'SEA Games A Circus'

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Axing of Olympic sports, inclusion of capteh, upsets Malaysian minister

		ST PHOTO: ALBERT SIM

KUALA LUMPUR: - Malaysia's Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has labelled the South-east Asia Games a circus.

Incensed that first-time host Laos, who will stage the next edition in December, has dropped Olympic sports such as gymnastics and hockey, but included events such as fin swimming and shuttlecock kicking (capteh), he said the biennial regional sports fest will no longer be a priority for Malaysia.

SEA Games 2009 *Sports that will feature: Athletics, aquatics (diving, swimming), archery, badminton, billiards and snooker, cycling, boxing, fin swimming (above), football, golf, judo, karate, muay thai, petanque, sepak takraw, shooting, shuttlecock kicking, silat, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and soft tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu. Olympic sports that are missing: Fencing, gymnastics, handball, hockey, rowing, sailing. ... more

SEA Games hosts have historically had a big say in the number and type of sports that feature in each edition. Among the reasons cited are the lack of facilities, equipment or technical expertise.

The SEA Games' previous edition in Korat, Thailand, featured 43 sports, from which Malaysia took 68 golds, its best 'away' showing.

But this year's edition in Laos is expected to feature only 25 sports.

As such, Malaysia has already 'lost' some 34 golds as the country's traditional gold prospects, such as tenpin bowling and squash, have been sidelined.

'What is the use of concentrating on the SEA Games when it does not offer popular sports which are in the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games,' The New Straits Times quoted Datuk Seri Ismail as saying after he launched the Youth Square at Bukit Jalil on Saturday.

'Even in a hundred years, fin swimming will not make it to the Olympics, and so, it is better that our preparations be watered down.'

Bernama quoted the minister as saying that Malaysia might send second-stringers to Laos, although his ministry would discuss the matter with the National Sports Council and the Olympic Council of Malaysia before making the decision.

He was also upset with the cancellation of cycling, although The Straits Times could not confirm this. He noted: 'If Laos say that they can't organise indoor cycling because they do not have a velodrome, it is understandable. But they have even done away with the road races, and I am sure they have roads there.

'It is fast turning into a community Games, and that is why it is better we concentrate on the 2010 Commonwealth and Asian Games as they are good stepping stones to excel at the Olympics.'

'What is the use of concentrating on the SEA Games when it does not offer popular sports which are in the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games? Even in a hundred years, fin swimming will not make it to the Olympics.'

'If Laos say that they can't organise indoor cycling because they do not have a velodrome, it is understandable. But they have even done away with the road races, and I am sure they have roads there.'

Datuk Seri Ismail, Malaysia's Sports Minister

Straits Times