason why there are many paintball fields in JB? Maybe...maybe not. But I am sure...some will contribute to make the war stronger there. Politics...well yes.

So field owners from around the world...Is it important to focus on the harvesting and not on planting seeds? The answer is no. It is a cycle that never ends. You just have to get more people to play paintball. Don't stop because the minute you stop doing that...you will be out of business soon. Its a cycle so remember.

I have recently received an unknown letter from an unknown individual...Never write any name on the letter, even took his time and effort to type our address on the envelope before sending us the letter. Well, its not the first time that we have received letters from someone who dares to send but never dares to identify. Perhaps staying in the dark is better. The first letter was addressed to a higher authority to complain about my team. Seems funny...but the cat is always out of the bag. We know who you are... so take care bro. The second letter was aiming at our MARK policy. Seems funny that someone would want to address a complain on the MARK policy (surely not from the players), so who's left? Hmmm....food for thoughts. Politics? Surely its funny that instead of working together, someone wants to ruin other people's plan. Heard of the word consortium? Bundle of sticks are harder to break.

I know I shouldn't be saying this....but paintball is all revolved around politics. NPPL vs PSP, MPOC vs NPL, ISSC vs World Cup, etc. See what I mean....? At the end of the day, there is only so much in the pie, not everyone gets a bite on the strawberry. But what about eating half of the strawberries than not eating one?

Asia Paintball Invitation Tournament (APIT) 2008 - Team Ku (Japan) and Red Sevens (Singapore)

What a weekend in Taiwan!

Met the nicest people from the Taiwan paintball scene with superb company, a superb tournament and superb hospitality. The photographs from the previous entry says it all, a wonderful weekend. Spent most of the time travelling from KL to Taipei, from Taipei to Taichung, from Taichung to Kao Hsiung, travel travel travel...but hey, I am not complaining simply because the travelling group was fun to be with. Khaine from Team Ku always got something up his sleeves...talking about girls, looking at girls, admiring about girls. Look at those roaming eyes!!! Team Ku is no stranger to the regional tournament scene, a regular of the PALS series, a regular of the World Cup events, we have seen them in action, we have greeted them during events but this is the closest we got to them since knowing them.

As Dye sponsored teams, Red Sevens and Ku is somewhat similar in some ways: 1) we have "ang mo" playing in our team, 2) we have a female player in the team (Elle and Michiko), 3) we are always short of people to play. But when it comes to paintball skills, we are no where near them. But that's besides the point, the point is....through this tournament, we have foster an excellent relationship with one another. It does help that we have very good friends in Taiwan who were able to bridge our language barrier.

Allow me to introduce our 3 "foreign imports" of the tournament:

1) Arthur Chang - Just 3 letters to describe this guy, "ABC". Looks chinese, speaks chinese...but when you hear him speaks English, you know he is an American, strong accent. Wonderful guy who hosted Ku and us at his place, cooked (well his maids actually...) us nice porkchops, bought us nice bubble tea and helped us to oversee lots of logistics and adminstrative issues both on and off the field. If there is one thing that we have learnt from this trip, it will be adopting Arthur's ability to plan for game strategies and game lineup. Can you imagine waking up at 5 am to type the team's lineup so that everyone is aware of when they are playing? For that...you get an "A" grade.

2) Fonjen - Pronounced as "Kite" in mandarin. Initially, I thought what a good nick... but it turns out that "Kite" is his real name. So lame... Anyway, this is the second time I have seen this guy. The first time was from the Ollie Lang clinic in Taiwan. If I can remember correctly, I did not speak to him back then...but hell I should! This is one of the most approachable guy... Talk to him about anything in the world and he will surely share his own personal views. But that is not the most amazing this about this guy... when I attended Gary Shows Hybrid Paintball Clinic 2 years ago, there is this famous saying from him "Always have 2 of everything when you are competing" The idea is to always have a spare equipment, just in case the primary one is faulty or having what we always call "a paintball period", one minute it is working and the next minute it goes faulty.

Fonjen not only has 2 of everything...he has TONS of everything. When I mean by that, this is just a list of things he brought to APIT: 10 squeeges, 5 markers, 7 HPA tanks, 2 harnesses, 70 pods. That's basically the equipment needed for a 5 man team! But that is just the beginning, he has in total more than 40 over markers and 80 over barrels...He is the army!

3) Pony - Dubbed as one of the best front player in Taiwan. Pony plays for Team Shocker in Taiwan. When I first heard that Pony will be playing with us, I was very excited because the last time I saw him snapshoot, it was thinking "Does he ever gets tired?". At the age of 37, Pony doesnt look anywhere near his age...fast he can be, versatile he is... I was playing his back during the tourney and in all the games that we played, I will surely asked him at the starting frame "Pony, where are you going?"...and he always reply..."It depends". Can you imagine backing someone who has no intended direction? That's how versatile he is...one minute, he is playing as a back player, and the next, you will see him in the dorito... it was a challenge for me to play his back as I am always on a lookout of where he is. Pony gave me his Shocker jersey at the end of the tourney...it was a good gesture and I certainly look forward to playing with him again.

So there you go, 3 of our "foreign imports"... Respect!

Asia Paintball Invitational Tournament (APIT) 2008

From left to right: Arthur Chang, Fonjen, Elle, Calgar, Pony, Arthur Chan and King

Our arsenal which include DM7, M7, Mini Invert and Shocker.

Opening ceremony of APIT 2008

Tournament Field, 47 bunkers, right smack in the middle of highrise flats

Red Sevens with Team Ku during the training session

Head Referee for the Millenium, Ulrich giving his pointers to the Taiwanese referees

Main stage of Asian Paintball Invitational Tournament (APIT)

Elle with APIT poster

Combined gears from Red Sevens and Ku from Japan

Seburo and Calgar shopping in Dye Asia warehouse

Red Sevens in Dye Asia

Paintball clinic by Matthew Nekvapil at Red Dynasty

When Dean Apcar from UK Medway Halloween was in town last October, he introduced to us how a dorito player should behaved while playing the dorito bunker. Those who were at Red Dynasty definitely went home learning a trick or two. Dean's team was sitting on the Millenium Series 4th position in the Division 3 M5, so surely he knows what he is talking about.

This time, we managed to invite Matthew Nekvapil from Malaysia. Matthew started playing paintball in 2000 and has since represented McEffect, El Bandito and the Xtioneers. He is currently playing for Team Demonz who is also the current MPOC Division 1 Champion. Matthew is also part of the Asia contingent which represented Asia in the InterContinental Cup in Toulouse, France.

This 3 hour paintball clinic was attended by more than 20 participants from all playing levels. Areas that were covered includes shooting posture, sliding (yes...how can we missed out on the superman slide), shooting while running, etc. Surely, there was a lot to learn...information overloading some said. And to put all the techniques into good practices, participants were treated with some skirmish games. Surely can't ask for more for a free clinic... and to top off the good deal, some if not all participants were treated with complimentary paintballs!!!

Where do you find such good deals? One sentence to sum up his first meeting with the local community, Matthew said: "Lots of potential...."

World Games 2009 - Red Sevens

It is confirmed, we will be going to Kao Hsiung, Taiwan for the Kao Hisung Paintball Championship 2009. This event is a prelude event to include paintball as a demonstration sport for the World Games in 2009. We could very well be part of paintball history. I am excited about the trip as this will be the first time that Red Sevens will be competing in an overseas event outside Malaysia. We will be playing with some of the best in Asia, Ku will be there. With the free up of the Thailand airport, I am hoping that Infernal can be there too. I have heard so much about Team Typhoon from Taiwan, being able to see them play is amazing. Not only that, Taiwan is very special to Red Dynasty and Red Sevens, we have very good friends there and to be able to see them again and play together is simply wonderful. Rest assured, we will fly the Singapore flag high...

NPPL no more...Bad day for paintball.

"As you have all been reading on the rumor sites no doubt. We can confirm we got this today from a reliable source. Pacific Paintball and its subsidiaries will be filing proceedings under the United States Bankruptcy Code to effect a liquidation of their respective assets and business operations. The affairs and assets of Pacific Paintball LLC, NPPL LLC, XPSL LLC, PB2X LLC, Xtreme Paintball Fields LLC and Camp Pendleton Paintball LLC will be administered by a court appointed trustee in bankruptcy. The bankruptcy court will provide you with written instructions regarding how and where to file any claims in this matter.Despite doing all we could do, we were unable to make the business a viable concern. Further, in this severe economic climate, we were unable to secure new funding. It is a truly regrettable outcome, though one which is unfortunately occurring more and more frequently in this environment. We thank all those who have supported us." Extracted from PBnation.

So what does this mean? Good or bad? One of the biggest paintball league in US is seeing the crunch of the economic crisis. One thing for sure, those guys holding onto the NPPL video game, you got a piece of history there. It might not be that bad for paintball...as paintball as a whole in the US is either the PSP or the NPPL. With NPPL beating the retreating drums, this might create a whole outlook for paintball. A merger perhaps. Something that keeps people talking but never happen in reality. So a merger is possible. This means to say....its Xball style from now on. Hehhehe...exciting to watch, more people can be involved. One style across the world. That's good for paintball as a sport. And right...world domination....You can't have too many different rules running the same game right?

How does it affect us in Asia? Surely, to see the fall of one paintball giant cannot be good for anyone. Lesser paintball awareness maybe...more people wanting to play but lesser avenue for them to play competitively. Surely no more Huntington Beach...I have this weird feeling that something might be revived. Fingers crossed. To think that I was thinking of going to Huntington next year...sob.

With PSP and Millenium working so closely...and the Intercontinental Cup for the World. It all depends on how these people (paintball gaints) want to take paintball to the next level. As the saying goes "If the old one doesn't go, the new one will never come" So it might not be that bad afterall. One thing for sure...there will be no NPPL Paintball Championship 2010.

Let's wait and see...

First in the world!!!! Paintball in Singapore!!!!!

First in the world...that's how I call it. Paintballers from across the world. Let me introduce to you the world first paintball course for any beginners, newbies, noobies (whatever you call people who just started playing paintball) "Basic Tournament Orientation (BTO)". So what is this BTO? What is so special about the BTO? How is the BTO important to paintball in Singapore? Okay...here's the full picture of the BTO.


I am writing this and sharing the BTO...so that people from across the world will have a feel of how difficult is it for us (Singaporeans) to play paintball in Singapore. So you should be glad that you are driving 3 hours to the nearest paintball field for your usual practice on a sunny weekend. Its tougher out here...


The BTO as the name imply is also an orientation course for beginners to know about the importance of paintball safety. There is a regulation that is set by the local authorities and that is for all paintball centres in Singapore to have center dividing barrier when conducting any paintball games. This regulation is to ensure safety so that players do not get into physical contact with one another while playing the game. For the 2 years that I have played paintball....I have never gotten into any form of physical contact with any of my opponent except to shake their hands after a game to compliment them on the win or as a display of good sportsmanship. So it is almost impossible for any player to get into contact with your opponent while playing paintball...not unless you are playing elimination by touch (we saw that recently...hmmm, 3 kills, amazing). Thus, the rule of having a center dividing barrier to prevent physical contact does not justify its stand (to some extend...).


So in order to convince the authority that paintball is a safe sport (in fact, according to statistics, playing paintball is safer than playing golf or tennis, blar blar...I know some people will dispute this fact on the number of people playing paintball versus the number of golfers in the world....so based on distribution, this statistic is inaccurate...blar blar blar...I have heard this before, so lets move on), we will need to devise a way to determine who are the better players and who are the "not so good" players. Now, see this...(are you with me....?) most of the people have not heard of the word speedball...they have played paintball before...yes, but when it comes to playing speedball, it is usually their first time. So how then can we differentiate players who have gone through 5 sessions of paintball versus the guy who have just picked up a paintball marker because his neighbour introduced him to the game this morning. No way!!...are we able to differentiate that...but we can identify a player who understand more about paintball safety as compared to a total noobie...For example, putting on the barrel socks after the game and not removing the mask before he moves out and into the safety zone. Thus, the BTO is in fact an orientation to allow players to understand about paintball safety. TRUE?


And if a player understand safety...he is thus a better player (well in terms of safety), so he will be more aware of not coming into physical contact with his opponents (although this doesnt really happen during games). So a group of us...with the assistance from the people in Paintball Association (Singapore), PBAS, came up with the BTO! Viola! A test to determine if a player is "educated" in the game of speedball, well at least the rules of speedball and paintball safety...


The BTO is a test to determine if a player is competent to play without the center divider. And if he passed the test, he is then registered with PBAS as a registered player and thus to be allow to play without the center divider and play in paintball tournament in Singapore, in this case, Singapore's only paintball tournament, the Singapore Paintball Novice Series (SPNS). The BTO is comprised of 2 parts: 1) Theory 2) Practical. The theory part of the BTO is actually an hour lecture informing participants about the rules and regulation of speedball, the do's and don't's. E.g. What do you do when you are hit? Self check, hands on the head, walk out off the field through the shortest path to the deadbox. No talking behind the deadbox...and the list goes on. The practical part of the BTO (which is the more exciting part) is two game time experience in which we will test on situation awareness of the players, their ability to comprehend competition rules and their awareness on paintball safety. For this part of the BTO, there is a 20 points demerit system. If a player accumulates up to 20 demerit points, he fails the test and thus is not allow to play without the center line. An example of an immediate failure is when a player removes his masks after the call for "GAME OVER"...its game over for him too. For the records, we have failed one participant of the BTO so far...


We have recently made a revision to the BTO. To make it more challenging and for us to single out people who are totally unfamilar with the rules, we have changed the 1 hour lecture to a 50 multiple choice question written test. The test is set with 3 objectives in mind: Safety, Rules and Regulations and Situational Awareness. This has proven to be effective as we are able to identify participants who have zero knowledge about the game but is keen to take up paintball thus the ability to segregate players' competency.


Once you have passed the BTO, you are a registered tournament player in Singapore. Tough yeah?


You must be thinking....this is stupid...yes, I totally agree with you. I do...no doubt. But this is the closest we can get to playing paintball without a centre divider. Is this BTO effective? Oh yeah...field owners who are reading this...how many times have you shouted "PUT on the barrel socks!!!" or " Put that #$%^& mask ON!!!!" until you read about the BTO on this blog? And if you are keen to start this at your field for noobies who are keen to take up tournament paintball, trust me this is the way to go...to ensure safety. Can we do without the BTO? Perhaps....when paintball is an Olympic event and enough public awareness of the game. Yes. we can be like the rest of the other countries....But why not get your field, or country or association to follow what we are doing? Sounds stupid yes....but at least safety is ensure to some extend.


So to play speedball in Singapore....you need to get yourself BTO-ed. We have so far more than 150 BTO-ed players in Singapore...and counting...so its not that bad afterall.

Paintball in the Olympics? No, its the World Games 2009

This topic has already been discussed over and over and over again...its almost close to beating the dead horse. But somehow, this question of whether paintball will ever make it to the Olympics always linger at the back of our mind. As a paintballer, it is my wildest dream to see paintball being featured as one of the sporting event in the Olympics...hey, as one of the most popular played games in the US, paintball surely deserve some standing in the international scene. So why isn't paintball an Olympic event? Here's why:

To qualify as an Olympic event, you will need to have the support of many, many, many countries, 75 countries to be exact. Meaning, you will need to have at least 75 countries playing the game, not only that, these countries will need to have a sound paintball association under the close monitor of their respective sports council in the promotion of the game to the community. Community games in the case, refers to properly run tournaments, games for all levels and age group. You will also need to have a national body from the respective countries coming together to form tournaments played by different countries. These national bodies will have to be recognized and pledged to the even bigger body, the world body who dictates the development of the sport. To illustrate my point, we will use soccer in Singapore. There is our local soccer league, the S-league who is supported by the Football Assocation of Singapore, FAS, who then selects a national team from the players from the S-league. And call them the national representative. FAS is affliated to Asia Football Confederation (AFC) who is recognized by the Asia countries as the overall body who is developing soccer in Asia. AFC is the affiliated to FIFA which is the world governing body, which is why we have the World Cup. Lots of ranks, lots of associations, lots of players, lots of support. Paintball? I am not trying to be mean and I love the game, I am a full time paintball promoter...but HAHA. So that's how far we are. To put this idea across, maybe not in my lifetime. Bowling is not an Olympic sport....so where do we stand? I don't know.

So where do we go from here? Many people classified paintball as an extreme sport. So is paintball an extreme sport? Yes, its extreme to some extend...(sounds funny, I know)...its fast, its aggressive, its everything you need to know about being extreme...but is it an extreme sport? No...why? because extreme sports are all participated by individual....see? Biking, skateboarding, blading, motorcross....so we are team work, communication, hmmmm...oh..team vs individual. So we are not so extreme afterall. I would like to see paintball being an extreme team sport....maybe not in the East...but if Malaysia is organizing another round of ESPN Extreme Sport Event...please let paintball in. You are the closest that we can get.

So no more Olympics, no more Extreme Games...so where is paintball going? Ever heard of the World Games? The World Games is a sport event that has all the sport that Olympics doesnt. So is it still recognized by any international body? You bet...the next World Games will be in Taiwan, Kao Hsiung in 2009. The bad news, paintball is not one of the selected sport. The good news, paintball could be selected to be a demonstration sport in World Games 2009. In order for that to happen, paintball teams from around the region are invited to Taiwan by the Kao Hsiung organizing committee to showcase paintball as a possible demonstration game during the World Games from 12 - 14 Dec 2008. Yes, Singapore is included. Red Sevens, Singapore First Paintball Team is invited by our Taiwan partners to be part of this revolutionary move for paintball. This could well change how paintball is perceive in the World!!! Backed by Ulrich, the Head Referee from the Millenium Series and Junaidi, the Head Referee for the Asia World Cup 2006, 2007 and 2008. This event is a significant event. Very significant...

Paintball in the Olympics? I see the light...

Comparison between Greg Hasting and NPPL

Singapore paintball community...what are you waiting for? Yes, you can find it in Funan but limited pieces left, so hurry. And having played both Greg Hasting and the newly released NPPL Championship, here's my take:

1) What I like about the NPPL is the option to "purchase" and add new 2009 paintball gear to your character! Well of course, it will cost a bomb to own some of these...so having to "own and use " them in the virtual world is fantastic.

2) The option to go into training mode with the Dynasty guys set this game apart from Greg. After going through this exile training, your character improves on proficiency which increases your ability to speed, accuracy, etc.

3) The pro tips while waiting for the game to load is certainly some good education material for newbies...but the repeatitive tips seem to go bore after a while...it just keeps repeating, repeating and repeating...perhaps more tips from pros...one of which I like best "Support your local paintball field".

4) Communication...we all know that communication is important in paintball. And I am very sure this was well thought of when they designed the game. For once, you know what you are pressing and yelling. The usual directional control takes over this part of the game. You can choose to go on an "All Out Attack" when your opponent is outnumbered. You can call for "Fall Back" if you are on the losing ground. You can also effectively call out to your team mates when you have an "Enemy Sighted". Greg seems to lose out on this...while this feature is available. It is not comparable to visual aid which is so important in games. Seeing is believing....

5) You know when you are running low on air....this feature is not in Greg...Though in real life, you aint supposed to know this...but it kinda help in strategizing your next move.

6) Bunkers are nicely design...gives realism. But the supporters standing behind the netting is kinda turn off....reason...they all move the same, look the same and certainly programmed the same. A change of background supporters can help. For Greg....you hear the cheer but see no one watching..."Where did those cheers come from....I wonder?"

7) I was excited to get the game started...so off to choosing game characters....no offence to those that have given their rights away as game characters...I am sure you guys are good enough to be featured in the game and surely well qualified to have Activision getting you into the project. But I would like to see more of the "Extreme Paintball Beyond the Paints". If you know what I mean...Glen, Ollie, Cuba, Wings, Max...I want to "use" and "control" them... (Maybe this feature is in the game...I dont know...I only spent 2 hours playing and still in Division 2....) Still big teams are in the game.

8) AI....seems to run either left or right... (okay...I play as an amature, so maybe that's why).

9) Less cartoon like...Greg is more cartoon like...and NPPL has a good intro on paintball for its opening. Gets you ready to start playing. The part on asking you to get ready to fight and battle...gives you the needed adrenaline. I like that part....Win win win...

10) Lastly...its a good game for paintballers. By far the best...if you compare to Greg. So 10/10!!! Oh yes...if there is going to be another paintball game soon...please please please...let it be more than 1 player. You know...its a team game. So 5 players playing together will be good. PERFECT! or at least a 1 on 1....please.

Singapore's First All-Female Team

Yes, Femmes de Fatale, Team Destiny... big names in the paintball industry. All-Female teams in the US plying their trade in the man's league.

Who says girls cant play paintball? To set the record straight, there is no gender difference when it comes to paintballing, all you need to do is to squeeze the trigger and you can be as good as your opponent. Ladies and gentlemen...may I present to you Singapore's First All-Female Team, Team Atrox.

We have heard of many All-Female Teams in Malaysia, teams such as Tornado Angels, Venus, Sogo Ballbusters, etc. They are all very good teams. While this is nothing new to form an All-Female team in Malaysia, it is certainly something worth mentioning in Singapore. Hey...All-Female team...interesting. Surely the talk of the town if there is a media pitch to this in 2009 when the SPNS season starts again.

It used to be a few female players in the scene then slowly more and more female players. Guys...who say paintball is a dangerous game...hmmm, think again. Elle would most probably be the first Singapore female player to play competitive paintball in Malaysia...she gets some attention when teams are playing against us, like when we were in Penang playing in last year MPOC, she is like the talk of the town, and of course, a column in the Penang newspaper talking about paintball in Singapore. So female players do get some attention afterall.

In the 2nd Leg of MPOC, there was PSG Charlie, a group of pinoy expats which fielded a full female team...nice on the outside, aggressive on the inside. They made it to the 2nd round of the competition. I would love to see a match between PSG Charlie and Team Atrox as this would be very interesting for Singapore paintball. Leading the team is none other than Grimreaper. Having played in all 3 legs of the SPNS, 1 leg of MPOC and a few other sunday league tourney, she is the perfect choice in sharing her experience with female players who are keen to take up paintball as a regular sport. So there you go...Team Atrox!

I thought perhaps I would like to mention a few other paintball nick (all female) in this blog as a ovation to their contribution towards paintball in Singapore or in the region:

Barrel, Snowflier, Noraini, Mad Devil, Elle, Wee Cheng, PSG Charlie, Grimreaper, Ann... and the list goes on...

World Cup Asia - The Biggest Paintball Event in Asia

The biggest and most extravagant paintball event in Asia, the World Cup Asia (WCA) 2008 was held from 13 Nov – 16 Nov 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This year’s event saw an excellent participation of about 66 paintball teams from the around the Asia Pacific region, including the guest appearance of Joy Division from Sweden led by Magued Idris.

Day 1:

The event begin with a loud bang with what the organizers promised as the biggest paintball merchandise display in Asia since WCA's intervention. Players, dealers and supporters from across the regional countries were treated with a full day of paintball tech classes and product launches by the big boys from the different paintball brands. Bill Ceranski from Kee Action Sports was the first in line to introduce the latest range of Empire products for the year 2009. Planet Eclipse’s tech class was held in Xtionpaintball and attended by Ego dealers with the introduction of its new Ego9 and Geo markers which were launched during the PSP World Cup in Orlando. Australia brand Macdev which has a strong stake in the Asia region put up a colourful display of the new Cyborg RX with CEO Diane King introducing the new improve feature of the closed bolt maker. Fans alike were captivated by the different multiple colour combination of the marker accessories. Investing in the loader market is Dye’s new Rotor loader which feeds up to 50 paintballs per second!!! The introduction of the new I4 goggles in the Asia region was a big WOW for Dye fans. All it takes is 10 seconds to replace lense. The slick profile new I4 is what many call a hybrid combination of the Empire E-vents and V Force Profiler. With the new products on shelves, one could not wait for the WCA to start while shopping in the tournament village.

Day 2:

As the saying goes, "if there is no rain, it is not the WCA". If I am not wrong, for the last 3 years of the WCA, it was never played on dry land. And because of this, teams came well prepared for wet weather. The competition started at 8 am sharp... after 2 games into the schedule, there was a technical fault where games has to be ceased and delayed. Participants of the WCA took no chance at all when it comes to checking out the paintball booths, in fact, they were spoilt for choice. Surely the organizers kept to their promise when it comes to the biggest paintball display. There were JT and Luxe models (I mean girls in JT T shirts) going around promoting their products. Day 2 games were played only by Division 2 and Division 3 teams. For Division 2, it was a tough and gruelling task, to play more than 8 qualifying games is definitely serious business, players feeling the toll of rain and wet feet (hmmm....). At the end of the day, Philippine team, the Real Pinoys emerged as the top position team with a record of 10 wins and 1 lost (I think...thats what Kiko told me). While in Division 3, it was the Johor Pirates and Team Romeoz who topped the chart.

Day 3:

Day 3 is another usual day of paintballing. Teams tried to earn their final spot into the next round. All Division 1 teams played on Day 3. It was good to see and experience a different side of the game where is much faster (with ramping of course). Joy Division made heads turned with their "no word communication". Where communication is all that we emphasized on the field, it was actually pretty interesting to witness that these "bigger" boys do not interact very much and yet still able to pull off wonderful wins. And yes, by this time you would have imagined how muddy and soggy the field would have been, not mentioning the familar stench of mud and paints. There were no Division 2 games on Day 3 and it was also an early knock off for teams in Division 3 as the top 16 teams emerged.

Day 4:

The final day! It was not before long that all the WCA event T shirts were all sold out! Players and supports alike made mad rushes to loot merchandise from the stores. It was simply sales, sales and more sales! Dye sold more than 200 boardshorts in 3 days! JT sold its new Proflex Revolution! and on the other side of the village, people were storming to catch a last glimpse of the JT girls. Hehehehe...And the results:

Div 1: 1st - Infernal (THA) 2nd - Macdev Ronin (MAS) 3rd - Xtioneer (MAS) 4th - SWAT (AUS)

Div 2: 1st - Real Pinoy (PHI) 2nd - WASP Black (AUS) 3rd - KL Killer Beez(MAS) 4th - Iron Sea (MAS)

Div 3: 1st - Johor Pirates (MAS) 2nd - Romeoz (MAS) 3rd - Undeath(MAS) 4th - D'Mercy Kids (MAS)

Players Party:

Drinks, drinks and more drinks concluded WCA 2008.

In conclusion:

With a "relaxing" 2 days qualifying for Division 3 was heaven. We had to play 11 straight games last year. This year though tiring with all that travelling made it good for us to visit the tournament village and with that, we buy more things and spend a little bit more money. Air was good, sometimes filling up to 4500!!! That little glitch in Day 1 was okay...can be better but that was fine, more shopping time for us anyway! Refeering was excellent, good calls and very responsive refs. Merchandising? 101% Thumbs up! Should do that more often... good for the industry, good for vendor support, good for public awareness. Accompany? Nothing can describe that...4 days sleeping, eating and playing together, is no joke! You get to see the inside out of your team mates and of course to bear the snoring at night. But it was good. I concussed immediately every time my head touches the pillow.

Things can be better in these areas: 1) "No rain no WCA" get ready for rain...plastic pallets on the way into the field, that's a genius idea so why not get more of those in the players area? We could do with lesser fresh socks, washing of mud, yucky shoes, wet feet. 2) Produce more APPBF T shirts! I was so sad to go home without one...(okay its personal, I know) 3) No make up opening ceremony? Of course the rain spoils it all but a make up opening would make people remember the camaderie ceremony, flags flying high...remember last year's golf promotional speech? Play golf instead of paintball? Visit golf courses? That's classic. 4) No stars this time? Yes, Joy was there...but certainly not joyful enough, we used to have Dynasty guys in here, signatures and photo opportunities, no more (if its saving more money, thats fine). 5) Passes for visitors. We have a friend who came all the way from Singapore to show his support but only to be denied entry due to....no more visitor pass. 6 hours of bus ride...comes to nothing. He even offer to pay more if he has too but still had to watch from outside. So that's quite sad... No worries Shah..."I will make it up to you, I always will" 6) Entry fee to tournament village....hmmm...pay to enter village and go shopping? Wouldnt that kill public awareness? Scream out loud vendors!!!

But again...its an excellent event not to be missed. 2009...get ready, we are into full throttle. Thank you organizers, you made paintball more interesting in this part of the world. You will get our support for the WCA!

The toilet is over there...

Wow... I see that this blog is creating some hype afterall. I think its pure coincidence that other blog also happen to credit paintball photographers... good good good... but seriously... like I have said: Knows only shit...just keep quiet....so dont go ranting and make yourself look good and credit people just because you know shit. Ya...dont know the history? go read some history books, anything off are just shitty comments...oh...pretending to be angels? Come on...you know you are not.

I am saying this...cos you dont know the history...so dont take sides...

And of course like I have said. There were discussions... just that some are never answered:

1) Why no photos after 52 games, is this petty as you have called me?Ans:.........no reply
2) Oh...Its a powerful photo, from the photographic perspective...its a powerful photo. Ans: I didnt deny, I mentioned it is a nice photo. Just the intentions. Wow!!! POWERFUL photo...why not just take photos from that angle for all games since its SO POWERFUL....could win some award doing that.
3) Come on...take losing nicely.... Ans: I have play sports all my life. I know what is the feeling of losing, its not nice, I know but I have managed. But this? This is teasing. Am I taking it personally? Yes, I am. No doubt. Is it about the team? No. Its me, moi, I.
4) Just remember one thing. Not all you think are your friends are your friends. Words go around so take care.
5) You are so petty. Ans: Er...52 games and no photos? OF COURSE I AM PETTY.

Back to shit comments...go on the toilet is over there. Go ahead...angels are in the dump. Oh and if the timing is not right...meaning I posted before you and you posted before me and all that kind of shit...my bad....I am shit. Shitty day ahead, cheers dude!

The eagle has landed!

Yup, here I am seating at the hotel lobby, Starbucks to be exact sipping my hot chocolate away... looking around for familar faces. Since afternoon, teams from all around Asia has been checking into the hotel. As I am speaking right now, Ulrich the Millenium Head Ref is standing at the reception doing his check in. Since this afternoon, I have spoken to guys from the Philippines, Global Gutz, the Indonesian, Palti and gang... Rony who we met in the last NPPL Asia is here too. This time, he will not be playing but will be a coach for 2 newly formed Indonesia Division 3 teams. Then there is the gang from Taiwan, Team Formosa who are more focus on learning the trades of refeering than playing. Things are looking good. The official hotel is about 20 mins drive away from the field, so it will be a problem for most of the teams. Going there is not an issue but returning from the field is. No worries, we will solve this problem. I am actually very excited about this year's WCA. Playing is one thing, getting to meet old friends is the other. Not forgetting the new friends and people that we will be meeting. Paintball is a small community. Everyone knows everyone... so its good to see everyone again.

Padam Pelita who has not played with us for the last 2 events will rejoin the team this time. In this WCA, our team has a point to proof as we were misunderstood for most of the entire season. So good luck Red Sevens... play hard and make sure that our presence is felt. Last year was our virgin year...playing WCA for the second time, its time for us to play harder than last year.

Cheers dude!

Singapore round up...

It has been a while since we have last provided an update on the paintball scene in Singapore. So here it goes…

Singapore Paintball Novice Series 2008, Leg 3, 12 Oct 2008

In the local paintball scene, our Philippines expatriates PSG Warfreakz won the Overall Singapore Paintball Novice Series (SPNS) Champion for 2008 and Team Carnage clinching the title of the SPNS Leg 3 Champion. Mid Life Crusaders and Team Damnation were awarded the 2nd and 3rd position respectively. Md Faris Bin Md Dawood from Team R.A.G was voted as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Leg 3. Photos of Leg 3, http://www.weplaypaintball.com/forum/index.php?topic=590.0

Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC), Johor Cup, Leg 5

5 Singapore based teams represented Singapore in the MPOC Leg 5. Team Damnation Wargh! and Red Sevens participated in the Division 3 category while Team Red Dynasty, Team E.X.A and PSG Warfreakz participated in the Division 4 category. Singapore teams posted a reasonable performance with PSG Warfreakz and Team Red Dynasty clinching the 3rd and 4th position respectively.

Basic Tournament Orientation, 30 Nov 08

The Basic Tournament Orientation (BTO) will be held on 30 Nov 08. The focus of the BTO is to promote tournament paintball in Singapore and ensuring that paintball safety is adhered to. The BTO will comprise of a theory test and 2 practical games to assess players’ competency. More information about the BTO can be found in http://www.weplaypaintball.com/forum/index.php?topic=123.0

World Cup Asia 2008, 13 – 16 Nov 08

Singapore will be represented by 2 teams in this year’s World Cup Asia which will be held from 13 – 16 Nov 2008. This event will be participated by 66 Asia teams from 3 categories. Team Damnation and Red Sevens will fly the Singapore flag in the 3rd Division category.

PAINtball 101 Clinic, 7 Dec 08

New to paintball? Want to know more about the game? Can’t find the right gang to play with? PAINtball 101 Clinic will let you know more about paintball and best of all, you can come alone. Participants will get to skirmish with one another and get to know people from the paintball community. To register, please visit www.weplaypaintball.com/forum

Student Paintball Promo, 15 Nov – 31 Dec 08

Students who are keen to take up paintball during the December school holiday can book a weekday session at Red Dynasty Paintball Park between 9.00 am – 2.00 pm. A paintball promotion of $20.00 for 50 paintballs will be offered to all students (with student card verification) who are interested. Advanced booking is required.

“Dye or Die” Sales – Till 9 Dec 08

All Dye or Proto paintball products are slashed to low down prices. Offer items range from Dye I3 Pro Invision mask at $150.00 (usual: $198.00) only! More paintball products can be viewed at http://www.weplaypaintball.com/Item.html

Top Asia Paintball Teams!

Ironmen, Dynasty, Joy Division, Russian Legion, Nexus, Tons Tons...famous teams from the West. Well...these are well known teams from the U.S and Europe. You have heard of them, you have seen them play on video, you have watch their DVDs, you have learn from their coaching videos, definitely household names in the paintball world. But since this is a blog for Singapore paintball and that Singapore is part of Asia...and World Cup Asia is just 4 days away. Perhaps I should just do an insight on some of the best paintball teams in Asia? When I mean the best... I am referring to Division 1 teams and in no random order of course... teams worth watching.

1) Team Datis - Iran (Eclipse Sponsored)

The number one team from Iran which has a very consistent showing in every World Cup Asia that they played in. The finalist for WCA 2007 and overall champion of the PALS Series 2006 and 2007, Datis went against the South Africa Reapers in last year's WCA 2007. Judging from the initial voting from some forums, this team is voted as the hot favourites to win this year's WCA (having missed out on last). I think no one would disagree with me when I say that these guys are aggressive on the field. Dont be fool by their looks, these guys are very friendly people. From professsions such as medical doctors, IT professionals, etc. You cant go wrong...

2) Alien 11 - Thailand

Alien 11 beat Infernal (another home based team which cliniched 2nd in WCA 2006) to clinich 3rd placing for WCA 2007. With playing experience in the European scene such as the Millenium Series Toulouse 2007, this is one team which can turn the tide and represent Thailand in this year's WCA.

3) Team Wasp - Australia

Team Wasp (Gold and Blue) from down under Perth are two formiable teams in the Australia Xball League (AXL). With consistent showing in the AXL in 2008, we will be witnessing a good showing of paintball skills from the Aussies.

4) Demonz Red - Malaysia (JT Sponsored)

Demonz Red which is the overall Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC) Div 1 Champion after 5 legs of competition is one of the longest serving paintball team in the Malaysia paintball scene. A good showing in the recent NPPL Asia Invitational Championship, the Demonz was invited to be the first Asian team to grace next year's Huntington Beach event in U.S.

5) Xtioneer - Malaysia (Dye Sponsored)

With a good showing in Toulouse 2008, this team could well be the underdog team in this year's WCA. A regular team in the Asia paintball tournament, Xtioneer has a strong and discipline team who has been playing together for many years.

6) Team KU - Japan (Dye Sponsored)

A regular face in the Asia scene. KU has made regular training trips to Taiwan. With a female player, Michiko in their team line up, KU is not a team to be undermine as they have been playing together for quite a while, Kamikaze style... With a good showing in the NPPL Asia Championship, KU is definitely not a pushover in this WCA.

And there you go...teams worth mentioning in Asia.

World Cup Asia 2008 - Singapore Teams

World Cup Asia (WCA) will be held from 13 - 16 Nov 08 in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur. To date, there will be about 66 teams from 3 divisions fighting to gain recognition from the biggest Asia paintball event. Last year when Red Sevens was there, we were the only paintball team from Singapore. This year, things will be exciting for Singapore's paintball scene, other than the Red Sevens, Team Damnation from Singapore will be at the WCA too. It a pity that we were unable to field 3 teams from Singapore. But hey...two is an improvement from one.

Red Sevens will be represented by our usual gang, Seburo, Elle, Padam Pelita, King... Calgar and Callio are unable to join us due to personal commitment. Guesting for the team will be Ryan, our reliable mid and back player and Zack who be playing with us for the first time. I am excited at the thought of having the usual gang and 2 other guest players from the States. Playing in the 3rd Division will be teams from West and East Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore, a mini South East Asia challenge.

Of course in this WCA, there will be others (from Singapore) who will be there. Noir, Kiko, Des, PSG Warfreakz and many others. Surely paintball in Singapore is moving....

"Why are you doing this?"

Got a call from a parent yesterday evening. This parent wanted to know more about paintball as she has never heard of it, never seen it and never tasted it. She wanted to know more about the game as her child is bugging her to give him consent to play paintball at RD. As I explained to her what paintball is all about, tuck in that little corner of her mind, she started to do "selective listening". Just before I can go into the teambuilding portion of paintball....she asked me one question "Why are you doing this? This is so dangerous".

Excusez-moi madamoiselle... paintball has been around in Singapore for more than 8 years if this activity is harmful, I am sure we will not be operating, so...maybe its not so dangerous afterall. So I tried to explain to her that paintball is not just about shooting one another and seeing bruises all over your body (though I cant deny, that this could be a possibility). She eventually gave in...

What I am trying to say here is that paintball has created so litte awareness. I feel for this sport to grow, for this game to become mainstream... we cannot rely on just 1 or 2 people. We need more people to step up and let more people know about the game. In order to do that, we need to understand a certain "flow"...I am sharing this because I dont think everyone thinks the same way and thus with the "flow" will be important when it comes to educating paintball.

1) Let them understand the need to play paintball. You can start of by telling them the good things about playing it, for example good communication, team building, etc.

2) To balance their expectation, dont just tell them the good things, also let them know about the risks involved. E.g. bruising, bleeding, etc. Let them know the safety aspects of the game. Show them the big picture on how this game has developed over the years.

3) Recreational play. This is self experiential learning...you cant teach this. Let them go into the field and play on their own. Through self discovery, you will learn more things.

4) Teach them how to play, e.g. shooting posture, how to shoot cross, communication. Correct them on simple things such as tunnel vision, doing head checks. This is the most critical part. Usually, people who are keen to improve their game will be attentive when you pass this information to them. If you see the glitter in their eyes when you are telling them what to do. The next thing you know, this guy will come back for more.

5) Next is to let them know about the cost of playing this game. 80% of the people I met (totally new to paintball), tell me that paintball is an expensive sport. I think I have said this many times on this blog but for the effort of "educating" more people, I thought perhaps, I will say this one more time. Paintball is can be an inexpensive sport but it all depends on how you play it (just ask me). Truely, paintball gears are expensive. This game is not soccer, basketball, netball....all you need is most probably a ball. A good comparison will be bowling (Thanks Tom). To bowl, you need to get your bowling ball, you need to get a good pair of shoes, you need to get a hand guard, you need a bowling bag, a piece of nice cloth. Once you get all the equipment to be a better bowler...you still need to pay for the lane fee, bear in mind that the lane fee is still the same price before you bought all your bowling equipment. I find similarity in this lane fee as compared to paintballs. So is paintball expensive? Yes and no.

6) Speedball - And the rest is history. Formation of teams, competitions, blar blar blar...

So why are we doing this? For the love of the game I guess. Be proud to let people know that you are playing paintball...often we are so embarrass about it... but you will be embarrassed if misconceptions are set upon this very people who ask you: "Do you play sports?" There it goes again...same old shit again...

Commitment for paintball?

By Nov 08, I would have played paintball for more than 2 years. In these 2 years, I have met many wonderful people who will never cross my lpath if its not for paintball. I remember we had to make weekend trips to KL to play paintball, sometimes even up to 3 weekends. 320 Km drive up the North... just to play paintball on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning then driving back to Singapore in the evening. Those weekends were almost close to "Eat, sleep and live paintball"... 2 years down the road, nothing much has changed perhaps less travelling. But still the paintball calendar is still as pack as before.

Commitment for paintball? Topic of this blog...comes after hearing someone said "I cant make the BTO because I am having a dinner with some friends" Hmmm...surely not a justifiable reason for me. I understand that everyone has their own commitments, paintball is not the only thing in life, there are still other things such as family, friends, TV, rest, etc. I once read an article about the commitment of paintballers. The author wrote on how much time people spent on paintballing and forgot about other things in their life. For married paintballers, the first people that will feel the "effect" of your paintball commitment is definitely your spouses. Instead of spending time with your spouse, you are painting away on the field.

A typical paintball day would start off by spending a good breakfast with your partner, during the course of the meal, you will let them know about how reluctant you are about attending the training but STILL have to be there. You sneaked out for paintball...and return home tired and straight to the bed. This "effect" usually last for 2 days, considering that your body needs some rest after each practice session. Lost of voice while shouting at your teammates during practice...certainly you dont want to speak anymore after a long day at the field. So to all spouses that have made way for your partner to play a little paintball here and there...My salute to you. For without you, things would have been worst. So guys who are regular paintballers... buy your wife a good present during Christmas, it will make up for all the time that you have spent paintballing. Some bribe will do you good. Dont buy her a paintball mask please.

As for those without much commitment but just want to idle your time away at the field, of course you are welcome to do so too... Let the field be a pit stop for you until you find your next love. Be surprise, we have people coming to the field as they have nothing to do for the day. This is what Red Dynasty is all about, a hangout place for lost souls.

Some things that I have heard:

"I am having dinner with my friends this week so I cant go for BTO, but I really feel like playing in field 3" (yah right...)

"I am stopping paintball for 3 months, I need to rest...too much paintballing in the last 2 weeks" (!!!!!)

"I am too lazy to go so far to play...transportation is a problem" (Far? Canada is far....)

"I have not been practicing and feeling rusty in paintball" (All you need to do is to pull the trigger!")

"I am resting my injury... will be going for a jog tomorrow morning"


Commitment....commitment...

Relationship between Singapore Paintball and World Cup Asia 08

With the World Cup Asia 08 drawing nearer, we will see the best paintball teams in the region flocking down to Malaysia to gain a spot in representation. Unlike other conventional sports, this event is not represented by national selected players but instead teams/clubs who are keen to take up the challenge to represent their countries. It is interesting to see the different representation from the various countries; teams waved the country flag up high with patches of the country flag sewed onto their jerseys. Players enter the field with a sense of pride. For example, at the end of the day, the game could well be remembered as "Singapore vs Malaysia" even if it was only a matchup between Red Sevens and Johor Pirates, this is the kind of representation that I am referring to. How is the World Cup Asia different from the other paintball tournament? I would say it’s a big difference...Literally, you are playing on the same field against the same team...but the difference lies in the "pressure to be the best in the region". It’s not so much of just being there to get represented but also to do well. The reason is simple, the world is watching... teams are going there to win...not to be represented. Team registration and paintballs are sky high, teams dont pay this kind of money to get representation. Only the seasonal teams will try and have a go at the prizes, new teams, dont even consider. But of course, the word is representation...

There is always a first time... yup, go there, try out games, be represented, have some fun, make friends, get some teambuilding done, meet some objectives, these are not for World Cup??? These are only suitable for seasonal tourneys, definitely not for the World Cup. There was a rude shock last year, when after playing for an entire year of seasonal tournament, the team decided to meet the bigger boys... we were amazed. Booted out of the tournament after Day 1, lost more games than we can even count. At the end, we had to fall back on "at least we are represented in this event" as our consolation.

Are Singapore teams ready for the rude shock? Definite NO. Why? Lack of play time, lack of tournament experience, lack of resources, lack of training, lack of a paintball culture, etc. Rude shock? Definite YES. This is the World Cup Asia that we are talking about...not some other competition.... I once said, Singapore teams will do well in Division 4....and we did. World Cup? NO for sure. Just be mentally prepared for the lobe-sided scores.

To all Singapore teams who are going for "representation", good luck and see you guys on the field. Cheers! Oh yes, remember to bring the Singapore flag along.

Johor Bahru MPOC Leg 5

Last leg of the MPOC...the final leg for the year. Red Sevens qualified for Day 2 after a 10th placing at the end of Day 1. Not a very good showing but at least we made it to Day 2, which means that we are back on track (hopefully).

We were joined by 2 guest players, Spacemonkey and Noir who are both regulars at Red Dynasty. The former is a member of the Red Fraction and the latter is a junior player for Team Spectre in Penang. Playing for the first time together, I think we had a decent showing...not very good and certainly can be better. There were times when we lost our focus and got eliminated "cheaply". "Cheap" elimination here refers to being shot when playing to openly, shots that usually land on the mask or loader. Due to some miscommunication, Padam Pelita was unable to join us, its a real pity as the snake was hardly played by most teams and I am very sure that Padam Pelita will create a stir at the snake if he was there.

In fact, I would consider the Johor Cup as the toughest Division 3 leg in the MPOC for there are very good teams in the Southern region. Teams such as Ironsea Legion, Johor Pirates and D'Mercy Kidz are all very tough teams to play against. We were always on the fringe of qualification and securing wins were very important, every elimination counts to qualifying for the next round.

What is more amazing and interesting was the participation of 5 Singapore based teams. Other than Red Sevens, we were also joined by our local SPNS Overall Champion, PSG Warfreakz, the Red Dynasty Staff Team and Team Damnation Wargh! which were all competing in Division 4 and Team EXA who has a spot in Division 3. After a series of gruelling games, PSG Warfreakz and Red Dynasty Staff clinched the 2nd and 4th spot respectively. Team Damnation Wargh! also made it to the 2nd Round and quoting Amok "Technically, we didnt lose...we had 3 draw games". Playing for the first time together, Team EXA had their first taste of the Division 3 games. Although the results could be better, EXA held their heads up high as the 1st official full fledged Singaporean paintball team!!!

Now its back to the drawing board again as we anticipate our participation in the World Cup Asia 08... to Padam Pelita and Callio (if you are reading this blog), let's go out and kick some ass again!

And who says we dont play woodsball? Think before you say...

Calgar! Stop hiding behind the closet! I mean...cloth.


General Jane



Waterboy?


Signals?

Things you never knew about us.

When we were there...you were most probably somewhere.

Woodsball is good. But speedball is extraordinaire...

The beginning of speedball in Singapore...History of Red Sevens

First Red Sevens Tournament - Werdnahol Cup. Look at that pants...haiz...RAMBO ah?

This photo was taken 2 years ago during the Werdnahol Cup. This was the first paintball tournament that was participated by the Red Sevens. We have since claimed to be the first Singapore paintball team although this was argued on numerous occasion by members of Team Nightmare who used to play in Power Paintball Park. Nightmare also claimed to be Singapore's first paintball team, though it was more of a local team playing together for recreational purposes. Nightmare's captain, Bill Fisher also known as Ikanman visited Red Dynasty last year. He joined us during the CNY gathering and was a prominent figure in the field. You can surely hear him from the back with his loud commanding voice. Too bad, we didnt take a photo together.


Our second tournament, MPOC...noticed that we were using mech markers against e-markers in Div 3. Slowpoke giving as pointers as a player-coach.

Members of the Red Sevens never knew one another. We knew each other through the internet. It started off from finding out more about paintball on the internet and happened to chance upon the World Cup Asia in 2005. Curious to find out more about the game, I made a lone trip to KL to witness what paintball was all about. To my surprise, paintball is in fact a very interesting game, speedball to be exact...for sure I was amazed by the uniforms, markers, rate of fire, masks but more importantly...the representation. There were representation from Thailand, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia...hey, where is Singapore? In fact, I was refused entry into the tournament area for I was without a crew, vistor or player tag. But it was worth it, as the rest was history.


We tried to get similar jerseys...Werdnahol Cup Leg 2.

Upon my return to Singapore, I told Elle about this game and how amazing it was. There were then plans to know more about the game. So we decided to form a paintball team....yes, with only 2 players. Then came the naming of the team, Red Orchids, Red Lions, Merlions, etc. Trust me it was a difficult time. Eventually, we came up with Red Sevens. Red is a representation of the Singapore flag and Sevens because we needed 7 members to form the team.

Then came the website...with no information and just a simple recruiting message.

Then we found Seburo who wrote to us and asked us if we are going for the Hybrid Paintball Clinic. We met him there and soon he was part of the team. With a 3 men team, we went on searching...that's when Calgar came along. Still serving his NS, he wanted to know more about paintball after playing a few sessions in OCC. Wanting to know more about the Red Sevens, we arranged to meet up at the Burger King in Novena. With him was Donovan, a 3rd sergant from the army. And we thought he was going to be our fourth... but it was Calgar who kept in contact with us and after a few training trips to KL, he joined us as our fourth.

Months later, I received an email from Padam Pelita, he was then working in Singapore and wanted to play paintball on a regular basis. Our first meeting was at the Starbucks of Plaza Singapura. He is a Malaysian who has been working in Singapore since 2005 and has always wanted to find kakis to play paintball. He chanced upon our website and wanted to meet up to talk paintball. In our first meeting, he brought us a DVD of the Dynasty Dysected 1. That was our first paintball DVD...and sure Elle and I were excited to watch it. We passed the night by watching the DVD and a brief introduction of the Red Sevens team. And soon, Padam became our fifth player.

On and off, we will have guest players from other teams who will play for us. We used to have Slowpoke from Tornado, Darlie from Neighbours Pulse, Rayson from Heatwave, Dragonboi (who is now a trainee pilot) and Monkey from ?? (I cant remember). As we were training and training and learning the game more, we were introduced to Team Infinity...then there were Doyok, the team captain and Callio...we will train together once in a while....and talk paintball. Weekends were usually in KL and paintballing for 2 consecutive days. Callio clicked very well with Red Sevens and soon...he became our sixth player. Having Callio around was always good...he gels the team and is definitely the PR man when we compete in tourneys. He will always light his ciggies and talk to other teams thus building rapport for us. And yes, we have 3 Malaysians playing for Red Sevens...but what the heck...we are still the first team from Singapore.

Darlie joining us occasionally...

One day, Kev-Lee from Death Maverick sent us an email. He wanted to try paintball too as it was his holidays and he wanted to travel overseas...so he thought, might as well make it a paintball holiday. So soon enough, we were shooting one another on the field. So in fact, Kev-Lee is one of the pioneer for speedball in Singapore. He was later joined by Sean, Andrew and Daryl...all of whom are still playing paintball.

Unfortunately for Kev-Lee, he was unable to join us soon after his holidays ended. Later, Seburo introduced his friend to us...he was Residentevilchef. Residentevilchef used to work as a chef and has since took a big career change and took up photography. His first session with us was in JB, he gel very well and soon he was part of the team, and thus the seventh. Being an excellent cook, Residentevilchef invited us to his home for dinner...it was to celebrate Seburo's birthday.

Overseas tournament was good...this was taken in Penang.

Hell, this guy can really cook! Till today, I cannot forget the melting salmon. Yeah...history of the team. Many parted ways...playing for other teams. We have since recruited Lydia and Ryan who will occassionally play for us. So far, we have played twice or thrice together.

In NPPL Asia, Darlie joined us again.

What is most amazing...is that we all started not knowing one another. Since playing paintball, my circle of friends is growing almost everyday... strangers became friends. People who dont know one another....some becoming best of pals. Paintball brings the world closer.

This weekend's MPOC, will be the 14th time that we are participating as a team. So wish us luck.