This is the tale of two Penangites - one an all-conquering squash star and the other a former athletics coach.
Both personalities will remember July 11, 2008 for a different reason. It has become a study in contrast, perhaps.
While Nicol Ann David was confirmed to be a recipient of the Darjah Setia Pahlawan Negeri which carries the title Datuk, from Penang Governor, Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, C. Ramanathan, the man who helped produce Bionic Girl, Zaiton Othman, Rabia Abdul Salam and a host of others, was sentenced to jail earlier today.
Frankly speaking, it is premature to bestow Nicol the award. Why don't we wait until she retires? How many athletes were conferred the Datukship while still active? Why buck the trend now?
My point is, Nicol has already been richly rewarded in many terms. She will be remembered and history will judge her fairly, don't worry. Her place in the Hall of Fame is assured. The Datukship can wait.
If the idea is to rush to gain mileage out of all these, we should instead recognise the driving force behind Nicol, and certainly that individual or individuals are her parents.
Meanwhile
Athletics Coach Ramanathan Serves His 4 Years Jail From Today
PUTRAJAYA, July 11 (Bernama) -- Former national athletics coach C. Ramanathan started serving his four-year jail term Friday after the Court of Appeal here set aside his acquittal on charges of molesting two junior athletes aged 15 and 16.
Justice Datuk Zainun Ali, in allowing the prosecution's appeal, held that the Sessions Court judge was correct in convicting and sentencing Ramanathan, 72, on the two charges at the end of the defence case.
"We affirm the Sessions Court judge's decision. The High Court decision (acquittal) is set aside and the sentence is to run forthwith," said Zainun, who heard the appeal with justices Datuk Wira Abu Samah Nordin and Datuk Sulong Matjeraie.
Ramanathan, who looked worried, was then sent to the Kajang prison. Zainun, in the unanimous decision, ruled that the five-year delay in giving the written grounds of judgment was not a miscarriage of justice to Ramanathan as held by the High Court judge.
Ramanathan was sentenced by the Sessions Court in 1996 to four years jail each, to run concurrently, for using criminal force on two junior athletes aged 15 and 16 with intent to outrage their modesty at the Malaysian Amateur Bsketball Association building in Jalan Hang Tuah here between 9am and 10pm on Oct 23 and 27, 1992.
Zainun said the court's finding was based not only on the two questions raised, namely the five-year delay and the recording of the demeanour of witnesses by the Sessions Court judge, but also on the entire proceedings in the Sessions Court.
She said the five-year delay would not vitiate the entire proceedings.
"The trial judge had given her decision one month after the defence case ended, the written ground of judgment was only out nearly five years later. The decision had been given early but the grounds of judgment were delayed. The delay in the grounds of judgment was not miscarriage of justice," she said.
On the question of recording the demeanour of witnesses, she said it was not mandatory for the Sessions Court to do so.
She said the trial judge had given credit to the demeanour of the witnesses and was correct in applying the standard of proof as was acknowledged by the High Court judge.-- BERNAMA
9 comments:
Reon Renu where are u?
Bro
Atlit akan di sanjung bila ada kat atas dan macam-macam akan di berikan sebagai ganjaran, tetapi bila tak performe mula banyak pihak akan menunding jari kat atlit berkenaan.
Kita tak fikir sapa selepas nicol atau apa pembangunan yg perlu kita buat dari segi atlit muda punya pendedahan,pembangunan kejurulatihan supaya tak bergantung kepada jurulatih luar, R&d sukan, penajaan dpd syarikat-syarikat kepada persatuan atau kejohana pendedahan atlit muda
!banyak yg perlu MSN dan persatuan sukan perlu lakukan
Kalau tidak tak akan kemana sukan kita
Atlit yg tengah naik akan di kudakan tanpa pelapis
Datuk Sidek dianugerahkan bintang tersebut hasil usaha beliau melahirkan Misbun, Razif, Jailani dan Rashid yang menjadi wira badminton di peringkat antarabangsa. Namun keempat-empat wira tersebut tidak dianugerahkan bintang Datuk.
Memang setuju benar jika bapa Nicol yang diberikan anugerah itu kerana beliaulah the driving force di belakang kejayaan Nicol. Penghargaan untuk Nicol boleh tunggu.
Orang memang sering melupakan jurulatih yang membentuk atlet dan bagi saya jurulatih yang berjaya membina Nicol bukanlah jurulatih kebangsaan beliau sekarang tetapi jurulatih yang mula-mula melahirkannya dahulu. Adalah tidak wajar jika jurulatihnya sekarang diberikan sesuatu kerana beliau hanya mengilap permata yang sudah digali oleh peneroka yang terdahulu.
Ahh, finally... You're not writing about Rizal Hashim...
bro
i agree dengan pandangan zack
dari ayat yang di susun i know dia from majlis sukan negara.
jurulatih yang menaikkan atlit juga perlu di jaga, sebab kalau tak ada jurulatih tak akan ada atlit di arena antarabangsa.
Kerajaan tak pernah mengiktiraf jurulatih yg menaikkan atlit kebangsaan.
MSN juga perlu melihat perkara ini sebab jurulatih tempatan seringkali di kategorikan sebagai pembantu yg hanya mendapat elaun saradiri yg rendah, manakala juru latih luar di nilai dengan matawang US
INI ADALAH KENYATAAN YG PERLU KITA LIHAT
"Kita tak fikir sapa selepas nicol atau apa pembangunan yg perlu kita buat dari segi atlit muda punya pendedahan,pembangunan kejurulatihan"
Saya setuju statement ni 100% sebab saya tengok dari dulu lagi kita memang macam ni. Atlit yang berjaya time tu dipuji puja dan seluruh Malaysia syok sendiri negara ada atlit berjaya, tapi lepas prestasi dia menurun, tiba-tiba baru kita sedar pengganti dia tak ada. Masa tu baru le orang-orang sports authority kelam-kabut dan peminat pulak gigit jari...
Dear Zach,
If you are from NSC, then pass the message to your boss that they treat local coaches like C**P. All of us current and former coaches in the states are treated like 2nd class people. No increments in salary or even consideration of it even though we are better qualified than those foreigners.
I am the most qualified coach in my sport from Malaysia but am never considered for any National Level job. As a state coach for 7 years, my salary was always the same and I get a take it or leave it offer from NSC. Even now it is still the same.
What happened to the beautiful scheme promised to coaches? Still pending...Till when will local coaches be 2nd class?
No wonder our sports in the dumps.. We still don't do things by merit..
Dear Rizal,
I totally agree with you saying that the datukship can wait for Nicol. Dont get me wrong...I think she has done great but I seriously doubt that every athlete out there did their very best for Malaysia first. I personally think it is for themselves first. I also agree that Nicol and other athletes have been well rewarded especially of late where every medal is rewarded with cash incentives. If the Datukship is at all to be given, it should have gone to her parents. Nicol can only do so much but it is her parents who have been her backbones all these while, I'd like to assume.
Also, I dont understand all these wasting of Datukships. Sail across the world get Datuk, do this dapat datuk, do that dapat datuk. agaknya naik ke space pun nanti dapat datuk...memang la all these people have done great jobs but aren't they supposed to be great in the first place and performing greatly too? Especially when they have a special skill or two? Tambah pulak bila what they do is being sponsored to the max while getting whatever help in terms of condusive environment etc. Sekarang ni Datukship dah jadi murah sangat. THankfully yang still buatkan the title ada harga is the people who carry their datukship well...unlike some others who actually menghina the anugerah raja tu...
Just my opinion la...
Dear all,
The general public in Malaysia has no idea what it takes to be a world class athlete in these modern days. Many moons ago, most athletes were amateurs and the science used in sports was in its infancy. Nowadays it is very different, professionals and very up to date R&D.
Your opinions defer whether Nicol should get a Datukship or not but remember that sports is a minor industry in Malaysia. It has always been and always will until Malaysians change their attitude towards sports. Nicol getting her the Datukship can be viewed as a positive thing for sports, more of making this industry more prestigious.
How many athletes can cari makan in their own sports without the NSC or MSN's allowance? Handful I will say. Plus how many athletes gets endorsements from local companies? How many events are there a year in each sport to enable athletes to earn a living locally? How about coaches? And so on. Sports rely so much on government support. Where are the private sectors?
Nicol herself has done what no other Malaysian has done and I believe will be the most successful Malaysian athlete. The Datukship is the last thing on her mind I can tell all of you. But she will just take it and continue to do what she does best, push and break boundaries in the world of squash.
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