LETTERS: For the first time recently, I'm on Tik Tok. Interestingly, the name Tik Tok resonates with the sound of a ping pong or table tennis ball when it is hit by a bat. It is so distinctive and unmistakable.
In my secondary school days at Saint George's Institution Taiping, I used to play table tennis and in 1967, I partnered with Ravindran Markandu and we won the finals against the late Choo Han and Say Heong.
For a retiree like me who is already in the seven series, ping pong is suitable for relaxation and recreation.
I don't play against an opponent. I just use a bat to strike the pingpong repeatedly and continuously in the air, making sure it is airborne. I don't need a big space for mobility and manoeuvrability. Hence I can do it indoor in the privacy of my home.
No partner is needed, hence no necessity of a cumbersome ping-pong table. I can self pace in the number of hits. I usually target 108 hits as a round. If the going is well and good, I can go on to the next 108 hits, and so on and so forth. My record is six rounds of 108 hits. I need real concentration.
This is part of my daily exercise regime. There are many virtues to my self-styled exercise regime. Firstly there is no additional costs incurred other than the initial costs of a humble bat and ball. I can do it at any free time available at home irrespective of weather condition. The exercise demands that I must be cool, calm and collected.
Besides instilling the discipline mentioned above, it also improves my mental, physical and visual acuity. It is not strenuous, suitable for most old-timers. I really enjoy it when my score improves day by day.
After sometime I realised the truism of the saying "Practice makes perfect". Anything can be reached if one puts his heart and soul in it. With the imposition of MCO, we are told to stay home to stay safe.
For old people who want to have some exercise at home, the activity mentioned above may be worth considering. The Tik Tok sound can be mesmerising and reassuring telling me that the ball is within my control.
If I am careless and lose control of the ball it may roll to a tight corner that I find problematic to retrieve. So the lesson I must bear in mind is to control the movement of the ball and that calls for top physical fitness and good visual acuity.
Dr Koh Aik Khoon
Subang Jaya, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times