So the disease of sacking players and coaches continues in Malaysian football.
After the sordid affair of Penang threatening to drop players based on their assumption of drop in performances, the resting of the Kedah coach, we now have the head honcho of Negeri Sembilan ( read story below) making threats to sack players and officials.
What I would like to see is the FAM rebuking the Negri Menteri Besar or even take him to their DB, let's see if you have the guts to do so.
Negeri Sembilan Football Association (NSFA) president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on Wednesday issued an ultimatum to the coach, players and officials to shape up or ship out, after a series of poor results in the Super League and FA Cup competition this season.
Mohamad who is also the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar said he would not hesitate to revamp, rest, suspend or sack any players or officials if they failed to produce the desired results.
"We can assess their performance and if it is not up to the mark, we will consider what kind of action to be taken. his is a professional world and everyone must accept the outcome," he told reporters after chairing a state Exco meeting on Wednesday.
Negeri Sembilan who are the FA Cup defending champion, were booted out from the competition in the second round this season, after losing 2-4 to Kuala Lumpur after a penalty shootout on March 4.
In the Super League, Negeri Sembilan who have played six matches are in ninth placing with nine points.
"We are paying high salaries to our players.....some are paid RM25,000, RM20,000, RM18,000 and RM17,000 a month but they don't seem committed. If they don't buck up, I will disband the whole team.
"Actually, I have already started making changes by sacking the assistant manager Faizal Zainal on March 1. He will have no further role to play in the team. We have also given a warning letter to players and officials, including coach Wan Jamak Wan Hassan after their FA Cup exit.
"We lost a number of matches due to tactical reasons and in this area, the coach is to be blamed. I have given the coach the best players, it is up to him to mould the team. However, we have not shown much promise or progress," he said.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
SHEER WASTE OF MONEY
While we appreciate the achievements of the athletes and officials who were honored at the National Sports Awards last night, one couldn't resist looking at the striking batik attire worn by the NSC and KBS officials.
The fact that they function is to cater for the elite few and not the general public was also not lost on me as each year the NSC goes to great lengths to ensure it is held in grand settings with an increase in cost.
The Prime Minister had sat with the RAKYAT to watch the proceedings of the AFF Cup, so really isn't it time that we take the awards public, that is to hold it in a venue where the public can participate in honoring our athletes.
Coming back to the attire, wonder how many such batiks adorn the cupboards of these senior officials as they are given one each year.
Now take that budget and use the money to improve the welfare of athletes as well as spend wisely in order to produce champions, that will be truly good administrators.
And at the same time please change how the awards are presented as it's the same for donkey years, no progress in terms of making it lively, boring is the key word.
The fact that they function is to cater for the elite few and not the general public was also not lost on me as each year the NSC goes to great lengths to ensure it is held in grand settings with an increase in cost.
The Prime Minister had sat with the RAKYAT to watch the proceedings of the AFF Cup, so really isn't it time that we take the awards public, that is to hold it in a venue where the public can participate in honoring our athletes.
Coming back to the attire, wonder how many such batiks adorn the cupboards of these senior officials as they are given one each year.
Now take that budget and use the money to improve the welfare of athletes as well as spend wisely in order to produce champions, that will be truly good administrators.
And at the same time please change how the awards are presented as it's the same for donkey years, no progress in terms of making it lively, boring is the key word.
Monday, March 14, 2011
PM CALLS CHONG WEI
Lee Chong Wei took a call from Malaysia’s prime minister after successfully defending his All England Championships crown in Birmingham on Sunday.
“Good job,” Najib Tun Razak told Lee for the second year running. His words - midnight time in Kuala Lumpur - came minutes after Lee had beaten China’s Lin Dan 21-17, 21-17 in a pulsating final at a raucous National Indoor Arena on Sunday.
That’s how much badminton and the All England, one of five top-tier events on the world badminton tour, means to many people in Asia. Especially when the opponent is Lin, the sport’s Olympic champion.
Lin was one victory from becoming the first player of the open era to win five singles titles at the All England and had lost only six of his last 24 encounters with Lee. The Malaysian’s win, achieved with clever lifts and precision drops, has now intensified the rivalry between the pair, shouldered with deep respect.
"This All England title is something special to me after I won it last year for the first time," said Lee.
There is every likelihood that Lin and Lee, 27 and 28 respectively, will feature in the world and Olympic finals, with Britain benefiting from hosting both events over the next 500 days. It should be some end considering that Lee will retire after the Olympics.
How Britain could do with one of these two in their ranks. But Adrian Christy, Badminton England’s chief executive, said: “We have got our own Lin Dan and he is called Rajiv Ouseph.
“We haven’t had a top-10 singles player for many years and he’s in his early 20s. For a European singles player to be getting that close is testament to the real work and effort the coaches have put in.”
Despite failing to make the last eight in the five disciplines, Britain finally had an air of stability about its doubles’ partnerships this week with Yorkshire’s Gabby White the stand-out player.
White, 20, had to cope with a mixed partner, Robert Blair, still recovering from flu while her partnership with Jenny Wallwork in the women’s doubles is continuing on a upward path at world No 22.
Christy added: “Gabby is maturing into the talent that we always believed she had and is definitely a superstar in the making.”
“Good job,” Najib Tun Razak told Lee for the second year running. His words - midnight time in Kuala Lumpur - came minutes after Lee had beaten China’s Lin Dan 21-17, 21-17 in a pulsating final at a raucous National Indoor Arena on Sunday.
That’s how much badminton and the All England, one of five top-tier events on the world badminton tour, means to many people in Asia. Especially when the opponent is Lin, the sport’s Olympic champion.
Lin was one victory from becoming the first player of the open era to win five singles titles at the All England and had lost only six of his last 24 encounters with Lee. The Malaysian’s win, achieved with clever lifts and precision drops, has now intensified the rivalry between the pair, shouldered with deep respect.
"This All England title is something special to me after I won it last year for the first time," said Lee.
There is every likelihood that Lin and Lee, 27 and 28 respectively, will feature in the world and Olympic finals, with Britain benefiting from hosting both events over the next 500 days. It should be some end considering that Lee will retire after the Olympics.
How Britain could do with one of these two in their ranks. But Adrian Christy, Badminton England’s chief executive, said: “We have got our own Lin Dan and he is called Rajiv Ouseph.
“We haven’t had a top-10 singles player for many years and he’s in his early 20s. For a European singles player to be getting that close is testament to the real work and effort the coaches have put in.”
Despite failing to make the last eight in the five disciplines, Britain finally had an air of stability about its doubles’ partnerships this week with Yorkshire’s Gabby White the stand-out player.
White, 20, had to cope with a mixed partner, Robert Blair, still recovering from flu while her partnership with Jenny Wallwork in the women’s doubles is continuing on a upward path at world No 22.
Christy added: “Gabby is maturing into the talent that we always believed she had and is definitely a superstar in the making.”
Sunday, March 13, 2011
NSC-KBS MUST ANSWER
Now we have yet to hear if the two bodies will be open to disclose their traveling expenditure for their office for the past year so as to justify that prudence begins at home.
Let's move to another disclosure and see if they are willing to talk about it though I very much doubt so.
It was announced that ESPN received RM14 million from KBS and that the local sports station was to receive that finding last year but KBS went on and gave the money to ESPN.
Now ESPN Malaysia shut operations in December so who gets that RM14 million and if so why is there a need to spend that money.
Imagine if given as a grant to lesser sports, since we have some 46 sports with OCM, we could easily provide RM50,000 as a grant to some of the lesser sports to help them survive.
And whatever happened to the football committee chaired by YB Razali Ibrahim the Deputy Minister? NSC officials were entrusted to come up with the Terms of Reference for the Technical Director last September.
Perhaps they need another lawatan sambil belajar as was the case when they were sent to UK last year?
Let's move to another disclosure and see if they are willing to talk about it though I very much doubt so.
It was announced that ESPN received RM14 million from KBS and that the local sports station was to receive that finding last year but KBS went on and gave the money to ESPN.
Now ESPN Malaysia shut operations in December so who gets that RM14 million and if so why is there a need to spend that money.
Imagine if given as a grant to lesser sports, since we have some 46 sports with OCM, we could easily provide RM50,000 as a grant to some of the lesser sports to help them survive.
And whatever happened to the football committee chaired by YB Razali Ibrahim the Deputy Minister? NSC officials were entrusted to come up with the Terms of Reference for the Technical Director last September.
Perhaps they need another lawatan sambil belajar as was the case when they were sent to UK last year?
WHY NOTHING ABOUT SUHAIZI?
Suhaizi Shukri will become the first Malaysian referee to officiate in an Indonesia Super League match (ISL) this afternoon when he takes charge of the game between Persija Jakarta and Persiba Balikpapan.
The game will be played at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan.
Suhaizi arrived in Jakarta yesterday and attended the FA of Indonesia (PSSI) team managers’ meeting the same afternoon.
“I’m comfortable with the atmosphere here in Jakarta, it is much more lively and celebrated as compared to the same competition in Malaysia,” added Suhaizi.
Other than Suhaizi being the first Malaysian referee to officiate a game in the ISL, the PSSI had also previously used the services of another Malaysian – referee instructor Nik Ahmad Yaakab to streamline the running the of the referee department.
The PSSI decided to include foreign referees in their competition this year so as to raise the standard of the game on the whole.
“Of course, we hope that the AFC will recommend only the best referees in the region to be used in the ISL,” added Bambang Irianto, director of the PSSI Refereeing Department.
The game will be played at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan.
Suhaizi arrived in Jakarta yesterday and attended the FA of Indonesia (PSSI) team managers’ meeting the same afternoon.
“I’m comfortable with the atmosphere here in Jakarta, it is much more lively and celebrated as compared to the same competition in Malaysia,” added Suhaizi.
Other than Suhaizi being the first Malaysian referee to officiate a game in the ISL, the PSSI had also previously used the services of another Malaysian – referee instructor Nik Ahmad Yaakab to streamline the running the of the referee department.
The PSSI decided to include foreign referees in their competition this year so as to raise the standard of the game on the whole.
“Of course, we hope that the AFC will recommend only the best referees in the region to be used in the ISL,” added Bambang Irianto, director of the PSSI Refereeing Department.
Friday, March 11, 2011
HAFIZ JOINS KLRC
Former national player Mohd Hafiz Hashim has joined KL Racket Club (KLRC) in an effort to resurrect his career.
Hafiz made the statement today at a press conference and will play under KLRC sponsorship in the Swiss Open next week. He has set himself a top 16 target in order to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. Currently he is ranked 24 in the BWF rankings.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Lee Chong Wei angered by timings as China draw controversy
Lee Chong Wei, the defending champion, stomped out of the National Indoor Arena on Thursday and side-stepped journalists after being given little notice of his second round match at the All England Open championships.
Chong Wei, who ended Chinese dominance in the men's singles in 2010, was given a 10 a.m start time against China's Bao Chunlai, the only hitch being that he was still at his hotel with barely an hour to go before the clash.
Chong Wei looked very bit the defending champion on court though. He put any grievances behind him and out-smarted the dangerous Bao 21-16, 21-16.
Bao was forced into a number of mind games with the officials, including sweat on the court and constant shuttle changes, which proved his undoing in the end.
Chong Wei avoided the media after telling reporters he would return for post-match interviews following physiotherapy.
An All England spokesperson said: "In the circumstances we quite understand why he was not able to fulfill his obligations. But we will be reminding him what is necessary to do to help the tournament."
Lee's movement, even without proper warming up, was excellent. So was the variety with which he took the attack to Bao, a hard-to-read left-hander whose switches of direction and angle were hard to read.
Lee looked an even more complete player than while winning the All-England title for the first time last year, putting the shuttle emphatically on the floor when Bao lifted and cleared short, and tremendously quick in the mid-court exchanges.
His biggest moment of danger was when Bao reduced a six point deficit to two at 16-18 in the first game, at which stage the Chinese player failed to get a tumbling net shot over, and followed it with a service return into the net.
Bao also closed the deficit late in the second game, but his performance confirmed the impression of last year, that he has the talent to succeed at the highest level but that here there may have been a slight failure of temperament.
Meanwhile, there were some sceptical glances at the draw this morning after two notable withdrawals in the women's singles.
Wang Shixian, China's top seed, was given a walk-over by her team-mate Liu Xin, who complained of a fungal big toe.
Then Wang Xin, the world runner-up and No 3 seed here, was also allowed to pass into the third round after her opponent complained of a back injury.
This time her opponent was Li Xuerui, who is ranked seven places below her colleague, and in this instance the ailment was described as a bad back.
Budget Cuts
While the National Sports Council are within their rights to cut budgets for National Sports Associations, one wonders if they are really serious about saving money.
Yesterday a national bowler vented his frustration with regards to the cutting down of allocation for his sport and took NSC to task for their failure to give due respect to the sport which had delivered at the Asian Games.
But while to a certain extent I agree with the NSC to focus on London 2012, just how much more will it cost to fund the limited number of athletes who will qualify and eventually compete in London next year?
Will NSC be transparent enough to declare what was the travel cost for it's officials who have been to overseas for their so called lawatan sambil belajar, tinjauan atlit as well as mengiringi Menteri?
And at the same time also make available figures with regards to how much the Industri Sukan labs and it's subsequent formation of secretariat cost, and please do not forget the recent Lindon trip which was a sheer waste of money.
Now if figures for the wife of the PM can be made public, why not the cost for the Sports Ministry together with the NSC?
And from there alone we will be able to judge if cost cutting is justified.
While you are at it, can you also tell us why your officials are all over the world while national bodies are made to tighten their belts?
Yesterday a national bowler vented his frustration with regards to the cutting down of allocation for his sport and took NSC to task for their failure to give due respect to the sport which had delivered at the Asian Games.
But while to a certain extent I agree with the NSC to focus on London 2012, just how much more will it cost to fund the limited number of athletes who will qualify and eventually compete in London next year?
Will NSC be transparent enough to declare what was the travel cost for it's officials who have been to overseas for their so called lawatan sambil belajar, tinjauan atlit as well as mengiringi Menteri?
And at the same time also make available figures with regards to how much the Industri Sukan labs and it's subsequent formation of secretariat cost, and please do not forget the recent Lindon trip which was a sheer waste of money.
Now if figures for the wife of the PM can be made public, why not the cost for the Sports Ministry together with the NSC?
And from there alone we will be able to judge if cost cutting is justified.
While you are at it, can you also tell us why your officials are all over the world while national bodies are made to tighten their belts?
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Another suit for Tony
LONDON - FORCE India says its dispute with Formula One rival Team Lotus over intellectual property rights will be heard in England's High Court in January next year.
Force India says its intellectual property was used last season in the design of a car belonging to 1 Malaysia Racing Team, the parent company of Team Lotus.
Force India claims Italian aerodynamic firm Aerolab, with whom it had a contract in 2009, disclosed that information to 1 Malaysia Racing Team.
Aerolab's contract was immediately severed after what Force India described as 'a breach of confidentiality,' leading to the Italian company starting civil proceedings against the British-based team.
The High Court will hear Force India's claim on Jan 16.
Force India says its intellectual property was used last season in the design of a car belonging to 1 Malaysia Racing Team, the parent company of Team Lotus.
Force India claims Italian aerodynamic firm Aerolab, with whom it had a contract in 2009, disclosed that information to 1 Malaysia Racing Team.
Aerolab's contract was immediately severed after what Force India described as 'a breach of confidentiality,' leading to the Italian company starting civil proceedings against the British-based team.
The High Court will hear Force India's claim on Jan 16.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
EXIT MISBUN, ENTER XIA
The saga of Misbun Sidek continues as no decision has been made by the former coach of world number one, Lee Chong Wei.
And from the grapevine, there are indications that Chong Wei has been entrusted to find a replacement who will help him to glory in London 2012.
The best person would have been Li Mao but he is know with Indonesia.
So the option is the next best thing, someone who has inside knowledge of what makes Lin Dan tick, someone who can do the trick for Malaysia to win gold at the Olympics.
Enter former world champion, the man who denied Wong Choon Hann the world title in Birmingham, Xia Xuanze.
Speculation is that Xuanze, who is one of the singles coach in the Chinese camp is set to leave and Chong Wei will probably negotiate the deal when he plays in the Chinese league.
Chong Wei had held discussions with an Indonesian coach when he played in the club championships last week, but that coach has impressive credentials for mixed doubles and not singles, hence the apprehension from BAM.
At one time or another Xia has experienced victory in most of badminton's biggest events.
The exception came in his sole appearance at the Olympics when he was beaten in the semifinals of the 2000 Games in Sydney by Indonesia's Hendrawan.
Xia settled for a bronze medal there after defeating Denmark's Peter Gade in the playoff for third place.
Earlier in that season Xia had won the prestigious All-England Championships over eighteen-year-old Taufik Hidayat.
He captured men's singles at the IBF World Championships in 2003 by defeating Malaysia's Wong Choong Hann.
Finally, in international team play, he was a member of the Chinese squad that ended a long drought by capturing the highly coveted Thomas Cup (men's world team competition and trophy) in 2004.
In Thomas Cup 2010, Xia coached Chen Jin, witnessing his country win 3-0 over Indonesia for their fourth consecutive Thomas Cup.
And from the grapevine, there are indications that Chong Wei has been entrusted to find a replacement who will help him to glory in London 2012.
The best person would have been Li Mao but he is know with Indonesia.
So the option is the next best thing, someone who has inside knowledge of what makes Lin Dan tick, someone who can do the trick for Malaysia to win gold at the Olympics.
Enter former world champion, the man who denied Wong Choon Hann the world title in Birmingham, Xia Xuanze.
Speculation is that Xuanze, who is one of the singles coach in the Chinese camp is set to leave and Chong Wei will probably negotiate the deal when he plays in the Chinese league.
Chong Wei had held discussions with an Indonesian coach when he played in the club championships last week, but that coach has impressive credentials for mixed doubles and not singles, hence the apprehension from BAM.
At one time or another Xia has experienced victory in most of badminton's biggest events.
The exception came in his sole appearance at the Olympics when he was beaten in the semifinals of the 2000 Games in Sydney by Indonesia's Hendrawan.
Xia settled for a bronze medal there after defeating Denmark's Peter Gade in the playoff for third place.
Earlier in that season Xia had won the prestigious All-England Championships over eighteen-year-old Taufik Hidayat.
He captured men's singles at the IBF World Championships in 2003 by defeating Malaysia's Wong Choong Hann.
Finally, in international team play, he was a member of the Chinese squad that ended a long drought by capturing the highly coveted Thomas Cup (men's world team competition and trophy) in 2004.
In Thomas Cup 2010, Xia coached Chen Jin, witnessing his country win 3-0 over Indonesia for their fourth consecutive Thomas Cup.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)