Skip to main content

MGF go back to grassroots to tap new talents

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) deserve a pat on the back for admitting their mistakes.
And what is more pleasing is their willingness to learn from it in a bid to bring back the glory days in the men’s and women’s artistic event, beginning with the Guangzhou Asian Games next month.
Yesterday, Asiad team manager Abdul Razak Mat Amin, who is also the MGF deputy president, admitted it was time to go back to the grassroots and bring in new and fresh faces to the men’s and women’s artistic team.

A shortage of new talents was evident at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi recently – especially in the men’s artistic team.

Malaysia have been banking for far too long on injury-prone seniors like Onn Kwang Tung and Mohd Iwan Miskob.

Kwang Tung took part in only three events and was not able to join the team for a training stint in China prior to the Games due to health reasons.


Instead of bringing in the veterans, Malaysia could have named at least one or two promising gymnasts from the back-up squad – like Hairi Zaid, Hoe He Hao, Hoe He Ping, Daniel Iskandar Richard, Chan Chong Yuan, Mohd Syazwan Sahimi and Mohd Hamzaruddin Nordin.

Razak said that they would have to come up with a comprehensive training programme to expose the younger gymnasts.

“There is no point looking back on what went wrong. It is time to start afresh and look into ways to develop the men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics,” he said.
“We have the potential but we need to tap it in the best way we can. We need to come out with long-term comprehensive plan. The gymnasts need to be sent out on long-term training stints and competitions.
“I have the confidence that Malaysia has the talents to be the best in Asian region. If we invest now, we will see new faces and stars in the next four years – for the Commonwealth and Asian Games. Both the MGF and NSC (National Sports Council) will have to work together to achieve this.”
Meanwhile, Razak said that the injured Cheong See Teng would be replaced by Tracie Ang in the women’s artistic team for the Guangzhou Asiad.

See Teng dislocated her right elbow during training on the eve of the competition at the Commonwealth Games.

Besides Tracie, the others in the Asiad squad are Lum Mun Foong (men’s artistic) and two rhythmic gymnasts – Elaine Koon and Nur Hidayah Abdul Wahid.

Elaine did the country proud in New Delhi – winning the gold in the hoop events. But she will be hard-pressed to repeat the feat in the more challenging areana in the Asian Games, which are usually dominated by China.

By RAJES PAUL


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...

Indonesia Choose Komodo Dragon As SEA Games Mascot

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- Host for the 26th SEA Games, Indonesia has chosen the Komodo dragon as mascot for the 2011 Games which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 25. The Indonesia SEA Games Organizing Committee (Inasoc), was qouted by Jakarta Post as saying that a pair of Komodo dragons, a male (Modo) and a female (Modi), were chosen in recognition of the Republic's conservation efforts to protect the dwindling number of the rare lizard. Modo and Modi were unveiled last night at a function in Jakarta, to mark the 200-day countdown before the games open on Nov 11 in Palembang. The Komodo dragons, the largest lizard in the world, only live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. On Jan 15, Inasoc unveiled its logo, a Garuda eagle, to symbolize the power and grandeur of Indonesia. Indonesia dominated the Games between 1977, when it first competed, and 1997, failing to top the medal charts only twice in that p...