Ma long table tennis

Naomi Osaka is contemplating the nature of greatness. Of the tens of millions on the planet who play tennis, the Japanese athlete is the top-ranked female, designated the World Number One. She earned the title earlier this year after winning the past two Grand Slam tournaments, the most prestigious events in the sport. Statistically, objectively, in this snapshot of time, Osaka is the best. That doesn’t make her one of the greats, she says – not yet. Osaka has witnessed the effect of true greatness during her five years on the gruelling international tour for professional tennis. Year in, year out, dozens trudge into the same locker rooms, in the same stadiums, competing for the same trophies. Only a few individuals truly stand out from the crowd. “I feel like all the great players have this aura where you go to a Grand Slam or a tournament and literally everyone sort of clears a path,” she says. “I’m not even joking. Everyone knows their team members, so even the team … [Read more...] about The intriguing X factor of Naomi Osaka, the tennis world’s rising star from Japan

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s companies, households and banks have to stay vigilant and prudent given an uncertain outlook for the economy, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Tuesday (Dec 1). While the system has been resilient amid the COVID-19 crisis so far, a protracted economic recovery bears the risk of financial stresses, the central bank cautioned in its annual financial stability review. The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the Singapore economy, which is expected to see its worst recession in history this year with a 6 to 6.5 per cent contraction. The Ministry of Trade and Industry said last week that it expects a rebound in 2021 , with growth of 4 to 6 per cent. READ: Households urged by MAS to stay prudent when it comes to taking up debt or buying new property But even then, MAS warned of an "uneven trajectory" that will "impinge on jobs and corporate profits". "The risk of financial stresses remains during this protracted recovery … [Read more...] about Singapore firms, households and banks need to stay vigilant amid uncertain outlook: MAS

SINGAPORE: Burnout has been recognised as an occupational phenomenon with an expanded definition by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which met at the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva earlier this week. Numerous research and clinical studies have shown that burnout has serious physical, psychological and work–life consequences, from reduced work performance, productivity and work–life balance, to increased chronic depression, prolonged fatigue and cardiovascular disease. For some, burnout is also a precursor to premature death such as a sudden stroke or suicide. In his book Dying for a Paycheck, Stanford University Professor of Organisational Behaviour Jeffrey Pfeffer found that long working hours have led to chronic stress and burnout, subsequently pushing workers to commit suicide in some cases. The WHO recognising the caustic effects of burnout will encourage organisations to take employee well-being seriously, but more effort needs to go into addressing the … [Read more...] about Commentary: What’s behind burnout? Confusing long hours and face time for work performance

SINGAPORE: Shutters were pulled up once again and dust wiped off the display counters as malls and non-essential shops resumed business on Friday (Jun 19), the first day of Singapore's Phase 2 post-"circuit breaker" reopening. But there was no rush of people or snaking queues, with shoppers making a cautious return to the shops. In the Ang Mo Kio neighbourhood, foot traffic was still slow at AMK Hub an hour after it opened at 10am. Outside the mall, pockets of shoppers were seen looking at the racks at general stores selling essential household items. But Ang Mo Kio resident Eric Lai was excited to just be able to saunter through the mall again. It was his day off, but the chef decided to head to the mall as “staying at home has been very boring”. He had plans to buy items that were unavailable during the circuit breaker and collect a pre-ordered PlayStation game. READ: In pictures: Phase 2 of Singapore's reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic READ: Crowds return … [Read more...] about ‘Happy, but I don’t want to stay out too long’: Shoppers cautiously return on first day of Phase 2 reopening

The 1998 Commonwealth Games were a lonely time for Gary Hermansson. The team’s sports psychologist for the Malaysian games, Hermansson would sit next to athletes for a meal only to find them speeding up their lunch or dinner. Some wouldn’t look in his direction. “I was wandering around trying to find someone who wanted to talk to me, but nobody did.” Talking to a psychologist was perceived as a sign of weakness.​ READ MORE: The fine art of winning - both on the field and in the world Life membership for CD cricket stalwart Gary Hermansson Dave Fulton heading to over-50s cricket world cup in Australia That’s all changed and sports psychology is now as much a part of an athlete’s preparation as physical conditioning. By the time Hermansson, 80, travelled to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 he was in demand. Hermansson’s long career in sports psychology, including attending five Olympics and five Commonwealth Games, as well as his on field prowess, he played … [Read more...] about Lonely start to long-term appointment in sports psychology

LONDON: US investment bank Morgan Stanley said on Monday it was taking "a few chips off the table" after a thundering rally in emerging markets over the last month. The bank said it was sticking to its core view that developing economy currencies and select countries' bonds would continue to climb, but was dialling back its bullish bets after November's surge. That included closing long positions on South Africa's rand, which has surged 13 per cent since June, tightening stop-losses on Latin American currencies like Brazil's real and Mexico's and Colombia's pesos, and chopping back a bunch of bond bets including in Egypt and Ukraine. "We see the rally in EM (emerging market) currencies being front-loaded into year-end and 1Q21, but then petering out," Morgan Stanley's analysts said. "We are also neutral on EM credit, where we think that spreads are close to bottoming out." They said they were watching China's credit cycle particularly closely. "China could be the first … [Read more...] about Morgan Stanley takes some ‘chips off the table’ after emerging market surge