Best paintball gear and paintballs at best prices...

Why use whitebox paintballs? Use only the best paintballs at the best prices...

We offer paintball brands such as Protos, Eclipse, Furious, Samurai, etc.

Need some paintball gears? Get them at best prices... No delay, delivery in 2 weeks.

To request for dealership, do email me.

We are able to offer the best prices for your paintball gears and paintballs as we stock them in lots periodically.

Where to play paintball in Singapore?

There are a couple of places where you can play paintball in Singapore, all centers are unique in their own way with varying prices. So do your own research on the internet to find out who offers the best service:

a) TAG Paintball located in Orchid Country Club (Yishun)

b) Red Dynasty Paintball Park located in Bottle Tree Park (Khatib/Yishun) -

www.weplaypaintball.com/Prices.html

c) Crossfire located in Singapore Discovery Centre (Tuas)

d) Amoy Quee Camp (Yio Chu Kang) - Only for NCC cadets

e) Operation 685 - More details

f) Mobile Paintball - More details

Random Red Sevens

Bben running back to the starting frame with ice cream

Bben looking at the mess he has created...chocolates in the pods.

Zach showing off his teeth after eating chocolate biscuits.

Zach and Ryan trying to looking mean... Zack is holding onto Edi's green goblin Ego 9.

Hmmm...why are we so happy? Must be the strawberry milkshake...

Eclipse Ego 8 vs Ego 9

Red Sevens clinched 4th position in MPOC Leg 2

After 2 days of gruelling competition, 18 games in total, 19 boxes of paintballs... Red Sevens finally clinched the position of the "first loser", 4th position in the Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC) Leg 2. Usually refers to the 2nd position, the "first loser" title goes to Red Sevens for not taking any prizes home and spending as many paintballs as the podium finishers. Day 1 of the competition saw all Division 3 teams playing 4 games each. Without breaking our usual curse of losing the first game, we lost the game to Marauderz and went on to win the next 3 games against Hoodlum, Apache and Lund69. The day ended before lunch break and luckily, we were on our way back to the hotel before the thunderstorm arrived. As the usual saying goes "MPOC will not be the same without any rain..."

Day 2 - and the team has to go on full throttle to build on the good results in Day 1 . We were scheduled to play a total of 6 games in a span of 2 hours...which make people wonder what is wrong with the scheduling??? (point of consideration no.1) Never mind that... Day 2 was a little more challenging, we had games with our sister team, Damnation, Dark Angels, Urban X, Holydivers, Ghost Destructo and Eastsiderz. The end result...won 4, drew 1 and lost 1. We went down 5 points in the match against Damnation. Kudos to them...

Edi has to leave for Singapore after 2 games in Day 2... his absence was clearly missed when we had little option to play a double dorito game. After the qualifying rounds, we were in the 4th position and into the top 16 round. This leg had 19 participating teams, top 16 teams qualified for the next round. One team never show up on the 2nd day and lost all their points. So there were actually 18 participating teams...and to only drop the last 2 spots for a top 16 round was simply "money wasting". In Leg 1 of the MPOC, there were 15 participating teams and 12 qualified for the next round. In this leg, we had 18 teams and 16 teams qualified!!! All you need is to win 2 qualifying games in all 10 games to qualify...come to think of it...it just doesnt make sense. This is not considering the fact that there is still a quarter finals, semi finals, finals, 3rd/4th placing game that teams have to go through. Which the latter two game was supposed to be the best of 3 games but it never happened. The final game was played in the dark... perhaps if this was the case for next leg... where there are more than 18 participating teams, perhaps we should just stick to the top 12 teams to qualify or perhaps consider using paintballs that glow in the dark (point of consideration no. 2).

In the round of top 16, we were grouped with Urban X, Dark Angels and PPS Syndrome. We top the team with 9 points and proceeded to the quarters and for the third time we had to meet Dark Angels and Oscar Legio X and Ghost Destructo. We came in 2nd and before we knew it...we were the top 4 teams in Div 3. This was also the first time that we have gone so far... a top 4 finished was indeed pleasing until we had to face Team Bellicose in the Semis. I am starting a new paragraph because this happens to be the most exciting part of the whole tournament.

Firstly, they had an ex or current (I am not sure) Div 1 player starring for them... which makes me wonder if there was any screening done. As far as I know, any player who have played in Div 1, are not allow to play in Div 3... okay....never mind that...its all good. Then came the game of indecisiveness and cheating... its okay to cheat in paintball.... as long as you are not caught by the ref, you just play on and get away smirking on your "wrong doings". So you have done the right thing... and that is to cheat but dont get caught, cheating even in a feature in the NPPL Championship Xbox game...so its okay to cheat a little in paintball.

What I am pissed about was the fact that this was done under the noses of 3 referees and none had seen him cheat! WOW! Surely a good cheater... To make the referees took back their calling from a normal tradeoff to a "1 for 1" with his protest was the pinnacle... Come on be fair will you? ... you dont call a player out and after his protest changed it to a "1 for 1". What is this? Where is the decisiveness? (point of consideration no. 3) While all these were ongoing, the flag was hang too! And of course, we respected your indecisiveness and the game was eventually decided in a 1 on 1. We lost the game. We respected your decision but not the results. If that dishonest guy had claimed that he had shot my player first, well okay.... but in the midst of his complain, I shot him out too. So where is the 1 for 1? Its a simple tradeoff...

The tournament was concluded with a 3th/4th match against the JB Syndicate and they won the game gracefully.

Thanks to all who have supported us during the MPOC, special mention goes to Daniel from Lemon Ruski, the bispectacle player from PPS Syndrome (sorry I dont know your name but you have been cheering us on), Reuben from Hoodlums for arranging for our transportation back to the hotel, Rudi the scorekeeper who came to us and congratulated us on our "winnings" though we didnt really won, you guys have given us continuous support and all the belief... Cheers!

Until next MPOC? maybe not...

Singapore Paintball Novice Series 2009 Leg 2 @ Pasir Ris Park - 17 May 09

Its confirmed, SPNS 2009 Leg 2 will be held in Pasir Ris Park on 17 May 2009. This collaboration with Nparks to bring paintball out to the community will be the first in Singapore. Teams that are keen to be part of this paintball history in Singapore should register their participation with www.weplaypaintball.com/SPNS.html

Jordan DM9 - Only one piece in the world...

Limited Edition Jumpman DM9

Singapore Paintball Novice Series 2009 - Leg 1

Singapore Paintball Novice Series (SPNS) 2009 Leg 1 – “Bringing paintball closer to heart…”
1 February 2009 – The location of SPNS 2009 Leg 1 was no stranger to any local paintball teams in Singapore, it was held in Red Dynasty Paintball Park located in the premises of the Bottle Tree Park (Yishun) and played over the driest month in Singapore’s history in the last 10 years. The comforting part about this dry month is that for the first time in the history of SPNS, the participants will not be playing under wet conditions and to the organizers and participants; this could just be a blessing in disguise. In this leg of the competition, we saw the participation of 9 paintball teams with an estimated turnout of about 120 participants and supporters. Since its intervention in March 2008, SPNS has since been recognized as the official paintball event by local paintballers. SPNS is organized by the Paintball Association (Singapore) and is supported by various stakeholders such as the Singapore Sports Council, Red Dynasty Paintball Park, Bottle Tree Park, etc. The PBAS has since registered up to 200 tournament players in its database and this list is ever growing. Participants who are keen to participate in the SPNS will have to undergo a 2 hour course known as the Basic Tournament Orientation (BTO) which comprises of a theory and a practical test. The objective of the BTO is to allow participants to understand the safety aspects of playing tournament paintball and the tournament rules and regulations.

As participating teams strolled into the field to gear up for the event, you cannot help but to notice that there were a few who were already trying to catch a last glimpse of the field set up. “Walking the field” is an important part of paintball as it gives the team a head start to better strategized game plan. A common scenario in the preparation of a tournament is to see teams equipping themselves with protective gears, equipment and eventually ending off with a light warm up to gets their adrenaline flowing. This keeps the player both physiologically and psychologically prepared.

Each participating team was to play a round of 8 games in a round robin format in the qualifying rounds with the top 4 teams advancing into the Semi Finals and beyond. Team Red West which was the eventual Champion of SPNS 2009 Leg 1 was formed only 3 weeks prior to the closing of the registration date. The team which comprises of 4 players is made up of 2 international students from the Singapore American School, a student from Republic Polytechnic and a full time national serviceman with the Singapore Police Force. Playing for their first time together, the boys who are no strangers to paintball (having played recreational paintball before) did well with an impressive run of wins of 7 games and 1 loss. Other participating teams of the SPNS 2009 Leg 1 include team Evil Avengers (who was featured in the TNP Newpaper recently), Red Fraction, Contract Killers, Wargh!Nuts, Dark Militia, Death Mavericks, Kamikaze and a Filipino team known as the PSG Warfreakz Bravo.

In this year’s competition, a new segment known as the “Top Gun Challenge (TGC)” has been added to spice up the tournament where each team will send a representative to compete in a one on one competition which tests the fundamental skills of snap shooting and marker handling. Gerald Lee from the Red West was crowned the YGC champion after eliminating 2 other opponents in this skilled test challenge. Ng Chee Yong who plays for Kamikaze was awarded the title of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) during the competition leg. A 2nd year student from Nanyang Polytechnic, Ng started playing paintball about 1 year ago and has since been hooked to the game which promotes self confidence and teamwork. “Anything can happen in paintball, winning the MVP is only part of the process…” exclaimed Ng when asked if he questioned if paintball is a game of chance and luck.
Results of SPNS 2009 Leg 1:

1st – Team Red West
2nd – Contract Killers
3rd – Dark Militia
SPNS 2009 Leg 1 MVP – Ng Chee Yong (Kamikaze)
Young Gun Challenge – Gerald Lee (Red West)

SPNS 2009 Leg 2 will be held on 5 April 2009.

For more information about sponsorship and registration in SPNS 2009, please email singaporepaintball@gmail.com or visit www.weplaypaintball.com/forum

Closing this blog...

I will be closing this blog... while doing some "soul searching" as suggested by a fellow paintballer.

Reasons for closing blog:

1) Spreads too much paintball politics which is bad for its development and blog ruins interpersonal relationship
2) Spreads too much paintball politics which is bad for its development and blog ruins interpersonal relationship
3) Spreads too much paintball politics which is bad for its development and blog ruins interpersonal relationship

I cant think of more reasons. Before I end this blog, I would like to thank those who have visited this blog and I hope that this blog has given you some insights of paintball in Singapore, may not be the best but surely good for daily feed and your reading pleasure. THANK YOU.

I will continue to discuss and share with anyone who wants to know more about paintball given my limited exposure, so feel free to let me to know.

Lastly, if the articles of this blog has offended you in any other way, let it be made known that these are all my PERSONAL views and opinions and in no way are they related to anyone or any organization. That's the purpose of a blog...

Train hard and continue spreading the love...

Ciao!

Paintball Refereeing

Yes, the million dollar question: "The egg comes first or the chicken comes first?". This simple and yet difficult to answer question is always hovering above our head when it comes to making a decision. With paintball being such a controversy shooting game, we often get remarks such as who is being hit first when 2 players traded while shooting at one another. In 1888, horse racing was first introduced to photo finish. Horses were galloping so fast across the finishing line that it was almost impossible for the stand to determine the wining horse... of course when you relate this to paintball... the tradeoff is often referred to as "a split second call" and in worst cases, we often attribute this to human error. The usual explanation would be "Do you think I have 2 pairs of eyes?". Yes, its true, this was the very thing that was said by a ref in one of the tournament that I had partcipated. But well... its true, he didnt have 2 pairs of eyes.

Refereeing has always been in questioned whenever there is a need to determine winners and losers. In 2007, the Joy Division quits the NPPL because of bad refereeing and single out bias refs as the main reason, they then went on a world tour in 2008. Now that the NPPL is history, you might see them back in the circuit again. Playing the MPOC for the 3rd year, I have also witnessed several incidents where refs were put on the firing line. Coincidentally... both incidents happened during the Penang Leg in 2 different year. The first was when Fortior Immortalz and Unita Immortalz were denied the semi final spot during a overwriting call and were threatening not to return to the MPOC again. For the records, our Immortalz friends have promoted from Div 3 to Div 2 now and completed the entire MPOC series for that year.

If you were in Penang last year, you would not have forgotten the Raskals vs Xmen game where there were 3 "1 for 1" call in a single game? I could be wrong with the number of counts but I remembered the ref pulling 3 players out in a single game. Let's not forget about the last 5 seconds mad rush by the Raskals... which until today, I thought that was a very good strategy, Kamikaze style... There was a bad wooohaaaa about the ref's call but hey...the same gang of Raskals are still competing in the MPOC.

I have been a follower of the blog, villainpaintball.blogspot.com and coincidentally, there is a 2 part series on refereeing, talking about the good, the bad and the ugly. And of course being a controversy sport, there were some arguments and people shooting off one another's comment. The point that I am trying to say is that paintball has always (from the history books) to have controversies surrounding its development. At the end of the day, it is actually individuals' perspective or expectation of how things should be handled. I for one is a fan of this saying: "No call is the best call" and I am sure there are always good calls and bad calls surrounding this sport. It comes as a package to the game... Unless you dont like the game or you are already considering to retire from the sport, just know that bad refereeing comes as a total package to paintball.

Just want to share some of my personal experiences with 1 on 1:

1) Never argue with the refs when being call out, this might constitute to the ref thinking that you are committing to a time delay from exiting the field.

2) Always check yourself for paintball hits from the previous game before entering the field.

3) Never touch the spot where you are hit as this might constitute to the ref thinking that you are wiping. Claiming that you are checking for hit by touching is not valid in paintball rules.

4) If you are call out and not aware of where you are hit. While you are walking back to the dead box, check for your hopper, your foot, your elbows and lastly... it could be on your harness.

5) Never swear at your team mates after you are hit. You could get a "deadman talking".

6) Always check yourself for hits before hanging the flag and if you are caught to be already shot, its a immediate 1 for 1. Not only that you will throw the game away and points awarded to your opponent. There is also a way out in this... ask me and I will tell you.

7) Dont overshoot. This is a 1 for 1...and in some tournament, its a 2 for 1. Not only is overshooting dangerous, it is not a friendly gesture at all. So please dont overshoot.

Happy balling... in conclusion, good and bad refeering is part of paintball. That's just the way it is...

SPNS 2009 Leg 1

Once again, we have a new Champion for SPNS - Red West, a team comprising of 2 American boys (Zach and Ryan) and 2 local boys (Gerald and Vincent). Zach and Ryan are not new to paintball, having played some rec ball back in their hometown and playing for Red Sevens in some MPOC legs, these boys have a pretty good understanding of the regional standards of play. Emerging from the pot is Vincent, a total newbie to paintball. He was scouted for his speed and size but when it come to strategies, tactics and knowledge to the game, this pettite man is simply lost. Kudos to him for having to undertake such steep learning curve. Gerald whom many touted as the next "BIG" thing in local paintball played for Red West too. Gerald also won the Top Gun competition (1 on 1) during the halftime show.

Contract Killers bagged the 2nd position. These boys have come a long way since playing in their first SPNS tournament. Aaron who is a new addition to the team surely adds up to the offensive power to the killers. Led by Benguin (captain of the team), the killers made their way to the semi finals with 5 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses. The afternoon sun indeed has an effect on their impressive start when they were clinching all 5 games before lunch break. Contract Killers beat Dark Militia to clinch the final spot.





Dark Militia under the leadership of Grant (playing with Wargh! Nuts in this leg), did an almost impossible task. What planned to be a fun session for the "new kids on the block", these men came out with an astonishing results to win the 3rd position. The last time this happened was in SPNS 08 Leg 3 where a group of mid-life gentlemen formed a team and called themselves the "Midlife Crusaders". But what was entirely different about the 2 teams was that the former was only formed less than 3 weeks ago and had less than 4 official trainings. So really...in paintball, anything can happen.


Wargh! Nuts who has a 100% record showing in the SPNS since its intervention did a 4th position. Lady luck was not their side as they were forced to play a 1 on 1 game with Red West in the Semi Finals to determine which team will go through to the Finals after coming back to win Red West in the 2nd game of the Semi Finals.

The rest of the other teams also displayed their best during the tournament just that luck is sometimes anybody's game.

In my opinion, I feel that the standard of play in local paintball has improved since we first started. Teams are starting to have their own identity (on and off field), within the teams, they are slowly forming with that bit of luck and training, they will soon be performing. But indeed, we are proud to say that the level of play in the SPNS has indeed improved. With this, I am also urging our local boys (girls included too) to take part and compete in the regional tournament, only with this are you able to relate your playing experience with others who are also keen to take up paintball as a regular sport. I have once mentioned that our local boys will perform in the lower division (3rd or 4th) of regional tournaments given the fundamental training that they have acquired in Singapore and I do stand by this statement again after seeing how the SPNS has developed.




Of course, in any tournament or competition, there are winners and there are losers. It is almost similar to working life, some are successful and are struggling to make ends meet, but its how well we take winning and losing. As a sportsman (not referring to myself, so no flaming), winning and losing is part and parcel of something bigger and greater. You need to have tasted losing to appreciate the finest of winning, so its a cycle.

In this leg of the tournament, we have gone back to when we first started, getting our own local refs to do the job. I must say, its a job that is done fairly good, surely not the best refeering that I have seen but definitely good enough. There are good calls and there are bad calls, so its how we understand from the different perspectives. Kudos to our local referees for your time and effort. Its a thankless job some might say... you are not paid for your effort and you get some rather "unfair" comments about job but let's not forget that in all the paintball rules (even up to international ruling), the regulations are always in favour of the ruling body, did anyone noticed that? Do you know if you are hit on the harness and you dont feel it the hit and if the refs saw you playing... thats a 1 for 1 call? Yes, you can explain that you dont feel it... you dont know that you are hit, but its the rules. Yes, I do agree that there are some strict calls during the game but would anyone be rather playing under lenient ruling? That's where you get even more disputes.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone that is involved in the planning and participation of the tournament. Its not a one day effort, the planning, the sourcing, the forming, the training...

SPNS Player ID Tag

SPNS ID tags... for the first time, we are using hard cards for the SPNS identification. This is an improvement from last year's ID tag which was pouch laminated. This year, we have decided to go on full force so that each player will get their own collection of ID tags as they accumulate competition experience. Surely, the cost of making these cards have doubled but its well worth the effort and the money. Will the price of the ID tag rises because of this change? Highly possible... but hey, its worth it. Those who submit low resolution photos.... perhaps you might want to change the next time you register. Those without a photo on your tag? Serves you right.

*Guess I was too mean...but hey...if you didnt send us the photos, we will not be able to produce your card in time...

Do you have a paintball nickname?

Do you have a paintball nickname?

When I first started playing paintball... the first person who introduced himself using his nickname was Badman, he was then playing for Killers Stingers which is now disbanded and no longer playing in any tournament. Recently, I have seen him guest for Isi Rimba, and of course wearing his famous yellow boots walking around tournament ground, I dont think anyone will miss him. Initally, I thought he mentioned "Batman"... and I was like "WOW... Batman... impressive name" It was much later that I found out that its actually, Badman...not too bad either. Either way, he's got my attention. Until now... I still dont know his real name.

In fact, he is not the only one... I know a few other guys by their nick and not by their names...people like Dogtooth, Cabel, AXN, Flame, too many to name. Of course, there were a few others who had some amazing nicknames like Ping Pong, Stealth, Seburo, Calgar... I mean what is Calgar? hahahha.... I mixed up Calgar as Cougar... Ping Pong? But one thing for sure, these nicknames surely mean a thing or two to the individual.

Nicknames are easier to address too... people used it on the forum, they used it as their identity, they used it when they are on the field, they used it to cover their private hobby (dont want people to know that they are playing paintball during weekends...).

Let me give you an example:

A: "Hi, nice meeting you...the paintball game was great! Btw, what is your name?"

B: "Hi, nice to meet you too, my name is Lee Cheng Biong"

A: "Cheng Bong?"

Instead... it could be like this...

B: "Hi, nice to meet you too, my name is Shadow"...

There you go...easy to remember. So for those without a paintball nickname, start thinking of one.

Paintball clinic by Francis Lucena Kiko "The ONE" at Red Dynasty

"Keep the fire burning!", "We are one big family!", "Spread the love of paintball". These are the exact words coming from a 2 time Division 2 Asia World Cup Champion. A few months ago, we invited Matthew Nekvapil from the Demonz (Malaysia) to impart his paintball knowledge to the paintball community in Singapore and this round, we brought you "The ONE", who is also famously known as Kiko to the Singapore paintball community. Having played competitive paintball for 6 years, Kiko is no stranger to paintball and this man has everything under his belt to showcase.

On a bright Sunday morning (yes, I know, you have read this phrase somewhere...and it is always a bright sunny day) where most people are busy preparing for Chinese New Year, we have a group of ardent paintballers who were trying to pick up a tip or two from the World Champion himself.

As per all paintball clinics, participants were introduced to how one should always remain focus when participating in tournament, as Calgar puts it, "We must maintain our focus from the start to the end" Visualization or sports imagery is one of the ways to upkeep that concentration before any paintball games. Fazz, who is a trained fitness instructor lead the team in a warm up. He also took the opportunity to explain the key factors of a good warm up. Participants stretched their necessary muscle groups by "sending signals" from the brain to all parts of their body and this according to Fazz, helps to prevent muscular injuries. The group ended the warm up with 20 counts of 4 jumping jacks which Kiko had a hard time following...DOH!

As one of the fastest front player in Asia, Kiko's clinic was focused on how to be "the best front player"... he started off by introducing to the participants on the various styles of sliding into the big temple followed by the small tombstone. He then went on to focus on correcting players' posture when playing behind the tombstone bunker. As mentioned by Kiko "It is important to understand the art of bunkering" and with that, the participants spent another 30 minutes perfecting their posture and movement while trying to bunker cones in a zig zag manner.

Kiko will shout LEFT and the player will have to bunker from his left. RIGHT and the player will move towards his right. And yes, there were times that he had forgotten about calling left and right...and you can see players running straight into the bunker??? How on earth did that happen?

As Kiko spreads his love for paintball, one can see the dedication that this man has in paintball..., Kiko has played in some of the biggest paintball teams in the Philippines, namely the Global Gutz and the Real Pinoys and this "little" man (some may say) is a true ambassador for paintball and one who flys the Philippines flag really high in Singapore.

Kiko focused on snapshooting too...but instead of having a loser out system, one must win in snapshooting in order to be rotated. With this, you can see players trying their best to snapshoot and focus on accuracy as no one likes to be hit...so many times.

How can one forget about the Superman slide...? Two hammer structures were prepared to allow all participants to have a go at the famous Superman slide. Initially, there was a little bit of reluctance...but once Benguin stepped up to do the famous "Ananconda" slide...more follow suite.

At the end of the clinic, participants put to test all that they have learnt with some friendly skirmishes.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Kiko "The ONE" for his time and effort in showcasing his knowledge to the Singapore paintball community.

Until next time!!!

Singapore Paintball Novice Series 2009 Leg 1

There you go...participating teams of SPNS Leg 1:

If all goes well, we will have the participation of 8 teams in the 1st Leg of SPNS 2009, namely:
PSG Warfreakz, Death Mavericks, Contract Killers, Wargh!Nuts, EVIL Avengers, Dark Militia, Red Fraction and Kamikaze.

In this leg, we welcomed back Death Mavericks who was out of action for SPNS 2008 Leg 3. A team made up of mainly students age ranging from 16 - 21 years old, they will definitely give the oldies some tough fight in the field. Never look down on them as they can all snapshoot very well. If there is an award for the most discplined team in Singapore, it will be them. Every Saturday morning...you can always see them at the field, shooting, running, breaking out, everything!!!

PSG Warfreakz was last year's series champion. This year, they are back again with an almost new set up. While some of the members sitting out for Leg 1, their trademark of being fast and furious will surely remain as the talk of the town. Papaya dance again? We'll see...

EVIL Avengers, a newly formed team is no stranger to the SPNS, its members were formerly from the Redlords, Red Shadows, Hot Fuzz and Team ExsequorX, this mixed team is indeed THE team to watch out for.

Wargh!Nuts is joined by Houdini RIP from Team Damnation. His experience from the recent World Cup Asia and MPOC will definitely give the Wargh! team a hard boost!

Dark Militia is a newly formed team but rest assured that they are not here to make up numbers. While they maybe new, being the underdog always have the upperhand when garnering support from everyone. A trump card to turn the tides...

Kamikaze pick up a few new players this season. Raring to showcase their skills and participating SPNS for the first time are Delusion, Darren and Chikuawho but really, they are not that new afterall.

Red Fraction under the leadership of Fadzzi will be here to proof that they are no pushover. With a slow start into the SPNS season last year, the Red Fraction will be proving a point that they too can make it to the bigger stage. A fully bonded team with a full turn out this time, anything less than a top 4 position is indeed questioning...

Contract Killers has a new member, Wolfcry...filled with the desire to do well in paintball, these guys are fundamentally sound and will put up a good fight into the new season.

So that's the round up of the new season. Paintball is round and it can be anybody's game...

Questions you shouldnt ask during the BTO...

Yes...its frustrating. But these are the questions that you should never ask during the BTO.

BTO is not a platform designed for people to learn how to play paintball or understand the rules of speedball. The BTO is catered for people who are keen to participate in tournament paintball without violating any regulations as stated by the SPF, in this case playing without the center line, its is also a platform for us to promote paintball as a sport in accordance to international rulings. Well of course, it is also a platform for participants to ask questions pertaining to rules and regulations of speedball.

I know I shouldnt have blog about this since I am one of the instructors...but still feel the need to do this as a form of respect to the people who have spent their time and effort to come up with the BTO so that speedball can be facilitated in Singapore and who took time off to conduct the course, it is pretty amazing to see some of these questions being asked by the participants:

"What happens when I am hit?"
"What is the objective of the game?"
"You mean I have to read the rules before attending the BTO?"
"MCQ test!!! Are you sure we have to take these?"
"Why should I have my hands on my head when I am hit?"
"Deadman talking rule is not clear as it did not indicate who the "deadmen" are?"
"What happens if I run out of paintballs during the game?"
"You told me its supposed to be fun, but now I am mocked cos I am not prepared for the test"

Well, the instructors are nice people, we replied all questions posed but of course, no denying... there were some puzzled look among us. Hmmmm... just put yourself in the shoes of the instructors... At the end of the day, we received feedback that goes something like this "You looked pissed when I asked you this question...hey dont forget, I pay you to teach me and I am here to learn...so you must tell me, hey... paintball is not my job, its a complicated game"

Yah right!

**To all those who happen to find my blog if you are searching for the word BTO, please please please look through the Millenmium rules or at least have a good understanding to the game of paintball before attending the BTO. At the end of the day, we are here to facilitate so that we can get more people playing speedball in a safe manner and thus creating awareness for the game. It is not our objectives to make you look bad during the BTO, if you have zero understanding to paintball or fail you because you are not aware that you have to undergo a MCQ test.

The Killer TANK!

The Killer Tank! I thought this topic can be very interesting since many people who plays paintball often overlook this part of the game. We have been talking about which markers to use, which gears to get, what masks to buy but when it comes to tanks, most of the people are left clueless. I am not so much of an expert myself but thought it will be good to share about the mechanics of paintball tanks and the dangers involved when it comes to handling one of these...

If you have a paintball magazine at home...flipped it again, you will surely see it somewhere that there is a warning page instructing people about the hazards of mishandling a paintball tank. Yes, its true, people get serious injuries from mishandling these... I have personally witnessed at least 5 counts of mishandling. One of these misfortunate victims had to be sent by an ambulance to the hospital to get a facial reconstruction done!!!

Here's how you can get injure (some of the most common ones, in random order):

1) Screw the killer tank into the marker without realizing that the threadings do not fit. By doing this, you will not only spoil the threadings of the tank and the marker, you simply do not get a perfect fit. Usually, it tends to be harder to screw as you screw further in. By the time you realize this, you will most probably end up with a badly scratched threading. To prevent this, a good practice is to ensure that the marker is tuck in between your legs as you screw in the tank, make sure that the marker and the tank is straight before turning the tank in. Attempt to clean the threadings of the marker and tank with a dry cloth to get rid of the residues from oxidation or sand particles.

2) While filling the killer tank at the distribution outlet, ALWAYS hold onto the valve while filling and look away from the marker. Make sure that the valve unit is fitted into the killer tank. You can do a simple test by pulling the valve and making sure that it holds before filling. Most players do not hold onto the valve and when the air compressor is turn on...you will have a flapping/swinging valve which might possibly hit you in the face! Its okay if it hits you...but if it hits another mate standing next to you...Good luck.

3) When removing the killer tank from the marker (if you do not have the luxury of having a ASA attached), make sure that you "shoot the tank off". By shooting the tank off, I mean pull the trigger while trying to remove the tank in an anticlockwise motion. By pulling the trigger as you turn the tank, allow you to remove the tank in an easier way as there is less pressure at the pin valve forcing the tank to the marker. If unsure, just invest in a decent ASA.

4) Always look at the regulator when you are turning the tank. Often, the regulator can be loosen due to prolonged usage of turning in and out from the marker. If the regulator is loosen from the tank and is stucked in the marker, by turning the body of the tank, you will dislodge the regulator from the tank. This is extremely dangerous...if done slowly, you will see the O-ring that is inside the tank bursting...if done in a fast motion, the tank might hit you directly at your face. I have seen this happen many times to a teammate of mine. Good gracious...he is still alive.

5) Take note of the tank usage... there is a life span when it comes to using a tank. Always take note of the frequency of usage and the timeout date, especially if you are buying a second hand tank. Make sure that you do a regular visual inspection of the tank (though this doesnt really help with micro cracks...but hey...at least you are doing some checks).

Lastly, do not "monkey see monkey do". You have to understand the danger and the basic handling of the killer tank. This part of the training is often overlooked...so until the next injury...not too sure how to fill a tank, just ask. Safety first...

SLG vs SLG 09

I thought this is one interesting thing to talk about...the SLG.

SLG is a product of Proto. The term SLG is derived from the words "Super Light Gun".

So as the name implies, its light...not only light but super light. As shown is the direct comparison of the 2 SLG markers in 2008 and 2009. I got my SLG 08 marker during the World Cup Asia 2007. It was first released in Asia to Dye vendors only and I had the previlege of getting one during the Dye tech class. A spool valve technology marker, the SLG has a loud ticking sound wherever the trigger is pulled. If I can remember correctly, I got this marker for a neat price of SIN$280.00! In fact, I bought 2 of these...one was sold to Desmond Foo (the now so famous paintball photographer in Asia) who at that time was no longer playing for Red Sevens. Yes, for SIN$280.00. Come to think of it...I should have kept it. Not that I dont want him to get it at this good offer, just that firstly, he is not a Dye dealer so this deal should not be transfer to him and secondly, he was no longer with the Red Sevens. I was only helping knowing that he is keen to play but has no marker at that time. But anyway...its all in the past. Till this day, I am still using the SLG marker but only as a back up. Didnt really like the "feel" of it...until I was holding Kiko's prized SLG marker from winning the Division 2 World Cup Asia.

Its amazing light (now with the ultra light frame), the plastic feeling of pulling the trigger is no longer there...there is an upgrade on the feedneck...which is similar to the former PMR. The design looks more sleek on the exterior and it certainly look too good to be known as an entry levelled marker. Perhaps the only downside to the marker is the need to constantly lube the internals. Kiko has a hard time doing that... I say a good way to maintain this marker is to lube it after every 3 games.

A new year... a new beginning...and then the recession...

Couldnt find much time to blog nowadays, been busy with reservist (yes, I did try snapshooting with SAR21, hehehe), planning for paintball tournament and participating in paintball tournament. Just came back from KL participating in the MPOC with the Red Sevens gang. We did a 5th position after 10 rounds of qualifying with 15 participating teams. Qualified for the Quarters but luck was not with us. We could have clinched a couple of games but it didnt work well for us. Individual mistakes... team mistakes. We were glad to have the assistance of Kiko and Ivan. Kiko is an "old bird" in tournament, as Seburo mentioned on his blog, this guy has got more medals than us as compared to the markers we own. To date including Kiko's, we have 10 e-markers in the team, quite impressive actually... On the contary, Ivan is a "new bird"... his first game with e-markers and he certainly did well enough to earn him 5 MPOC games under his belt. In his first game, he even came back with the flag. Considering that this is the first time he is playing with e-markers, this guy is a born talent.

We did not surpassed our record of reaching the semis...but I am pretty confident that we should be able to clinch a spot before the season ends. Although we did not came back with a metal piece, I am excited about how this team is going to progress in 2009. This year, we have the inclusion of a few new faces: Jon, Edi, Kiko and Ivan. Not forgetting our 2 friends from US, Zach and Ryan. We are looking good. Time will tell... its a pity that we were unable to get Tom to join us but we'll never know. Now that we have a lot more players...perhaps the International Super Sevens? We'll see... certainly looks good.

Team Damnation is the other Singapore based team which travel to KL for the MPOC. I was hoping to see Atrox and PSG Warfreaks... but I guess the recession is hitting on everyone.

In Singapore, we are also busy planning for SPNS 2009. There seem to be a decline in the number of participating teams this year... what did we do wrong this time? Its funny because things were more uncertain previously, we had to find sponsors, we had to get the ambulance, we had to get approvals, we had to get prizes, we had to sign teams up for games, we had to conduct training for newbies, etc. We did many things to get SPNS 2008 started. 2009, we are more familiar with the proceedings, we did as many awareness clinics, workshops as before and yet, it seems like we are unable to get more teams to participate. Hmmmm... cheaper paintballs, cheaper entry fee, better prizes and prices...and yet, we have falling numbers. Its weird. So the myth of lowering prices and more people will play paintball is not true afterall. Okay okay...its the recession. Everything is the recession...

While we are planning for our local tournament. Somewhere out there... there is a group of people who are also playing competitively. It was mentioned before in Team Damnation's website of the new team known as Team Karma. Team Karma is not new to the local scene, it was a group of friends who decided to play paintball on a regular basis. They were at RD when we organized our clinic for newbies. They bought paintball stuff at our place too. If you were observant enough, you would have noticed that we even had a thread for them in our forum. (It has been removed about 2 months ago because no one was upkeeping the thread).

While the Red Sevens and Team Damnation were in KL playing our hearts out. Team Karma had a small party of their own..."Acid Test Paintball Challenge", it was held in our former training ground, Octville Country Club up in the North. It was meant to be a tournament for local boys to try out paintball and have some fun playing in competition format. Kudos to you for coming up with this idea. Surely good for promoting awareness in the game and allowing more people to love and feel the game we all loved.

On a second thought...I am very bothered by this outing. The first question that pops out from my head: "Where are they going with this?"

Okay, I know most Singaporean paintballers visit this blog of mine...so being the visionary for Singapore paintball, here's my take (and I will share with you my views later):

1) They are getting more people to play paintball thus improving the standard of play in Singapore, both recreationally and competitively.

2) They are planning on organizing paintball tournaments in the North so that more Singaporeans can play competitively without having to go through BTO.

3) They are planning to start a paintball field in Singapore.

Okay...now that we have 3 options, let's review them:

1) Good move...more people playing means more people are aware about the game. While they can improve in their standard of play, they can only play competitive paintball in the North, as we all know that in Singapore, we have strict rules for everything...even paintball...haiz. The centre line...So to play competitive paintball in Singapore, players who are "Poison" to the game will have to go through the BTO.

2) Not a bad move...but what's going to happen to paintball in Singapore? Let's take an example... Due to gobalisation, Singaporeans are exposed to international jobs and are all moving out of the country. They work overseas, they marry overseas, they study overseas... see where I am going. The question mark here is: What will happen to Singapore paintball? Its funny because paintball is more established in the States...but paintball in Mexico is more fun and affordable.

3) Highly possible. Hahahah....I am saying this because, one of them approached me previously and told me so. So its good for Singapore paintball afterall...but dont wait till you start and then start promoting paintball in Singapore cos by then...you will be deem as the overseas expat who study, work and marry overseas. No offence to anyone, my dad for once is hardly at home too. Just dont wait until then...the idea here is to make the change, just like I did.

Your first time...

Yes, your first time. I know what you are thinking...but dont go there. But instead, let's take a step backwards...your first kiss. Do you still remember that special moment? Surely... or maybe not. But I am sure, you will remember your first experience with paintball. Yes? That moment when you are either shot by everyone from the opposing team or the hero who captured the flag and returned to the base...

So I thought perhaps I will do a short survey asking people around me about their "first time" with paintball... Well, just as I guess, they all remember. And there is always a story behind everyone's experience. Here's mine:

2001, Pete's Paintball in Mount White, Sydney, Australia. Scenario games...

I was having lunch and was approached by this nicely dress man (shirt, tie and pants) who was holding onto a booklet of coupons. At first I thought he was going to sell me tickets to some dance bash (very common in uni) but it turns out to be paintball coupons. Hmmmm...."What is paintball?" I have heard of it before...but what exactly is paintball?

Buy one coupon and bring along another friend for free. The only catch is to get this offer, I will have to buy 25 coupons!!! I cant remember how much the coupons were... I dont think they come cheap. But I bought them...hehehehe. The rest is history.

Got together a group of Singaporeans to join in the fun. A day out at Mount White, camofluage uniform, free bottle of Gatorade, free BBQ lunch. My cousin who was also studying in Sdyney joined me. There were different fields that we can choose to play...open fields, forested fields, urban fields... we were tired, in fact we were very tired. In the last game, my cousin and I executed a flanking move and managed to whack my neighbour from the back...cruel I know but I remember his expression clearly till this day.

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.