Volleyball slap saga: Coach makes open apology to all volleyball players

MELAKA: Hadee Awang made an open apology to all volleyball players in the country and is willing to accept any action against him over the slapping saga of two teenagers.

The 44-year-old volleyball coach said he regretted his action and had no qualms if the relevant sports bodies wanted to punish him for his actions.

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"I admit to doing the act to motivate the teenagers.

"I have my own approach to train my athletes including psychological and physical methods," he said when met at a meeting with Melaka youth, sports and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) committee chairman V.P Shanmugam at the Melaka Sports Council premise in Krubong here on Wednesday(Jan 4).

The teenagers were also present at the meeting.

Hadee said he would not be a coach without the trainees.

"I am no one without them and truly am sorry for the whole incident," he said.

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Hadee said he had also apologised to the parents of both teenagers and all the volleyball associations in the country.

Previously a video, showing a coach of a volleyball team slapping two of his teen players, went viral on social media.

The incident is believed to have happened during the 2022 Malaysia Youth U-14 Volleyball Championship in Kota Tinggi, Johor, which was held from Dec 14 to 16 last year.

Meanwhile, Shanmugam said further decision to terminate the service of Hadee as coach would be reached by Malaysian Volleyball Association (Mava) after the probe conducted jointly with Education Ministry.

He said the state was also conducting separate probe on what transpired during Under-14 Youth Volleyball Championship B-14 2022 in the girls category.

The meeting was also attended by director-general of Malaysian Sports Council (MSN), Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, Mava President Hean Boon Yeow.