AFTER Singapore's good showing in the Olympics in Beijing - the winning of the silver medal by our table tennis team and the inspirational against-all-odds wins by Tao Li - I was convinced that some of this burning desire to win would rub on to our local athletes.

When bowler Jasmine Yeong-Nathan captured the AMF World Cup in mid-November and Remy Ong and Shaun Ng bagged the men's doubles gold at the IV Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championships a few days ago, I said: "Yes! It's happening."

Our athletes were beginning to believe in themselves. Finally, it appeared like they had stopped saying, "We are only Singaporeans, how can we win?"

But the third game in a row without a win by the Lions yesterday brought me back to reality. It was their final warm-up game before Friday's Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup opener against Cambodia in Indonesia and all they could manage was a 2-2 draw with Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

Considering the injuries and the shock ineligibility of China-born striker Qiu Li for the tournament, Singapore have soldiered on and not succumbed to defeat for the games and that is good.

Raddy Avramovic has also given assurances that his men, who are bidding for a third consecutive Asean crown, will do well in Jakarta.

I am sure the Lions will, if they just grit their teeth and go out with a burning desire to win.