Monday, November 27, 2023

LOW IS HIGH ON THE LIST FOR JOB

apakhabartv Uncategorized July 24, 2023 5 Minutes

by Tony Mariadass

The Ministry of Youth and Sports could not have picked a more appropriate and qualified person than Datuk Low Beng Choo, to head the independent committee to resolve any disputes raised by members of a sports body or from the organisation itself.

The Ministry named Low, the Softball Asia president and World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) secretary-general, as the head of the formed committee under the Sport Development Act.

The committee will act as an independent organisation that will seek solutions to a sports-related dispute if they fail to be resolved internally and the Youth and Sports minister, will not be directly involved in any conflict resolution proceedings.

The committee comprises a chairman and four other members, all of whom must have extensive experience and knowledge in sports and are appointed by the minister.

Low, the committee’s chairman, will have four members namely – Malaysian National Cycling Federation vice-president Amarjit Singh Gill, sports law lecturer Jady Zaidi Hassim, former Malaysian Hockey Confederation deputy president Datuk Dr S Shamala and former national squash player Sharon Wee.

Low a lawyer by profession, was a former national netball and softball player, participated in various other sports, namely, field hockey and athletics, at various other levels. She has also coached netball and softball at various levels, and served as umpire, technical official and team manager.

She has extensive knowledge of sports not only in Malaysia, but the world around.

She was first asked to head the committee early in the year, but took her time to accept, as she had to consider whether she could spare the time, considering her hectic schedule as a lawyer, president of Softball Asia, secretary-general with the world body, her involvement with the SEA Games Federation as an advisor and several other international committees.

Besides, Low has had experienced the joy and bitterness in her long association with sports in Malaysia and was obviously was careful to take a decision to plunge into it again.

To top it all, Low is one person, who when undertakes a responsibility, gives nothing short of 100 percent of her time and effort.

“I finally decided to inform Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, that I will accept the nomination, as my services was required by the nation and they believed that I can contribute and make a difference,” said Low who has served as a member of Sport Advisory Panel to the Malaysian Ministers of Youth and Sports Malaysia for various terms between 2004 to 2016

“I am counting on my committee members to give me their fullest cooperation to work in the name of sports and make decisions based on facts and fairness.”

Besides, Low’s involvement in sports as a player and administrator, she is the best person for the job, as sports arbitration is her forte having served as Chair of Olympic Council of Malaysia Legal Advisory & Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (2013 to 2015), current member of the Ethics Committee of the International World Games Organisation and of the Ethics Commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Low’s background in sports is a long and distinguished one.

Below is listed her various associations:

Served as an elected member (annual elections) of Malaysia Bar Council (1996 to March 2016)

Served on various committees of the Bar Council, such as Conveyancing Practice Committee, Corporate & Commercial Law Committee, Family Law Committee, Legal Profession Committee, Law Reform Committee, Lawyers’ Welfare Committee, Court Liaison Committee, Organising Committees of Bar’s events and activities

Served as Court Liaison Committee, Cultural and Charity Committee, and Law Reform & New Legislation Committee

Currently still serving as a member of Conveyancing Practice Committee

Registered Mediator of the Malaysian Bar Council Mediation Centre

International Level

Current Secretary-General of World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) (May 2014 to current date)

Current First Vice Chair of the Softball Division of the WBSC

Current Chair of WBSC Integrity Unit, tasked with the establishment and set-up of that Unit

Current member of the WBSC Team for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028

campaign. Served as a member of the WBSC Team that successfully campaigned

for the inclusion of Baseball-Softball onto the Tokyo 2020 programme.

Served as a member of the ISF Strategic Task Force of the “Back-Softball”

Campaign for softball (2006 – 2012) and WBSC the Baseball-Softball “Swing for

the Fences” campaign [2012 to current date] for re-inclusion of both baseball and

softball onto the Olympic Games program

Served as Secretary General of Interim Board of the WBSC (2012 – 2014) – the

Interim Board undertook the task of the merger of the International Baseball

Federation (IBAF) and International Softball Federation (ISF) into the newly

established WBSC recognised by the IOC as the international governing

federation for both baseball and softball

Served as Secretary General of ISF (now under WBSC as WBSC Softball

Division) [2009 to current date] and Deputy Secretary General of ISF [2006 to

2009]

Served as Chair of ISF Legislative Commission [2007, 2011 – 2013], ISF Women

& Sports Commission [2005], ISF Athletes Commission [2007 – 2012], ISF

Development Commission [2007]

President of SCA [2010 – 2014] and Honorary Life President in 2014

Served as Secretary General, SCA [formerly known as Amateur Softball

Association-Asia (ASA-Asia)] [2002 to 2009], Vice President, ASA-Asia [1990-

2002]

Served as Chair of Laws Committee, ASA-Asia [1990-2002] – the Committee

undertook the task of drafting of the Constitution for ASA-Asia and strategic

planning for the revival of ASA-Asia in 1990, and the reviewing the SCA

Constitution in 2002

Served as Technical Committee Member/Jury Member: for Softball for Asian Games Busan – Korea [September 2002]; Olympic Games Athens – Greece [August 2004]; 24th World University Games Bangkok – Thailand [August 2007]

Served as Technical Delegate: for 11th world Women’s Softball Championship Beijing – China [August 2006], Asian Games Doha – Qatar [December 2006]; Asia-Oceania Olympics 2008 Qualifier, Tainan – Taiwan [February 2007]; Asian Women Softball Championship Jakarta – Indonesia [August 2007]; South East Asian Games Bangkok/Korat – Thailand [December 2007]; Olympic Games Beijing – China [August 2008]; World Games Kaohsiung – Taiwan [July 2009]; Asian Games Guangzhou – China [November 2010]

Served as Vice Chair, Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS) (2010 to

expiry of term-limit in 2012):

Member of CABOS [2005 to 2010]

Served as a member of Commonwealth Games Federation Coordination Commission for the Commonwealth Games Gold Coast – Australia 2018

Served as the Chair of the Federation Court for the Commonwealth Games Gold Coast – Australia 2018

Sports – National Level

Served as Vice-President Olympic Council of Malaysia, (OCM) [2002 to 2015] and as Secretary General of OCM [2015 – 2018]:

Served as a member of OCM Media & Public Relations Committee [2005 to

2007], OCM Sports Museum & Hall of Fame [2007 – 2009]; OCM Medical &

Anti-Doping Committee [2005 to 2009]

Served as Chef de Mission for Malaysia national contingent to South East Asian

Games Manila 2005

Member of the Organising Committee for the South East Asian Games Kuala

Lumpur 2017 and Secretary of the Technical (and Sports) Committee

Served as Chair of Special Technical Committee, Malaysian Games (2007 – 2017)

Malaysia’s largest multi-sports event

Served a member of Management Board of Malaysia National Sports Council [for various terms between 2008 – 2019]

Served as President of Softball Association of Malaysia [1999 to April 2014]:

Served as Secretary General [1990 – 1998]

Universities the hub for the future of Malaysian Sports

apakhabartv Human Interest, Sport, Youth August 4, 2023 6 Minutes

The myth that Universities are a graveyard of sports is long gone and Universities these days should be embraced wholly as part and parcel of the Malaysian sports agenda to seek excellence by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Even more so because Universities come under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), and it will be more feasible and rewarding with the Sports Ministry and the former, working hand in hand, under government umbrella.

Even if the collaboration exists, it certainly can be enhanced further.

The National Sports Council (NSC) and National Sports Institute (NSI), should be also working hand-in-hand and engaging the Universities more closely, instead of them trying to be a ‘stand alone’ and assume the role of ‘Godfathers’ of Malaysian sports.

The perceptions of the Universities as the burial place of an athlete’s career are an outdated view and is no longer relevant.

The specific role of the University has been stated in the National Sports Policy to provide more opportunities for athletes to continue their studies at higher Education Institutions and they can be more active and highlight their potential as athletes even while at the University.

Following on from that, the Higher Education Institution Sports Policy 2009 exists with the aim to produce “The Thinking Athlete”.

*Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli together with the Malaysian contingent and wushu athlete Tammy who made national history by winning the first gold medal at the Universiade Chengdu in 38 years.*

Thirty percent of the athletes who represent the country come from the Universities. The existence of a specific policy on sports development at the University level has witnessed a drastic development and since that more than twenty public and private higher education institutions offering more than forty sports study programs from Diploma level to Doctor of Philosophy in fields related to sports science and sports management exists.

This prompted public and private higher education institutions now race to do scouting to get junior athletes and state athletes as well as student athletes from Malaysian sports schools, to offer them the opportunity to continue their studies at the university and at the same time continue to be active in sports.

All this was presented by Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli, the Deputy Under Secretary, Sport Section, Strategic Planning Department (Policy), Ministry of Higher Education in his paper ‘development of sports in universities’.

Pekan, a former broadcast journalist, who is passionate about Universities Sports, strongly believes that the Universities is the way forward to see Malaysian sports reach a higher level at the international level.

But whether the authorities who manage sports in the country see that way or are keen to engage the universities, is a question to be answered.

Infact, besides the sports authorities, National Sports Associations should also engage closely with the universities.

Today, sports has become an integral part of the university system. There are inter-university games, inter-college and higher learning institution games and inter-university leagues for football, hockey, squash and bowling, among others.

University students also compete in the Asean and World Universities Games (currently ongoing in Chengdu, China) and many of our national athletes are products of the universities.

Wushu exponent 22-year-old Tammy Tan created sporting history by winning the country’s first ever gold medal in the World University Games in Chengdu, China, ending a 38-year gold medal drought in the Games, while former gymnast Mandy Cebelle Chen was the first to make podium at the Games winning a bronze in the tajiquan discipline in wushu, while swimmer Bryan Leong and athlete Umar Osman set national records.

Thirteen years ago, then Minister of Higher Education (KPT), Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin announced that RM10 million was allocated to higher learning institutions under its programme to develop sports among undergraduates.

Sports Excellence Centres at universities nationwide was already in place and the funds allocated was to develop selected sports in a systematic method and provide further education for students athletes in order to create & quot; thinking athletes & quot.

Eight universities had already been selected as Sports Excellence Centres which each focusing on a specific sport.

The eight Sports Excellence Centres are Universiti Malaya (netball), Universiti Sains Malaysia (swimming), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (cricket), Universiti Putra Malaysia (rugby), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (rowing), Universiti Teknologi Mara (football), Universiti Utara Malaysia (golf) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (taekwondo).

Besides the eight universities, other institutions which had the potential to become centres for sporting excellence had also been given the status of Focus Sport Centre.

There were 18 higher-learning institutions with the Focus Sport Centre status Out of the RM10 million allocated by the ministry for sports development that year, about RM7.2 million was for the Sports Excellence Centres and RM3.6 million for the Focus Sport Centres.

Maybe and update on the status could be given and whether the emphasis has grown.

However, whether a proper study was made before naming the sports to be focused in each particular higher learning institution was made and raised then.iu7 Hope it has been addressed after all these years.

I know for a fact that in 2006 an in-depth study was done by Prof Rabindarjeet Singh who was then with the National Institute of Sports (NSI) on sports adoption by Universities.

A report was complied and it contained the sports to be adopted by the respective University based on the study made which involved available manpower, equipment facilities which were available and what needed to be purchased and manpower to be trained for the University to be effective.

The development of high-performance sports at higher education institutions has seen more and more university athletes now able to represent the country and contribute to the success of the national contingent at regional and international championships.

University athletes representing the country has also been consistently achieved at sporting events such as the Sea Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the Olympic Games. University athletes are now among the main contributors to the medal collection for the national contingent at various sports games.

To ensure the continued success of athletes and as a strong encouragement to them, KPT also provides sports scholarships for outstanding athletes every year.

Up to now, almost two thousand outstanding university athletes have received the scholarship.

Even some public and private higher education institutions have also given privileges by giving them their own scholarships and exempting student-athletes from tuition fees and college accommodations fees.

Although there is no specific study or empirical study to show the connection between the privileges they receive and the improvement in the performance of these student athletes, MOHE is confident that the success of university student

athletes in various sports games when representing the country has a special correlation with the awarding of the scholarship.

In order to ensure that the careers of student athletes at the university continue and not only active in sports seasonally or once a year during the semester break only, but a massive transformation has also been carried out by the MOHE by creating university level sports tournaments more organized and with systematic manner and running throughout the year.

Various university-level sports tournament has now been held with the concept of ‘NCAA’ by having several circuits and must ended with the grand final along the year for several championship such as Varsity Track and Field, Varsity Sepak Takraw League, Varsity Futsal League, Varsity Softball League and several other sports.

However, the major role played by MOHE and the university in developing the sports higher performance of student athletes as higher education institutions in providing more guaranteed future opportunities for student athletes is still seen as a side character to produce high performance sports athletes in the country.

In fact, the sports development agenda at university is often left out of the sports calendar of National Sports Associations (NSA) and the NSC.

Although various initiatives have been made to close this collaboration, it has not yet been integrated. There is still the conflicts of interests and individual egos in some NSA towards the issue of ownership of the athletes to represent country to participate in university sports games at international level such as Asean University Games (AUG), World University Games or Universiade and World University Championship (WUC).

It is about time, that universities are allowed to play a more prominent role in the national sports agenda.

Universities are no longer the graveyard of sports. A rethink is urgently needed and long over due. One body cannot be handling 20 over sports.

In fact, the schools have now become the graveyard of sports, and this is another issue which needs to be addressed urgently.

A topic for discussion in the coming columns.

Is it a truly Malaysian Merdeka Day?

Is it a truly Malaysian Merdeka

Day?

apakhabartv Sport August 30, 2023 4 Minute

Today as we celebrate our 66th year of independence, I believe we have celebrated better independence days in the earlier years, when we were truly Malaysians celebrating as one Malaysians.

Today, although the nation is considered young compared to many others who had gained their independence longer, the Statistics Department has recorded 2.1 million foreigners working in various sectors in Malaysia up to June 2022.

Close to two million were recorded in 2019 and 2.1 million in 2020, while unofficial estimates of undocumented or irregular migrants range from 1.2 to 3.5 million – thus making Malaysia one of the largest migrant-receiving country in Southeast Asia.

While we are grateful to the foreigners who have helped the nation grow in various sectors, including providing domestic help to the growing population of working parents.

But the question, why is the local population shying away from jobs done by foreign workers?

While generally the unemployment rate in the country has generally dropped – Malaysia’s unemployment rate for 2022 was 3.73%, a 0.32% decline from 2021. Malaysia unemployment rate for 2021 was 4.05%, a 0.49% decline from 2020 – but the rise in foreign workers is alarming.

What is even more disturbing is that sports has seen a sharp increase in foreigners being given citizenship status and the influx of heritage players – a heritage player is one who has ancestral connections with the country that he wishes to play for – especially in football.

While many will claim that sports has no borders these days, but is it right for a young nation like Malaysia to follow the path?

Are we proud to see national teams with foreign players – be it heritage or foreign players granted citizenship – standing looking dumbfounded when the national anthem is played?

It was a delight and I was proud to see the national hockey team – made up of true Malaysian from the length and breath of the country, including East Malaysians – singing the national anthem with pride, passion and gusto.

Malaysia’s population maybe small at 34.3 million, as compared to many nations, but we have the three main groups – Malays, Chinese and Indians – and then we have the Eurasians and Punjabis and the other indigenous groups like Orang Asli, Iban, Murut, Batak, Kelabit, Kedayan Tausug (people ethnic group belonging to both the Philippines and Malaysia) Bidayuh, Kadazan Dusun, Kayan, Penan, Negrito, Minangkabau, Bugis, Kenyah and Javanese to name some.

This is already an international community living in one nation and with such diversity, is it a wonder that our sports fraternity cannot assemble a formidable team with each ethnic group with their strength.

This combination of a mixed team was what brought us glory in sports like football (qualified for two Olympics – Munich and Moscow), badminton (stood tall in Thomas Cup competition), sepak takraw (ruled the region), athletics (qualified on merit to Olympics and even reached the semifinals), and many other sports.

Only the sports of hockey seems to keep to the traditional ways and doing well too.

Being a Malaysian, take a walk to the heart of the city at Petaling Street, Sentral Market and Jalan Silang, today being a public holiday, and you true Malaysians will be the ‘foreigners’ among the sea of Indonesians, Filipinos, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Indians, Myanmars, Vietnamese, Cambodians and others.

Is this how we want to remember celebrating our ‘Merdeka Day’. Are we really independent?

We are not denying that the country still need foreign workers in various sectors such as construction, plantation, manufacturing and domestic.

But sports is one area, we can do away with them.

At the same time, we also need to attract locals to work in the plantation or construction industry by providing better facilities so as to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign labour.

We also need to look into the National Sports Policy and a re-look into the National Sports Vision 2030 (VSN2030) launched by (2020) former Sports Minister and then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, which was to provide a new direction and plan for the development of national sports that is comprehensively and collectively mapped for a period of 10 years.

Or is this policy still in place because Malaysian sports policies change with every new Sports Minister, as they try to leave behind their own legacy.

How many Sports Ministers have we had in this five-year term?

Besides, the Sports Ministry is also torn between promoting sports for all and paying attention to excellence sports and the National Sports Council also needs to revisit it’s real role in development and promoting sports excellence.

There is lot to be set right for Malaysian sports before it achieves its true potential and today being the ‘Merdeka Day’s, would be a perfect day to start putting things right, with no personal agenda or gain in mind, but for sports to emerge the winners.

Maybe far too much to ask, because we seen the ills rise again over and over, past mistakes repeated and tainted by officials who have personal agendas.

All we can do and pray, is hope things will change in the name of sports and fairplay will prevail. After all, sports is suppose to be pure!

Happy Merdeka Day as we try to live up to this year’s thyme – Tekad Perpaduan, Penuhi Harapan (Determined Unity, Filled with Hope).

Spot and support children with talent, early

apakhabartv Sport, Youth August 11, 2023 5 Minutes

Children of ex-international athletes and of parents, who take special interest to develop their children to excel in sports and show potential, should be another target group of sport administrators in the country and private sectors to give financial aid.

Of late there has been a rising number of cases of athletes of the above group who have been struggling to get financial aid for studies and training for their children to pursue their dreams and do the nation proud.

Yes, there are many ex-international athletes and parents, who would rather encourage their children to pursue their studies alone, rather than divide their attention with sports.

But those ex-international athletes and parents who have gone the path to encourage their children to pursue sports, especially when the parents and both international athletes and their genes, plays a great part in their children excelling too.

Take for instance ex-international athletes, Samson Vallabouy and Josephine Mary, whose daughter Shereen’s struggle to find sponsors to finance her studies and training in the United States and the parents made huge sacrifices to get her off ground, before getting Better Malaysia Foundation to support her through Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s foundation (BMF) from May 2022 until December 2023 and went on to set records after records.

What saddens me another athlete who would have done equally well – her older sister Jocelyn – whom we lost at the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS), all because this girl from a small town Ipoh, could not cope with the city life style and returned home.

When Shereen joined BJSS later, Jocelyn wanted to return to after attaining good SPM results as her sister was there to accompany her, but she was denied entry because of some bureaucratic procedure.

If only Jocelyn, a State athlete, had returned to BJSS, probably we will be celebrating two athletes instead of just Shereen!

Shereen is in Florida since June after her last semester at Winona State University for an internship and further training under coach Derrick White.

She ran a blistering 23.33s at the Ed Murphey Classic at Memphis last week to erase G. Shanti’s national record of 23.37, registered at the Asian Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1998. Shereen’s previous was 23.42, set in Jacksonville last month.

Earlier, Shereen had finished on the podium of the women’s 400m with a time of 51.99.

On April 16, Shereen broke the national 400m record held by the late Rabia Abdul Salam with a time of 51.80s at the 63rd Annual Mt SAC Relays Athletics Championship, California, USA.

Shereen had previously broken the 400m indoor national record four times, with the last one helping her to win a gold medal at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia last May.

The 25-year-old Shereen now holds three national records – women’s 200m, women’s 400m (51.80) and indoor (52.27).

Another case I wish to high limelight, is swimmer Bryan Leong Xin Ren, which the world of swimming is currently abuzz with his achievements.

The 20-year-old recently garnered widespread attention by setting a new national record on the very first day of the swimming events at the FISU Games held in Chengdu.

Bryan clocked an impressive 24.35 seconds in the men’s 50 meters butterfly, edging the Malaysian national record by a mere 0.03 seconds. He is now revered as a triple national record holder.

Beyond his latest feat, he possesses the records for the 50 meters freestyle and the 100 meters butterfly. Bryan’s journey is as intriguing as his achievements.

Currently, he’s based in London, diligently pursuing his bachelor’s studies in the intricate fields of neuroscience and psychology at the prestigious King’s College London and also he’s refining his aquatic prowess with the Chelsea and Westminster swimming club.

British coach Lisa Bates, renowned in the swimming circuit, is mentoring and guiding him.

His parents, Leong KS and Nancy Hon, are no international athletes, but just passionate about sports and thus supported their son’s love for swimming.

Leong and Nancy who run a contractor business, supported their only son, but when it got expensive especially to finance his studies, several applications to private sectors and foundations were sent and after some interviews, all were with negative replies.

He is still financed by his parents despite difficulties.

Before that, Bryan as a 15-year-old who broke Olympic champion Joseph Schooling’s age group tournament record, was facing a bleak future after he was told to wait for one year if he wished to represent other states after initially refusing written permission from the Selangor Amateur Swimming Association (PRAS).

After media reported on the matter, he was finally allowed to swim and represent Kuala Lumpur where he had moved to join an international school. Then, came the disappointment of being left out of Sukma Games.

Are these the tribulations potential athletes in Malaysia have to go through?

Those who withstand the pressure and obstacles, strive in the end. But what about the many who crumble, are weak or simply just fed up with the politics, unfairness and lack of support, who quit?

Another example would be water skier Aaliyah Hanifah Yoong. She too had her struggles in the early days, but was lucky her father Hanifah Yoong, a former motor racer and, mother Nozie supported her, while getting assistance from equipment sponsors and corporate bodies and National Sports Council, before a foundation came to her aid to assist her to further her studies and training.

Aaliyah was a little luckier, but still had to go through struggles before being recognised.

Question here is how many potential athletes have we lost because we took our time to support potential athletes from this ‘distinguished’ group?

I personally know of athlete parents and parents, whose children who had potential to excel, but gave up because of lack of support, politics, unfairness and marginalised.

It is most often the parent who is the first person to introduce a child to sports and parental involvement can affect whether a child enjoys the experience or not.

The more positive and fun the parents attitude is about playing sports, the more their child will have interest.

We all know there are some parents that are over the top – but the majority of them are actually part of the solution, not part of the problem. In fact, without parent involvement, there is no way that youth sports leagues can function.

Even more so of parents who have been athletes because they have the genes and understand the sport better and the sacrifices needed.

Swimming, tenpin bowling, football, athletics and badminton are among the sports we have many parents and parents who were athletes involved.

It is about time, we emphasis and target these groups to look for our future champions rather than hire foreign sportsmen and women and offer them citizenship eventually.

The importance, support and role of parental involvement in youth sports certainly cannot be overlooked.

Level Field

Monday, November 27, 2023

LOW IS HIGH ON THE LIST FOR JOB

LOW IS HIGH ON THE LIST FOR JOB

Universities the hub for the future of Malaysian Sports

Universities the hub for the future of Malaysian Sports

Is it a truly Malaysian Merdeka Day?

Is it a truly Malaysian Merdeka

Day?

Spot and support children with talent, early

Spot and support children with talent, early

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