Singapore athletics suspends two senior officials

SINGAPORE — The Singapore Athletic Association (SAA) has suspended Steven Lee and Loh Chan Pew from their positions as vice-presidents of Training and Selection, and Competitions Organising, respectively, with effect from Feb 18.

TODAY understands that both were sanctioned for infringing the national sports association’s rules of eligibility and ethics, which also refer to misbehaviour or unfair practices.

Loh is understood to have sent a letter of complaint to the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) this month, containing allegations against SAA General Manager James Wong.

Lee also submitted a letter of complaint to the International Association of Athletics Federations without seeking SAA President Tang Weng Fei’s approval.

In a unanimous decision by the SAA’s Management Committee in a meeting at the Hotel Royal on Tuesday, Loh and Lee are to be suspended until the SAA’s elections in June this year, but remain eligible to stand for re-election at the annual general meeting.

The latest development comes as a blow for the SAA, which had seen the resignations of Loh, the interim Chief of Sports Development and Performance, and his deputy Tim Ng last month.

A veteran coach and sports administrator, Vice-President (Competitions Organising) Loh had also been appointed the interim chief last April after the abrupt resignation of former national sprinter Canagasabai Kunalan.

The 69-year-old also oversaw the athletics contingent at the South-east Asian Games in Myanmar last December, which saw the 24-strong national team return with two gold in the men’s marathon and women’s shot put, three silver and three bronze medals.

A former Chairman of S-League club Paya-Lebar Punggol (2005-2006) and Vice-Chairman of Liaoning Guangyuan (2007), veteran sports administrator Lee had joined the association in December 2012.