2022 has not been a great start for sports in Malaysia.
The fraternity is already reeling from lack of funding due to a dismal budget allocation in a year where expectations are high (as always) for athletes to deliver at this year’s SEA Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
In addition to this, we have seen the emergence of yet another series of sex scandals from the past involving a former national swimmer as well as a gymnast.
The fact that this has been happening has led parents to be wary of allowing their kids to participate in training for their chosen sport.
But Malaysia is not the only country that has been plagued with these types of issues with a recent outstanding settlement making the headlines.
Other nations have been prompted to put in place processes to ensure better vigilance and protection is accorded to athletes and sports officials alike.
With more and more of these cases being brought to bear locally, it begs the question − who oversees the resolution of these issues here in Malaysia?
Throughout my years of being involved in Malaysian sports, I’ve heard many suspicious allegations make its rounds.
Unfortunately for many, sports is still looked upon as a “boys club” with not enough women being involved at high levels long enough to make a difference.
Perhaps if there had been enough female representation in the decision-making process to resolve allegations of improper occurrences in the past, these issues would have been successfully put to rest once and for all.
Yet, one can’t help but wonder why these issues keep recurring. Is it because they were allegedly overlooked or covered up to begin with or was the matter not thoroughly investigated so that any and all perpetrators could be identified and reprimanded immediately?
Regardless of what actions were taken or not taken to resolve this issue, this ongoing crisis has led to a “conspiracy or culture of silence”.
Essentially, this means an athlete or parent that complains will find less favour with the system, which inadvertently results in less guidance and training thus diminishing their chances of achieving peak performance and jeopardising their ability to be selected to represent the state or the nation.
Tagged as “troublesome”, these athletes may not receive the benefit of the best training, facilities and equipment. This robs the athlete and ultimately the nation of their best.
So, who is responsible for our nation’s athletes and developing a sports culture?
The athlete? He or she may be gifted with abilities but the talent does not exert much influence on the industry as a whole.
The coaches? They are responsible for selecting and training the athletes to their optimum level.
What about the Sports Ministry and the respective sports associations?
Well, ultimately, the development of sports in the country does rest with this group of individuals. From the Sports Minister and the Sports Commissioner right up to the leaders of the national sports associations, they all undoubtedly represent the hope of the nation in sports.
Success and failure in the sporting arena is firmly within their scope of responsibility as these are the figures we see at international meets speaking on behalf of the nation.
If we look outside sports for an example of a cover-up in the area of sexual impropriety, the standout example would be the sex abuse settlements pertaining to the Catholic church.
Despite the church ignoring a multitude of complaints over the years, they eventually came clean with admissions of guilt and settlements for the victims.
As a Christian, this hurt me and made me lose trust in the entire institution.
Today, with more allegations coming to the fore and more athletes finding the courage to speak up, one can only expect complaints of improper behaviour to abound.
Yet, the question remains: are our sport organisations open enough to discuss this issue or are we still keen to “sweep this under the carpet” like the church did in the past?
An indifferent attitude will only serve to create more apprehension in parents when sending their kids for training and jeopardise the future of our nation’s athletes and sports in general.
As such, can we confidently turn to the current leaders of our national sports associations, who were in charge when many of these alleged incidents took place to right the wrongs or will their continued silence, ineptitude or ignorance indicate complicity or failure towards good governance?
Either should not be tolerated as they represent the nation’s interests.
So, we are left with current Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, who was not exactly the most popular candidate prior to his appointment in August.
Since holding office, Faizal had to contend with a huge slash in funding and manage all the little fires that go with budget cuts − to say he started off on the back foot would be an understatement.
With the latest allegations of sexual impropriety grabbing headlines nationwide, the current system seems comfortable enough to keep ignoring the issue.
One wonders if their complacency is tinged with some sort of guilt as many have been in the industry for years.
In football parlance, if its half time and you’re 3-0 down − it’s time to go for broke. In whatever time you have left, you might as well throw the proverbial kitchen sink and go for the win.
At this point, the minister may choose to address this and do all he can to improve the future of our athletes by creating laws, systems and processes to ensure that fair and just decisions are made by diverse and impartial committees.
If he does follow through with this course of action, he will not only ensure the fair treatment of athletes and sports officials for years to come, but it could also prove to be the cornerstone of his legacy. – The Vibes, January 29, 2022
On this note, the Sportsguru would like to say that if you’re a parent, athlete or even official that has been subjected to improper language or behaviour and you wish to speak to someone about it, please do contact us at The Vibes. We promise to listen fairly and leave you to decide if you want your story to be shared.
