Sunday, May 9, 2010

LTAM's pilot project

The Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) have embarked on a pilot project to send their young talents to train abroad.

Disturbed by the constant bickering among certain parties who have disrupted plans to set up a proper academy in the country, a group of junior players — Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaam (pic), Assri Merzuki, Mohd Nazim Khan, Ahmed Deedat and Syed Agil Syed Naguib — will hone their skills at the Alberto Portas High Performance tennis academy in Barcelona, Spain, during a month-long stint.

Ariez has left earlier while Assri and Syed Agil left on Friday. Ahmed, meanwhile, will not be able to join his teammates as he has yet to fully recover from an ankle injury.

The academy was founded by former top-20 ATP player Albert Portas. He was formerly attached to the Sanchez Casal academy also in Spain.

"We need to move forward. It's disappointing we can't seem to set up a proper academy here as the players are distracted by outside influences," said LTAM president Datuk Abdul Razak Latiff.

"We will monitor the progress of our players and will send them to other academies as well to see where they best fit. We're looking at sending the girls too in the near future."

The boys will return in time to represent their respective States for the Sukma in Malacca next month.
"There they will know the meaning of discipline, eating the right food and adopting the right attitude. We want to mould tennis players and they have to play against stronger opponents."


When asked about national coach S. Selvarajoo's tenure in the national set up, Abdul Razak added. "Selvarajoo's key performance index will be the Davis Cup (in July). We will then sit down and evaluate his performance and that of the team." - LTAM website.

9 comments:

  1. Firstly let me congratulate Dato Abdul Razak to initiate a pilot project to send our young players to overseas for training. According Dato Abdul Razak the idea of sending the youngs for training overseas come from the bickering of the certain parties,so my appreciation goes to the bickering parties,dont stop bickering,carry on bickering because more youngs will be sent for overseas training,the more bickering the more players will be sent by LTAM.

    Dato Abdul Razak had great idea when he took over LTAM,High Performance Centre was his first idea but it died a premature death.My advice to Dato Abdul Razak,running a sport body is not like running IPP,where you can buy the technology
    and you can forecast the profit.Developing human being becoming skillful in sport takes alot of effort,compassion and motivation,please dont find excuses when you failed to deliver.

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  2. LTAM had choosen five young players to train in Barcelona for a month.A very good move to let our young tennis players gain valuable exposure playing tennis in Spain.LTAM should consider sending young players for a longer stint,say one or two years.Let our young talented tennis players take part in tournament around Europe and US.

    I see all five sent were Bumiputras,What happenned with the non Bumi players?Khoo Er Young,Pearljit Singh and Duzbionjit Singh?

    Discrimination,favouritism will kill any sport,
    Dato Abdul Razak make sure there will be no "NEP" in LTAM.I give you the benefit of doubt on the five sent but make sure in the future those eligible,they are eligible on merit.

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  3. Uncle Joe,
    Saya memang mengikuti perkembangan tenis didalam negara seperti seekor helang kelaparan.

    Memang masih jelas didalam ingatan saya ketika Dato Abdul Razak mengambilalih teraju LTAM,beliau bagitu bersemangat untuk menubuhkan
    'High Performance Centre'.Tetapi tak tahu apa sebabnya ide tersebut tidak kedengaran lagi.Apakah ide tersebut tidak relevan atau ketinggalan zaman?Dato Razak sahaja yang tahu jawapannya.Dato Abdul Razak telah menggunakan techno kewangan beliau membawa masuk beberapa pertandingan 'future'dimana pemain pemain antarabangsa mempamirkan bakat mereka di arena tenis.Dato Abdul Razak juga telah turut membawa beberapa pertandingan pertunjukan yang dipamirkan olih pemain pemain terkemuka dunia seperti Roger Federer,Rafael Nadal,Pete Sampras,Richard Gasquet dan lain lain kesemua pemain pemain ini bergambar beramai ramai bersama Perdana Menteri dan isteri beliau Datin Seri Rosmah,serampang dua mata,sambil menyelam minum air,Dato Abdul Razak memang pandai.Kepandaian ini akan membawa faedah yang tidak ternilai sekiranya niat Dato Abdul Razak adalah jujur dan ikhlas didalam membina sukan tenis dan tiada udang sebalik batu.Selagi beliau hanya memberi alasan kerana ramai yang berceloteh,beliau tidak dapat memartabatkan sukan tenis dipersada antarabangsa selagi itu masyarakat tenis dan rakyat Malaysia tetap memandang serong terhadap beliau dan LTAM.

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  4. Dari Kangar ke Kota Kinabalu,tennis di Malaysia membawa malu.Tidak malu kah Datuk Razak,selalu mahu kena gasak?Cheng Joo Chong pula dikenali sebagai lalang,di gelenggang tennis menjadi penghalang.Mengenai si-Taisto,he has to go.

    Tennis Veteran.

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  5. The President of L.T.A.M.,Datuk Abdul Razak s failure to conduct himself in a dignified and responsible manner has resulted in the sad state of affairs in tennis.
    How can any party disrupt any plans to set up a proper academy in the country?If there was any bickering,it was Datuk Razak s failure to set up the said academy,as he had promised.
    How can the players be distracted by outside influences?It is the unbecoming conduct of the officials directly involved,which is the problem.
    My numerous letters of complaints to L.T.A.M.,where the officials concerned conducted themselves disgracefully throughout,is ample proof of the sad state of affairs in Malaysian tennis.Not once did I recieve any reply to any of my serious complaints,nor were they addressed.All my previous calls,messages,letters to the L.T.A.M.President went unanswered or ignored.Mind you,I am the father of 3 of the top tennis-playing juniors in the country.
    After 5 years,only now,is Datuk Abdul Razak talking of moving forward,that too,in dubious ways.
    How can these tennis officials(who are tennis terrorists)teach discipline to the players,when they are bad examples themselves.
    Tennis officials can learn so much,about discipline,from my 3 children,about how to conduct themselves on and off the court,instilled in them by me,their proud father.
    Majulah Sukan Untuk Negara!
    Yours Sincerely,
    Bhoopindar Singh.

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  6. We have heard so much about the sad state of Malaysian tennis,ever since Datuk Malek(of Selangor)was involved,and now under Datuk Abdul Razak & his Exco.
    Three(3)legs of the national junior age-group tournaments,& three(3)legs of the National Senior Opens were held during the first four(4)months of this year.
    1.. Not once was the President(Datuk Abdul Razak)or any of his Exco members,with the exception of L.T.A.M.Secretary(En.Jaffar Abu),present to see/witness any of the matches or finals.
    2..There was no prize-giving ceremony for any of these six(6)tournaments.The players had to collect their medals/certificates/prizes from the office before they went back.Many left without them.
    3..For the 2nd National Senior Open tournament there was no tournament referee on the last 2 days to attend to disputes/incident during a semi-finals match.
    It is unimaginable/impossible for the above to take place in any other sport in this country,or anywhere else in the whole world.Remember,we are not talking about just any tournament,but National tournaments,and that too,six(6)National tournaments in a row.
    Inspite of all this,these officials have the audacity to project themselves as do-gooders.

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  7. Selection to represent the country has never ben fair - the tennis community knows this. I have my doubts whether there was any selection to send the boys to Barcelona, Spain.
    I want to comment on the High Performance Infrastructure (HPI) mentioned by Anonymous dated May 10. The HPI was only a "window Dressing', it failed even before it started. There was so many flaws as if it was superimposed from the internet. It failed to examine the strength and weaknesses of the system before the introduction of the HPI. I want to point one of the many flaws, in the HPI system that the President was proud of, Quote - To be part of the Back up Squad, a player needs to be ranked below 200 in the junior ranking - Unquote. For the information of readers, non of of junior player is ranked below 600 let alone 200. Juan Los Santos was one player who is ranked about 200, but he no longer plays competitive tennis. So if no player is below 200, then there will be no Back Up Squad!
    Junior players are not send to ITF ranking tournaments regularly and how can a player achieve a ranking below 200!
    In 2007, LTAM spent about RM 70,000 of public funds to pay NST/Malay to write rosy picture about LTAM and to glorify the President when in actual fact the situation was different. Remember the weekly article "Top Spin with LTAM"!
    tHANK YOU.

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  8. If the President failed to set up an academy do not blame others. The President is to be blamed. If you put you thoughts, minds and effort it is not difficult to set up an academy. An academy was established during the times of Tuan Haji Akbar. I think we initially need a "non residential Academy" where talented tennis players are invited to train at the academy while they still live with their parents. When it is successful, we can then set up a fully residential academy. If the President and his Committee cannot establish an academy, then they have failed in their responsibility in the development of the sport.
    The timing to send the junior players to Barcelona for a month is a waste of time and effort. They should train at least for three months at the academy and participate in competiton in and around Spain. We should not worry about SUKMA, it is always country first.
    I would like to issue a challenge to all the exco members,to ask themselves what they had contributed towards the development of tennis in the country? Be sincere, leave when your term expires!
    Thank you.

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  9. for malaysia to bring out pro tennis player will just a dreams. unless every members of ltam open a table to discuss what are we missing that make our tennis heading nowhere. who should be responsible if our players lose, federation or coach or umpire or player or maybe the ballpicker?. No matter what, tennis is a show game, personality sport and branding equipments. Player must well developed with all kind of dance to present the world which will put their skill on court surface without fear.

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