The smile portraying a sense of achievement quickly dissipated when Malaysia Basketball Association (MABA) president Datuk Tan Kang Yong was asked the 64-thousand-dollar question.
He had just witnessed an event on Aug 25 where health screening centre MJ Health committed to provide RM1.5 million to sponsor the annual Agong’s Cup for three years (RM300,000 per year). The surplus is for health screening at MJ Health for the national cagers and MABA executive councillors.
The question at the press conference that saw Tan scrambling to give a coherent reply: Why MABA executive councillors when it should be the junior or back-up players enjoying the perk?
Tan managed to utter an unconvincing reply: “I hope MJ Health will sponsor us more so that we can include these players.”
This shows how officials seem to always be more important than players.
A more sensible answer would have been: “We thank MJ Health for extending this to the MABA officials but we will instead be sending our coaching staff and back-up players.”
A major ill of Malaysian sports have always been the “policy” of officials first, everything else second.
It’s the same in the race to attend the Tokyo Olympics next year. Some are still harbouring hopes to attend the rescheduled event but none are willing to fork out their own money. They call it a “perk”.
This fixation of officials first has also hurt the finances of sports associations. It is understood that nearly 80 per cent of the operating cost of one of the largest sports bodies in the country is on administration alone while the remaining 20-odd per cent is used for sports programmes. It should be the other way around.
This explains why most sports officials are overly dependent on the government – either via the state government or the Youth and Sports Ministry through its funding arm, the National Sports Council (NSC).
These officials then have the audacity to whine about those who feed them.
It is, however, enlightening to note that the group tasked to provide recommendations to the controversial Podium Programme has a good mix of sports officials and former athletes.
The group interviewed some 30 people from various backgrounds – athletes, officials and even journalists – to find the right formula for the programme catering to Malaysia’s elite athletes.
Admittedly, the group will be swamped with a plethora of views.
But the objective of the Podium Programme must be clear – it is about the athlete achieving his or her KPI (key performance index). In doing so, this would promise growth of the athlete and sports generally.
Personal bests will improve and records will be broken instead of basking in the illusion of winning medals at the regional stage but recording poor timings, only to be forgotten the very next day.
More importantly, much thought should be given to enlarging the pool of young talents who will eventually be part of this programme.
What’s the key takeaway from the paragraphs related to Podium Programme?
It must always be all about the athletes and not the officials.
So what’s the perk of being an official? The ability to elevate the standard of sports. Period.
Alas, that seems to be “boring”. It’s easier to pack bags, put on a party hat and shamelessly enjoy a free trip abroad.
If only there was an Olympic medal for such an activity.
