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S’pore Athletics Cancels Taiwan Training Camp After SportSG Scolded Them

2017-06-21 , 10:43 am

Remember the saga last week when a group Whatsapp messages of Singapore Athletics (SA) Management Committee was leaked to the internet?

SA Vice-President, Govindasamy Balasekaran, said in the Whatsapp group that they must gather evidence to get a coach into trouble.

Then, they will force the President of SA to take disciplinary action against what they alleged is his favourite coach.

Well, they’re now talking in a different tune. Here’s what happened.

SportSG CEO Lim Teck Yin Scolded SA Management Committee

SportSG CEO Lim Teck Yin issued a statement to the media on Monday evening.

In his statement, he reminded all parties involved in the saga that the needs of the country and athletes takes priority over all other issues, especially when the SEA games is coming soon.

“It is therefore disappointing that continuing distrust and discord in the team leading Singapore Athletics is hurting the sport.”

He said that all parties (read: the management committee) should put aside personal feelings and work professionally towards getting the best results in the upcoming games.

Previously, technical director Volker Hermann threatened to take Singapore Queen of Sprint, Pereira, off the squad for the 4x100m relay despite the fact she’s the fastest sprinter in the team.

He was also the one to plan the centralized training camp in Taiwan.

SA Cancels Taiwan Training Camp, National Sprinter Pereira to Join The Centralised Training

The SA cancelled the centralized training camp in Taiwan, and will be holding it in Singapore or Malaysia instead.

The coach involved in the saga, Magaret Oh, says she will allow Pereira to take part in the centralized training now that the location of the training has been changed.

She had fought for the venue to be changed because the climate of Taiwan is different from KL where the Games will be held.

She said that the focus should on the athletes for now, and to put all other matters to rest first.

SA Vice-President Govindasamy Hopes Ugly Episode Will Be Put Behind Them

Vice-President Govindasamy Balesekaran maintained that the Whatsapp screenshot was “illegally obtained” and “taken out of context”.

He said that with the upcoming SEA games, he hopes that everybody involved will put this ugly episode behind them and focus on winning the games.

“I fully agree that we should put our differences aside and work towards the coming SEA Games. We have to be athlete-centric and not put the coaches and athletes in trouble”.

He went on to add that energy will be better used to ensure both coaches and athletes get what they need to do well at the games, rather than getting them into trouble.

“That is a selfish attitude, which only serves one’s own interest and not the interest of the coaches and athletes.”

That’s a rather admirable thing to do, acknowledging that his past behavior was selfish. I guess that’s the closest thing to an apology you’d ever get from him. #SorrySeemsToBeTheHardestWord

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This article was first published on goodyfeed.com