PETALING JAYA: The recent resignation of top rhythmic gymnast Foong Seow Ting from the elite programme is the last straw for Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) and National Sports Council (NSC).
And both parties want to start afresh on a programme to bring excellence for Malaysia in the sport.
The 22-year-old Seow Ting, who was being groomed to strike a rich vein in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year, decided to walk out of the programme because she has had enough of the sport.
The NSC’s elite programme director, Mohd Ariffin Ghani, said that Seow Ting’s sudden decision to quit was the result of her inability to endure the training under the country’s long-serving Russian coach, Elena Kholodova.
The four-gold medal winner at he 2005 Manila SEA Games was one of the gymnasts who left the programme for various reasons over the last two years. The others included Brenda Yap, Durratun Nasihin Rosli, Chrystal Lim and Jaime Lee.
The MGF secretary, N. Shanmugarajah, said that changes were needed to strengthen the programme and the association would want to play a more significant role in setting targets and evaluating the gymnasts.
“Seow Ting’s resignation is quite shocking and it is certainly the wrong time for her to leave. We had just send her for a training stint in Russia and we had hope on her to do just as well as Durratun in the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“But her decision has showed us that it is time for us to reinforce our programme properly. There must be a more effective way for us to evaluate and set targets for the gymnast. We have to sustain them so that they will not drop out from the programme.
“We will also have to review the role of the foreign coaches and how best they can support our gymnasts, who comes through a different culture and background.”
And to get the MGF started in strengthening their programme, the NSC have hired Petrina Low as the athletes’ welfare coordinator to work together with the national rhythmic team manager P. Ramalinggam.
Petrina, who started work last month and had observed the gymnasts at the training centre, said that there was more to rhythmic gymnastics than just coming out with a comprehensive and winning programme.
She said that for a start, it was important to see a change in the attitude of the gymnasts and their parents.
“It takes a lot of hard work to become a champion. Nothing comes easy. When one enters the elite and back-up squad, they should be prepared to take up some amount of responsibility and train with their heart and soul,” said Petrina, who has 30 years of coaching experience behind her.
“But what I see are some gymnasts whining and complaining all the time. A coach asks the gymnasts to perfect their routine again and again but they refuse. This mind set and attitude need to change.”
Petrina added that parental role was important, especially when the gymnasts come into the programme at a tender age. But she hoped that there would be minimal interferences.
“There should be a two-way communication between the coaches and parents. Sometimes, the parents get a one-sided view and that leads to problem,” she said.
Petrina said that a new batch of young gymnasts would join the national team next month and she hoped that the current elite and back-up gymnasts would change their attitude in training and be good role models for them.
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