THEY are called the men in black. They call the shots. But sometimes, they shoot themselves in the foot.

IN a conversation with a top sports administrator recently, we somehow ended up talking about investment losses.

IT’S autumn in Denmark and the weather is truly lovely. The leaves are in different shades of colours – golden brown, bright yellow, red, and orange – and I feel like I’m in a fairyland.

Just imagine. China’s Lin Dan and our own Lee Chong Wei coaching our men’s singles badminton players, with Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat or Denmark’s Peter Gade also in the equation.

THE Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) is just a week away and I’m already sweating. And it’s cold sweat.

SOME people dream, others make those dreams come true. And former squash player Ong Beng Hee belongs in the latter group.

THE dust has settled after the Olympic Games in Paris. Or has it?

THE Chinese shuttlers are usually as cool and sleek as the silk the country produces, and it’s extremely rare to see the world-class Chinese women players sweat under pressure.

THERE’S this duality about sports. It has always been about ups and downs, winning and losing and joys and bitter disappointments.

IN Germany, players are battling on the football pitch for honour and glory for their country in the European Championships.

THEY don’t call Lamine Yamal wonderkid for nothing.

YOU work hard for years, save up a small fortune - and then, in one fell swoop, one scammer takes them all. It is the hardest of falls.