MALAYSIAN SPORTS CREDIBILITY AT STAKE
By Tony Mariadass
Little surprise that Malaysian sports is scraping
the barrel and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for a ray of
hope for progress.
When we want to reward non-results, rectify
results at all cost, blame everyone else but not look at one’s own fault, no
respect for rules, lack the discipline as an athlete, sports leaders and
officials fighting for a lost cause just to get brownie points or popular
votes, let emotions take over righteous, treat defaulters like heroes and the
list goes on, what hope is there for sports to remain pure and honourable.
Then we have officials who were alleged to have
attempted to bribe opposing athletes to lose to Malaysian athletes and
officials who were said to have bribed competition officials at championships,
especially in subjective sports, to favour or give better points for Malaysian
athletes.
With these underhand tactics by sports officials,
how can we motivate or tell our athletes to give their best to win medals?
Without doubt Malaysian athletes are well
rewarded for achievements at different level of competitions. They have the
best facilities and privileges accorded to them as compared to many countries.
Even countries like Australia do not reward their
athletes like Malaysia does. In many countries, athletes must source for their
own funds to pay for their passage for competitions.
Thus, in general Malaysian athletes are well
looked after and when one fails and still can hope to be rewarded, do we expect
our athletes to give their blood, tears and sweat when competing to bring
honours.
Yes, we have rare cases of our athletes who have
brought honours from the most difficult circumstances, but generally Malaysian
athletes are a pampered lot.
Many do not know what sacrifice is. Many do not
know what it is to be poor. Many do not know what it is to be hungry.
Today sacrifice means being away from their
family for a year – and that too because of the Covid 19 pandemic.
But they train in the best environment, with the
best facilities, food, medical care, and coaches.
We even have news about athletes who have been
hauled up for doping (knowingly or not) and that further degrades sports in Malaysia.
Ask the Indian, Chinese, Korean, or Japanese
athletes what is sacrifice, how to make the cut as a national athlete or what
they must endure as a national athlete and to be the best? Their stories can be
horrifying but those are the kind of sacrifices a champion must make.
What our Malaysian athletes undergo in preparation
is not even 40 percent of the above athletes must endure.
When we talk of Malaysian sportsmen and
sportswomen of yesteryear and what they had to undergo and what they had achieved, many will
scoff it off as “that is those days.”
So why is it with all the facilities, resources,
money and comfort, the present-day athletes cannot produce outstanding results
or even better the yesteryear achievements.
And those who do produce results are the few, who
had made sacrifices like pulling out from the comfort of their homes and
country, base themselves overseas and train in an environment where no favours
are granted and only hard work, sacrifices, dedication, determination,
discipline and personal desire and goals to be the best, sees them successful.
While we take a dig at our athletes, our
officials too must take the blame where we do not have officials who have sports at their heart but their own personal agenda.
We have officials who are in the sports to get
their titles, for overseas trips, their political mileage and if they can make
some money along the way.
Coaches and technical personnel are overlooked to accompany athletes and officials are sent as favours or to win votes for the next election.
These are just the tip of the iceberg of Malaysian sports.
Many will come forward to testify but they will be blacklisted or marginalised.
But talk to sincere athletes and officials, and their stories will be shocking to Malaysian sports!
With so many ills in Malaysian sports and when mediocrity
and nonperformance is championed to be recognised, can we really hope that
Malaysian sports will stand tall, proud and be honoured for an honest effort
with dignity?
