Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Sports, politics and money – a potent mix by R Nadeswaran
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Malaysiakini : COMMENT | Government interference
in sports is frowned upon worldwide. Even the Olympic Charter prohibits
its interference in National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Several
countries are at varying stages of introducing laws which curtail the
power and jurisdiction of their NOCs, a dangerous move which could lead
to a suspension from the International Olympic Committee.
But
without government funding, sports go nowhere. It is a conflict of sorts
that countries bidding to host international events are required to
produce a letter stating that its bid is supported by the government
which agrees to provide or make available resources.
In 2008,
Malaysia made headlines when then sports minister Azalina Othman Said
reportedly asked (the late) Punch Gunalan to step down as the deputy
president of the World Badminton Federation.
This prompted the WBF to send a gentle reminder that government interference will not be brooked.
The spat
last week between Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu and the former
deputy sports minister Steven Sim as to who should be held responsible
for the dismal performance at the recently concluded SEA Games is a case
in point.
Uncontrollable monster
When the
Ministry of Sports and Youth was set up in 1972, it occupied two floors
of a government building along Jalan Gurney (as it was then called).
These days, it is housed in Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur in a sprawling
complex, manages sports facilities and employs thousands in various
capacities at national and state levels.
The budget for 2021 was a
whopping RM940 million and has since been cut down to a RM247 million
but even this is generous by all standards.
What was initially
supposed to be a funding agency to nurture, support and facilitate the
enhancement of the standard of sports has turned out differently. The
ministry and the National Sports Council have turned into an
uncontrollable monster because of the money at its disposal.
‘The Flying Doctor’ Mani Jegathesan - the fastest man in Asia in the 1960s
They
have dictated who should be employed as coaches, often bypassing
National Sports Associations (NSAs), selecting the chef de mission for
international events, circumventing the Olympic Council of Malaysia. At
one Olympics, a Sports Ministry official led the march past!
Many
of these travelling civil servants have little role to play but when an
athlete wins or qualifies, they are first on the side-lines to hug the
player for press photographers. A cursory look at the posts and pictures
on social media attest to this.
Their “achievements” are
displayed in their offices where their accreditation cards for these
events are displayed like sportsmen displaying their medals.
Those
days when there were no electronic communications or handphones, sports
administrators had a prefix to their positions. They were “honourary
secretaries” and “honourary treasurers” in NOCs. These days, we have
general managers, directors of coaching, directors of finance, head of
performance, etc.
Who’s to blame?
So, who
is to blame for the drop in standards? Why are politicians and business
people jostling for positions in NOCs? How many officials have actually
played or participated in sports? How many are knowledgeable on the
rules and other requirements? In some instances, they may have played
for Blue House or Yellow House in primary school or had taken part in a
cross-country race!
About 40 years ago, the sports fraternity
watched in awe when Jegathesan was ousted from the Malaysian Amateur
Athletic Association by someone who knew little about track field.
These
days, these officials are making the headlines for all the wrong
reasons including jostling for posts and wrongful use of funds. Has any
official taken responsibility and resigned for the debacle in Hanoi SEA
Games or for any other indiscretions? They will never because of the
gravy train provides them status and provides junkets to international
events plus hefty allowances.
In his book ‘Foul’, (the late)
Andrew Jennings who exposed corruption in sports and brought down
football supremo Sepp Blatter, says there is enough money at the
disposal of the crooked incumbents to ensure “clean” challengers will
never be in the picture.
Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu meets athletes and coaches at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil
Like
politicians, some of our sports officials go on state-to-state tours
like just before elections. They seek votes from affiliates who send
delegates for the annual meetings.
Money has always been a great
mover in sports and I can recall envelopes being distributed at the
annual meeting of one NSA to delegates, including a reporter for being a
scrutineer in the elections.
So, what next for Malaysian sports?
We must go back to the basics like the good old days when sports was
helmed by sportsmen who knew, understood and loved sports.
Where
do you find these people, one may ask? There are many who have the time
and love of sports. But this group does not have the resources and the
clout to do anything.
One ex-international asked: “What chance do I
have against a menteri besar or a minister who has the money and uses
his position?”
The vagaries of sports are easy to understand.
Sports is a microcosm the events in the country. Both are on downward
spiral and ordinary people like you and me can only lament and watch
helplessly.
