Kuwait names former athletics stalwart delegate to SEA Games

Myanmar fans beaten up at football stadium

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 22, (Agencies): Kuwait’s Public Authority for Sports (PAS) has assigned former athletics champion Mahmoud Abul to the position of special envoy to the ongoing Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in Malaysia.

In a statement issued by PAS, Abul was quoted as saying he was thankful for the officials’ trust in him and vowed to represent Kuwait well.

The former athletics superstar added that he, along with referees and officials would spare no effort to ensure that the SEA Games are successful.

Meanwhile, two Myanmar fans have been beaten up at a Southeast Asian Games football match against Malaysia, police said on Tuesday, putting home supporters under further scrutiny after they were criticised for calling Singaporeans “dogs”.

Police said the Myanmar fans were punched and kicked in the face and body outside Shah Alam Stadium on Monday, when Malaysia beat Myanmar 3-1 to reach the regional competition’s semi-finals.

One of the fans was admitted to hospital and another left after treatment, police said, adding that a hunt for the attackers was under way.

The incident came to light as SEA Games organisers condemned Malaysian football fans for chanting “Singapore dogs” during an earlier game.

The organising committee called the incident, footage of which has been circulating online, “highly regrettable” and said it was against the spirit of the 11-nation Games.

“Any incident that is contradictory to this spirit of togetherness and unity, especially hurling of insults at other participating nations in whatever form, is highly regrettable,” the committee said in a statement.

“Fans are urged to refrain from chanting offensive religious or racial slurs at all times,” it added.

Malaysian Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said: “Things like that should not take place in the Southeast Asian Games. We should play and support with honour and dignity.”

The chanting was recorded during Malaysia’s 2-1 Group A win over neighbouring Singapore in Shah Alam on August 16.

Malaysian fans have drawn flak for using the same insult before, including in 2012 when footage of chanting from a Suzuki Cup game also raised hackles in Singapore.

“We Singaporeans only lose the game to them, but they lose their morals and game spirits,” Rashidah Begum Shye posted on Facebook.

“Sports rivalry is good but when it descends into name calling, racist chants and unsporting behaviours, it’s bad,” wrote JJ Chong.