Legacy or chaos?

 

Commentary

It may sound like a noble idea and a legacy to be left behind but organising the 29th Sea Games and the 9th Asean Para Games jointly next year can only mean chaos.

Already, last year’s Sea Games host, Singapore, is a tough act to follow; it is said to have organised the best Games ever. So, doing two Games together would be putting too much on our plate and inviting unnecessary pressure.

The newly elected board of the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM), headed by president S.M. Nasarudin, has proposed to the Olympic Council of Malaysia, and gained the support of Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, to hold a joint Games and call it the inaugural Asean Games or “1 Asean Games”.

Bringing a joint Games to fruition would be no mean feat. Yes, if successful, it will be a legacy for the prime movers as they would be the first to do it. But it is going to be a nightmare in terms of logistics and resources.

It is learnt that the prime minister has been convinced that organising both the Games will reduce organisational costs, especially since there will be only one opening ceremony and one closing ceremony for both the Games. He has given the idea the nod.

Traditionally, the Para Games is held after the Sea Games. And it is the same for the Asian and Olympics Games.

But it is the Commonwealth Games that PCM is trying to emulate where both the Games are held jointly.

However, for the Commonwealth Games, there are only 10 core sports on the programme and an additional seven from a list of optional sports/disciplines while for the Para Games, there are four core sports that must be included, and then an additional three listed as optional Para-Sports. But the events must not exceed 20, which must be fully integrated into the overall sports programme.

Thus, the overall number of sports is small at the Commonwealth Games and minimal at the Para Games, and thus manageable.

While PCM have claimed they have the full support of the Asean Paralympic Council for a joint Games, it is learnt that it was not a unanimous decision and several officials on the PCM board do not see the idea as feasible.

For starters, the Philippines, the next host of the Sea Games in 2019, have come out openly to say that they do not have the means to organise a joint Games and will host the Games separately.

So, does this mean the joint Games will just be for the Kuala Lumpur Games?

But before that can happen, the Sea Games Federation (SGF), who are meeting next month in Kuala Lumpur, have to endorse PCM’s proposal, which has to be supported by OCM.

For starters, OCM are still waiting for a detailed proposal on how the joint Games can be organised with all the logistics and resource details to be studied before presenting at the SGF meeting.

OCM have been given preliminary brief by PCM saying that except for athletics and swimming, all other events can he held at the same venue for both Games.

Among the issues that need to be addressed are:

* Whether the duration of the Games will have to be extended because of the number of events. For instance, for athletics and swimming, Sea Games will see 46 and 38 respectively while for the Para Games, it will be a total of 95 events for athletics (because of the items for a single event under various categories, that is for the 100m there will be 21 events!) and 91 for swimming.

A total of 16 sports have been proposed for the Para Games with a total of 240 events for men and 120 for women for a total of 1,215 medals as opposed to the Sea Games’ current selected 34 sports – comprising 342 events – but this could well increase to 40 or more sports when the SGF meet next month to decide on the final number of Games after appeals made after the last meeting in February.

Currently, the Sea Games is scheduled to be held from Aug 19 to 31 with the closing ceremony coinciding with Malaysia’s 60th Merdeka celebrations.

·        Logistics issues of transport, accommodation, venues and distances.

·        Resources – whether we have enough officials for both Games as many officials officiate in both Games.

·        Expenses – whether it will actually be cheaper or could be the same to organise two Games separately.

·        Media – with all the media attention on the Sea Gams, will the Para Games get enough publicity? Will the media have enough resources to cover both Games held simultaneously? 

·        Spectators – whether we will have spectators at the Para Games as the majority would prefer to watch events at the Sea Games.

This is the sixth time the Sea Games will be held in Malaysia (after 1965, 1971, 1977, 1989 and 2001), which sees the biennial Games being hosted after 16 years. Naturally, Malaysia want to make it a memorable affair.

It will definitely be a challenge to handle about 7,000 Sea Games athletes and officials and even more challenging to handle and cater for 3,000 para athletes.

We seriously have to ask ourselves whether it is manageable or are we courting trouble?

We have to decide, once and for all, whether we want to have a great Sea Games separately or a joint affair and head for a fiasco.

TONY is a sports

journalist with more than
three decades of experience
and is passionate about
local sports.
He can be reached at
tmariadass@gmail.com

Twitter: @tmariadass​

Let's change mindsets

Commentary

To be or not to be?

The decision to let our young athletes compete in the IAAF World U20 championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, from July 19 to 24, before they return to compete in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Kuching from July 26 to 29, is highly commendable.

Earlier suggestions to not participate in the world junior championship because of Sukma were put to rest after National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail met the athletes and coaches concerned, including MAU coaching chairman Zainal Abas and sprinters coach Mohd Poad Md Kassim, officials of the state sports councils and others, to get their views on the matter. 

A final meeting on Tuesday afternoon between NSC and the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) sealed the decision that the athletes should compete in both the world junior championship and Sukma.

Among the athletes who have qualified on merit for the world championship are the winners of the Asian Junior championship in Ho Chi Minh earlier this month, namely Khairul Hafiz Jantan (100m), R. Kirthana (triple jump) and Mohd Rizzua Haizad (triple jump).

Meanwhile, sprinter Badrul Hisyam Abdul Manap booked his ticket after clocking 10.53s at the 2015 UniMAP Open Athletics Championships, surpassing the 10.55s qualifying mark set by IAAF. 

Khairul, 17, after clocking a personal best of 10.30s in the earlier rounds in Vietnam, won the final in 10.36s, upsetting Japan's Ippei Takeda (10.41s) and Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Abkar Mohammed (10.45s). The latter had arrived in Vietnam as the year's quickest U20 sprinter in the world, having clocked 10.04s. Malaysia's Badrul Hisyam, whose best record is 10.34s, came in fifth with 10.54s.

Khairul’s achievement gave the country its first Asian Junior gold medal in the men's category in the 30-year history of the U20 event. The contingent’s three golds, three silvers and a bronze, to finish fourth among 18 countries, have given Malaysian athletics much hope for a brighter future.

Khairul also bagged a silver in the 200m with 21.15s and was a member of the 4x100m quartet, who took silver with 39.91s. The other members of the relay team were Badrul Hisyam, Asnawi Hashim and Muhd Haiqal Hanafi.
That we even thought of skipping the world junior championship for a national junior event is unforgivable and only underlines the short-sightedness of some athletes and officials.

Though common sense prevailed in the end, the issue should not have come up in the first place, especially since the governing body and stakeholders like the Ministry of Youth and Sports have clear policies on such things.

The complications arose because the states put their interests before the nation's.

Badrul and Khairul, who are from the Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School, represent Malacca while Kirtana and Rizau of the Bukit Jalil Sports School, represent Perak and Sarawak respectively.

These athletes probably found themselves in a dilemma because apart from their sense of loyalty to their home-state, it is learnt that they have been paid a Sukma monthly allowance for almost a year now.

The lure of cash incentives for winning gold medals at Sukma and other perks must have blinded these young athletes as well.

The fact that Khairul told the media that he was skipping the world youth championship because of Sukma, points to poor management of the athlete and sounds like someone put him up to it. Khairul must surely have known Zainal's views that both he and Badrul forget about Sukma and focus on the world junior championship?

And his reason that he wanted to set a new national record in front of Malaysian fans and his parents does not hold water. What better competition, field and status to set a new national record than a world championship?

Such actions do not speak well of Khairul’s character but then he is young and needs to be guided by his coaches and administrators.

We certainly do not need prima donnas when they are just blooming.

Pictures of the athletes holding branded spikes to their face when posing for the media after victory only goes to show the hold that sponsorship and money already has on them.

It is all right to secure sponsorships but these athletes must not become blinded by monetary rewards and lose track of their ultimate goal -- to excel in their sport and reach the highest level of competition possible.

We have seen many budding athletes fall by the wayside because of greed, wanting to be in the spotlight and poor guidance.

This current controversy would not have arisen if everything had been laid down clearly from the start and the athletes had been told to follow the guidelines strictly.

We have a good crop of young athletes, which augurs well for the future of athletics. But petty issues and unnecessary publicity threaten to muddy the waters.

Hopefully, none of the said athletes complain that they are tired and suffering from jet-lag at the thought of having to compete in back-to-back competitions. It would be a small sacrifice but a huge leap forward in their athletic career.

Besides, they will probably benefit from having trained in Europe prior to the world junior meet, and with a sports science team with them, it could well be the launchpad for them to reach for the stars.

Let us think big, make the right, not popular, decisions and aim to be a world class sporting nation. Otherwise, we are destined to be just jaguh kampung.

TONY is a sports

journalist with more than
three decades of experience
and is passionate about
local sports.
He can be reached at
tmariadass@gmail.com

Twitter: @tmariadass​

Treat young athletes with dignity, please

Commentary

It is embarrassing that the cream of our young athletes had to compete with minimum sports attire and equipment at the 17th Asian Junior athletics championship that ended in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday.

That the contingent of 24 athletes, five coaches and one team manager had to travel without an official bag, tracksuit and jogging shoes is indeed sad.

Indeed, the Malaysian athletes wore their own outfits at the prize presentation for the winners.

They had been given just one running vest with the word “Malaysia" printed on the back and a pair of shorts and two round-neck T-shirts without any wordings for the duration of the trip from June 1 to 7.

Whatever reason the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) come up with for this poor state of affairs – even if their sponsor Mizuno could not supply them with the official attire in time – is unacceptable.

MAF should have been better prepared for such a prestigious and premier junior athletic event in which 18 countries competed.

Granted, the association is trying to stand on its own two feet unlike many of the others, which rely heavily on the National Sports Council (NSC), but at least the athletes are well attired whenever they travel with NSC’s support.

To see our athletes at the youth event in all kinds of colour did not put Malaysia in good light.

Just three weeks ago, in this column, I had said athletics was beginning to shine again with many budding athletes on the rise, whose future looked bright.

I had also said that the athletes had to be well looked after, guided and given the best coaching opportunities and exposure.

To send a contingent to an Asian-level meet poorly attired certainly does not give such an impression and does not do much for their image.

If these athletes get disillusioned at an early age, the future of athletics may be in danger.

I do not advocate spoiling the athletes but they must be treated with respect and dignity.

MAF had given each athlete an allowance of RM180 for the seven-day event, which works out to about RM25 per day.

Again, I do not advocate splashing money on the athletes but surely they could have been given a more decent allowance? Twenty-five ringgit is about US$6 and in a country where US dollars are commonly used, the amount would not have taken the athletes very far.

They could not have bought their peers from other countries a decent meal or drink, or purchased souvenirs for their loved ones with a princely US$6!

I just hope some of the athletes did not resort to selling their vest or T-shirts to souvenir hunters for extra cash!

Yes, the athletes were provided with accommodation and all their meals but they could have still been given something like RM50 a day.

Athletes for the Malaysia Games (Sukma) probably get more.

Maybe MAF are cash-strapped and that was all they could afford. If that was the case, the association had better start working on raising funds through sponsorships or donations.

I know MAF are trying to get things right but it must be a concerted effort by the whole council, not just a few individuals in the council. If anyone wants to serve on the council, they must be prepared to work hard to raise money for the association and take care of the athletes. Otherwise, they should do the honourable thing and step down; make way for those who are genuinely interested in the sport and want to contribute.

Indeed, athletics is the poor cousin of football.

When they travel, the national footballers – be they seniors or juniors – do it in style. They wear suits and are given a suitcase of attire and equipment, not to mention handsome allowances and bonuses.

No wonder many youngsters prefer to play football rather than take up athletics.

Meanwhile, our young athletes did Malaysia proud at the recent event, winning three gold medals, three silvers and a bronze out of the 44 at stake. They finished fourth on the table while Japan finished at the top with 13-10-4, China in second place (11-7-4) and India in third place (7-4-6).

Without doubt, Malaysia has a crop of young people who have the potential to raise the athletics profile of the country. So, MAF had better look at ways to keep them happy or it stands to lose a few of them to other sports.

There is no need to pamper the athletes but give them the necessities.

I wonder if MAF assist athletes in securing running spikes through sponsorship or they have to fend for themselves.

Once an athlete makes a name for himself, he will have no problem in getting sponsors. But in the early days, when they are struggling with expenses, they should be given all the assistance they need.

Let’s give our young athletes the respect they deserve and, hopefully, they will reward the country with respectable performances.

TONY is a sports

journalist with more than
three decades of experience
and is passionate about
local sports.
He can be reached at
tmariadass@gmail.com

Twitter: @tmariadass​

Has austerity drive been ignored?

Commentary

Have the cost-cutting measures announced by the government earlier this year been seriously observed by the sporting bodies?

All signs point to the contrary. And to make matters worse, money is being spent on things that are unimportant to the fraternity.

The money is for training, medicine, supplements, sports science, coaches or anything related to producing champions, especially for the Rio Olympics or even the SEA Games next year which Malaysia is hosting.

But when the National Sports Institute or Institut Sukan Negara (NSI/ISN), in a hush-hush manner, unveiled a new logo last Friday afternoon in a hall that was enveloped in black cloth for a “night atmosphere”, one begins to wonder.

Is a new logo going to change anything for NSI? What matters is the service it provides the athletes.

The present logo is a registered trademark and though it is not going to cost much to register the new logo, the rebranding exercise certainly will. 

Changes will have to be made to everything - from the letterheads, corporate shirts and T-shirts, standees and logos on NSI ambulances to the NSI logo on the official letters, documents, calling cards and so on of the many sports associations.

Probably, newly appointed NSI CEO Dr Mohd Khairi Zawi and his deputy Ahmad Zawawi Zakaria wanted to start afresh with a new logo that they both designed, and leave their “legacy” behind. But this looks more like a wrong call.

The unveiling of the logo was supposedly a “pot-luck” affair with the staff members having to pay a minimal sum, according to their rank, for the catered food. Those who paid were given the event’s T-shirts.

More surprisingly, the two senior officers had their offices renovated, replacing the carpet with wooden flooring, painting the walls black and installing large mirrors. This seems like a waste of precious funds, especially when the NSI have had their budget cut drastically over the last two years.

Their staff strength has also been reduced, with the termination of the services of many long-serving temporary employees.

It is also learnt that the protein supply for the athletes has been cut because NSI does not have enough funds.

Meanwhile, holding workshops at holiday resorts is also questionable, especially when the cost-cutting measures clearly state that government facilities have to be used for such purposes. Also, the consumption of food and drinks and the use of buntings and banners during conferences, seminars, meetings, courses, workshops and other official functions have to be reduced. Similarly, the use of event management firms and the handing out of door gifts or souvenirs during events.

All these rules are there so that the limited funds made available to NSI are prioritised for the athletes and not frittered away for events that are of no benefit to them.

It will be interesting to see how much is spent on the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) that will be held in Sarawak next month. Are there going to be lavish opening and closing ceremonies?

It is only a tournament for junior athletes and thus should be kept very simple. But that has never been the case for almost all the Games hosted so far.

Malaysian sports seriously needs to cut out all the frills and extravaganza and just stick to its core. Money meant for sports should be used only for sports and its improvement, and not to create a circus.

Without doubt, the money allocated for sports is a huge sum despite the cutbacks but it still cannot be channelled into the wrong areas.

Countries with very much less allocation for sports and do not have the facilities, technology, expertise or science have done way much better than Malaysia.

So, the question that needs to be asked is, where have we gone wrong and how can we address it urgently?

Otherwise, we are going to continue to waste millions with no results that commensurate with the money spent.

It is time for stock-taking and put Malaysian sports on the right path – which is a long shot but nothing ventured, nothing gained!

TONY is a sports

journalist with more than
three decades of experience
and is passionate about
local sports.
He can be reached at
tmariadass@gmail.com

Twitter: @tmariadass​