SPRINTER TO GET HIS MONEY AS DISPUTE OVER RM20,000 ENDS

Tony Mariadass

June 26, 2020 11:11 AM

Record-holding sprinter Russel Taib.

PETALING JAYA: The 15-month controversy over the payment of RM20,000 to national 200m sprinter Russel Taib for training expenses in Australia ended yesterday with a meeting between Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) president SM Muthu and his predecessor, Karim Ibrahim.

Muthu said he and Karim had met at an earlier function and decided to settle the matter.

“We just required further clarification from Russel,” he said in a statement to FMT.

MAF deputy president Mumtaz Jaafar, who confirmed the meeting at the organisation’s office, said Karim had explained that the money would be paid pending several receipts for training expenditure as well as Russel’s training programme.

She said this was why the money had been held back.

“We will ask Russel to forward these documents. Upon verification, we will release the money that belongs to him,” she said, adding that there had been a lack of communication on the matter.

The money was part of US$25,000 allocated by the International Association of Athletics Federations for athletics development.

Muthu previously denied knowledge of the issue despite being deputy president under Karim when the RM20,000 for Russel was announced.

Although he received a mock cheque from Karim for RM21,000 at an official dinner in March last year, Russel was only paid RM1,000 for breaking the national 200m record.

Russel spent more than RM100,000 since he began training for Malaysia in 2015, first in Tasmania and now in Brisbane.

On Wednesday, he learnt that he had been recruited to this year’s Podium Programme to strengthen the 4×100 quartet and compete in the 200m event.

Under the programme, he will be paid RM2,000 as a monthly allowance from April until year-end.

He has also received cash incentives from the National Sports Council for winning silver and bronze at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.

The Perak Sports Council meanwhile said he had been paid RM2,500 soon after the 2018 Malaysia Games in Ipoh for winning silver in the 4X100m event and bronze in the 200m event.

BLOG VERSION 

Tony Mariadass

 

All it took was a meeting between current Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) president SM Muthu and previous president Karim Ibrahim yesterday to resolve the saga of funds amounting to RM20,000 being claimed by national 200m record-holder Russel Taib for training expenses in Australia.

 

The RM20,000 was part of the annual IAAF Olympics Athletics Dividend grant of US$25,000 allocated for various activities including athletics development.

Both Muthu and deputy president confirmed the meeting yesterday at the MAF office and said that the matter has been resolved pending some training expenditure receipts and the training programme to be submitted by Russel.

“Me and Karim met at a wedding function and we both decided to solve the current problem and settle it,” said Muthu in a statement to FMT.

“We had a meeting and I would like to inform that the issue has been resolved.

“We just require further clarification to resolve the issue.

 “Everything is going well and hope this issue will not be repeated in the future.”

Mumtaz Jaafar, MAF’s deputy president said that Karim explained that the payment to Russel was held because he was waiting for receipts for expenditure pertaining to training and also the training programme.

“We will request Russel to forward these documents and once verified we will release the fund which duly belongs to him.”

Mumtaz agreed that the issue has been prolonged because of lack of proper communication but hopes will be set right from now on.

The current stance by MAF is indeed a turnaround from their previous stance when Muthu had said he did not know anything of this matter although he was the deputy president under Karim.

All it took was seating down to trash out the matter and it is on the way to be resolved after 15 months.

Meanwhile, Team Taib’s adviser Russell Thompson in a statement issued from London said: “TeamTaib trust the RM20,000 due to Russel by the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) can be dispatched soon.

“If, as we now understand, it is just simply a matter of providing specifics regards expenses, to have the payment discharged, we are of course happy to oblige and provide the information requested and await email instructions from MAF as to what is required. 

“Indeed any information that can improve our working relationship, practices, and support for Russel by MAF for the mutual benefit of Malaysian athletics and the athlete is absolutely welcome.

“We hope we can resolve all these issues as rapidly as possible and move forward positively. Ultimately we all share the common objective of doing the best we can for Malaysian athletics.”

It is also learnt that MAF have agreed to settle RM10,000 of incentive claims for record breaking feats made by four athletes - Ifran Shamsuddin (discus), Mohamad Iskandar Alwi (pole vault), Andre Anura (long jump) and Jackie Wong (hammer).

On Wednesday, Russel had received his first good news from the National Sports Council’s (NSC) athletes director, Jefri Ngadirin that the former has been recruited to the 2020 Podium Programme, for which he will be paid RM2,000 in monthly allowance from April to year-end and also incentives for winning silver and bronze at the 2019 Philippines Sea Games has been paid.

 Ends.