IN CONTROL: Datuk Nicol David hits back at Camille Serme of France during the quarterfinal match of the Malaysian CIMB squash Open in this Sept 14 file photo. Nicol beat Serme by 12-10, 11-7 and 11-6. — Bernama photo
Datuk Lee Chong Wei
KUALA LUMPUR: Sporting success and controversies headlined 2013 as an eventful year for Malaysian sports as the local sporting calendar comes to a close with the conclusion of the Myanmar SEA Games.
After 18 days of competition, Malaysia ended their campaign in Myanmar with 43 gold, 38 silver, 76 bronze to finish fifth overall compared to the fourth placing in 2011 with 59 gold, 50 silver, 82 bronze won in Indonesia.
Squash queen Datuk Nicol David and shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei continued to provide the sparks that ignited the country’s success in the international arena throughout the year.
Nicol, the seven-time world champion had started year 2013 at the wrong end after suffering two defeats, namely in the Cleveland Classic (Feb 5) and British Open (May 26) but bounced back to capture five titles in a row to establish herself as the darling of the sport.
The 30-year-old won five World Squash Association (WSA) titles clinching the Malaysian Open (Sept 15), Carol Weymuller Open (Oct 6), United States Open (Oct 18), China Open (Oct 27) and Hong Kong Open (Dec 8).
Chong Wei, the world number one became the first player to win the BWF World Superseries Finals for four consecutive years and added the South Korea Open, Malaysian Open, Indian Open, Indonesian Open, Japan Open and Hong Kong Open to his array of titles.
Just like success in sports competed by normal athletes, there was also success in paralympic sports when Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli brought home the gold medal from the F20 category (intellectually disabled) shot putt at the IPC World Athletics Championships in Lyon, France.
His success also brought about a transformation in the handing out of incentives under the National Sports Council (NSC) incentive scheme albeit his historical gold medal winning feat.
The 23-year-old became the first disabled athlete to enjoy the same amount of reward received by able-bodied athlete, following the announcement of the new scheme by the Sports Ministry on Aug 1.
Ziyad won gold with a throw of 15.32m – beating his personal best of 15.12m which earned him bronze at the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
The National Junior hockey’s squad’s fourth place finish at the Junior World Cup Hockey championship in New Delhi, India is a not he r feat worth mentioning along the lines of international success.
Coached by Muhammad Dharma Raj Abdullah, the squad went on to match the success of the 1979, 1982 and 1985 teams, and in the process surpass the top six target set by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC).
Success aside, the local sporting scene was not without its internal conflicts, controversies and drama, especially on and off the football field.
The appointment of suspended Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Tan Sri Annuar Musa in the National Football Development Plan (NFDP) by Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, kicked up a fuss around the FAM corridors.
The FAM’s cont ent ion was that since Annuar was suspended by the FAM earlier, the national body would not at tend any meetings called by the panel if Annuar was in the committee.
Annuar who is also the Kelantan Football Association advisor has since resigned from the committee and all other posts in football associations.
The FAM was also in the headlines again when the national body said it would not renew the services of its once revered coach Datuk K Rajagobal when his contract expires on Dec 31, apparently for the failure of the National squad to qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup.
Current Harimau Muda (National U-23) coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee will step into his shoes, temporarily, so says the FAM but whether he too will remain in the FAM’s payroll remains a question when the National team, as the defending champion, returned home empty handed from the 27th Myanmar SEA Games.
The overall results of the Malaysian contingent to the Myanmar SEA Games was also below excellence after finishing fifth overall with 43 gold medals behind Thai land, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Just like previous SEA Games, the sepak takraw team dished out a dismal performance to say the least, even losing to Laos in the process (men’s doubles), prompting Khairy to call for a post-mortem. — Bernama