KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Games (Sukma) is seen as a platform to discover new talents to represent the country in multi-sporting events such as the SEA Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.
However, this year’s Sukma is seen to be uncovering the incompetence of sports authorities who are putting the brakes on some events due to technicalities.
First, it was diving, and now track & field will be going down the same track, with six women’s events cancelled due to a random ruling by the council.
The events cancelled include the 10,000m walk, pole vault, discus, shot putt, triple jump, and hammer throw.
Apparently, the Supreme Council is cancelling the events due to a lack of participation from the states.
It is understood that for the events to continue at this year’s Sukma Games, each event should have a minimum of 6 states participating.
According to the International Athletic Federation (IAF) rule, any event that has a minimum of three registered athletes can continue.
This change of rules by the Sukma Supreme Council has created a buzz within the sports industry, as some coaches and former athletes are calling for the decision to be reversed.
Speaking to The Vibes, Perak track & field chief coach Tan Chong Mong said the decision is not sitting well among the states that are sending their representatives for the respective events.
“Why are they (Supreme Council) changing the rules when we should adhere to IAF guidelines?
“The decision will demotivate the young athletes who have been training hard for the last four years.
The games, originally scheduled to be held in Johor in 2020, were postponed for two years due to the pandemic before the National Sports Council (NSC) replaced the southern state as host.
“Technically, the athletes have been preparing for the Sukma since 2018. It is four years of training and hard work and now they want to cancel some of the events. It is totally unfair to the athletes and coaches.”
Tan added that Sukma is a platform for the young and upcoming athletes to prove themselves worthy of being absorbed into the national back-up squad.
“How to develop sports if this is the case? There would not be any progression, only regression.
“Sadly, some athletes have quit due to the long postponement,” said Tan.
Meanwhile, former national track & field star Noraseela Khalid agreed that the organisers should be following IAF regulations and not change them at their own whims.
She said that during this year’s SEA Games, there were events that only had three to four countries participating and it still continued.
“The Supreme Council should be looking at the number of athletes participating and the number of states.
Noraseela was surprised that events such as the hammer throw and pole vault were cancelled, as Malaysia won gold medals at both of these events in the Hanoi Sea Games this year.
Nor Sarah Adi and Grace Wong won gold medals in the pole vault and the hammer throw, respectively.
“Both these events are cancelled because of a change in rules. They should allow the events to continue, because Sukma is all about the development of the next generation of athletes.
Meanwhile, R. Murugan, former Kuala Lumpur and national 400m sprinter, hopes that the Supreme Council will reconsider and reverse their decision as it is of national interest.
He added that there should be a discussion with the states first before making such hasty rulings. – The Vibes, August 18, 2022
