A fine show in Thailand, but we have to roar louder

DID we do better than Singapore? Did we do better than Singapore?

That was the question repeatedly thrown at the sports desk as the SEA Games in Thailand neared their end.

When the curtain finally came down on Saturday night with fireworks, robust dances and a colourful display of lights, Malaysia finished fourth overall with a medal haul of 57 gold, 57 silver and 117 bronze at the 33rd SEA Games.

And yes, we did better than the Lion City by winning five more gold medals than our southern neighbours.

By most measures, it was a fine outing for Malaysia.

We did better in many ways. There were more national and Games records broken on the track and in the pool compared to the last few editions.

Athletes ended long waits in certain events, giving Malaysians reasons to celebrate and hope.

The sepak takraw men’s regu team finally ended a 34-year gold drought, while the table tennis mixed pair clinched a historic silver, which was Malaysia’s first medal in 58 years in the event.

There were surprises too, in sports we least expected, from judo to muay thai, adding colour and excitement to a Games that had early been threatened by floods in the south and border clashes in the north of Thai.

What was encouraging was the honesty from stakeholders – they admitted that Malaysia faltered in some Olympic sports.

But many new faces stepped forward and made their presence felt. At SEA Games level, seeing youngsters flex their potential is always a positive sign.

It was also a significant Games on the administrative front.

For National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Jefri Ngadirin, it was a baptism of fire as he led his first SEA Games with calm and charisma.

For Hannah Yeoh, it marked the sudden end of her tenure as Youth and Sports Minister – but a fitting one.

It was admittedly odd to see a minister passing the baton midway through the Games as Hannah handed over to Dr Taufiq Johari, but she can leave knowing she has done well for Malaysian sport over the last three years.

Since taking over in 2022, at a time when sport was still recovering from Covid-19, Hannah seemed to never stop working.

She introduced policy changes, improved athlete welfare and pushed reforms with integrity.

She faced challenges and spent much of her tenure firefighting, but emerged unscathed.

More than anything else, Hannah will be remembered as a minister who was a friend to athletes.

She broke protocol and rank to be on the field by sharing struggles and successes with them. She listened, showed compassion and, most importantly, acted. She did not just hear athletes’ needs but responded to them.

That is why social media has been flooded with tributes from athletes appreciative of her almost ‘Mother Teresa’ role.

Under her watch, athletes were also trusted with leadership roles and it was evident in the appointments of Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei, Datuk Nicol David and Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi under the Road to Gold programme.

While there is much to smile about from the SEA Games and Hannah’s contribution, all is not fine and dandy in Malaysian football.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) keep collecting fines and not trophies.

Last week, FIFA added to their misery by penalising FAM for fielding ineligible players in three Tier 1 international matches against Cape Verde, Singapore and Palestine. FAM were fined RM51,414, and all the match results were declared null and void.

This came on top of the RM1.8 million penalty already imposed for using foreign players with doctored documents during this year’s Asian Cup qualifiers.

Two days ago, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) added further salt to the wound by penalising FAM again – this time for other infringements at Asian-level tournaments.

And there could be more pain ahead.

If FAM’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) fails, the AFC could revoke all their results in the qualifiers, effectively knocking Malaysia off the World Cup qualification pathway.

Yesterday, FAM announced they would lodge a police report to probe the culprit behind the falsification of documents involving seven mixed-heritage players.

Their current secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, who is serving a suspension, will now has to face the FAM disciplinary board and will be under FIFA investigation too.

It looks far from fine in the local football scene.

With the CAS verdict expected next month, this may not be the start FAM are hoping for in the new year.

Another year will unfold in just over a week. Let’s hope Malaysian sport reaches greater heights – with more fine achievements and fewer fines.

One thing, however, seems certain. At the next SEA Games in 2027, when Malaysia play hosts, we should do better than Singapore, the ‘fine’ city, and all the other countries in the region too.

And that will be the finest moment.

The writer wishes all The Star readers a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.