Everywhere in the world’s fourth most populous country, its people mourned on Monday night as their football team fell at the final hurdle.

They had won more gold medals than anyone else but lost the only one that mattered to this football-mad nation.

Yet defeat has not diminished the role of Papua pair Patrich Wanggai and Titus Bonai. They scored goals but more importantly, became symbols of a brighter future for their country, which has had to deal with violence and unrest between ethnic Papuans and other groups.

The Thais meanwhile, have had their own distractions as athletes and officials agonise over their families battling the floods back home.

Incredibly, the tragedy has not stopped them from winning. Instead, it has become their motivation, spurring the likes of 16-year-old Chawannooch Salubluek to swim faster as she sought to inspire her fellow Thais rebuilding her broken country and home.

This Games has also unveiled the different faces of courage. It shone determinedly on Fu Mingtian’s sweaty features inside a claustrophobic hall as she discovered within herself an inner strength she had never acknowledged before.

It reverberated too, all over the waters of Lake Cipule, in a single scream by Stephenie Chen as she and kayak partner Suzanne Seah found redemption.

And again it was there, buried in a plucky grandmother’s tears as Tan Yoke Lan refused to allow Stage Two breast cancer to control of her life.

As always, with athletes in the pursuit of greatness, they fought not just their opponents, but themselves and history as well.

An eight-year-old girl showed age was just a number as she twisted and spun her way to a gold medal. But for mixed kempo pair Julianto Perreira and Dorceyana Borges and their country of Timor Leste, numbers were all that mattered as they were starting from zero.

Since 2003, the country has not had a gold at the Games. That changed on Sunday, prompting one official to say: "It is like a dream to see our athletes winning a gold medal. But this is not a dream, it is real."

The 26th Games has ended, and many athletes will return home to a hero's welcome while more will disappear silently into the faceless airport crowd.

Their stories however, will remain with us.

“Bosnia? They don’t have roads, but they have Facebook,” she replies with mock bemusement.

Perhaps she is right, and there appears to be no restrictions to what social media is capable of. It transcends barriers, the physical ones at least.

But what has also made itself equally apparent is the rise of digital activism and its extensive reach, where online protest groups are appearing at a faster rate than a Justin Bieber-tweet.

Everyone seems to have a cause now - one online report claims that there are over 620 million Facebook groups, or an average of at least one for every user who’s signed up. And social media is providing them with the virtual soapbox with the widest audience; it currently has more than half a billion active users, says Facebook.

The latest row to hit Singapore and clutter the online forums has been one woman’s rant about the presence of heartlanders in Holland Village on live radio which has, quite understandably, sparked a furore.

The subsequent fall out has culminated in a planned “Singlets, Shorts and Slippers Day” demonstration later this month. Last year, another protest (and I use this word with hesitation) was organised, this time with printed t-shirts and coffee-drinking as a satirical device.

It suggests a troubling trend.

Unhappy about something? Log onto Facebook and vent on cyberspace before forming a group as part of your campaign against the perceived injustice.

While I’m not against this concept, or attempting to quash it - there are noteworthy ones and raising awareness for them can be a thankless task – I wonder about a culture so quick to hand over its endorsement for a collection of causes without due consideration.

It takes so little effort to add your dissenting voice nowadays. Instead of scrawling signatures onto petition parchments or nailing wood to placard, the “Like” and “Join” button is just a click away and available to anyone who can spare the few seconds in between surfing YouTube and harvesting their FarmVille crops.

Is this what protesting, in this wired age, has become?

It seems to have made hardcore activists of us all, latching on to any and every cause. At what point does it end, and when has a person subscribed to enough beliefs worth fighting for?

Feed a Child with just a Click? Check. Anti-War, Pro-Kittens? Check. Don't Print! Save Paper to Save Trees? Check. Save Our Sheep! Stop The Woolly Bully! Check.

Paradoxically by its sheer number, these protests groups are falling victims to being labelled frivolous and trivial. Critics will add that they serve no practical or tangible purpose in society.

Their message, it seems, is similar: Why go out and try to make a difference in the world when protesting about it from your armchair and laptop will suffice?

In Abraham Lincoln’s speech to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1839, he said: “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.”

He was speaking not of inappropriate clothes or pricey coffee, but of values like loyalty and integrity.

Now, surely that’s something worth stepping out of your home to protest for.

I suppose what he meant was, that feeling of invincibility of your 20s, when restless energy sweeps your body, and becomes a distant memory when the bones creak and the joints ache as your birthday cake struggles under the weight of almost 50 candles.

Maybe he’s right. After all, it’s a wonderful thing to be young. This past month has been a salute to youths and their spirit of adventure.

Jordan, in case you haven’t heard, is barely in his teens. The boy from California turns 14 in July. He’s also the youngest person in history to stand on top of the world.

On May 15, Australian Jessica Watson became the youngest individual to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world. Just three days after arriving in Sydney Harbour in her pink boat, she celebrated her 17th birthday.

Sixteen-year-old Jessica Watson waves as she sails past the finish line at the entrance to Sydney Harbour in Sydney. -- PHOTO: AP

Both feats have not been without controversy however. Critics have questioned the decision to allow Jordan’s climb (at his age he’s not even allowed to buy the video game Dead or Alive 4 without parental presence or consent in some stores back home).

Others meanwhile, have disputed the distance sailed by Jessica, arguing that her route did not total the requisite 21,600 nautical miles to give her the record.

There have also been allegations that her voyage was orchestrated, particularly her decision to delay her arrival home to maximise publicity, for commercial reasons. Some media reports state that the schoolgirl has book contracts and sponsorship deals worth hundreds of thousands lined up.

But that surely misses the point. What these teenagers have accomplished is more than just stamping their marks on the history books – already Jessica’s record is under threat by American Abby Sunderland who is five months younger and in the midst of her own solo attempt – it is a reminder that the exuberance of youth can remain undeterred by the cynicism of grown-ups.

As Jessica told the Australian crowd on her return after 210 days at sea: "People don’t think you’re capable of these things — they don’t realise what young people, what 16-year-olds and girls are capable of. I don’t consider myself a hero. I’m an ordinary girl who believed in her dream."

And what a beautiful experience it was for her. Out alone in the ocean, she savoured sunrises and shooting stars, studied passing blue whales. Yes, there were dangers (one vicious storm tossed her boat over at least four times) but the lack of adult supervision also offered a unique freedom for a young girl; she sang at the top of her lungs unabashedly with no audience to judge her and indulged in chocolate cupcakes baked in her tiny kitchen below.

Baked treats may have been missing when Jordan stood atop Everest, 8,848 metres above sea level. But the satisfaction was no less rewarding.

"It was a feeling like no other," he said. "I got the best view of the world."

Jordan Romero (centre) on a high after his record-setting Mount Everest feat. -- PHOTO: AP

Already, the entire planet would have heard of his remarkable tale of wanderlust. To witness this curly-haired boy – who was inspired by a painting of mountains in his school hall – almost touching the heavens, is to be similarly enamoured.

It rouses the senses of both young and old in the way Mark Twain once recommended: "So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

So instead of celebrating the achievements of the Big Four (that's Chelsea, United, Arsenal AND Spurs... Liverpool in seventh place should be the strongest reminder that the euphoria of Istanbul 2005 has faded), I’m picking my Best XI of the Season from the other 16 clubs.

Pepe Reina, Liverpool's goalkeeper. PHOTO: AFP

GOALKEEPER: Pepe Reina (Liverpool)
He obviously can't handle a beachball but thankfully for the Spaniard, the balls flying at him have been a more familiar size and colour since that visit to the Stadium of Light. Despite what has been a wretched campaign for the Reds (Europa League notwithstanding), Reina has been a reliable presence at the back with 15 clean sheets so far.

RIGHT BACK: Carlos Cuellar (Aston Villa)
Slim pickings in this department but the makeshift right back probably edges it over the likes of Merseyside duo Glen Johnson and Tony Hibbert for his consistency and strong defending. Powerful in the air, his arching header over Edwin van der Sar almost gave Villa a League double over the reigning champions.

CENTRE BACK: Roger Johnson (Birmingham)
One of the steals of the season at 5 million pounds (S$10.5 million), he has overshadowed the likes of England starters John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, despite having never played in the Premier League before. Has stood out manfully in a Blues side that went 12 games unbeaten and has comfortably avoided the relegation scrap.

CENTRE BACK: Richard Dunne (Aston Villa)
Those sheiks over at Manchester obviously know their football. In came Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott for sandbags of money while former City captain Dunne was shipped out. Both Toure and Lescott have yet to impress and struggled to replicate their form from previous seasons.

The Irishman however, has been a tower of strength in the Midlands and his refusal to celebrate his goal against his former club was both a class act and a reminder of some things that 40 million pounds can't buy you.

LEFT BACK: Leighton Baines (Everton)
Surely the best English left back after Ashley Cole, his seat on board the plane to South Africa should be guaranteed after a breakthrough season with the Toffees. An intelligent defender despite his lack of pace, his precise delivery from the left has been one of the main source of goals for Everton (he leads the team with nine assists this season).

RIGHT MIDFIELD: James Milner (Aston Villa)
The only question about his selection was where to play the all-action versatile midfielder. Comfortable on either foot and with enough energy to fuel Homer's Springfield should the nuclear power plant shut down, this has been the season where the nominee for PFA Young Player of the Year has come of age. He might even prove to be Fabio Capello's trump card in South Africa.

CENTRE MIDFIELD: Tim Cahill (Everton)
David Moyes probably goes to sleep every night with a poster of Cahill stuck on his wall. The Australian has been a dream signing for Moyes since he joined the club six years ago. He continues to shoulder much of the goalscoring responsibility with a cool head – nine of his ten League goals this season have come from his forehead. Plus, he has to get some kudos for that Rocky Balboa impression at the corner flag every time he scores.

Jamie O'Hara, Centre Midfield for Portsmith. PHOTO: AFP

CENTRE MIDFIELD: Jamie O'Hara (Portsmouth)
It has been one of the season’s sweetest ironies when Portsmouth beat Tottenham earlier this month for a place in the FA Cup final – in a game that O'Hara was ineligible to play due to the loan agreements between the two clubs. While O'Hara was unable to prevent the South Coast club from avoiding relegation, he has been their stand-out player with his energy and tenaciousness. Even if the season ends with disappointment next month at Wembley, it has been a year to remember for the 23-year-old.

LEFT MIDFIELD: Craig Bellamy (Manchester City)
Everyone has an opinion about the controversial Welshman who is unlikely to rank very high on most people's Christmas list (least of all John Terry). But when it comes to football, Bellamy cannot be ignored. Even at 30, he still possesses blistering pace and a knack for scoring goals. His efforts against United, Arsenal and Chelsea have carried City to victory and within touching distance of that coveted fourth spot.

STRIKER: Bobby Zamora (Fulham)
He has already embarrassed Italy's World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro in that stunning 4-1 win over Juventus. Able to hold the ball well and deceptively quick, Zamora has flourished and surged ahead in the pecking order of English strikers thanks to his ability to trouble defences in Europe following his performances in the Europa League.

It is this quality that has set him apart from his compatriots (both Darren Bent and Jermain Defore have scored more goals in the league). From rarely featuring in pub discussions of a "talented English forward", it is a measure of his progress that there is already talk about him earning his first senior cap for England in South Africa.

The silly Carlos Tevez, Manchester City striker, poster. PHOTO: INTERNET

STRIKER: Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)
Maybe what has irked United supporters more than that silly poster in the city centre of this street urchin from Buenos Aires welcoming visitors with his arms wide open has been the realisation that Tevez has moved on. And having watched him score goals at a frightening rate (28 in 37 games so far), it has been a successful transition with little hint of regret on Tevez's part.

Almost impossible to knock off the ball, the stout Argentinian has bullied his way past defenders while also creating space for his teammates to exploit (City's 17 wins this season so far is the most they have managed since 2002).

Perhaps the most damning suggestion for United fans would be that if Tevez has stayed in the Red half of Manchester, a fourth straight league title would have already been secured.

Do you agree with Jonathan? Leave your own personal Best XI below.

WHILST the distance between the former teammates has been extended from five yards on the pitch to over 900 miles from Madrid to Manchester, the footballing space between them has narrowed.

Following his most productive season in front of goal, netting 28 times in 35 appearances so far, the Manchester United No. 10 appears to have barged out of Ronaldo's shadow.

Wayne Rooney is working hard to catch up with Ronaldo.
-- PHOTO: REUTERS

He is chasing the former United No. 7's single-season goal record of 42, though it would require another 14 goals in the 16 remaining games (assuming United make it to their third straight Champions League final).

In one respect however, he has already overtaken the Portuguese. Last Sunday’s League Cup winner was Rooney's 125th in United red. Ronaldo's tally stands at 118.

But let's forget goals for a moment (both men have scored 142 club goals in their career). Let's forget statistics (Ronaldo shades the goals-per-game ratio 0.41 to 0.40).

These are just figures. Ron versus Roon is about the intangibles, not just numbers. Hand on heart United fans, at this stage into the season with the two big ones on the line (League Cup trophies are nice but rest lightly on the mantle of history), would you not swap Rooney for Ronaldo?

The man from Merseyside probably puts most marathon runners to shame with his work rate. Even after his match-winner last Sunday, he was still making tackles at the left-back's position. Rooney, from first to last impressions, sweats effort.

It is a terrifying yet inspiring brew.

He is also improving with each passing week. His haul of nine headed goals this season suggests a new facet to his game. Before this campaign, he had scored five with his head in seven seasons.

The consummate team player, Rooney's influence has also meant United have been more prolific in front of goal. With 10 matches remaining, their return of 66 goals is significantly higher than in the previous two seasons (47 last year and 58 in 2008).

But Ronaldo, unremittingly petulant, holds the edge. His name is inexorably linked with United's recent success (three straight League titles and the Champions League). Trophies and universal acclaim, he has greedily gathered.

Ronaldo "wears confidence more sharply, more naturally".
-- PHOTO: AFP

No other player is able to control destiny with either foot as forcefully as Ronaldo. Despite Rooney's recent comments that he feels "unstoppable", it is still the Emporio Armani-draped Ronaldo who wears confidence more sharply, more naturally.

Hair slicked back, chest puffed out, powerful yet equally regal, he does not think he can change a game. He believes that, like the ball, history bends to his command.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo once wrote of Ronaldo: "One day, he'll win the ball, cross it in and head it home himself." Such has been his omniscience and omnipotence at the capital.

Despite missing six weeks of this season through injury, he has netted 19 goals in 20 appearances. Since his watershed season with United where he won the Champions League, he has scored 87 goals in 122 games. Rooney, with five games more, has scored 21 fewer goals.

Ronaldo's impact on a game, is undeniable.

And how well he strikes a ball. His deadball ability is perhaps somewhat undervalued. Yes, it brings goals (he has grabbed four already this season) but more significantly, it intimidates opposing defenders who have to check their natural instinct.

The slight misjudgement in a tackle is thereafter likely to be punished with a viciously dipping freekick. Just watch this effort against Villareal.

Rooney's reliability promises security. Ronaldo's mood can be cankerous. Yet it also conjures magic, however fleeting. The Portuguese is unique. Special. Even when compared to England's best.

As they sang in the terraces at OT not so long ago: "Come to see Ronaldo, You've only come to see Ronaldo."

Less than a week ago came the announcement that Greg Norman and wife Chris Evert had split up. It was the Australian's second marriage and the American’s third.

What went wrong, many who heard the news would have asked. What a shame, they seemed so happy, more would have sighed.

But was it really surprising? Were there collective gasps as people heard the news or did shoulders shrug and heads nod in a knowing way?

After all, with the exception of what one colleague calls "a freakish marriage" between Andre and Steffi, it is a struggle to think of successful athlete-athlete unions.

Owen Slot of The Times says such pairings fascinate him. His point is a valid one – successful athletes are inevitably selfish and self-centred.

Even more so when it involves individual sports like golf or tennis where things like teamwork and cooperation are often overlooked.

On the fairways or courts, ambition and success demand a drive that is as narrow and singular as the number one.

Norman spent 331 weeks as the world’s top golfer, winning two Majors. Evert finished the year ranked No.1 five times and her 18 Grand Slams is only bettered by Steffi Graf and Margaret Court.

One incredulous story that has been widely circulated tells of how the pair could not even agree on whose house they were going to live in.

If home is indeed where the heart is, then this absence of affection after 15 months of moving back and forth is perhaps inevitable.

Perhaps dealing with egos both on and off the courts was just too toxic for a happy household.

But there are exceptions. Married life seems to agree with Roger Federer. But that is not surprising – most things, including gravity when hitting a tennis ball, seem to agree with the Swiss ace.

His wife, Mirka Vavrinec, is a former tennis player who now acts as his public relations manager. It is a relationship bereft of domineering personalities and maybe that is what makes a successful marriage.

But having the spotlight shine solely on one partner can be debilitating. Evert's first husband was John Lloyd, a former British tennis player who could not deal with being Mr Chris Evert.

Said his coach Dennis Ralston of the pair's whirlwind engagement: "John was a little awed when he and Chrissie married. He was overwhelmed by it all."

Even fairytale romances between athletes do not have the requisite Hollywood endings. It was love at first sight when American hammer thrower Harold Connolly met Czechoslovakian discus thrower Olga Fikotova at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.

They married soon after the Games, though not without difficulties. Fikotova was accused of being a traitor by the communist authorities in her country and her marriage to an American spelt the end of her career in Czechoslovakia.

The marriage did not last however and they divorced in 1973.

It was a similar story with American sprinter Marion Jones who married her college track coach C J Hunter in 1998. A drug scandal involving Hunter in the run-up to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney led to cracks in the marriage. The couple divorced two years later with Jones blaming the scandal for their failed marriage.

Often, athletes talk about finding the zone when they excel. Pete Sampras called it "The Gift". When he began his decline he said that it had simply disappeared, not knowing how or why.

Perhaps marriages among athletes are like that. They can only be in that ideal zone for short time before it evades them again.

There are no perfect marriages, no perfect relationships. But some do come close to achieving a perfect score.

Retired gymnast Bart Conner once said of his wife of 13 years Nadia Comaneci: "Most guys brag that their wives are a 10. My wife IS the 10."

Fortunately for me, I was able to put this saying to the test – and spend Monday and Tuesday on a fishing trip in Kuala Rompin in Pahang, Malaysia.

The waters off Rompin are one of the world’s top destinations for sailfish sport fishing.

The Royal Pahang Billfish International Challenge, held since 2004, was organised last month. Last year, 144 participants from more than 10 countries descended upon the sleepy town on Malaysia's South-east coast.

Sport fishing is an interesting activity, perhaps even unique when you think about it. The angler spends hours battling with the fish, locked in a war of attrition akin to playing Rafael Nadal on the Parisian clay – sweat and patience your only companions.

Victory is also never guaranteed. So many different things can and do go wrong. The hook may bend and straighten due to the tremendous force exerted from both sides and the fish is freed.

Or the fishing line, taut with tension as man and fish engage in a tug-of-war, might snap and the fish escapes.

Or the line might be cut in rocks underwater as the fish struggles successfully for its life.

But even in triumph there is no prize, no trophy to clasp your hands around and hold aloft. The catch is released back into the waters for another angler to pit his wits against.

It seems a rather counter-intuitive pursuit, one where there appears to be no objective proof of success.

But it was only after taking on a seven-foot long, 65kg sailfish together with my brother and eventually overcoming it that I realised that I was wrong.

There is a prize at the end. It is just not something tangible that you can cradle in your arms or pose with as the lightbulbs flash around you.

In the end, it was not about the size of the fish or how long it took you to reel it in. The fish, cast in the supporting role to the angler, is soon forgotten.

But what it symbolises, the herculean effort of man over animal, is enough for the angler. Validation comes not in the form of a sailfish mounted in your study room but simply the memory of a warm afternoon on a boat in the South China Sea.

Perhaps it's like that in other sports too.

Almost every sport rewards its victors with a symbolic keepsake – a championship ring in America, a green jacket in golf, a gold cup in football or a wooden urn in cricket.

Yet such souvenirs can easily be misplaced or forgotten.

India's first individual Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, says that after having the medal hung around his neck comes the realisation that it is just a metal disk.

"It's the entire journey that motivates you; what you put into winning it, that's really what you remember," he elaborates.

An athlete does not need a ring or a jacket to remember the months of sacrifice, the hours of training and preparation, the monk-like dedication that is demanded.

When then-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho won his second English Premier League title in 2006, he celebrated by throwing his medal into the crowd at Stamford Bridge.

He later explained that the first medal was enough for him. "I want only one. I cannot keep everything I have," he said.

On Monday, a group of three elderly men arrived in Rompin for some sport fishing. According to one, they were planning to stay for 10 days (each day spending almost 12 hours out at sea) to catch sailfish before releasing them back into the waters.

It is the thrill of the competition they are after, as your heart races and your mind struggles to keep calm.

At the end of the 10 days, they would most likely return home with their icebox bare of any catch. But they would certainly not be leaving empty-handed.

In case you weren't aware, the Red Devils will be playing a Malaysia XI at the Bukit Jalil Stadium this Saturday, part of their four-match pre-season tour of Asia.

At least 100 Singaporean fans, including several colleagues, will cross the Causeway just to catch a glimpse of their beloved team live in action.

Why do they bother? After all, sports should be competitive. It should be a contest about winning and losing where in 90 minutes of football you have sweated not just effort, but ambition as well.

Only when athletes are pushed to their maximum do they reveal their greatness and demand our admiration.

A friendly match seems to be the anti-thesis of this notion.

The cynic will say such tours are commercially driven events. They are here to build up their fitness and avoid any injuries.

There is little, if any, incentive for the United players to play at anywhere near their maximum abilities.

The intensity, the level of play, will be nowhere close to what audiences in Asia flip across television channels to see.

As chief executive David Gill mentions on the club's official website: "Our fans in Asia generate money for the club – there are no two ways about it."

But maybe such things don't always matter. A fan does not need convincing of his hero's achievements. He does not need reminders of Wayne Rooney's impetuous brilliance or to see Dimitar Berbatov caress the ball like a lover to feel giddy with affection.

For those fans who will converge in Kuala Lumpur, it is not about goals or freekicks or stepovers (although without that Portuguese such sights were less likely anyway).

To that 10-year-old Malaysian boy who sees Park Ji Sung in a red jersey running down the flanks this Saturday, it is a reminder that "Hey, my dream is possible. It can be done."

To that fan who bumps into Rio Ferdinand and co shopping along the streets in Bukit Bintang and takes a picture with them and shares a short word, it is a reminder that these players are not so different from him, that heroes on television screens can exist in the same settings as us.

As guests in a foreign land, United will probably be generous with the ball and look to share it with their Malaysian host. Entertainment, not performance, will be all that is asked of them.

They know their mere appearance in Asia is enough to generate fanatical support from the fans.

But they are Premier League champions and such talent cannot be contained, even on a humid night in Malaysia's capital.

Fans who have paid anywhere from RM58 to RM308 know this. That is also why they will come.

For that one instance of magic – a feint by Ryan Giggs, a cheeky dribble by Nani, an outrageous pass by Rooney and a deceptively simple finish by Michael Owen.

I asked a colleague of mine if she would do the same – venture up north if her beloved Blackburn Rovers came to the region.

She smiled.

"Of course, I wouldn't even have to think about it. If I didn't go, there'll be no one in the stadium to watch them!"

Sports fans are like that. The journey does not matter, they somehow find a way. Even if it’s just for a friendly.

A SHOOT-OFF in a shooting event rivals any other sport in terms of drama and tension.

But only if you can get past the mundanity of the qualifying rounds – where girls have to fire 40 shots and boys 60 shots – with the top eight qualifying for the shoot-off round.

They have 75 and 105 minutes to complete their respective rounds, which works out to about slightly under two minutes per shot if they take the full allocated time.

Imagine that, watching someone load his rifle, cock it, stand still, control his breathing, take aim, squeeze the trigger, look down at his screen to see where the pellet landed and then put the rifle back on its stand.

And the whole process is repeated again. No wonder they say shooting is not spectator-friendly. They were obviously not referring to the audience being hit by a stray pellet.

But don’t get me wrong. What these shooters do requires amazing levels of concentration, bordering on obsessive-compulsive behaviour. They fidget constantly, shrugging their shoulders, arranging their pellets, adjust their glasses and stare at everything in the room and yet notice nothing.

And that is for just one shot.

So many little details matter hugely in this sport. The quality of the ammunition, the vibrations caused by the shooting jacket to the shooter’s posture, the size of the soles on his shoes, the trigger pressure, a shooter’s breathing pattern.

Everything matters when a full 10 points is not considered perfect. In shoot-offs, scores are calculated to decimal points and while a 10.0 is obviously better than a 9.9, it is not enough when perfection is a score of 10.9.

Two days of competition has passed in the Asian Youth Games, with the boys and girls 10-metre air rifle events completed. Chinese shooters Zhong Chunchan and Wu Jianing have both prevailed and claimed the gold medal.

Both have been a picture of calm collection and poise. Chunchan admitted after her win on Wednesday that "shooting is so unpredictable, you never know who will win until the end".

Golfers on the back nine at a Major with a lead on Sunday have been known to sneak a peek at the leaderboard, praying that the word "Woods" is not below their own.

On both days during the shoot-offs, the lead has changed more times than a Madonna’s outfit during a concert. But the shooters do not notice, or so they say.

Singapore’s Abel Lim, who picked up a bronze medal in the boys event, said he was not even aware of the scores or that he was trailing Korean Kim Yong before his final shot.

But how much can they tune out, standing there on the lanes, with the crowd murmuring and the cameras clicking simultaneously?

Korea’s Go Dowon, runner-up to Chunchan, said that she could hear the cheers and groans from her teammates throughout the final.

Wasn’t it distracting then?

"Maybe it was," she concedes, "but it’s better that they’re cheering for me than if they just kept quiet."

Shooting is a peculiar sport. Before the final, each shooter waits in the holding area before being introduced to the audience.

They do not stride in. Instead they waddle, unable to bend their arms due to their stiff shooting jackets and trousers.

It looks almost comical until they pick up their rifles and suddenly these penguin impersonators do not look as cuddly when armed.

The atmosphere changes, a hushed silence lingers in the air. Tension hovers like a fog, blocking the crowd from the shooters.

Even ex-shooters, like former multiple SEA Games trap gold medallist Chng Seng Mok, are prone to the anxiety of the spectator.

The suspense of shooting. But only during a shoot-off.

But a huge transfer kitty is no guarantee for success, as City fans already know. The best players do not always require pulling an Ocean’s Eleven to finance. In some cases, the best things in life do actually come free.

Here, in my view, are the ten best pieces of business pulled off by various clubs this season.

10 Sebastien Bassong (Newcastle)
Yes, his club did get relegated. Yes, the 22-year-old French defender was sent off twice this season. Yes, the Magpies have the fourth-worst defensive record in the league.

But ask any Geordie and they will agree, Bassong was the only shining light in what turned out to be a nightmare year in the North East.

9 John Pantsil (Fulham)
After two years at West Ham where he made only 19 appearances, the Ghanaian full-back was a regular starter for Fulham, starting 37 games.

Strong and quick with good anticipation, the highlight of his season must surely be stopping Cristiano Ronaldo when the sides met in March, with Fulham claiming a sensational 2-0 victory.

He was even reportedly given a £10,000 reward from manager Roy Hodgson for successfully man-marking the Portuguese winger.

8 Albert Riera (Liverpool)
Wingers signed by Rafa Benitez have been unqualified failures. The list so far has read Mark Gonzalez, Harry Kewell, Jermaine Pennant, Antonio Nunez, Ryan Babel.

Step forward the man from Manacor in Spain who has finally given balance to Liverpool’s flanks.

His dipping volley from Jose Reina’s 80-yard clearance in a 5-0 trashing of Aston Villa highlighting the Spaniard’s goalscoring ability.

7 James Milner (Aston Villa)
Signed for £12 million at the start of the season, the England U-21 international has been especially dangerous with his set-pieces.

Comfortable on both flanks and adept at shooting with either foot, the 23-year-old has eight assists this season, the most at Villa Park.

Added to his goals (3), Milner was responsible for more than a fifth of his team’s goals this season.

6 Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea)
While not exactly a steal at almost £17 million, the overlapping right-back quickly solved the Blues problem position from last year.

Strong defensively, his ability to get forward was an early feature of Chelsea’s wing play and despite the appointment of Guus Hiddink, the Portuguese has continued to impress with his raids down the right.

5 Mark Schwarzer (Fulham)
The commanding 36-year-old goalkeeper has played every minute of Fulham’s campaign this season, collecting 15 clean sheets along the way.

With the 1.94m-tall Australian in goal, the Cottagers have the fourth-best defensive record in the league and finished in seventh position, earning them a trip to Europe next season.

An excellent shot-stopper, Schwarzer arrived on a free transfer and has been the best goalkeeper in the league this season.

4 James Beattie (Stoke City)
Tipped by almost everybody to go down, Stoke left their critics stunned by finishing in 12th position.

The 31-year-old veteran, signed in the January transfer window, has played an immense role in the Potters’ survival.

With four goals in his first five matches, “Beats” single-handed earned his new club four invaluable points, helping them pull clear of the relegation zone and to Premier League safety.

3 Marouane Fellaini (Everton)
The most recognisable player in the league. And yet when he first arrived, Everton fans were asking themselves “Marouane WHO?”

As the club’s record signing at £15 million, the box-to-box midfielder was under pressure from the start.

38 games and eight goals later (tying him with fan favourite Tim Cahill), Fellaini has provided Everton with a physical presence in midfield and at only 21, the Belgium international looks to have a bright future at Goodison Park.

He was also named Everton's Young Player of the Season.

2 Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal)
Another January transfer signing, the Russian has only started 12 league games but what an impact he has made.

Adding an attacking midfielder to the Arsenal rooster seemed an unnecessary luxury that Arsene Wenger could ill-afford. But Arshavin’s sheer class and technique has overshadowed his London teammates.

There have been goals (four against Liverpool in an incredible individual performance), there have been assists (a crucial cutback for Robin van Persie to equalise against Hull in the FA Cup in March).

But most of all, there is renewed hope at the Emirates Stadium.

1 Federico Macheda (Manchester United)
Okay technically the 17-year-old teenager is not a new signing. He was signed by United in 2007 from Lazio as a trainee.

But he did sign his first professional contract last August with the Red Devils.

And there’s no denying the impact this Italian wonderkid has had on this season’s title race.

Two goals (his only of the campaign) against Aston Villa and Sunderland turned two draws into miraculous wins. Instead of two points collected, a maximum of six were snatched instead.

That’s a difference of four points. And United’s winning margin at the end of the season?

You guessed it. Four points.

PHOTO: AP