Get rid of the money-makers

 

Friday, September, 13, 2013: The Malay Mail

SPORTS has become a money-spinning business, which is acceptable if it is done legitimately and benefits the respective sports.
In Malaysia, it’s really sad to hear of officials using their office or links with ‘higher ups’ to influence decisions and in the process make some money for themselves.
It is even sadder when good credentials, quality and experience, or even a better deal, go out the window because the official or person acting on behalf of the candidate or agent is looking for maximum pay out.
I understand why many officials in the football fraternity fought tooth-and-nail to bring foreign players to the M-League this season.
It is reliably learnt that many officials made good money by introducing potential players or agents of players to top officials in the state FAs or clubs.
A European Fifa-accredited players’ agent who was in Malaysia recently confirmed that many officials acted as the go-between to ensure foreign players or coaches were hired.

He also confirmed that an introduction fee was paid and when a contract was successfully signed, another fee was paid.
When asked how much the fee was, he simply smiled and said: “Big money.” And when asked if it was one or two months the salary of foreign players or coaches, he again smiled and said: “Maybe more.”
However, he hastened to add that this was the norm in the football world.
“I am in a foreign land. I need some leads and contacts to make headway and conclude my business. And with football officials always changing in Malaysia, we need to have new contacts all the time.”
Granted, this is the norm in football’s transfer market, but when half-baked players or coaches are recruited so that the middleman can make money from a particular agent, sports is the loser.
This phenomenon does not only exist in football in Malaysia, but in other sport too.
Athletics comes to mind.
There was a time when Malaysia had several coaches from the Eastern bloc who came in at low salaries. But our officials would mark up their salaries and have a ‘personal’ arrangement with the coaches so that they received anything from US$500 (RM1,632) to US$1,000 a month for the duration of the contracts that were for a year or two with an option to renew.
Then, we had officials who would buy new apartments or cars and rent them out to the foreign coaches or players or to the sports associations.
Maybe these were genuine business dealings, but when it involved sports officials, wasn’t that a conflict of interest? Other such deals included buying equipment at higher prices or those that were sub-standard or uncertified, paying more than necessary for office rentals, chartering buses, hotel rooms and F&B when teams travelled, airline tickets for overseas assignments and functions, all with the aim of getting kick backs.
Indeed, this has become a culture in Malaysia, but how can we allow it to happen in sports? We know who the losers are in this scenario.
Can we ever be rid of such manipulation and greed? Very unlikely because it is entrenched in the sports system and as long as there are people out there willing to ‘reward’ others to get what they want, this is going to continue.
It’s time the decision-makers in the sports associations cut out the middlemen and unscrupulous officials in sports dealings and ensure these were above board.
TONY MARIADASS is the sports
editor of The Malay Mail. He can be
reached at tonym@mmail.com.my

Using development to abuse sports

 

Friday, September 06, 2013 - The Malay Mail

by Tony Mariadass

AN overdose of anything is normally bad, but not in the case of sports development.
However, when the mushrooming of events or sports centres in the name of development is not regulated, then it becomes a problem.
Take the sudden fad for holding ‘runs’ in the country. Not a week goes by without one or sometimes several held in the same city or state.
On Nov 11, there will be four races — World Diabetes Day Run, ICE Run, RHB Run and My-Cat Run – in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Running is healthy and should be encouraged. But when event managers turn it into a moneymaking venture without following fundamental guidelines like safety and competition rules set by the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF), including the use of qualified officials to run the show, the races become hazardous.
Tragedy has already struck with deaths occurring in some races in recent years.
Now with running events spreading like wild—fire, there has to be a controlling body to sanction them to avoid further complications.
Normally, race organisers, besides getting the green light from the Sports Commissioner’s office, have to apply for sanction from their respective state athletics association or the national body if it is an international event.
However, many event organisers do not bother because they have to pay sanction fees ranging from RM3,000 to RM5,000, which eats into their profit.
When they pay the fees, qualified officials are provided to ensure the competition rules and guidelines set by the MAF are adhered to, measure the distance to be run, certify the course, validate the running times and confirm the final results.
But event managers prefer their own set of unqualified officials, do not give certified certificates and, more often than not, claim that it is a ‘Fun Run’.
Besides the international standard marathon, which is a 42km run, there are the 21km half marathons. These are few and normally well organised, among which are the Standard Chartered Marathon, Penang Bridge Run, BSN Night Run and Terengganu Bridge Run.
It is the ‘Fun and Charity Runs’, covering 3km, 5km, 7km or the popular 10km, which are in abundance.

RUN CRAZE: Runs are held every week with huge participation

The marathons attract anything from 20,000 to 40,000 participants while the runs draw 1,000 to 10,000.
Participants of the runs, who pay an entrance fee of RM30 to RM70, are usually happy with a ‘goodie bag’ and a medal.
The organisers just have to get a police permit, which has a clause seeking the venue owner’s written consent for the use of their premises for the race.
There is no requirement from the police for a letter of sanction from the athletics controlling bodies. The police are also required for traffic assistance during the run, but some organisers just use Rela (the paramilitary civil volunteer corps) who have no authority to close roads.
In the meantime, it is learnt that MAF are planning to work closely with the Sports Commissioner, venue owners and the police to ensure that there is proper monitoring of these races before a major mishap occurs.
Of paramount importance is the safety of the participants. At present, they sign an indemnity form to absolve the organisers of any responsibility if there are any incidents.
There is a similar need to regulate the futsal centres and football academies coming up all over the country.
A number of the futsal centres, some of which are located in shop houses, do not have certified artificial turf. Many have deplorable turf, which is dangerous to play on. The problem is these centres just need a permit from the local council to operate.
Many of the football academies, meanwhile, do not have qualified coaches or a proper syllabus for coaching. But they charge exorbitant fees, short-changing the participants.
It is about time the FA of Malaysia or the state FAs look into this and ensure the futsal centres and football academies have been sanctioned before starting operations. The football authorities should continue to monitor these centres and revoke their sanction if they are found to be below par.
Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has said the National Football Development Programme, which he heads, will be monitoring the football academies.
It is hoped this will become a reality soon. Maybe the Ex-International Football Association can play a role, too.
It is great to see booming interest in the name of sports development, but it is vital that there is proper coordination, certification and checking by the respective authorities to ensure there is quality control and proper records.
TONY MARIADASS is the sports editor
of The Malay Mail. He can be reached at
tonym@mmail.com.my

School sports off the beaten track

Veteran athletics coach Arunandy in despair over poor state of stadiums in KL

Thursday, September 05, 2013 The Malay Mail

by Tony Mariadass

Location: 

PETALING JAYA

IT was the pride and joy of schoolchildren to compete at stadiums not so long ago in Kuala Lumpur.
But today, stadia have become unaffordable, and to make matters worse, some of the venues are in poor conditions. Former national athletics coach S. Arunandy, who has been involved in the sport for 40 years, was disheartened at the poor conditions schoolchildren have to face today.
“Despite the general belief that athletes in the city have many stadiums to train in, it is just not true," said the 63-yearold, currently who is a sports teacher at Sri Garden.
Arunandy was particularly upset over the Kampong Pandan Sports Complex which has been existence for as long as he has been coaching.
"The Kampung Pandan Sports Complex was the haven for the development of athletics and many other sports. But today it is in a deplorable state.
“The former sports minister Datuk Sabery Cheek made a visit upon his appointment and he immediately instructed a facelift of the gymnasium.
“Now it has very sophisticated equipment and very well maintained. It’s open to the public at a very nominal price. But the track has been in deplorable condition for the last five years,” lamented Arunandy.
“Despite that, it has been the venue for many school sports and the home of the Kuala Lumpur track team. The new sports minister made a visit just a month ago. I hope he will do something about the track," said the Federal Territory Amateur Athletics Association coaching chairman.
“When it gets hot, the track starts to melt and the material sticks to your shoes. Last year the six-lane track became four. The contractor dug up the last two lanes to lay water pipes despite there being space outside the track.
“When I approached the contractor, he told me that he was only following instructions from the sports ministry.
“This sports complex is fully utilised, even on weekends. The staff at the complex are about the most supportive civil servants I have come across and work overtime to facilitate the bookings.
“However, they are shorthanded, making maintenance work very difficult. Twice a year, I top up the sand in the long jump pit. Even the ‘take-off ’ board was replaced by me. Early this year, I drew the lines on the track at my expense." Arunandy said Merdeka Stadium which was the pride of the nation, has become a white elephant.
"Twenty years ago, it was the main venue for all major events, be it athletics, football, concerts and even hockey (the 1975 World Cup was played there).
More than 100 schools held their annual sports there annually.
“In 2007, the 40,000 capacity stadium was reduced to its original 15,000 capacity. The track which was in deplorable condition, was removed and has not been relaid." Arunandy said the Bandar Tun Razak Stadium is another sad story.
“It has been closed since Aug 2011, and I understand that it will remain close for another two years due to repairs. It is unimaginable that it takes four years to repair a stadium which is currently in good condition.
“This stadium too, is another venue for school sports.”
Arunandy said the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, too used to be a venue for schools meets.
“Now the National Stadium pitch is constantly returfed and closed.
“The National Sports Council (NSC) stadium is basically a venue for training of the national athletes and the students of Bukit Jalil Sports School, as such it’s not possible to be used by schools or any other corporate bodies.”
“This is the pathetic truth about the stadiums in Kuala Lumpur. Under such circumstances, how can we produce champions even at the lowest level, let alone world beaters.”

Magic, coincidence or trickery?

 

Friday, August 30, 2013 - The Malay Mail

IS it the magic of the Malaysia Cup or some invisible hand that caused the twists and turns in the competition over the last two weeks?
While the die-hard football fans and romantics would like to believe that this was due to traditional Malaysia Cup rivalry and a burning desire to win, too many coincidences have raised suspicions in the football fraternity.
The coaches cannot understand the sudden drop in the form of the players. Some of them are even suggesting that certain players have played their last match for their teams. Others have complained of players failing to follow instructions or capitalising on chances, poor defending and goalkeepers making schoolboy mistakes.
Of course, it cannot be proved that the players deliberately played below their capability.
Already this whole affair has had a casualty but it is not a player. Selangor coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim quit on Wednesday after his team’s 3-0 loss to club side Sime Darby because he was embarrassed by the defeat. He took full responsibility for his team’s poor performance.
Also, Selangor FA deputy president Datuk Mokhtar Ahmad disclosed that he had received a test message that his team was going down 3-0 even before the match was played.
And this is not the first time a pre-match forecast has turned out to be true.
Johor FA president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Negri Sembilan FA president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan too have come out to say that they suspect match-fixing by their respective teams.
Adding a new twist to this ugly episode is the insinuation that match officials are also involved based on some of their dubious decisions.
I personally received prematch predictions, which turned out to be true, when I was managing the Malay Mail FC, which competed in the Premier League for three seasons from 2000. It was a match against Kelantan in Kota Baru and there was a message on the whiteboard in the team’s briefi ng room before the match read: Kelantan 7 Malay Mail 2.
Another official and I were the first to enter the room and we immediately wiped off the ‘prediction’.

BIG LOSERS: Fans who have given their undivided support to football teams seem to have been betrayed

And despite the newspaper team taking the lead twice, we lost 7-2! Coincidence? At the time, I thought so. But as time went by, my suspicions grew. But it was too late. Our team was demoted to the FAM Cup league for the 2003 season.
Coming back to the present, Mokhtar has offered an explanation for his team’s dismal performance. He said he was aware that several of his players, whose contracts expire at the end of the season, were in negotiations with other teams or had been promised contracts with them for the new season. He said he believes this made the players lose focus on their game.
This is indeed generous of Mokhtar. But then, is this professional of the players? They demand exorbitant wages and claim that they are professionals, but are they following the code of ethics? Whatever it is, there is definitely more than meets the eye.
Is match-fixing rearing its ugly head again? Was match-fixing even addressed? Or have the authorities turned a blind eye, hoping that it will go away?
Time and time again, we have had such cases cropping up, involving even junior players and coaches in the President Cup tournament.
An expert from Fifa came to investigate match-fixing in Malaysia and his findings clearly showed that it was happening here. But his report was rubbished.
Mokhtar has reports that there was heavy betting on the many online betting sites and bets were placed on Sime Darby to win 3-0 and the payout was small. This only means that this was the favourite forecast for the match.
Coincidence again?
Maybe the FA of Malaysia’s integrity committee, headed by chairman Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat, can shed some light on the current situation.
It is a pity that the efforts to raise the standard of the game by Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also the chairman of the National Football Development Committee (NFDC), have to come up against such rot.
The eight-year NFDC programme recently saw the appointment of former international and Germany-based Lim Teong Kim as the project director.
However, the best programmes are not going to make any difference if there is even an ounce of suspicion that the beautiful game is not being played in the true spirit of sportsmanship and fair play.
The biggest losers must surely be the thousands of fans who flood the stadiums, paying for tickets with their hardearned money and shouting themselves hoarse each time their favourite team takes to the field.
One wonders if the Malaysia Cup champion for this season has already been decided by the invisible hand.

Irfan quits

 

 

Assistant coach Maniam will take charge

Thursday, August 29, 2013 - The Malay Mail

by Tony Mariadass

by T. Vignesh

Location: 

PETALING JAYA

SELANGOR coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim has tendered his resignation in the wake of the team’s two consecutive defeats and lying at the bottom of their Group A table of the Malaysia Cup competition.
The resignation letter was submitted to FA of Selangor deputy president Datuk Mokhtar Ahmad yesterday evening, when the latter had asked for a meeting to discuss Selangor’s predicament in the Malaysia Cup competition.
“I had asked to see Irfan to discuss the team’s poor performance of late, but he tendered his resignation citing he is embarrassed to have seen Selangor go down to a club side on Tuesday (lost 3-0 to Sime Darby) and he takes full responsibility,” Mokhtar told Mailsports yesterday after the meeting.
“We accept his decision as he was firm on his decision. Assistant coach P. Maniam will take charge for the remaining campaign in the Malaysia Cup competition.”
Irfan’s two-year contract with Selangor was due to expire on Nov 30 “I will be meeting the players at training tomorrow to inform them of Irfan’s decision,” said Mokhtar.
Irfan’s two-year contract with Selangor was due to expire on Nov 30.
Mokhtar said that he has been very disturbed over Selangor’s performance of late and had wanted to get to the bottom of the matter with his meeting with Irfan.
“But since Irfan has tendered his resignation, I will the players to find out why their performance has taken a nose-dive.”
Mokhtar, who is the chairman of FA of Selangor’s local and international competition committee, said that he has heard many reasons for Selangor’s performance but cannot pinpoint on any.
“For instance, I got a message before the match against Sime Darby that Selangor will be losing 3-0. What do I make out of it,” asked Mokhtar.
“Then I hear, players are already negotiating with other teams for the new season and could that be the reason for poor performance because they are not focused.
“Some say that players have lost respect for Irfan.
“All these are hearsay, but very disturbing. In a professional setup, issues like these should not arise.
“After my talk with the players tomorrow (today), I hope to see some changes in our remaining three Group Malaysia Cup matches.
“We have a very balanced team, who should have won the Super League. We drew ten matches losing 20 points. I cannot understand their poor performances.”
Selangor has six national players -Norazlan Razali, Asraruddin Putra Omar, Mahalli Jasuli, K. Gurusamy, S. Kunanlan and Amri Yahyah - and two foreign players in Liberian international Forkey Doe and Adam Griffiths from Australia in their stable.

Football development a national agenda

Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - The Malay Mail

by Tony Mariadass

SPORTS Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is passionate about football development, which is a good thing because it will help elevate the appalling standard of the game in the country.
The question is, will his plans be for the long term or only for as long as he is the sports minister?
“I am not here to leave behind a legacy, but to introduce a policy that is permanent and will bear fruit in the long term, which other sports ministers will probably reap,” said Khairy after opening the 13th RSC-Tigers 7s and the 11th RSC Milo under-12 international football tournaments at the Royal Selangor Club on Saturday morning.
He was commenting on the National Football Development Programme (NFDP) of which he is the chairman and which involves his ministry, the National Sports Council (NSC), the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and the Ministry of Education. The eight-year programme was initiated last year with the target of seeing Malaysia qualify for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2019.
Last week, Khairy appointed Germany-based former international midfi elder Lim Teong Kim as NFDP's project director.
“I will be announcing the full details of the NFDP, which will see some changes. It will be an elaborate programme where we will be engaging many parties, including the corporate sector, private clubs like the RSC, soccer academies and individuals who are interested to contribute to the development of the game,” said Khairy.
“A development and grassroots programme does not bring overnight success. It is not front page or even sports page material. It takes time and, more often than not, is not in the limelight. It involves a great deal of work, patience and dedication.
“To put the system in place, everyone must understand and work towards a common goal.
Asked about school football and the lack of and poor fields, Khairy said the NFDP is an open programme.
“It will involve everyone who is interested to play football.
We will have an open system for selection to the next level and everyone can participate.
But that does not mean that once you are eliminated from the selection process, you will be left out. We have to think of the late bloomers too.
“We have already finalised plans for 30 to 50 artificial turf pitches to be evenly distributed among the states, which will address the poor quality and lack of fields. These fields — at least two per state — will serve as the nucleus for young footballers to train.”
He said that although maintenance cost for artificial pitches is low, a budget for maintenance has been included.
Khairy said he is also getting ex-international players to get involved at school level in their respective states and serve as talent scouts.
“We will also be asking the government for more allocation for this project and at the same time, we are counting on the corporate sector to support the project.” As for club football, Khairy said the ministry cannot do everything.
“We are focused on development and hope that FAM, through its state FAs, makes a concerted eff ort to ensure football clubs are established in all the states and run effectively because that is the next level where the players will come from.”
Khairy's plan sounds great and is indeed long overdue. Hopefully, it will be a permanent feature and even get gazetted so that it does not disappear when the next sports minister comes along.

Roses among thorns

Sammi and Muzdalifah steal the show

Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - The Malay Mail

Location: 

PETALING JAYA

HOLDING COURT: Zahra being cornered by boys to win possession of the ball

It is a game more widely played among men.
But for 12-year-old Zahra Muzdalifah and 32-year-old Sammi Wei Chun Yi, that did not stop them as they played alongside and against the other gender at the RSC-International Soccer 7s at the Royal Selangor Club (RSC) facility in Bukit Kiara.
While both insist they do notsee a problem with it but in fact enjoy playing with their male counterparts, Sammi believes “when you play football with the men, you have to play like them.”
Both the foreign talents also hope that more girls would pick up the sport in time to come.
“I don’t see a difference playing with men and women apart from physique. It is as normal and very much as fun. I am glad no one stayed away from me but treated me as equal to the men. I had fun playing in this tournament and it was more of playing for the joy of it than winning," said the Chinese national.
“I just tried my best on the fi eld. I could have scored in our fi rst game against Korean Club but I decided to pass the ball to my teammate to score.
“I enjoy playing with the men,” Sammi laughed.
Sammi, who has been in Malaysia for five years, only started to play at RSC last year, but had represented China at youth level during her teenage years.
According to her, uncertainties in the sport back then in her homeland drove her away from pursuing it further but was delighted to be kicking some footballs again.
The My Malaysia Second Home programme resident came to Malaysia five years ago to pursue her studies before setting-up a land consultancy business. It was through some good friends at RSC that she begun playing football once again.
Sammi, has a coaching licence but does not have the time to coach in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Jakarta-born Zahra had been following her dad for futsal for three years until the age of 10 before she decided to play football.
It was only two years ago she began learning techniques before enrolling in one of Jakarta’s top football youth academies Asiop Apacinti, last year.
Zahra, who doesn’t know much about global football apart from Barcelona, hopes she will be able to continue playing at a higher level in the future.

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“It all started when I followed my dad. I never looked back since. It is not a big deal to play in a team full of boys. I want to continue playing with them until I can and then seek other options in the sport.
“I would love to someday play for the Indonesian women’s team but if they don’t have a team, then I will have to play outside the country,” said Zahra.
Asiop Apacinti is a youth development academy catering for football aspirants aged six to 17. It was set-up in 1997 and is currently headed by Indonesian national team assistant coach Yeyen Tumena.
The academy marked its debut in the Under-12 category by defeating defending champions JSSL Arsenal Wilshere 3-0 in the fi nal yesterday. Asiop Apacinti also won the Under-12 Norway Cup in Olso last month.