I was determined to have my own badminton racket – enough of watching and cheering the elders. My father had dismissed my request for a proper racket, ‘too young’ he reasoned. I was five, with all the petulant energy of one who is five. In that spirit I sawed boards off an old Everyday milk powder wooden crate and nailed them onto a plank for my first racket; since I had no feather shuttlecock I gathered scrap latex to make little rubber balls instead.
I spent hours hitting against a wall as my opponent, quickly improving my athleticism and reflexes. That moment I stepped onto our common grass court, rudimentary racket and rubber ball in hand for my first proper match, it was not for a casual game. I was prepared for some serious acrobatic jumps and smashes, a battle-ready warrior primed to trounce opponents for all I was no more than three and a half feet tall! It likely sparked the invention of my circuit board, which stayed with me long after I left Malaysia and throughout my adventures worldwide.
