The writing was on the wall

It was warned in this blog six months ago, not to allow a Laos Sea Games failure by sepak takraw to be the final nail to the coffin for this game (Read here)

The slide was not checked then and now after the Laos debacle, everyone is reacting. (Read this).

The Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek too took to task national associations who had failed in Laos (Read here).

Is it not a little too late to cry over split milk?

It is the same with many sports in the country. When a crack or decline in a sports is detected, no effort is made to make amends immediately.

We have this tendency to believe that everything will be take care of itself.

Yes it will take care of itself - reach the bottom of the barrel!

It is real sad that we are now talking about how to regain our past glory, in sepak takraw - sport which Malaysia introduced to the world.

This is what happens when things are taken for granted and complacency sets in.

Many sports have suffered the same fate or are on the way to suffer the same fate.

It is about time to once and for all take a serious stock check and get rid of all the ills in sports association - be it incompetent management personnel, administration flaws, financial woes, mismanagement of funds, lack of development programmes, lack of coaches, poor training programmes, in-house squabbles, welfare of athletes neglected and the list can go on.

But addressing the problem does not mean that National Sports Council (NSC) taking over the sports, but solve the issue in the associations and get it back on a better footing to start all over again.

NSC by all means should keep tab of associations, set KPIs, pull the plug when they slack, give guidance and teach the associations to stand on their own feet.

Do they should not take them on the easy path by spoon feeding them and running things for them.

Engage the national associations, but do not pamper them or have favourites and untouchables, or otherwise what has happened to sepak takraw will staring right into the faces in no time!