Skip to main content

MAF to appeal decision

THE Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) will file an appeal after the Kuala Lumpur High Court lifted former deputy president Karim Ibrahim's six-year suspension on Friday.

MAF president Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad (pic) said the national body will also review its constitution after the judge ruled that MAF could not suspend Karim as its constitution did not say he was a member at the time.

"We will have to look at our constitution and by-laws again and lodge an appeal," said Zainal.
"There is not much else we can do as we have already spent a lot of money, over RM100,000, on this case.

"This money could be better spent on development. It's a really sad case, and I was not even the president when this happened yet we are now picking up the pieces."

The sum cited by Zainal also includes a RM50,000 fine imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations after six national athletes skipped doping tests in May 2011.

An independent inquiry set up by MAF and chaired by former appeals court judge Tan Sri V. C. George found Karim responsible for telling the sprinters to skip the dope tests.

MAF subsequently banned Karim for six years while the sprinters were given bans ranging from 18 months to two years with all results since May 2011 nullified, which meant a 4x100m men's relay bronze medal at the 2011 Sea Games was taken away.

Zainal noted that Karim did not challenge the validity of the inquiry's findings, only MAF's right to suspend him.

"We have had to rebuild a whole new squad after what happened before. It was not easy and we do not want our work to be disrupted," said Zainal.


By Devinder Singh

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rajagobal Let Off The Hook

PETALING JAYA, April 24 (Bernama) -- National head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal was let off the hook by the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) Disciplinary Committee after finding no evidence that he had violated FAM's Article 88, as claimed. FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Taufik Abdul Razak said the committee had decided not to charge Rajagobal after carefully analysing the video of the post-match press conference by the 56-year-old coach. "After listening to the recording of the post-match press conference, we decided to drop the charge against Rajagopal as he did not make such a statement. "Maybe his (Rajagobal) assessment and comments of the match was misconstrued by the media. There was no mention of the FAM policy throughout his comments," said Taufik after emerging from a three-hour Disciplinary Committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, here, Wednesday. Rajagobal who does not mince his words when asked to com...

Atlet Tempuhi Empat Kejohanan Besar Sebelum Olimpik Rio 2016

KUALA LUMPUR, 31 Mei (Bernama) -- Empat temasya sukan penting yang dijadual berlangsung mulai Disember ini hingga 2015 menjadi medan persiapan atlet negara sebelum menghadapi cabaran Sukan Olimpik 2016 di Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, kata Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin Jumaati. Kejohanan berkenaan ialah Sukan SEA di Myanmar pada Disember, Sukan Asia 2014 di Incheon, Korea Selatan, Sukan Komanwel 2014 di Glasgow, Scotland dan Sukan SEA 2015 di Singapura. Bercakap kepada pemberita selepas melawat Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) di Bukit Jalil di sini, Khairy berkata kesemua temasya sukan itu dilihat amat penting dalam memastikan impian negara untuk membawa pulang pingat emas Olimpik pertama menjadi kenyataan. "Kita di Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) mahupun MSN akan memastikan semua atlet mendapat bantuan sewajarnya dalam melakukan persiapan ke arah membawa pulang pingat emas pertama negara di Rio de Janeiro, Brazil nanti," katanya. Dalam perkemb...

Uber Cub: Malaysian squad Can Spring A Surprise - Ahmad Shabery

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek remains confident that the national Uber Cup squad can spring a surprise when Malaysia hosts the Thomas and Uber Cup finals at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil from May 9-16. He said despite not being the favourite, the women's team was able to surprise everyone by winning the gold medal at the Laos SEA Games. "I am confident they (Uber Cup team) will be able to produce a similar surprise. Not only are they capable of reaching the semi-final, they can go further," he told reporters after having lunch with national shuttlers here Thursday. National badminton Team manager Datuk Syed Abu Bakar Abdullah who echoed the minister's confidence said: "In Laos, nobody expected the women's team to win the world, so why not the Uber Cup? All they need to do is try their very best." Women's team captain Wong Pei Tty said she and her team-mates have set a target of r...