Skip to main content

Gone but not forgotten

IN MEMORY: All sporting events to be scaled down as a mark of respect to passengers and crew of MH370

  SPORTS Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that all upcoming sporting events this week will be toned down as a mark of  respect to the victims of the ill fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Khairy said it would not be possible to cancel the competitions but promotional and side-events will either be scaled down or cancelled.

"Due to international commitments we are not able to cancel events such as the Formula One race in Sepang, the EurAsia Cup (golf) and the Laureus Awards," said Khairy when met at the Laureus All Stars Unity Cup friendly match in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
"We hope the Malaysian public will understand that we cannot cancel the events as they have been planned for a long time.

"We have, however, advised organisers to tone down their events to show their sympathy towards the family members, relatives and friends of all the passengers and crew aboard the flight.
"Petronas has cancelled their (pre-Formula One) concert and even Laureus have scaled down their events and have dedicated this match (Unity Cup) to the victims."

Former France international Christian Karembeu, who took part in the friendly match between Laureus and Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia selection sides, expressed his sympathy towards those affected by the tragedy.

"Football is hope and we wanted to show solidarity in support for those affected. Knowing what happened we know it is a very difficult time," said Karembeu.

Laureus World Sports Academy chairman Edwin Moses echoed Karembeu's sentiments in an official statement released yesterday which had announced a reduced programme of activity that had been scheduled in the build-up to the awards which will be held today at Istana Budaya.

"Everyone in the Laureus World Sports Academy has been upset by this terrible tragedy," said Moses.
"With the Laureus World Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur this year, we feel particularly close to the Malaysian people at this time which makes what has happened even more personal and distressing.
"We feel the appropriate action at this time is to scale down some of our activities over the next two days.

"On behalf of the Laureus Academy and the wider Laureus Family around the world, I would like to share our sadness at this latest news and pray for the passengers and crew, and their families of this awful accident which has touched so many people in so many different countries of the world."

Among the many stars that took part in the Unity Cup match yesterday were Michel Salgado, Hidetoshi Nakata, Michael Laudrup, Gaizka Mendieta, Steve McManaman, Ronald De Boer and K. Sambagamaran.

(From left) Hidetoshi Nakata, Quinton Fortune and Steve McManaman taking part in the Laureus All Stars Unity Cup friendly match in Bukit Kiara yesterday. Pic by Hasriyasyah Sabudin

Read more: SPORTCHECK: Gone but not forgotten - Other - New Straits Times

Comments

Post a Comment

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...
2 comments
Read more

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,...
1 comment
Read more

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...
4 comments
Read more