According to the “website” of the Malaysia Athletics Federation, the famous Malaysian “Flying Doctor” who blazed the tracks worldwide in the 1960s is “Tans Sri Dr Mari Jagathesan”.
To add to that gem: another athletics great is similarly rudely named, Karuselvarathum in the 114-year-old association’s “revived website” which bears, in a muddled script, the slogan “Our Journey for over 100 years!”
No one knows of “Dr Mari”. We do know Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan, the fastest man in Asia in the 1960s.
And MAF ought to know the proper way to spell the name of legendary 400m hurdler Karu Selvaratnam, the current president of the Malaysian Olympians Association, who held the record in the event for 25 years.
The embarrassing errors are compounded by grammatical slips that further dimmed a sparse, useless website of just five thin pages, a handful of pictures of current athletes, and is totally devoid of Malaysian athletics records.
The MAF has a Facebook page – it was last updated on Sept 13, 2014.
This column is not about the MAF website or its Facebook account, but on how disconnected sports organisations are from society.
It is thought that close to 70% of the 56 national associations affiliated to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) as ordinary (35) and associate (21) members do not have a website.
With nothing or little to show, they will rush for grants from the RM3 million allocated by the government to digitalise their administration.
They have no history of their sport with them – no data, profiles and pictures and videos of past and present athletes.
They have turned a blind eye to the icons who have been more than ornaments of sport.
They have failed to inspire the younger generation with stories of the shining lights.
Yet, they claim credit for the triumphs of athletes.
Even the OCM needs to better embrace champions and improve online content.
OCM’s annual Hall of Fame and Sports Museum aside, its social media networks are lacking current sports news or any accounts of the heroes’ feats.
It was amusing when OCM president Mohamad Norza Zakaria last Wednesday encouraged national sports associations to go digital when his organisation needs help as well.
Norza was commenting on the Youth and Sports Ministry’s assistance of RM10 million to revive the Covid-19 hit sports industry.
It is odd that sports bodies do not realise that, without a measured online presence, it’s as if they do not exist.
The power of websites and social networks could render them more discoverable, make athletes marketable, attract new fans, get better media coverage, build credibility as a source of reliable news and open new possibilities.
Clearly, over the years many sports entities were unprepared, unwilling to learn and short-sighted in going digital.
As a result, the treasure trove of inspirational sporting moments is missing from the public eye.
Don’t they realise that athletes give them the reason to be part of sports?
Without athletes there would be no national pride, no spark for togetherness, no fans, no sports officials, and no sportswriters.
If sports associations need the smack of firm leadership, it is now. - FMT
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