Wanted: Strong leader, unified team for Singapore Athletics

SINGAPORE — A new chapter in Singapore Athletics’ (SA) history will be written this evening when the 21 affiliates of the national track and field body elects the association’s new management committee at its Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The battle to lead the SA as president will be fought between lawyer Edmond Pereira and current honorary secretary Ho Mun Cheong. Both men have also assembled their respective teams to compete for the remaining 10 positions in the committee.

While the local sporting fraternity waits to see which would-be president and team will come out on top, members of Singapore’s athletics community TODAY spoke to believe the new management committee will have to possess certain traits in order to bring the SA to the next level.

A STRONG, DECISIVE LEADER

Top of former national relay coach Hamkah Afik’s wish list is a president who possesses a strong character that will allow him to make difficult decisions.

This is especially important as one of the first tasks the new president will likely have to do is to mend the rift within the athletics community, following a bitter public war of words between both teams in the lead-up to the elections.

“You need a strong leader who can control the house because, right now, there are two camps within the committee,” said Hamkah, an ex-national sprinter. “He must also not be afraid to make tough decisions, as long as it’s for the good of the association. SA must have a leader who can be firm and ensure the whole team is intact. He must also establish the correct structure and protocol for the association, and make sure everyone sticks by it.”

Agreeing, national sprinter Calvin Kang said he hopes the new president will be more than just a figurehead, and walk the ground in order to better understand what needs to be done to raise Singapore athletics.

“This means attending training sessions and competitions, no matter how small or big, to get a better understanding of what we as athletes have to face,” said Kang, 26. “Essentially, the leader must not only care about the results, but also the process behind it.”

UNITY WITHIN COMMITTEE AND FRATERNITY

Current SA president Tang Weng Fei, who will step down from his role at tonight’s AGM, cited constant disagreements within the SA’s executive committee behind his decision not to run for re-election.

While Ho and his team — almost half of whom are in the current committee — have denied Tang’s claims of infighting, ex-national sprinter UK Shyam believes SA’s progress was hindered by a lack of unity.

It is why the 39-year-old, who still holds Singapore’s 100m sprint record, wants the new management committee to work together.

“Infighting and politics was something that plagued the previous management,” explained Shyam. “This problem was accentuated by the tendency to take things personally by committee members, and often manifested through dissent within the team and problematic selection procedures. So there is a need for a depoliticised committee.

“Sadly, the local athletics community is fractured, because people are judged and treated according to what club they belong to or which coach they train under. This is divisive for the community.”

Highlighting a lack of firm leadership “which failed to manage a non-cohesive team” as one of the biggest issues that plagued the current SA management team, athletics coach and former national sprinter Muhammad Hosni said he wants the new committee to work as one.

“Not just within the committee, but also between officials, coaches, athletes, affiliates and clubs,” said Hosni. “Keeping the theme ‘working together’ as the primary goal in moving the sport forward should be put into action and be consistent, so that officials can come together to create winning ideas to achieve greater heights for athletics.”

PUTTING ATHLETES FIRST

While sorting out the chinks within the SA’s committee is important, a management team’s success is ultimately judged on the results.

Calling for the new team to be mindful of the athletes’ needs, Hamkah said: “You need coaches and officials to run the show, but the end result should be about the athletes. The goal should be to take care of them.

“You need (a team) who is for the athletes because, at the end of the day, they are the ones competing. How they fare should be the committee’s main concern. As such, they should ensure that the conditions are right for the athletes to thrive.”

To meet the athletes’ needs, both Kang and Shyam have urged the new committee to look into fine-tuning the current selection criteria used by the SA to decide which athletes to send for the major Games. “The changes made to selection criteria in recent times were ambiguous,” said Kang. “So I hope the new team will take the athletes’ views and consideration into account when looking into this matter, or any other issue.”

Shyam added: “A pressing issue is to fine-tune and develop selection criteria that is objective and transparent, and strike the right balance between selecting athletes who truly have the calibre, while giving athletes with potential the chance to compete and improve.

“This is not an easy task, but it will have great implications on the pedigree of talent that is developed over the next few years.”

TEAMATHLETICS

President – Edmond Pereira

V. President (Training & Selection) – Melvin Tan Kim Boon

V. President (Competitions) – C. Kunalan

V. President (Finance) – Cheng Heng Tan

Honorary Secretary – Poh Seng Song

Honorary Assistant Secretary – Damon Yong

Honorary Treasurer – Sheena Hu

Statistician – Ron Koh Tong Eng

Women’s representative – Lee Yan Lin

Chairman (Officials) – Govindaraju s/o Sinnappan

Chairman (Race Walking) – Joe Goh

Chairman (Tech & Equipment) – Jezreel Mok

Chairman (Tug of War) – Rahmatullah s/o M.S Shaik Dawood

Chairman (Cross-Country & Road Running) – Ghana Segaran

TEAM ACHIEVERS

President – Ho Mun Cheong

V. President (Training & Selection) – G.Balasekaran

V. President (Competitions) – Loh Chan Pew

V. President (Finance) – R.Rajandran

Honorary Secretary – Alexander Louis

Honorary Assistant Secretary – Tan Ming Jen

Honorary Treasurer – Alvin Phua

Statistician – Peter Back

Women’s representative – Margaret Oh

Chairman (Officials) – Joe Yap

Chairman (Race Walking) – Leong Lee San

Chairman (Tech & Equipment) – Ong Choon Poh

Chairman (Tug of War) – Terry Tan

Chairman (Cross-Country & Road Running) – A.Kannan