COMMENT

By Tony Mariadass

 Let’s look at the bigger picture

Sports leaders, officials and players alike, should concentrate on the more urgent need how to assist and combat the Covid 19 pandemic, rather than all the hullabaloo about qualifications to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Just allow the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Federations (IFs) resolve the issue for the qualifications and the new dates of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

After all, they are elected bodies to handle the Games and various sports with the interest of all affiliates, and as parent bodies, all can rest assured that whatever decision they take, will be in the best interest of all and in all fairness for level-playing field for all.

There was so much hue and cry about athletes who have qualified for the Olympics, may have to start all over again, if IOC starts qualifications at ‘Zero’.

But IOC after deciding to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to 2021 last week, went on to decide that athletes who have already qualified before the decision to postpone, will keep their places for the Games.

Around 57 per cent of 11,000 scheduled participants for Tokyo have already qualified.

Now the focus has shifted on the many qualifying tournaments which had to be postponed because of the deadly disease which has gripped the world.

The 33 sports that make up the Summer Olympics - 33 international sports federations must now adapt to the new timing of the Games.

While in some sports, this will be simpler than others, there needs to be proper planning and end before a specified period before the Games.

Questions like ranking will be utmost of the minds of many but it must be underlined that while rankings may change soon, current qualifiers on the present ranking must retain their slots and the rest filled up by those who make the cut later according to the total number allocated for each sport for the Games.

 It is in these trying times that IOC president Thomas Bach, has called for full commitment, understanding, cooperation, tolerance, sacrifices and compromises, from all to ensure that the Games will be held at the highest quality it is known for.

A decision on the exact dates of the Games next year, which will still be known at 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will be made soon, before the international Federations will have to start planning their qualifying tournaments, many of which have been postponed.

A great deal of adjustments need to be done in planning their calendar and one option will be to have their annual world championships for 2020 be combined to 2021 to just have one championship.

All IFs normally have a four-year cycle calendar and this has to relooked and reorganised.

A taskforce called "Here We Go", comprising members of the IOC Coordination Commission and the Organising Committee has been established to navigate the complicated challenges stemming from the first postponement of the Games in history.

Bach had said: “It’s a huge jigsaw puzzle and every piece has to fit. If one piece is taken out it can destroy it. The Games have never been postponed before. There is no blueprint.”

There are more issues than just qualifying status where host Japan is going to suffer economically, face logistics issues, financial organisational losses and many more issues ranging from sponsorship to broadcasting.

The use of the Olympic Village and other venues will have to be renegotiated for the Games.

All of that projected revenue — at least for 2020 — is gone. And some of the money the local government had already spent to host the Games this summer might be needed in 2021, to do it all over again.

With so many pressing issues looming over the Games, the last thing we need is for Malaysians harping on qualifying issues.

Just wait for the decisions and work towards it. With ample time before the Games, athletes should use it to their advantage.

Talk about qualified athletes being a year older too should not arise because the younger athletes can use it to the advantage to gain more experience and maturity, while the older athletes will just have to work doubly hard to be in prime condition.

In any case, the Olympics always see the athletes at their best and if one needs to reschedule their training programme, so it be. It is a small sacrifice to compete in the Olympics which is the dream of any athlete.

The coaches have to think out of the box to prepare their athletes to be at their optimum, while this is the time for the National Sports Institute (ISN) to proof their real quality and assist the athletes to prepare themselves to the best.

After all, only 12 Malaysian athletes have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics so far, although the OCM have a target of sending a contingent of 30-35 athletes to Japan.  

As compared to the bigger nation, Malaysia’s contingent is just a drop in the ocean and it better we stop nagging over petty issues and look at the bigger picture to make use of the situation to make a bigger impact in Tokyo next year.

On the home front, why are we making an issue of the age limit for the Johor Malaysia Games (SUKMA) if it held next year.

It is an unpreceded situation to have to postpone the Games, thus just allow the age qualification for this year to be carried forward to next year, so has allow the athletes who have been training for at least two years the opportunity to compete.

Don’t let pettiness kill sports. 

Don't complain, just get ready

A staff walks past the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots, M a press conference at the Tokyo 2020 headquarters in Tokyo. - AFP

By Tony Mariadass - April 1, 2020 @ 9:17am

Sports leaders, officials and players alike should concentrate on the more urgent need of overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic rather than the hullabaloo of Olympic qualifications.

Just let the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international federations resolve the qualification issues. Already, IOC have set the new Olympics dates (July 23-Aug 8, 2021).

After all, they are the elected bodies to handle the Games in the best interest of all the affiliates.

Following the Olympics postponement, there has been much hue and cry about athletes who have qualified for the Olympics but may have to start all over again, if IOC start qualifications at “zero”.

To this, the IOC replied that those who have qualified earlier, will keep their places for the Games. Around 57 per cent of the 11,000 scheduled participants have already qualified.

Now, the focus has shifted to the many qualifying tournaments which had to be postponed because of the coronavirus plague.

Thirty-three international sports federations must now adapt to the new timing of the Games.

Questions like “what about world rankings?” will be on the minds of many.

It must be stressed that while rankings may change soon, those who have already qualified, must retain their slots and the rest filled up by those who make the cut based on the total number allocated for each sport for the Games.

A great deal of adjustments needs to be done in planning the international federations’ calendars. One option will be to have their annual world championships for 2020 be combined into 2021.

All international federations normally have four-year cycle calendars, and this has to be reorganised.

A taskforce called “Here We Go”, comprising members of the IOC Coordination Commission and Organising Committee, will navigate the complicated challenges.

There are more grim issues than just Olympics qualifying as host Japan is going to suffer economically, face logistics issues, financial organisational losses, and much more.

With so many pressing problems looming over the Olympic Games, the last thing we need is for Malaysians to moan about qualifying matters.

Just wait for the decisions and work towards their goals. With ample time before the Games, athletes should use it to their advantage.

All the talk about “qualified” athletes being a year older should not arise. They will just have to continue working hard to be in prime condition. If they need to reschedule their training programme, so be it. It is a small sacrifice for the opportunity to compete in the Olympics.

The coaches have to think out of the box to prepare their athletes to be at their optimum while this is the time for the National Sports Institute to prove their ability in assisting the athletes to prepare themselves.

After all, only 12 Malaysian athletes have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics so far though the OCM hope to send a contingent of 30 to 35 athletes to Tokyo.

It is better that we stop fretting over petty issues, look at the bigger picture and emerge from the situation stronger.

On the home front, why are we making an issue of the age limit for the Johor Malaysia Games (Sukma) if it is held next year?

We are dealing with an unprecedented situation, the Sukma has to be postponed. So, just let the age qualification for this year to be carried forward to next year, this to allow the athletes who have been training for the past two years the opportunity to compete.

Don’t let pettiness kill sports.