Sports bodies must answer for poor performance — CDM
PALEMBANG: National sports associations (NSAs) must take responsibility and explain on the poor performance of some athletes in the ongoing the JakartaPalembang Asian Games, said deputy chef-de-mission (CDM) Datuk Dr SS Cheema.
He said the Olympic Council Malaysia (OCM) must call up the NSAs for post-mortem after the Games concludes on Sunday, to justify their reasons for sending “totally unfit” athletes to regional Games.
He said it is important to filter and only send the deserving ones to compete to avoid Malaysian athletes from becoming a subject of mockery at the second biggest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympics.
“In our post-mortem we will make some proposals for the OCM board to deliberate on the selection process, especially when you see some of the athletes from the B Category sports. We were assured by these NSAs that these athletes might not deliver medals or might deliver, but were prospects for the future.
“But prospects for the future also must have certain standards, when you are practically nowhere compared to others, then things are not right. Did the NSAs take the best athletes to the Asian Games? Because the name of the country is involved and we do not want to be mocked here.
“I think those who underperformed really should be answerable now, especially the athletes who are totally unfit. In some of the sports we saw that, totally unfit and they do not deserve to be here,” he told Bernama.
Dr Cheema, who is also the OCM Medical and Anti-Doping Committee chairman, was asked to comment on netizens’ attacks on Fatin Syahirah Roszizi, after a video of the skater falling down numerous times during the women’s Street event went viral.
On Wednesday, the 16-yearold seemed too nervous and not up to par when she finished last among eight contestants in the event with a mere 5.4 points at the Skateboard Stadium here.
Philippines’ Margielyn Didal claimed the gold with a superior lesd of 30.4 points, while the silver went Kaya Isa (25.0) of Japan and host skater, Bunga Nyimas (19.8) taking the bronze.
Fatin Syahirah then deleted all her posts in her Instagram account and apologised to fellow Malaysians for the poor performance after being mocked by netizens.
Meanwhile, when asked about the selection process, Dr Cheema said OCM as the umbrella body totally depended on the NSAs to come forward to present the selected athletes, before OCM shortlisted them for the Asian Games under either category A or B (Category A involves fully sponsored athletes while costs will be reimbursed for Category B if medals are won).
“The time frame given to us to do the selection was not enough because we are dependent on what the NSAs tell us… So some NSAs told us that they have gone for this world tour and many international tournaments.
“They said our athletes have been to Asian level (meets), won this prize, medal prospect etc…So we trusted and believed them, but it seems like things do not work this way.
“So we must have enough time and change how the selection is done,” he said.
In some of the sports we saw that, totally unfit and they do not deserve to be here. Datuk Dr SS Cheema, deputy chef-de-mission