Sports

Monday August 3, 2009

Mini Olympics – A necessity or another redundancy?

Comment by RAJES PAUL

EVERYONE stood up to sing Negaraku as the Malaysian flag fluttered majestically inside Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara on Thursday.

And Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei had finally won an ‘Olympic’ gold medal for the country.

No, it’s not what you think. It’s the National Sports Council’s (NSC) Mini Olympic Games gold medal!

There were other ‘Olympic’ champions too. At the archery ground, Fazli Hisham Fauzi stole the show; at the shooting range, Bibiana Ng continued to show her prowess in the pistol event after making a comeback from a two-year ban over doping offence.

More stories of tears and joy will unfold over the next few days.

But is this Mini Olympic Games really necessary? Or have we lost the plot?

Is it necessary for Chong Wei to give up two days of his precious time to compete in the Mini Olympics than focus on his preparation for next week’s World Championships in Hyderabad, India?

What is the real objective of the Mini Olympics?

If it is for the elite few in the country, then why did the NSC relax their rules to allow the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) to register over 300 participants, thus compromising on quality?

Or is the Mini Olympics just a platform for someone to make money or perhaps even for some “new leaders” to brag and feel good about having pulled off a great feat?

There were banners and accreditation tags for athletes and officials. These would not have come cheap. Even volunteers are paid to be part of the Games.

According to Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, the government spent RM1mil on the biennial Games in the hope of raising the spirit of Olympicism to spur the athletes to get it right at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Yes, the amount spent is “small” compared to the RM2mil budget for the World Cup karate in Kuching, Sarawak.

RM1mil may be nothing to some but it is the people’s money and it is only right that every penny of it is justified!

And, if the purpose of the Mini Olympics is to instil the spirit of Olympicism among the athletes, couldn’t the authorities just used the national championships of the respective sports for that? But then again duplication is not something new in Malaysian sport.

Not too long ago, Malaysia created a monster called the Malaysian Women’s Games, which had no clear purpose or direction and, eventually, it fizzled out. But millions went into the drain – or more likely into the pockets of those with connections.

And then there is this new noble thing called Yakeb (National Athletes Welfare Foundation), headed by Datuk Paduka Dr Mumtaz Jaafar. What happened to the welfare unit led by Zaiton Othman in the NSC?

Couldn’t both these bodies have pooled their resources together and work hand-in-hand for the same purpose – to take care of the current and former athletes?

Shabery defended the Mini Olympic Games, saying it was one of a kind.

It can be Datuk, but only if more thought is put into it.

Honestly, there is potential for the Games to be developed – that much is agreed upon by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) top brass and most of the NSC officials, who have worked hard over the last few months to make the Games a success.

But the onus is on the decision-makers to ensure that only the athletes and coaches benefit from the Games.

That means giving less emphasis to the frills of the Games and focusing on the real objective of the Games, which is to produce future Olympic champions.

Probably, the NSC could work together with all the National Sports Associations (NSA) and plan it such way that all the national championships can be held at the same time and that event can be called the Mini Olympic Games.

And, perhaps, the next time the Malaysian flag is raised at a Mini Olympic Games, there will be a real sense of pride.

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