There was no Finas when L Krishnan produced a series of P Ramlee movies which are still revered. There was no Sports Ministry or National Sports Council when Mani Jegathesan and Karu Selvarartnam set the track ablaze with their stunning performances. Their records stood for over 25 years. Why is that when the government gets involved, the standards always drop?
If Tan Aik Huang would have been rewarded like the present-day athletes, he would have collected at least RM1 million for his four All-England titles, two Thomas Cup wins, several international titles and a string of gold medals at the SEA Games, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Those days, cricketers who were selected for foreign tours had to fund themselves. Some successfully sought support from their employers like the National Electricity Board (now Tenaga Nasional) while others took loans from cooperative societies.
In our days, a doctor and a hospital assistant were seconded from the Health Ministry for important tournaments. These days, there are experts in biomechanics to give analysis of sport movements to minimise the risk of injury and improve performance, and specialists like dieticians and even cooks who make up the contingent. Even with such backroom support, they have failed to deliver.
Conversations with past international sportsmen
Government interference in sports is frowned upon worldwide. Even the Olympic Charter prohibits its interference in National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Several countries are at varying stages of introducing laws which curtail the power and jurisdiction of their NOCs, a dangerous move which could lead to a suspension from the International Olympic Committee.
But without government funding, sports go nowhere. It is a conflict of sorts that countries bidding to host international events are required to produce a letter stating that its bid is supported by the government which agrees to provide or make available resources.
In 2008, Malaysia made headlines when then sports minister Azalina Othman Said reportedly asked (the late) Punch Gunalan to step down as the deputy president of the World Badminton Federation.
This prompted the WBF to send a gentle reminder that government interference will not be brooked.
The spat last week between Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu and the former deputy sports minister Steven Sim as to who should be held responsible for the dismal performance at the recently concluded SEA Games is a case in point.
Uncontrollable monster
When the Ministry of Sports and Youth was set up in 1972, it occupied two floors of a government building along Jalan Gurney (as it was then called). These days, it is housed in Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur in a sprawling complex, manages sports facilities and employs thousands in various capacities at national and state levels.
The budget for 2021 was a whopping RM940 million and has since been cut down to a RM247 million but even this is generous by all standards.
What was initially supposed to be a funding agency to nurture, support and facilitate the enhancement of the standard of sports has turned out differently. The ministry and the National Sports Council have turned into an uncontrollable monster because of the money at its disposal.
They have dictated who should be employed as coaches, often bypassing National Sports Associations (NSAs), selecting the chef de mission for international events, circumventing the Olympic Council of Malaysia. At one Olympics, a Sports Ministry official led the march past!
Many of these travelling civil servants have little role to play but when an athlete wins or qualifies, they are first on the side-lines to hug the player for press photographers. A cursory look at the posts and pictures on social media attest to this.
Their “achievements” are displayed in their offices where their accreditation cards for these events are displayed like sportsmen displaying their medals.
Those days when there were no electronic communications or handphones, sports administrators had a prefix to their positions. They were “honourary secretaries” and “honourary treasurers” in NOCs. These days, we have general managers, directors of coaching, directors of finance, head of performance, etc.
Who’s to blame?
So, who is to blame for the drop in standards? Why are politicians and business people jostling for positions in NOCs? How many officials have actually played or participated in sports? How many are knowledgeable on the rules and other requirements? In some instances, they may have played for Blue House or Yellow House in primary school or had taken part in a cross-country race!
About 40 years ago, the sports fraternity watched in awe when Jegathesan was ousted from the Malaysian Amateur Athletic Association by someone who knew little about track field.
These days, these officials are making the headlines for all the wrong reasons including jostling for posts and wrongful use of funds. Has any official taken responsibility and resigned for the debacle in Hanoi SEA Games or for any other indiscretions? They will never because of the gravy train provides them status and provides junkets to international events plus hefty allowances.
In his book ‘Foul’, (the late) Andrew Jennings who exposed corruption in sports and brought down football supremo Sepp Blatter, says there is enough money at the disposal of the crooked incumbents to ensure “clean” challengers will never be in the picture.
Like politicians, some of our sports officials go on state-to-state tours like just before elections. They seek votes from affiliates who send delegates for the annual meetings.
Money has always been a great mover in sports and I can recall envelopes being distributed at the annual meeting of one NSA to delegates, including a reporter for being a scrutineer in the elections.
So, what next for Malaysian sports? We must go back to the basics like the good old days when sports was helmed by sportsmen who knew, understood and loved sports.
Where do you find these people, one may ask? There are many who have the time and love of sports. But this group does not have the resources and the clout to do anything.
One ex-international asked: “What chance do I have against a menteri besar or a minister who has the money and uses his position?”
The vagaries of sports are easy to understand. Sports is a microcosm the events in the country. Both are on downward spiral and ordinary people like you and me can only lament and watch helplessly.
R NADESWARAN started his journalistic career as a sports reporter and continues to be a close observer of sports, its administration and related issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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