MELAKA – The fate of the coach of the Melaka Under-14 (U14) girl’s volleyball squad who slapped two players will be determined this Wednesday, said the state’s Youth Development, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisations Committee chairman V.P. Shanmugam.
He was quoted by Bernama as saying that although the Malaysia Volleyball Association (Mava) had decided on a temporary suspension, the coach appointed to lead the team was under the authority of the Melaka Volleyball Association.
“We will meet with all parties, including representatives from the Youth and Sports Ministry, state Sports Council, Melaka Volleyball Association, coaches, parents, and players tomorrow.
“The management of the volleyball squad at the tournament will also be called to testify, and the results of the meeting and discussion will determine the coach’s fate,” he told a press conference here today.
Mava announced in a statement yesterday that it was temporarily suspending the coach.
Shanmugam said the meeting will be held to get more information, even though the full report of the incident had already been sent to the National Sports Council yesterday and the Youth and Sports Ministry.
“The coach’s record also needs to be taken into account, because no complaints about him have been lodged before and we also know that the coach is very dedicated and concerned with his players,” he said.
In the meantime, Shanmugam said that the December 14 incident occurred when the coach became a little emotional after his players’ performance did not reach the desired level on the day of the competition.
“It was the first time Melaka had advanced to the semi-finals and the coach was proud of his charges’ achievements. However, they narrowly lost to Johor 2-3.
“After the match, the coach explained the situation to the technical management, who also reprimanded him for his actions. After the incident, he met with the two players and apologised. The incident was resolved on the spot on the same day,” he said.
He explained that the coach had also met the player’s parents and apologised for the incident.
Meanwhile, Harian Metro quoted Shanmugam as saying that based on previous records, this is the first time an incident like this has occurred since the coach began leading the players affected.
“He (the coach) is a very dedicated coach and teacher who has coached the U-14 team not just for a day or two, but since their primary school days, and treats his players like his own children.
“Although slapping a player should not happen, when entering a competition from a coach’s position and a good player is not performing well, it could make him angry, but not to the point of injuring them.
“Furthermore, this is the first time the Melaka volleyball team had made it to the semi-finals,” said Shanmugam, who also requested that the related video not be further broadcast.
The incident was reported by The Vibes yesterday, highlighting the issue that happened during the 2022 Malaysia U-14 Volleyball Championship in Johor, where the coach of the Melaka team was seen slapping two of his players.
It caught the attention of Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who also reached out to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. – The Vibes, January 2, 2023
