Record-breaker
Russel’s MAF money woes
-
June 23, 2020 7:30 AM
1.5kShares
Mock cheque given but money not paid. Russel at the MAF dinner with (from left) Asian Athletics Association president Dahlan Jumaan al-Hamad of Qatar, Karim and Olympic Council of Malaysia president Mohamad Norza Zakaria.
PETALING JAYA: Are mock cheques presented merely for show and publicity purposes?
Last year, national 200m record holder Russel Alexander Nasir Taib was presented with a mock cheque for RM20,000 to meet training expenses, but has yet to receive the money.
FMT
has been informed, however, that the money, from the development programme of the
International Association of Athletics Federations, is in the account of the
Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF).
Russel
said he had only received RM1,000 for breaking the 200m record at the
Queensland Track Classic in Brisbane in March last year.
There
was national euphoria when he clocked 20.77s to erase Khairul Hafiz Jantan’s
national record of 20.90s set at the 2017 Malaysian Open.
Speaking
to FMT by phone from Brisbane, Australia, Russel said he had been presented
with a mock cheque for RM21,000 from then MAF president Karim Ibrahim in the
presence of the media and athletes taking part at the Kuala Lumpur Grand Prix
the same month.
Today,
Russel cuts a lonely figure and has to fend for himself. He says he has spent
more than RM100,000 per year on training since 2015.
He
lamented that he has not received a single sen since he started training for
Malaysia five years ago, first in Tasmania and now in Brisbane.
Russel trains five times a week on his own, and every fortnight with coach Denise Boyd.
Russel only received the occasional reimbursement for trips to Malaysia and two international meets.
Karim informed FMT that he had requested Russel’s mother, Karen Todkill, to submit Russel’s training programme and expenditure accounts in order to release the RM20,000. Karim, who is Perak AAA president and a MAF council member, said he would assist to resolve the matter.
Russel
said: “I am hearing this for the first time, but if that is what they require,
it is not a problem. I wonder why they had to tell FMT, when I have been
waiting for the last 15 months.
“We
had sent three emails to the current MAF president (SM Muthu) to enquire about
the outstanding payment but received no response.”
He
said his mother received a strange email from MAF general manager, M. Latchumanan,
earlier this month asking her to explain what the payments were for. In her
email reply, Karen questioned “the long delay for such a simple transaction”.
She
stated that Russel, as an elite athlete, deserved better treatment.
Russel
also claimed he has been deprived of incentive money for his achievements at
the 2018 Malaysia Games in Ipoh.
He
was to have received RM1,000 for the bronze in the 200m, and his share of RM500
for the silver in the 4x400m relay.
“I
cannot understand why it is so difficult for the Malaysian sports authorities
to support me. I have broken the national record and proven that I have
potential to go far. I am a Malaysian, who has been training in Australia on my
own,” said Russell who is of Malaysian-English parentage.
He
said he trained five days a week by himself, and every fortnight under his
Australian coach, Denise Boyd who won the 200m gold medal at the 1978
Commonwealth Games.
Russel thinks he has done well without running mates, and without the benefits of sports science and medicine.
Russel with his mentors, Neville Sillitoe and Denise Boyd in Melbourne.
In the background is a statue of Australian 200m great Peter Norman.
“Imagine
how far I can go with proper support. I have been making sacrifices and
training hard to make the Olympics one day,” said Russel.
Asked
why he has not signed a training contract with the National Sports Council, he
said the contract sent to him was in Bahasa Malaysia, “which they knew I could
not read”.
He
said they later sent a version in English but it was for an athlete living in
Malaysia. “They did not think of my circumstances being in Australia,” said
Russel, who is studying sports psychology at the University of Sunshine Coast.
Russel’s
talent was spotted when he was 12 by Australian coach Neville Sillitoe, who had
coached Australian sprinter Peter Norman who won the 200m sprint silver at the
1968 Mexico Olympics. Norman gained world fame as the white athlete on the
podium alongside gold medallist Tommie Smith and bronze medallist John Carlos,
both of the US, when they displayed the Black Power salute at the victory
ceremony.
1.5kShares
Sprinter Russel slams MAF for shoddy treatment
Tony Mariadass
PETALING JAYA: Are mock cheques for show and publicity?
National 200m record holder Russel Alexander Nasir Taib has broken his
silence over the non-payment of RM20,000 for training expenses by the Malaysia
Athletics Federation (MAF).
The money, from the International Association of Athletics Federations’
(IAAF) development programme, is apparently in the MAF account.
In an interview with FMT, the 22-year-old sprinter said he received a
mock cheque for RM21,0000 from then MAF president Karim Ibrahim in the presence
of the media and athletes for the Kuala Lumpur Grand Prix in March last year.
Speaking by phone from Brisbane, Russel said he only received RM1,000
for breaking the 200m record at the Queensland Track Classic in Brisbane also
in March.
There was a national euphoria when he clocked 20.77s to erase Khairul
Hafiz Jantan's national record of 20.90s set at the 2017 Malaysian Open.
Today, Russel cuts a lonely figure and has to fend for himself. He has
spent more than RM100,000 per year on training since 2015.
He lamented that he has not received a single sen since he started
training for Malaysia five years ago in Tasmania and now in Brisbane.
Russel only received the occasional reimbursement for travels to
Malaysia and two international meets.
When told that Karim informed FMT he had requested his mother, Karen
Todkill, to submit his training programme and expenditure to release the
RM20,000, Russel said:
“I am hearing this for the first time, but if that is what they require,
it is not problem.
“I wonder why they had to tell the FMT, when I have been waiting for the
last 15 months.
“We had sent three emails to the current MAF president (SM Muthu) to
enquire about the outstanding payment but received no response.”
He said his mother received a strange email from MAF general manager, M.
Latchumanan, earlier this month asking her to explain what the payments were for.
In her email reply, Karen questioned “the long delay for such a simple
transaction”.
She stated that Russel, as an elite athlete, deserved better treatment.
Russel also claimed he has been deprived of incentive money for his
achievements at the 2018 Ipoh Malaysia Games.
He was to have received RM1,000 for the bronze in the 200m, and his
share of RM500 for the silver in the 4x400m.
“I cannot understand why it is so difficult for the Malaysian sport
authorities to support me.
“I have broken the national record and proven that I have potential to
go far.
“I am a Malaysian, who has been training in Australia on my own,” said
Russell who is of Malaysian-English parentage.
He said he trained five days a week by himself, and every fortnight
under his Australian coach, Denise Boyd who won the 200m gold medal at the 1978
Commonwealth Games.
Russel thinks he has done well without running mates, and the benefits
of sports science and medicine.
“Imagine how far I can go with proper support.
“I have been making sacrifices and training hard to make the Olympics
one day,” said Russel who was spotted by Neville Sillitoe at age 12.
Sillitoe coached Australian Peter Norman to the silver in 200m at the
1968 Mexico Olympics.
Peter gained world fame as the white athlete on the podium when the
winner Tommie Smith and bronze medallist John Carlos, both Americans, displayed
Black Power at the victory ceremony.
Asked why he has not signed a training contract with National Sports
Council (NSC), Russel said:
“In July last year, the contract was in Bahasa Malaysia, which they knew
I could not read.
“When they finally showed me an English version, it was for an athlete
living in Malaysia.
“They did not think of my circumstances being in Australia,” said
Russel, who is studying to be sports psychologist at the University of Sunshine
Coast.
In response, Karim said that the RM20,000 for Russell from the IAAF is
in MAF’s account.
He said that the MAF must release the money upon receipt of Russel’s
training schedule and expenditure.
Karim, who is the Perak AA president and a MAF council member, said he
would assist to resolve the matter.
Ends
Pictures
1. Mock cheque given but money not paid. Russel at the MAF dinner with
(from left) Asian Athletics Association president Dahlan Jumaan al-Hamad of
Qatar, Karim and Olympic Council of Malaysia president Mohamad Norza Zakaria.
2. Russel trains five times a week on his own, and every fortnight with
coach Denise Boyd.
3. Russel with his mentors, Neville Sillitoe and Denise Boyd in
Melbourne. In the background is a statue of Australian 200m great Peter Norman.
No comments:
Post a Comment