The “missing” Burnley Cup trophy and a tweet by the Youth and Sports Ministry which was littered with factual errors raise questions about how much we appreciate sports history.
In his column in Malay news website Getaran, Twentytwo13 editor Haresh Deol highlighted no one seems to know or is able to provide an explanation to where the Burnley Cup is.
The Burnley Cup was an Under-19 tournament held between 1962 and 1972. Among those who played in the youth event include Datuk Mokhtar Dahari and Datuk Yap Nyim Keong.
This matter was first raised by Twentytwo13 in March.
Last Sunday, Haresh blogged on Foul! that the Youth and Sports Ministry had tweeted Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan was the first Malaysian athlete to qualify for the semifinals of the 100m event at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
Haresh wrote: “Jegathesan did not compete in the 100m event in Rome. He qualified for the semifinals in the 200m event at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
“The reason I am highlighting these instances is not to find fault but Malaysians, especially sports lovers, must be given the right facts about Malaysian sports.
“The government and sports associations must respect our former athletes. More attention must be given to ensure the right facts are disseminated.”
He also said one cannot ignore history by simply claiming ignorance or not understanding the situation.
“It is through history we can move forward without making the same mistakes that may have been made in the past.”
Read the full article on Getaran.
