Monday, November 21, 2011

Minister Disappointed Over Lacklustre Performance Of Two Sports Associations

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- There was no kick in the Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia (PSM) in its performance at the SEA Games in Indonesia.

Neither was there a spring to the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) at the biennial games.

Expressing disappointment over the lacklustre performance of the two sports associations, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said they did not meet their targets at the games.

The youth and sports minister has made an impassioned plea to the PSM and MAAU to conduct a post-mortem on the decline of their athletes.

He wants a detailed investigation to be carried out by the sepak takraw and national athletics teams to ensure there was no encore of their below-par performance.

"In sepak takraw, we used to be behind Thailand at one time but now, Indonesia has emerged as a new threat to our squad.

"It is also the same with athletics where we obtained gold in several events but I am not happy from the aspect of minimum participation where we did not send any representatives for the 1,500 metre and 5,000 metre events," he said.

Ahmad Shabery was speaking to reporters after opening the 1Malaysia Futsal Championship in Precinct 18 here today.

The national sepak takraw squad was targeted to bag at least a gold medal but could only deliver two bronze medals after being beaten in the regu and team events to Thailand, and host Indonesia, respectively.

The athletics squad clinched only six gold medals as it participated in a portion of the events as MAAU limited participation due to many athletes not being able to meet the qualifying limit set.

Ahmad Shabery said he was not pointing fingers at the weak administration of both associations but they too, had a responsibility in finding new talents.

-- BERNAMA

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