Will Norza stay in tune?
OCM boss promises to vacate one post if he wins BAC presidency
I REMEMBER auditioning for the school choir when I was 12.
I can’t remember the song though but I belted it out of tune and was booted out of the hall.
And when I was asked to sing at a sports media karaoke session during a buka puasa gathering organised by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) on Wednesday, I chickened out, as the memories of 34 years ago came flooding back.
But OCM president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria stepped up to the plate with an emotional Hari Raya song which drew a thunderous applause.
It was probably Norza’s first get-together with the media since he took office on April 24 last year.
Life has been hectic for Norza as he’s been juggling his duties as the president of the OCM and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
Unlike some who will make wholesale changes, Norza prefers to take the middle path by making minor tweaks to keep the OCM moving forward.
He knows his big test will be the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Asked whether Malaysia can end their gold-medal wait, he took a long pause before saying: “There will be medals for sure.”
Looks like we have to keep on waiting. We will bank on cyclist Azizulhasni Awang again to deliver.
At the Rio Games four years ago, he won the bronze.
Divers also delivered in Rio but after the turmoil they have been through, I’m not sure they can put on another splashing show.
Badminton?
As the BAM supremo, Norza is under tremendous pressure to repeat the shuttlers’ three silver medals in Rio.
In the absence of Lee Chong Wei and several top players who have turned professional, the burden will be on the youngsters. And the chances of a medal are slim indeed.
And just when it seems that Norza already has a lot on his plate, he announced his intention to vie for the Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC) president’s post during the buka puasa event.
He will be up against incumbent Anton Aditya Subowo for the 2019-2023 term during the election in Nanning, China, on May 25, where the Sudirman Cup will take place.
His intention, though, is noble.
He knows being a key voice in the region is important as that would allow him to make a difference in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) one day – just like in the days of the late Datuk Punch Gunalan when he was deputy BWF president.
“We already have a state-of-the-art training centre here (Bukit Kiara) and if I can be the BAC president, I can use this place as a training base for Asian countries, especially from the developing nations,” he said.
Norza added that he will give up one of his posts after the 2020 Olympics if he is elected BAC president. That will most likely be the BAM post.
Asked whether he has a successor in mind, Norza replied: “It’ll be an outsider.”
Norza has given his word that he will not wear too many hats and hopefully, when the day comes for him to choose, he will not be singing a different tune!
The writer is not against officials holding many positions. It’s okay if they can contribute but the trouble is many overstay their welcome.