Read here on the MGA
Read here on the issue of the Armed Forces athletics organisation's registration
and read here
Why the double standards, Datuk Commissioner? The Sports Commissioner's office has already gained a reputation as a dumping ground for under-performing civil servants. It's hard to alter the perception if the Commissioner himself is inconsistent in his policies. I suggest an association's infighting or bickering be referred to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), as its secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi has always maintained it has the necessary measures to deal with such issues. This will allow Nik Mahmud and his staff concentrate on accepting or rejecting new applications for registration. Jadilah dumping ground, habis cerita!
Monday, December 15, 2008
MAAU, many are against U
It saddens me that the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) continue to hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. Rajemah Sheikh Ahmad, a former hurdler and wife of former horizontal jumper Kamaruddin Maidin, was as expected shown the door, suffering a slim defeat in her bid to defend her vice-presidency on Sunday. She lost to Datuk Paduka Dr Mumtaz Jaffar (picture) and K. Yogasveran by the slimmest of margins in the MAAU elections on Sunday.
I wonder what else can Mumtaz, a sprinter in her heyday, contribute. She was an office-bearer in the 90s and was in fact coach of Watson Nyambek. Some say Mumtaz was the reason behind Watson's failure to realise his potential. But it helps that Mumtaz is close to the powers-that-be. She can thus put in a good word about MAAU president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim to whoever that matters lah!
Read here
With Shahidan continuing as the MAAU president, we can PERHAPS expect:
1. Reporters to receive envelopes when they cover an MAAU event or meeting
2. The welfare of athletes and coaches be the least of MAAU's concerns
Shahidan has suggested MAAU dropped the amateur word, but as far as I'm concerned, the oldest sports body in the country remains amateurish in every aspect. I make no apologies about it.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Happy birthday to Kak Lin and the Malay Mail
On December 14, 1896, the first issue of The Malay Mail was published by John H. Matthews Robson in Kuala Lumpur. It was a hand-printed broadsheet with four pages - only advertisements on front page, page 2 and local news on the other two pages. Two hundred copies daily and sold at 15 sen. I spent almost 12 years of my life with the paper. Co-incidentally the paper shares her birthday with Kak Lin. If not for Kak Lin's promptings for me to apply for PETS IV in 1991, I would have gone on to do other things, journalism not one of them! Many happy returns Kak Lin, may the Almighty continue to shower his choicest blessings upon you and bless you with good health, peace and happiness.
Do we need foreign expertise?
I wrote an Open Letter to B. Sathianathan upon his appointment as the national coach last year. Note that I mentioned the full list of his predecessors since 1957, 14 of them from foreign land. Do we need another foreign coach to provide us the panacea to our ills? Peter Withe seems cut out for the job not only based on his expertise but also his ability to blend in with the Thai and Indonesian mentality. Come Monday though, the FA of Malaysia may opt to extend Sathia's contract up to a certain point as the pre-Asian Cup kicks off next month and there is little time for any new coach to forge an understanding with his players.
Dear Sathia,
RE: Appointment as the national football team coach
I hope this letter reaches you in great health, my friend.
Allow me to congratulate you on your recent appointment as the new national team head coach. Also, it is still not too late for me to wish you a Happy 50th Merdeka.
The national Under-23 team's Merdeka Tournament victory last week was obviously a perfect gift for the country.
But I'm sure you would, by now, be asking your boys to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground. Winning an invitational tournament against opponents who appeared not to be too interested, with Myanmar the exception, does not give us a reason to rejoice as if we had qualified for the Olympics. You have been in the business long enough to keep things in the proper perspective.
Remember, a few of your boys were jeered by their fellow Malaysians in the much-hyped match against reality TV upstarts MyTeam on May 28, 2006. A year later the same group of players is suddenly hailed as the future of Malaysian football. Ah ..., my friend, this simply shows how fickle this business of football can be.
Your appointment, if I might add, must have come as a surprise to many. As you would readily admit, very few had shown their faith in your ability. One of them is the former FA of Malaysia general secretary, Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad, who gave you the Under-23 hotseat last year.
Your detractors claim you like to hang on to people's coat tails, hiding behind the likes of Josef Herel, M. Karathu, Hatem Souissi and Allan Harris. Your critics pointed out the fact that you had never handled a State team, unlike your predecessors. They say you sought refuge behind the assistant tag. It's time for you to prove them wrong, my friend. Show the world that you are a coach in your own right. You have done so in handling the pre-Olympic side. However the senior team is a different kettle of fish altogether. This is what you have been aiming for, since the moment you became the youngest participant, at the age of 17, to obtain a coaching certificate from Mazlan Hamid in Muar more than three decades ago.
The kampung boy, born in Tanjung Malim and brought up in Panchor near Muar, made good, that is how you like to describe your career path. Not many individuals possess the courage to assume the hotseat, particularly after Norizan Bakar and his men were lynched by the Press and public alike following the disastrous Asian Cup outing. You are the latest in a long line of coaches who had tried to provide immediate answers to our perpetual woes with limited success.
Since 1957, you are the 33rd individual to try your luck as the head coach. The full list reads Neoh Boon Hean, Edwin Dutton, Choo Seng Quee, Otto Westphal, C. De Silva, Peter Velappan, Ghani Minhat, Harold Hassall, Dave McLaren, Jalil Che Din, M. Kuppan, Karl Weigang, Chow Kwai Lam, Mohamed Bakar, M. Chandran, Mohamad Che Su, Frank Lord, Abdullah Mohamad, Georg Knobel, Josef Venglos, Ahmad Shafie, Trevor Hartley, Richard Bate, Rahim Abdullah, Ken Worden, Claude Le Roy, Wan Jamak Wan Hassan, Hatem Souissi, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, Allan Harris, Bertalan Bicskei and Norizan Bakar.
It is well-documented that Malaysia advanced to the Olympics only on two occasions, first in 1972 under Jalil and eight years later during Weigang's tenure. Malaysia too qualified for the 1976 Asian Cup under Kuppan, and Mohamad Che Su led the squad to the 1980 finals.
Working as a backroom thinker with a number of coaches over the years must surely have broadened your horizons. From Herel and Karathu, you learnt basic organisation and discipline. From Hatem, it was the importance of updating your knowledge, while fitness trainer Aleksandar Bozenko exposed you to a variety of fitness programmes. It was an open secret that for five years you were the one who prepared Harris' team reports. But you treated it as a learning process because you knew the Englishman would impart his knowledge to you for he had the privilege of working intimately with Bernd Schuster (current Real Madrid coach), Gary Lineker, Steve Archibald and Andoni Zubizarreta, among others, when he was Terry Venables' assistant at Barcelona.
The Merdeka Tournament victory naturally is an encouraging sign. However the truth be told, I have personally seen previous national teams with stronger character and better skills. The 1992 Barcelona Babes under Chow Kwai Lam, for instance, boasted of Azman Adnan, Mubin Mokhtar, Salahuddin Che Rose, Yap Wai Loon and Shahrin Majid. Le Roy's 1996 generation was symbolised by Azrul Amri Burhan who would have enjoyed a greater profile if not for the bone-crunching and career-threatening tackle from David Beckham in the Toulon tournament in France in 1995.
I too followed closely the 1997 World Youth Cup squad. Then the team became a test case of sorts, when FAM decided to let them stay together for two years. You realised later that keeping a bunch of teenagers with raging testosterone was a mistake.
Boredom crept in and a group of them rebelled, causing chaos and damage to their condominium. I'm sure that you would agree with me the 2001 generation that came within a whisker of regaining the SEA Games gold medal was a good one. Syamsuri Mustafa, Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Indra Putra Mahayuddin, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Nizaruddin Yusof, Shukor Adan, Hairuddin Omar, Kaironnisam Sahabuddin Hussain, Subri Sulong and Irwan Fadzli Idrus went on to don the national jersey.
You have a thankless task ahead of you, my friend. Bahrain awaits you in the World Cup qualifiers in October and the SEA Games in Korat in December will be the ultimate test for you and the team.
Not only you have to keep on reminding your charges not to fall for the trappings of fame and glamour but also continue guiding them technically and tactically. Foremost on your mind would be the results on the pitch. Anything else matters little for the average fan.
In the meantime, you can be assured of my support, my friend. After all you took the trouble to attend my stepmother's humble abode at Kampung Sengkuang, Sri Gading, for my wedding six years ago, accompanied by a busload of the national Under-19 players bound for Johor Bahru. Best wishes, my friend. You need all the luck in the world to succeed.
Regards,
Rizal Hashim,
Bangsar.
In 2006, Sathia was struggling to form a decent side for the pre-Olympics. I wrote this for the Weekend Mail.
WHEN B. Sathianathan assembles his Olympic boys next week, he will bid to shift the weight of history staring him in his face.
The former MPPJ boss is the latest in the virtual procession of coaches bidding to propel Malaysia to Olympic glory.
Since Malaysia's no-show in Moscow'80, foreigners and locals - Frank Lord, Josef Venglos, Chow Kwai Lam, Claude Le Roy, Hatem Souissi and Allan Harris - have all tried and, invariably, run aground, crushed by the overwhelming nature of the task.
The last was Englishman Harris, who spent a major part of his life hanging on to Terry Venables' coat-tails.
Even Venglos, later of Celtic and Aston Villa fame, and Frenchman Le Roy, credited as the brains behind Cameroon's success in the late 80s, could not work their magic here.
German coach Karl Weigang succeeded in the 1980 campaign but Malaysia missed the Moscow Games following the US-led boycott.
So the only coach who had successfully brought Malaysia to the Olympic Games was the late Jalil Che Din who helmed the Munich squad in 1972.
Venglos laid the foundations behind Kuala Lumpur's success in the mid-80s
Georg Knobel (centre), the man who opted to let the great Ajax team to vote for their skipper, thus paving the way for Piet Keizer to succeed Johan Cruyff ahead of the 1973/74 season, marking the end of the latter's reign in Amsterdam
From left Dang Suria Zainurdin, Abu Bakar Atan, loose cannon, Pegguy Luyindula, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli's parents (Ahmad Rakhli Hassan and Mariam Hashim), Claude Le Roy and Akmal Rizal's younger brother (squatting) shortly after Strasbourg's friendly with the Malaysian side in 2000
Karl Weigang (1977-79, 1980-1981)
Thanks to the incredible generation that boasted the likes of Soh Chin Aun, James Wong, Hassan Sani and Bakri Ibni, Weigang was able to guide Malaysia to the Olympic Games in Moscow. Malaysia did not miss the injured Mokhtar Dahari's marauding runs but instead steamrolled past Japan, the Philippines and Korea to book a ticket to Moscow.
Weigang (left) was on the Sports Ministry's payroll when he helped the national team in 1980. Here he's calling it a truce with Allan Harris, with loose cannon as the peacemaker soon after the German coach was appointed as the FA of Malaysia technical director. Notice the FIFA t-shirt, courtesy of Fariq Rahman who visited the FIFA HQ some years back
Frank Lord (1983-85)
The Englishman brought Malaysia to the Asia-Oceania final round after successfully negotiating the first round in a group that included Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia and India. But the dream of boarding the plane to Los Angeles was shattered as Malaysia finished fourth in the five-team group comprising Qatar, Japan, Thailand and Iraq.
Josef Venglos (1985-87)
Venglos came with the reputation of having managed Czechoslovakia in the 1982 World Cup, and after laying the foundation for the Kuala Lumpur team that went on to bag the Malaysia Cup three times on the trot, he was described as the nation's saviour. Yet the Olympic dream remained a dream after a 3-2 loss on aggregate against Thailand in the first round.
Chow Kwai Lam (1991-92)
At the helm of the much touted Barcelona Babes, Kwai Lam was appointed mainly following his success in leading KL to three successive Malaysia Cup titles in the mid-80s. Failed miserably but the players went on to don the senior colours.
Claude Le Roy (1994-95)
Using his good office, Le Roy brought his boys to a few stints in France, including the historic appearance in Toulon, but eventually the team found themselves out of depth against China and Singapore. His dream of building a decent side was wrecked by the bribery scandal.
Hatem Souissi (1995-99)
The Tunisian was retained after the World Youth Cup in Malaysia but could not alter the team's fortunes as they succumbed to the Shinji Ono-led Japan and Hong Kong in the qualifiers.
Allan Harris (2001-2004)
Malaysia advanced to the final round of the Asian zone by default after Turkmenistan withdrew due to the SARS outbreak. But the moment Malaysia were drawn with South Korea, Iran and China, Harris knew his days were numbered.
Dear Sathia,
RE: Appointment as the national football team coach
I hope this letter reaches you in great health, my friend.
Allow me to congratulate you on your recent appointment as the new national team head coach. Also, it is still not too late for me to wish you a Happy 50th Merdeka.
The national Under-23 team's Merdeka Tournament victory last week was obviously a perfect gift for the country.
But I'm sure you would, by now, be asking your boys to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground. Winning an invitational tournament against opponents who appeared not to be too interested, with Myanmar the exception, does not give us a reason to rejoice as if we had qualified for the Olympics. You have been in the business long enough to keep things in the proper perspective.
Remember, a few of your boys were jeered by their fellow Malaysians in the much-hyped match against reality TV upstarts MyTeam on May 28, 2006. A year later the same group of players is suddenly hailed as the future of Malaysian football. Ah ..., my friend, this simply shows how fickle this business of football can be.
Your appointment, if I might add, must have come as a surprise to many. As you would readily admit, very few had shown their faith in your ability. One of them is the former FA of Malaysia general secretary, Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad, who gave you the Under-23 hotseat last year.
Your detractors claim you like to hang on to people's coat tails, hiding behind the likes of Josef Herel, M. Karathu, Hatem Souissi and Allan Harris. Your critics pointed out the fact that you had never handled a State team, unlike your predecessors. They say you sought refuge behind the assistant tag. It's time for you to prove them wrong, my friend. Show the world that you are a coach in your own right. You have done so in handling the pre-Olympic side. However the senior team is a different kettle of fish altogether. This is what you have been aiming for, since the moment you became the youngest participant, at the age of 17, to obtain a coaching certificate from Mazlan Hamid in Muar more than three decades ago.
The kampung boy, born in Tanjung Malim and brought up in Panchor near Muar, made good, that is how you like to describe your career path. Not many individuals possess the courage to assume the hotseat, particularly after Norizan Bakar and his men were lynched by the Press and public alike following the disastrous Asian Cup outing. You are the latest in a long line of coaches who had tried to provide immediate answers to our perpetual woes with limited success.
Since 1957, you are the 33rd individual to try your luck as the head coach. The full list reads Neoh Boon Hean, Edwin Dutton, Choo Seng Quee, Otto Westphal, C. De Silva, Peter Velappan, Ghani Minhat, Harold Hassall, Dave McLaren, Jalil Che Din, M. Kuppan, Karl Weigang, Chow Kwai Lam, Mohamed Bakar, M. Chandran, Mohamad Che Su, Frank Lord, Abdullah Mohamad, Georg Knobel, Josef Venglos, Ahmad Shafie, Trevor Hartley, Richard Bate, Rahim Abdullah, Ken Worden, Claude Le Roy, Wan Jamak Wan Hassan, Hatem Souissi, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, Allan Harris, Bertalan Bicskei and Norizan Bakar.
It is well-documented that Malaysia advanced to the Olympics only on two occasions, first in 1972 under Jalil and eight years later during Weigang's tenure. Malaysia too qualified for the 1976 Asian Cup under Kuppan, and Mohamad Che Su led the squad to the 1980 finals.
Working as a backroom thinker with a number of coaches over the years must surely have broadened your horizons. From Herel and Karathu, you learnt basic organisation and discipline. From Hatem, it was the importance of updating your knowledge, while fitness trainer Aleksandar Bozenko exposed you to a variety of fitness programmes. It was an open secret that for five years you were the one who prepared Harris' team reports. But you treated it as a learning process because you knew the Englishman would impart his knowledge to you for he had the privilege of working intimately with Bernd Schuster (current Real Madrid coach), Gary Lineker, Steve Archibald and Andoni Zubizarreta, among others, when he was Terry Venables' assistant at Barcelona.
The Merdeka Tournament victory naturally is an encouraging sign. However the truth be told, I have personally seen previous national teams with stronger character and better skills. The 1992 Barcelona Babes under Chow Kwai Lam, for instance, boasted of Azman Adnan, Mubin Mokhtar, Salahuddin Che Rose, Yap Wai Loon and Shahrin Majid. Le Roy's 1996 generation was symbolised by Azrul Amri Burhan who would have enjoyed a greater profile if not for the bone-crunching and career-threatening tackle from David Beckham in the Toulon tournament in France in 1995.
I too followed closely the 1997 World Youth Cup squad. Then the team became a test case of sorts, when FAM decided to let them stay together for two years. You realised later that keeping a bunch of teenagers with raging testosterone was a mistake.
Boredom crept in and a group of them rebelled, causing chaos and damage to their condominium. I'm sure that you would agree with me the 2001 generation that came within a whisker of regaining the SEA Games gold medal was a good one. Syamsuri Mustafa, Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Indra Putra Mahayuddin, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Nizaruddin Yusof, Shukor Adan, Hairuddin Omar, Kaironnisam Sahabuddin Hussain, Subri Sulong and Irwan Fadzli Idrus went on to don the national jersey.
You have a thankless task ahead of you, my friend. Bahrain awaits you in the World Cup qualifiers in October and the SEA Games in Korat in December will be the ultimate test for you and the team.
Not only you have to keep on reminding your charges not to fall for the trappings of fame and glamour but also continue guiding them technically and tactically. Foremost on your mind would be the results on the pitch. Anything else matters little for the average fan.
In the meantime, you can be assured of my support, my friend. After all you took the trouble to attend my stepmother's humble abode at Kampung Sengkuang, Sri Gading, for my wedding six years ago, accompanied by a busload of the national Under-19 players bound for Johor Bahru. Best wishes, my friend. You need all the luck in the world to succeed.
Regards,
Rizal Hashim,
Bangsar.
In 2006, Sathia was struggling to form a decent side for the pre-Olympics. I wrote this for the Weekend Mail.
WHEN B. Sathianathan assembles his Olympic boys next week, he will bid to shift the weight of history staring him in his face.
The former MPPJ boss is the latest in the virtual procession of coaches bidding to propel Malaysia to Olympic glory.
Since Malaysia's no-show in Moscow'80, foreigners and locals - Frank Lord, Josef Venglos, Chow Kwai Lam, Claude Le Roy, Hatem Souissi and Allan Harris - have all tried and, invariably, run aground, crushed by the overwhelming nature of the task.
The last was Englishman Harris, who spent a major part of his life hanging on to Terry Venables' coat-tails.
Even Venglos, later of Celtic and Aston Villa fame, and Frenchman Le Roy, credited as the brains behind Cameroon's success in the late 80s, could not work their magic here.
German coach Karl Weigang succeeded in the 1980 campaign but Malaysia missed the Moscow Games following the US-led boycott.
So the only coach who had successfully brought Malaysia to the Olympic Games was the late Jalil Che Din who helmed the Munich squad in 1972.
Venglos laid the foundations behind Kuala Lumpur's success in the mid-80s
Georg Knobel (centre), the man who opted to let the great Ajax team to vote for their skipper, thus paving the way for Piet Keizer to succeed Johan Cruyff ahead of the 1973/74 season, marking the end of the latter's reign in Amsterdam
From left Dang Suria Zainurdin, Abu Bakar Atan, loose cannon, Pegguy Luyindula, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli's parents (Ahmad Rakhli Hassan and Mariam Hashim), Claude Le Roy and Akmal Rizal's younger brother (squatting) shortly after Strasbourg's friendly with the Malaysian side in 2000Thanks to the incredible generation that boasted the likes of Soh Chin Aun, James Wong, Hassan Sani and Bakri Ibni, Weigang was able to guide Malaysia to the Olympic Games in Moscow. Malaysia did not miss the injured Mokhtar Dahari's marauding runs but instead steamrolled past Japan, the Philippines and Korea to book a ticket to Moscow.
Weigang (left) was on the Sports Ministry's payroll when he helped the national team in 1980. Here he's calling it a truce with Allan Harris, with loose cannon as the peacemaker soon after the German coach was appointed as the FA of Malaysia technical director. Notice the FIFA t-shirt, courtesy of Fariq Rahman who visited the FIFA HQ some years backFrank Lord (1983-85)
The Englishman brought Malaysia to the Asia-Oceania final round after successfully negotiating the first round in a group that included Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia and India. But the dream of boarding the plane to Los Angeles was shattered as Malaysia finished fourth in the five-team group comprising Qatar, Japan, Thailand and Iraq.
Josef Venglos (1985-87)
Venglos came with the reputation of having managed Czechoslovakia in the 1982 World Cup, and after laying the foundation for the Kuala Lumpur team that went on to bag the Malaysia Cup three times on the trot, he was described as the nation's saviour. Yet the Olympic dream remained a dream after a 3-2 loss on aggregate against Thailand in the first round.
Chow Kwai Lam (1991-92)
At the helm of the much touted Barcelona Babes, Kwai Lam was appointed mainly following his success in leading KL to three successive Malaysia Cup titles in the mid-80s. Failed miserably but the players went on to don the senior colours.
Claude Le Roy (1994-95)
Using his good office, Le Roy brought his boys to a few stints in France, including the historic appearance in Toulon, but eventually the team found themselves out of depth against China and Singapore. His dream of building a decent side was wrecked by the bribery scandal.
Hatem Souissi (1995-99)
The Tunisian was retained after the World Youth Cup in Malaysia but could not alter the team's fortunes as they succumbed to the Shinji Ono-led Japan and Hong Kong in the qualifiers.
Allan Harris (2001-2004)
Malaysia advanced to the final round of the Asian zone by default after Turkmenistan withdrew due to the SARS outbreak. But the moment Malaysia were drawn with South Korea, Iran and China, Harris knew his days were numbered.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Bye bye Sathia
To coach B.Sathianathan, it's time to say goodbye to Wisma FA of Malaysia.
The 3-0 defeat to Thailand last night should serve as the final curtains to Sathia and possibly a few seniors who have had their moments in the sun.
Sathianathan has the dubious distinction of having failed to bring the national team to the AFF Cup semifinals and the SEA Games last four in a matter of 12 months.
Consider this; in 1996 Wan Jamak Hassan guided Zainal Abidin Hassan and Co to the runners-up spot, Hatem Souissi's mixed team of old and new fumbled in the group stages, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim led his charges to third place in 2000 and Allan Harris' handpicked squad emerged fourth despite having thrashed Singapore 4-0 and Thailand 3-1 in the 2002 edition.
Bertalan Bicskei' babes beat Thailand 2-1 and Indonesia through a similar scoreline, the country's first win in Jakarta since 1979, en route to a third place finish in 2004.Sathianathan for the record was one of Bicskei's fiercest critics. Norizan Bakar's quest for a place in the 2006 final was only denied by a penalty miss by Khyril Muhymeen Zambri in the shootout. So in the previous six tournaments, Malaysia missed a semifinal berth on only one occasion!
I suspect either K. Rajagopal or a foreign coach will be charting the team's fortunes in the pre-Asian Cup in February.
The 3-0 defeat to Thailand last night should serve as the final curtains to Sathia and possibly a few seniors who have had their moments in the sun.
Sathianathan has the dubious distinction of having failed to bring the national team to the AFF Cup semifinals and the SEA Games last four in a matter of 12 months.
Consider this; in 1996 Wan Jamak Hassan guided Zainal Abidin Hassan and Co to the runners-up spot, Hatem Souissi's mixed team of old and new fumbled in the group stages, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim led his charges to third place in 2000 and Allan Harris' handpicked squad emerged fourth despite having thrashed Singapore 4-0 and Thailand 3-1 in the 2002 edition.
Bertalan Bicskei' babes beat Thailand 2-1 and Indonesia through a similar scoreline, the country's first win in Jakarta since 1979, en route to a third place finish in 2004.Sathianathan for the record was one of Bicskei's fiercest critics. Norizan Bakar's quest for a place in the 2006 final was only denied by a penalty miss by Khyril Muhymeen Zambri in the shootout. So in the previous six tournaments, Malaysia missed a semifinal berth on only one occasion!
I suspect either K. Rajagopal or a foreign coach will be charting the team's fortunes in the pre-Asian Cup in February.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Salam EidulAdha
Dengan rendah diri ingin kuucapkan Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya Qurban, Hari Raya Haji agar kita sama-sama menginsafi sebab musabab di sebalik peristiwa Nabi Ibrahim A.S dan Nabi Ismail A.S serta wukuf di Arafah, signifikannya Jabal Rahmah serta indahnya negara yang bernama Malaysia.
Bagi ahli-ahli sukan beragama Islam yang meraikan EidulAdha di perantauan, khususnya anak-anak buah B. Sathianathan yang sedang bersaing dalam Piala Suzuki AFF, kuucapkan Selamat Berjuang kerana ia juga adalah satu bentuk pengorbanan.
Aku masih ingat kenangan beraya EidulAdha di Hong Kong pada 2001, apabila pasukan bola sepak negara bergelut dengan Qatar, Hong Kong dan Palestin dalam pra-Piala Dunia. Biasalah bagi sekumpulan wartawan yang membuat liputan di luar negara, setiap majlis meraikan pasukan akan turut diberi liputan. Aku pun tidak melepaskan peluang berhari raya di Konsulat Malaysia sesudah bersolat di masjid di bawah Halal Canteen tidak jauh dari Stadium Queen Elizabeth.
Dikelilingi kebanyakannya keturunan India dan Pakistan yang berkelana ke Hong Kong, aku dan rakan-rakan mendengar khutbah EidulAdha yang disampaikan oleh Imam dalam Bahasa Mandarin.
Kalau hari-hari biasa aku mengisi perut dengan dim sum di kantin berkenaan dengan ditemani Azahar Md Taib dari Harian Metro, hos kami di Konsulat menghidangkan juadah Malaysia belaka. Apalagi, belasahlah...
Di Konsulat berkenaan, aku bukan saya bersua dengan sahabat lama dari alam persekolahan iaitu Rosman bahkan berkesempatan beramah mesra dengan penghibur terkenal Fran, atau nama penuhnya Francesca Peters. Sudah tentu aku menceritakan kepadanya koleksi kaset Roy & Fran yang menjadi dendangan halwa telingaku ketika remaja.
Berbalik kepada cerita di padang, aku masih ingat pasukan negara bimbingan Allan Harris tewas kepada Qatar 5-1, menang 2-0 ke atas Hong Kong dan tewas 1-0 kepada Palestin. Ia memberi aku ingatan yang bercampur baur, kerana hutan batu di Hong Kong menjadi saksi dua jaringan menarik daripada Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, dan turut melihat pasukan negara tersembam akibat kekalahan kepada Palestin.
Antara yang kekal menyarung jersi negara hingga ke hari ini ialah Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Juzaili Samion, Hairuddin Omar, Nizaruddin Yusof dan Shukor Adan. Kapten ketika tewas kepada Palestin ialah Bobby Pian, seorang Bidayuh.
p/s aku terlupa,
...dalam kita berkabung atas tragedi di Bukit Antarabangsa, kita jangan lupa bencana banjir di Pantai Timur
...bagi yang menyempurnakan Haji, semoga mendapat Haji yang Mabrur
...bagi yang berkorban, agar lembu dan kambing yang ditumbangkan menunggu kita di syurga
...bagi Azam dan Risya di Turkmenistan, semoga tabah menghadapi dugaan dalam mengharungi hidup di perantauan, dan ingat-ingatlah kami yang menikmati jamuan Raya hidangan Mak. Hehe
Bagi ahli-ahli sukan beragama Islam yang meraikan EidulAdha di perantauan, khususnya anak-anak buah B. Sathianathan yang sedang bersaing dalam Piala Suzuki AFF, kuucapkan Selamat Berjuang kerana ia juga adalah satu bentuk pengorbanan.
Aku masih ingat kenangan beraya EidulAdha di Hong Kong pada 2001, apabila pasukan bola sepak negara bergelut dengan Qatar, Hong Kong dan Palestin dalam pra-Piala Dunia. Biasalah bagi sekumpulan wartawan yang membuat liputan di luar negara, setiap majlis meraikan pasukan akan turut diberi liputan. Aku pun tidak melepaskan peluang berhari raya di Konsulat Malaysia sesudah bersolat di masjid di bawah Halal Canteen tidak jauh dari Stadium Queen Elizabeth.
Dikelilingi kebanyakannya keturunan India dan Pakistan yang berkelana ke Hong Kong, aku dan rakan-rakan mendengar khutbah EidulAdha yang disampaikan oleh Imam dalam Bahasa Mandarin.
Kalau hari-hari biasa aku mengisi perut dengan dim sum di kantin berkenaan dengan ditemani Azahar Md Taib dari Harian Metro, hos kami di Konsulat menghidangkan juadah Malaysia belaka. Apalagi, belasahlah...
Di Konsulat berkenaan, aku bukan saya bersua dengan sahabat lama dari alam persekolahan iaitu Rosman bahkan berkesempatan beramah mesra dengan penghibur terkenal Fran, atau nama penuhnya Francesca Peters. Sudah tentu aku menceritakan kepadanya koleksi kaset Roy & Fran yang menjadi dendangan halwa telingaku ketika remaja.
Berbalik kepada cerita di padang, aku masih ingat pasukan negara bimbingan Allan Harris tewas kepada Qatar 5-1, menang 2-0 ke atas Hong Kong dan tewas 1-0 kepada Palestin. Ia memberi aku ingatan yang bercampur baur, kerana hutan batu di Hong Kong menjadi saksi dua jaringan menarik daripada Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, dan turut melihat pasukan negara tersembam akibat kekalahan kepada Palestin.
Antara yang kekal menyarung jersi negara hingga ke hari ini ialah Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Juzaili Samion, Hairuddin Omar, Nizaruddin Yusof dan Shukor Adan. Kapten ketika tewas kepada Palestin ialah Bobby Pian, seorang Bidayuh.
p/s aku terlupa,
...dalam kita berkabung atas tragedi di Bukit Antarabangsa, kita jangan lupa bencana banjir di Pantai Timur
...bagi yang menyempurnakan Haji, semoga mendapat Haji yang Mabrur
...bagi yang berkorban, agar lembu dan kambing yang ditumbangkan menunggu kita di syurga
...bagi Azam dan Risya di Turkmenistan, semoga tabah menghadapi dugaan dalam mengharungi hidup di perantauan, dan ingat-ingatlah kami yang menikmati jamuan Raya hidangan Mak. Hehe
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Rest in peace, Sir
I took this picture during the launch of Editions Didier Millet's The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Sports and Recreation (Encyclopedia of Malaysia) in June this year. It was launched by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. It was not everyday that one gets to snap a picture of Koh Chye and his ex-boss, Datuk Noh Abdullah, the former National Sports Council director-general. The late Datuk Ho Koh Chye who passed away around 8.00pm tonight, showed genuine concern for me and my better half Intan throughout our ordeal when she was diagnosed with colon cancer in early 2004. Koh Chye and I developed a common bond of sorts as his son was diagnosed with leukemia around the same time.
We kept in touch through text messages, giving each other moral support in times of need. We were very thankful to the Almighty when both went into complete remission.
It was customary for Koh Chye to ask me my wife's condition each time we met or spoke over the phone. The last time I interviewed him was in 2005, when I was tasked to take charge of the Icons column. As always, talking to Koh Chye gave me immense pleasure.
When I left the Malay Mail in March, opportunities to engage in a discourse with Koh Chye were few and far between. But in June I attended the launch of Editions Didier Millet's The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Sports and Recreation (Encyclopedia of Malaysia) at Stadium Negara. From afar Koh Chye acknowledged my presence and as we exchanged pleasantries, he remarked: "So how's life as a blogger? Your blog has caused a stir in the hockey fraternity!"
I wanted so much to tap his brains but since Koh Chye was preoccupied with his role as the contingent's chef-de-mission for the Beijing Olympics, I told myself "it's OK lah, next time maybe".
Imagine my shock when I was told of his demise and that he had undergone a surgery on his prostate last week.
Koh Chye who turned 66 last month, was due to undergo chemotherapy anytime.
Typical of Koh Chye who shunned the limelight, his condition was made known only to his inner circle. One of them, Randhir Singh, said:
"Koh Chye was one of the finest gentlemen who excelled in his many roles as a player, coach, manager and administrator. A rare breed indeed," said Randhir.
I only knew about his illness upon his demise as my mobile was inundated with text messages from fellow journalists and ex-internationals around 9.30pm while having dinner with two dear friends.
Sports Advisory Panel (SAP) chairman Datuk Wira Mazlan Ahmad said:
"He sent me a text message today indicating his willingness to serve as a member of the Wawasan Committee of the MHF. His demise is a huge loss to the sporting fraternity, particularly the hockey family. We wanted him to be the new chairman of the Coaching Board but he was reluctant to accept it, saying in all humility that he was old and not up to the task but I knew he was the perfect man for the post."
NSC director general Datuk Zolkples Embong said Koh Chye spoke to him this afternoon, telling the former of his condition.
"We are deeply saddened by the death of a dear friend, a teacher and a boss. Our condolences to the family."
Ahmad Shapawi Ismail who is currently pursuing his Masters degree in the United Kingdom, said:
"I am shocked to learn of his demise. He was one of my mentors as he taught me the art of negotiation in dealing with officials from national sports associations. He did not like to talk behind people's backs and he expressed his anger in a very diplomatic manner. He encouraged us to explore our strengths."
Exploring his strengths was what Koh Chye did throughout his career as a goalkeeper, coach, manager and later administrator.
To Datuk Ho Koh Chye, we bid you farewell. May God bless his soul. Below is the Icons column featuring Koh Chye. Also read here and here and here
DATUK Ho Koh Chye is a rare breed, a sports personality who has been a top-rate player, coach, manager in hockey and later, an administrator and policy-maker.
Mailsport's RIZAL HASHIM remains in awe of the former hockey goalkeeper who was equally adept as a footballer in his heyday.
Mailsport: You are fully retired but still immersed in sports, Datuk?
Koh Chye: Yes. I enjoy the game of golf and the company of my dear friends. As I am also a member of the technical commitee for the Asiacomm 2006 project, I keep myself updated.
MS: Tell us about your early days.
KC: Some 150 metres down the road from my house along Paul Street (now Jalan Yam Tuan) was St Paul's Institution and almost adjoining it was the NS Padang. My parents, Ho Tan Sze and Kuan Yoong, were blessed with nine children (four boys and five girls). I went to St Paul's and developed my hockey skills at the NS Padang. The beauty of my daily activities those days was the fact that we were not restricted to playing hockey. I went on to represent Malaysian schools in both football and hockey. I was a rightback in football and started being a hockey goalkeeper at the age of nine. My involvement and fascination with hockey began when I became the keeper in the Standard Three inter-class competition. As a child, I was happy growing up in an environment that was steeped in hockey tradition. I actually grew up around hockey greats, like Peter and Lawrence Van Huizen, Devendran, Sheikh Ali, Freddie Vias, M. Joseph, etc. Things were pretty simple when I started playing football for the NS Chin Woo Club. Dr Choy Hon Kum, our manager, was provided with a small budget which he had to top up often to pay for ground rentals and refreshments for the team. Jerseys were handed out and collected at the end of a match.
MS: How far did you go in football?
KC: I went on to represent Negri Sembilan. One of my team-mates was Datuk Jamaluddin Ahmad, former team manager of Negri Sembilan.
MS: What do you think of the changing trends in our lifestyle?
KC: No doubt the environment has had an impact on volunteerism and participation levels. People are now working longer hours. More women have joined the workforce, and academic and material pursuits have generally deprived sports of volunteers and participants. Sport is changing rapidly and it is pointless to talk of the past when sport was fun and less business-like. The issue at hand is to find a vehicle that can fulfil the current needs of sports development.
MS: Does the 'win at all cost' mentality pose a huge problem?
KC: Yes it does, even in youth sports. Coaches and administrators, whose jobs too often depend not on their performances but on that of young people in their programmes, encounter countless ethical dilemmas on how to balance their own professional interests with the needs of the athletes for whom they are responsible. Coaches, sport psychologists and sports physicians are enticed, sometimes coerced, into enhancing athletes' performance at the expense of those athletes' health and well-being.
MS: What is your philosophy in sports?
KC: Sports can and should be a place for fun and excitement, for joy, even ecstasy, Sports can contribute to the participants' health, psychological, physical, social and spiritual development. Sports can and should be courts of justice, venues for rejuvenating ideals and promoting the character needed to work toward those ideals.
Profile: Datuk Ho Koh Chye
Date of birth: Nov 5, 1942.
Place of birth: Seremban.
Family: Seventh among nine children. Married to Datin Lee Siew Chan, two children.
Career: Teacher at King George V School in Seremban until 1974, seconded to Sports Ministry and later, the National Sports Council, Retired as Director of International Preparation Division, NSC, in 1992. Appointed Executive Director of the newly-formed SportExcel and served
until 1996. Consultant to the Johor Government for sports development, joint chef-de-mission of the 2003 Vietnam SEA Games. Currently vice-president of the Malaysian Olympian Association (MOA) and member of the Asiacomm 2006 project technical committee. Sporting achievements: Hockey international from 1960 to 1968. Competed in the Asian Games (1962 Jakarta, 1966 Bangkok) and Olympics (1964 Tokyo, 1968 Mexico).
Coaching career: National coach for the World Cups in Amsterdam '73, Kuala Lumpur '75, and Buenos Aires '78.
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