Neglect and incompetence: the downfall of Negeri Sembilan hockey

 

From Amarjeet Singh

When you are elected to serve in a field hockey association, it is not a badge of honor to be worn for personal glory. It is a mandate to uplift the sport, to nurture talent, and to build a legacy that inspires future generations.

Unfortunately, the current leadership of the Negeri Sembilan Hockey Association seems to have grossly misunderstood this responsibility, leading to a catastrophic failure that has left the state’s hockey community being in disarray.

FMT columnist Frankie D’Cruz’s article, “Here’s why everyone is angry and laughing at Negeri Sembilan hockey” is thought-provoking, and I wish to express my views on the neglect and incompetence that have caused the downfall of the sport in the state.

No Sukma team: A national embarrassment

The decision—or rather, the indecision—not to field a men’s hockey team at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) is a national embarrassment.

Negeri Sembilan, once a proud contributor to national hockey, has become a laughing stock. The excuse of budget cuts is as feeble as it is disgraceful.

How can a state that once produced top-tier players fail to even show up on the national stage?

This is not just a failure; it is an indictment of the leadership’s lack of vision, planning, and commitment.

The absence of a Sukma team is a direct result of a leadership that has lost touch with the core mission of the association: to promote and develop the sport.

A complete failure in development

The neglect doesn’t stop with the Sukma debacle. Where are the under-15, under-16, and under-17 teams?

Why haven’t these junior players been given the chance to gain the vital exposure they need to grow and develop?

It is a well-known fact that exposure at a young age is crucial for the development of athletes.

Yet, the junior teams in Negeri Sembilan have been left in the cold, with no opportunities, no tournaments, and no support.

This is not just a missed opportunity; it is a deliberate sabotage of the future of hockey in the state.

By failing to provide these young players with the exposure they need, the association is effectively killing any chance of nurturing new talent.

This is a failure of epic proportions, one that will have long-term consequences for the sport in Negeri Sembilan.

No league, no camps, no future

The failures don’t end with the juniors. The state has no proper league, no long-term development coaches, and no consistent support mechanisms in place.

The talent pool is drying up because there are no tournaments, no camps, and no structured development programmes to keep the sport alive and thriving.

What little talent remains is left to wither on the vine, with no opportunities to compete, learn, and grow.

The lack of a structured league is particularly damning. A league is the backbone of any sport, providing regular competition, exposure, and development opportunities for players.

Yet, in Negeri Sembilan, the idea of a league seems to be a distant dream, one that the current leadership has no intention of realising.

Leadership lacking in vision and commitment

What we see here is a leadership that is not just ineffective but downright negligent. The role of an elected representative in a sports association is to build, develop, and elevate the sport.

Instead, what we have is a leadership that is content to let the sport languish, devoid of vision, commitment, and strategic planning.

There are no long-term development coaches, no talent identification programmes, and no initiatives to bring in new blood.

Instead, there is a clear preference for short-term gains and temporary fixes—none of which address the core issues facing the sport.

The consequences of failure

The costs of this leadership failure are clear: a once-proud hockey state is now a shadow of its former self.

The absence of a Sukma team, the neglect of junior programmes, and the lack of a structured league are not just isolated incidents; they are symptoms of a much deeper problem.

The Negeri Sembilan Hockey Association (NSHA) is on life support, and without immediate and drastic changes, the sport in the state will continue its rapid decline.

Time for overhaul

It’s time for the current leadership to either step up or step aside. The sport deserves better than what it has been given.

The players, both current and future, deserve leaders who are committed to their development and success. The time for excuses is over.

It’s time for accountability, for a complete overhaul of NSHA’s approach to development, and for a renewed focus on building a sustainable future for hockey in Negeri Sembilan.

The state’s hockey community cannot afford another year of neglect and incompetence. The future of the sport is at stake, and it’s time for those in power to take their responsibilities seriously or make way for those who will.

Step up or step aside

Negeri Sembilan hockey is at a crossroads. The current path, paved with neglect, incompetence, and a lack of vision, leads only to further decline.

It is time for a new direction, one that prioritises development, nurtures young talent, and restores the state’s proud hockey tradition.

The responsibility is clear: either the current leadership must rise to the challenge or step aside for the sake of the sport’s future. - FMT

Amarjeet Singh is a hockey enthusiast and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.