THE winds of change howling through the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) signal that something could be seriously wrong at its Toa Payoh headquarters.
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The timing of STTA president Lee Bee Wah’s revelations that high-performance manager Antony Lee (picture) would not be back after his secondment is over at the end of this month, and casting doubt on the future of head coach Liu Guodong, may have caught many by surprise.
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But the drastic action, less than a week after the sport’s basking in the glow of a magnificent feat — the women winning the team silver at the 2008 Olympic Games — indicates thatMs Lee had to act quickly, if Singapore table tennis was to reap the benefits after the team’s Olympic performance.
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When I spoke to Mr Lee yesterday, he was bewildered and frustrated that the latest developments have taken the shine off one of the greatest stories in Singapore’s sporting history.
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The association’s outgoing chiefexecutive officer Jackie Tay told Today two months ago that being a role-model national sports association was not “key” for the STTA.
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One wonders if the body’s newmanagement wants to change the mindset within the association, that boosting local talent numbers at the base of the pyramid is as important as pursuing elite development.
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It is a fact that all six of our table tennis players who competed at the Beijing Games are graduates of the foreign sports talent scheme.
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There is no question that the six are citizens who have done Singapore proud, but it is time these stars inspire young Singaporeans to also become world-beaters.
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Maybe Ms Lee wants to see ifMr Liu can continue to have the same impact after two years in the job as head coach.
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Or the STTA may well feel it needs a fresh face to shake things up as it looks ahead to London 2012.
