$O$, Malaysian sport needs some cash

2011/09/05 By Syed Nadzri Share|

South Africas Oscar Pistorius runs on artificial limbs but his 400m time is faster than any Malaysian male sprinters. AFP picture

MORE hard truths have surfaced in recent weeks about Malaysia's lousy sports standard: in athletics, the long-standing national men's 400m record is even slower than the time recorded by a double amputee at the just-ended IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. If that's not embarrassing enough, how about this -- Malaysian men's sprinters on current form are so poor that they would virtually be neck-and-neck if they were to run with women such as the United States' Carmelita Jeter, who clocked 10.90 seconds in Daegu. And in football, the national team was trounced 4-0 a few weeks ago in Bukit Jalil by visiting English club Arsenal, the same side that was given an 8-2 drubbing by Manchester United in a Barclay's Premier League match two days before Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

So go figure at what level we stand. But the sadder truth is some rich Malaysians would rather spend their money on foreign clubs than help raise these low standards at home. The "man with no legs" is Oscar Pistorius of South Africa who clocked 45.37 secs last week to qualify for the 400m semi-finals at the IAAF meet. They called him that because he ran with artificial lower sections on both legs after being amputated because of an ailment when he was a baby. The Malaysian record for the event is 46.41 secs set by Zaiful Zainal Abidin a good 10 years ago, while the fastest time recorded by a Malaysian this year is only 47.37 secs by Kedah's P. Yuvaaraj.

Yuvaaraj's time is considered good by Malaysian standards, even though at that pace he would be left trailing by about 20m if he were to race against Pistorius, who is also known as the "Blade Runner". That's how far behind Malaysia has lagged though some would like to believe that in Pistorius' case, the carbon fibre transtibial artificial limbs he is fitted with gives him an unfair advantage over able-bodied men.

But the truth is, in football, as in athletics and many other sports, the cry for help is getting louder by the day in Malaysia. And the rich businessmen are not helping.

Football officials seem to be basking endlessly in the glory of the country being Southeast Asian champions by virtue of winning the Suzuki Cup not too long ago. But not many realise that this "victory" did nothing to improve Malaysia's world rankings. In fact, in the latest listing, Malaysia is at a dismal 146th, down eight notches since March. It must also be noted that while Malaysia has been knocked out of the World Cup qualifiers, its immediate neighbours -- Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand -- have their hopes still alive as they are all through to the ensuing round. Ain't that a shame? And while we brood over the poor standard, it is lamentable to learn that some Malaysians are pouring money into club acquisition and sports promotion elsewhere but not in their own country which, given the deplorable standards, needs help most. The New Sunday Times reported two days ago that Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Datuk Chan Tien Ghee coughed up STG6 million (RM29 million) last year to secure 36.7 per cent of shares in Cardiff Football Club, which is not even in the premier division in the English League. Last month, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and two business partners completed the purchase a controlling stake in Queens Park Rangers for reportedly STG45 million (RM216 million). QPR? The only thing that strikes me about the club apart from the horizontal striped jersey is that it moves up and gets relegated down the league divisions like a yo-yo. Among its greats, only the name Gerry Francis comes to mind. He was captain of the club and England in the mid-1970s, sporting Elvis sideburns. QPR just got promoted to the Premier League but I don't think it will stay there for long. So is that a good investment? Tune Air, another Malaysian company, is also a big spender in English football, sponsoring referees and match officials in the Premier League and the League and FA Cups. The deal is also said to be worth millions. They say the investments were totally business moves and that the strategies had a lot to do with branding and enhancing business image. Some describe the deals as being in line with the Malaysia Boleh spirit. Malaysia Boleh indeed. Performance in sports is important in enhancing a nation's status. Just take a cue from the Olympic front-runners, the Gulf states and the former communist countries. If only all the money spent by the businessmen were to be channelled to enhance Malaysian sports instead -- like helping to pay for Guus Hiddink or Josep Guardiola or Diego Maradona as coach. But that's wishful thinking. The local tycoons are just not interested.

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