The Malaysian contingent will be back soon from Laos and naturally the "good news" would be trumpetted to cover the true picture.
The talk would be of the gold medal tally which exceeded the conservatively-minumum target set by some people and also of football team's success in winning the gold medal after a 20 year wait.
Soon the seasonal post-office in Jalan Hang Jebat will close for a while and the "grand post-master" prepares the plot for the Asian Games, in Guangzhou, China.
The political talk has already started with a suggestion that the prize money for SEA Games winners be revised. While I am not questioning the need for a reward system, but common sense would tell us that reward for victory at this low level should be in the form of oppurtunities to have better trainning and exposure.
But, there are many questions that need to be answered. They have not been amswered before and I believe it may never be answered for a long time, untill people realise their desire to get free trips in exchanges for votes, has destroyed sports.
The first question which many have asked is how come there are so many non performing Category A athletes in Laos and other games before this. How were they selected? Did anyone query the figures and statistics used by the National Associations (NSAs)?
And, will National Sports Council (NSC) continue to pay for the expenses even when the selection process is "loose"?
NSC officials when contacted, admitted they do not have the figures of how many of the Category A athletes/ teams are not up to the mark but they too pointed out that Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM)'s selection has always been "loose"
If that is the case, why pay for the many "loosely selected" contingents? Who are the managers going with the teams? Do they know anything about the sport concerned? One can point the finger at NSAs but the fingers points back to the selectors and the party that bears the costs.
The Category B was introduced to open the door for potential and young athletes to gain exposure in these meets. Why are national athletes who fail to qualify given a Category B status? Who are you trying to please?
And, the big question would be why are there so many officials in Laos? There is the official officials list, there is a technical officials list, then there is the non official officials lists and some mysterious appearances by some.
There are many types of passes - A, B, C and E, babysitter passes and passes for babysitters and personal and exchangeable passes and so on. I am not going to as how walker Yuan Yu Fang got to Laos.
We all know of some people who go around blowing their trumpets and claiming "I am the most transparent person in the world". Maybe now is the time to see how transparent can "the most transparent person be."
Anyway, after being in sports for almost three decades, I do not expect any truths anymore. I just write with the hope that one day things would change and this "I scratch your back you vote for me" would be stopped once and for all.
I just hope the NSC would play a more argessive role and not a follower's role. Say no to nonsense. Malaysian sports needs a guardian. There are none now.
Bro, I hear OCM send Sdr Rosmanizam and Sdr Ramlay to Laos. The others not interested. One or two came for a day or two and went back. Why? No action in Laos ah?
ReplyDeleteUncle Joe, The most transparent person in the world is a load of crap and let me make my justification lest I be accused of having a personal agenda. This most transparent person also claims that he is not paid a single sen by OCM, but does not disclose the perks he recived. The problem is the structure of OCM.
ReplyDeleteFor that gin gang to remain in power they need to have certain authorities like patronage. Before the election the whole damm board will be santa clause and provide funds for non performing members. Look, the timing is such that it is always before the elections.
Okay so the Board reeks with putrified rats. But the icing on the cake is that 3 decade man. You see this man is really dirt. I dare you to check the recent Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam, look at some of the games that are allowed to go under category B. On that I really have no objections if the athletes are given the opportunity to expose themselves if the National Sports Association endorses them.
This corrupted old man will use his authority to send children of his friends to the Games and appointed family members as coach and Team manager when they know nothing of their Game. The NSA can object but heck no, he can tell the NSA, we are OCM, read the technical hand book, we are the body that will allow or disallow the person to the Games. We are in this line knows what is happening and reports have been lodged with the Sports Commissioners office to investigate this act.
To ask him to resign is to be kind, but honestly he chose be disgraced and sack from his office in OCM. The failure of many sports that are in limbo are caused by OCM. They have this weiered notion of interference in the affairs of NSA under the guise of fair play and olympism spirit. Look at Taekwando and you know what I am saying. What rubbish sending a Olympic Council Team as though the NSA are dead.
Transparent man, if you are reading this, I hope you are so transparent that you one day become invisible.
I say revamp and remove those dead wood in OCM. It is time they have to go through an over haul. In 2010 this old man will play his games in the Guangzhou games and send his friends children like what he did in the Asian Indoor Games. Watch this.
some people who should be there are:
ReplyDeletecoaches ( from states) who have churned out new athletes for the nation must be given an incentive so that they continue finding talents for the nation. They deserve some recognition or else our grass roots/backup athletes will dwindle
all up and coming new talents( individuals) must be exposed at the international arena provided they fit the selection criteria
All technical officials must have a job description before embarking on the trip and must be seen doing some task .
It is mandatory to have a Manager overseeing the role of each and every member in the team or else we have tourists and maybe just supporters to hold the malaysian flag and be seen on TV.
You scratch my back and I scratch yours- is not new in the Malaysian setting. Many organizations fail because they do not get the right people for the right job and just fill the seats with somebody whom they think will dance to their tunes.
Uncle Joe,
ReplyDeleteWhat you have raised on the state of Malaysian sports is not something new. Everyone knows there is a problem. But before you go on a rampage on NSC bashing I feel you need to focus on that "loosly selected" continget.
The source of saying who can or cannot go lies in OCM, for the SEA Games Federation has made it clear that the Secretariat that is to send the athletes must be through the OCM. To those athletes under NSC or MSN, OCM will just register them together with the officials with no questions asked. Anyway why should OCM bother in the first place. They cannot push those in the NSC.
OCM power is shown in those members who are dependent on them. These are the sports body that OCM can tell them, look you chaps, you want to go for the Games you know what to do. These members mostly are the category B boys, who have to pay their own and their NSA will organise event just to promote their sports.
Uncle Joe, the honour to represent the country in my view is good encouragement for an athlete to excel in their sports not category A or B.
To send the best in the country, common sense would dictate that there must be a selection process. It is not any selection process but a selection process that is acoording to the Rules & Regulations as laid by the International Federation governing the Sports. If you were to look at the Sports Development Act it is clearly stated there. In Taekawndo for instance the IF is the World Taekwando Federation and the body recognised by WTF is MTA. However in Taekwando there are many other bodies not a member of MTA. These renegade bodies are all doing Taekwando but following their own rules.
These bodies run to OCM make a sad story and complain how bad MTA is. OCM without proper investigation takes the cudgel in the name of fair play and the spirit of Olympism came in and the rest is history. The state of affairs of taekwando today is living testimony of OCM messing things up.
With powers you see how OCM abuses their power. There is this aging Emperor in OCM. So long has he been ruling the roost that no one dare to touch him. He is the de facto power in OCM. Not even the Prince or the Board, dare to mess with him, what he says goes. He is a classic case of absolute power corrups and let me tell you how in relation to this.
We talk of a selection process, to go to the Games you can bypass the selection process by buying this Emperor expensive lunches, lots of praises and tell him what a fair Emperor he is. You tell him that the Kingdom of OCM cannot run without him, he will feint that he is old and is ready to step down. He will even offer to take you under his wings and be your mentor. If you accept, you are dead meat if you decline, you are okay.
Do you know that there are athletes and officials in category B that goes to the Asian Indoor Games merely by patronage. Yes in local parlance carry his ba..s. Now if this is what is happening in OCM, you expect our Malaysian sports to improve.
Uncle Joe, you speak of a Guardian? The Guardian has always been the Sports Commissioner office. Look at the act, they have the powers to act. Complaints have been written but so far no action or they are so very slow to act. In the case of the Emperor they dare not confront him, heck even the Sports Minister refuses to act against him.
Now you talk about Malaysia sports pathetic state of affairs. I say OCM needs to be overhauled and revamped.
The system are in place except no one follows them or are too scared to follow them
Dear Anonymous 6:26am,
ReplyDeleteI fully endorse that the younger athletes must be given an opportunity to represent the country. On this we must be truthful to ourself. In the Olympic Family Games there are some important Games and some not that important Games and some are really quite insignificant Games.
Take the Asian Indoor Games , they are not ranked high in OCM because some of the Games are not in our main stream sports program like Chess, Lion and Dragon , Extreme sports and rock climbing. We join in the Games to cater for camarederie in the Asian Fraternity.In the Lion Dance we are tops in the world but because it is not in the main stream
we send a token team.
The SEA Games is another story, we are comparing apples and apples and being a regional Game and the prospect of winning medal is there it is the most important sport in our calendar when we can show our colours.
Asian Games is big but we are competing with Asians meaning Japan , China , Korea and some of the great sporting power house in Malaysia. Now our chanes of winning real medals are not that great perhaps those sports that we excel in.
The World Games a big event is totally ignored by OCM, but if you want to go ask your NSA to help you, OCM have no time for it.
You see because of this disparity placed on the Games , there are no consistent policy in our country on how we approach them.
On selection of Managers and officials, I fully agree with your suggestions , they must have a role to play. What about the athletes? Whilst we want to send our best do you not think that the NSA are the best people to decide on this.
In Malaysia , this is not the case, the NSA are sidelined, OCM comes in and tell the NSA you shut up, we decide who goes. What gives OCM that right ? You see the sad part of it all is there are no basis in the selection at all. It is at the whims and fancies of OCM especially the old Emperor.
This rot have to stop and OCM must revamp and do something or they will be irrelevant.
Look, OCM is nothing but a glorified Secretariat that is all . It does not give them the bloody right to act as GOD. That is what they are doing now. Until they relook into their role Malaysian sports will always be in the doldrum.
If they have a Royal Commission on OCM , I am sure all this will come out and the first to go is that three decade man in OCM .
Aiyaa! Mr. Olympism why you so like that one. He oleman and he retired no more workingla. what you say only some truth, he very experience in sport , if he go here go there for Olympic meeting he can talk okay what.
ReplyDeleteI hear that Asian Games in Vietnam one family go mother manager, brother official, son athlete . Don't know where they choose from. But okay la, close two eyes. Heard in OCM people say , the mother say guarantee son and partner will bring gold. Sure one. Again no gold tokkok only.
Oleman say okay la.
Give oleman chance la, heard he will want to pension again from OCM and learn lancing in OCM.