Sports Bureau confounds lawmaker

DESPITE emphasizing the autonomy vested in local sports associations under the law, the Sports Bureau (ID) said it reserves its rights to the final approval when associations pick athletes to represent Macau.

The comment was made in a reply to an earlier inquiry by lawmaker Ron Lam, who questioned the ambiguity in the selection process of athletes, among other matters.

He cited a person, who had attained first runner-up in a regular competition hosted by the relevant sports association but was eventually not picked to represent Macau, to support his question.

Lam implied the existence of nepotism in the process.

In his reply, Lau Cho Un, acting president of ID, used nearly half of the text to explain that selection of athletes is within the autonomy of local sports associations.

It cited the Decree-law No. 67/93/M, of which Article 23 stipulates that sports associations have the responsibility to “promote, regulate and direct, in Macau, the practice of a sport.”

In addition, the ID official cited Item C, Clause 2, Article 26 of the same legislation, which notes that registered sports associations have the rights to “[organize], either competitive teams that confer Macau champion titles, or the [selection] teams representing the

Territory.”

With this said, ID appears firm on the autonomy of local sports associations, but adds that sports associations need to submit reports to the government to justify their selections.

The reports should consist of data concerning the picked athletes, selection methodologies and training plans. Only then shall the nominated athlete obtain approval to represent Macau.

Although this hints at ID’S goalkeeping position, Lau emphasized that stakeholders in each type of sport have various channels to have the respective selection mechanisms recognized.

Lau promised the lawmaker that “ID [would] continue urging each sports association to release relevant information to improve transparency of the current mechanism in a timely manner.”