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SEA game 2017

Ender

By Ender,
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Nlatio

Nlatio

Turbocharged

QZW nearly lost the 100m back. So was JS in the 100m free.

 

Poor Samantha weep after losing the 100m frog to local favourite. She tried her best to catch up but in the end pushed the eventual winner to a new SGR.

 

Lost to own 师妹ok lar... at least younger one are ready to take over..... lost to others then really bang wall!!!

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RadX

RadX

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great sportmanship.  Good on Rui Yong and kudos to the sponsors ASICS and HTWO0 for keeping his sport alive

 

http://www.todayonline.com/sports/sea-games-indonesian-marathoner-praises-rival-soh-rui-yong-sportsmanship


SEA Games: Indonesian marathoner praises rival Soh Rui Yong for sportsmanship
cd8d6306-2f23-49ee-a955-889013130d85.jpg
Soh Rui Yong and Agus Prayogo after the marathon. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY
 
 
PUBLISHED: 8:51 PM, AUGUST 28, 2017
UPDATED: 7:33 AM, AUGUST 29, 2017
 

SINGAPORE — It was a moment missed by most media outlets. Save for one Indonesian journalist, no one else reported when Singapore runner Soh Rui Yong performed a small act of sportsmanship during the men’s marathon at the SEA Games two Saturdays ago (Aug 19).

In the final 8.9km loop of the 42.195km race, Soh and Indonesia’s Agus Prayogo were leading the pack when Prayogo missed his drink at a designated hydration point. Noticing this, Soh offered the remainder of his own isotonic drink to Prayogo.

 

Although Prayogo declined Soh’s offer, he praised the Singapore runner in an interview with Indonesian sports newswebsite DetikSport. 

“Even if we are enemies on the field, we still maintain sportsmanship,” Prayogo said. “He (Soh) took his drink, I didn’t managed to take mine, and so he asked me if I wanted to take his.”

The Indonesian runner, 31, explained to DetikSport that he didn’t take up Soh’s offer because each athlete had his own drink. Soh later won the race, while Prayogo took silver. 

The “story of the water bottle” gained over 700 ‘likes’ and ‘loves’ on DetikSport’s Facebook page. Soh wrote on Facebook that he had forgotten about the moment until Sunday (Aug 27) when he saw the article online.

The 26-year-old, who became the first Singaporean male marathoner to win back-to-back SEA Games titles, has praised Prayogo several times during this SEA Games. 

Describing the Indonesian as his “good friend and idol”, Soh said on Facebook that he was emotional during an interview with the media after the marathon as he felt he was winning the race “at the expense of crushing a good friend’s dream”. 

 

“Agus is a hero of mine - I’ve always cheered hard for him in every single competition he races, feeling genuine joy when he wins and heartache when he loses.

“(The SEA Games) was the first time I’ve ever been good enough to race Agus toe-to-toe over any distance.

“That mixed bowl of emotions - elation mixed with guilt, maybe even slight regret - is what made me tear up when asked about Agus.

“I hate benefitting at the expense of friends...Sometimes I hate that there can only be one gold medalist per race,” he said.

Prayogo has also showed his respect for Soh. After the race, he told DetikSport: “This is the result, and we have to recognise that the opponent (Soh) is better”.

This is not the first time that Soh has shown a gesture of sportsmanship during a race. In 2012, it was reported that the marathoner had stopped midway through the Army Half Marathon to check if compatriot Ashley Liew needed help after the latter tripped and fell at the 8km mark. Soh eventually won that race while Liew finished second.

 
 

 

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Nlatio

Nlatio

Turbocharged

 

great sportmanship.  Good on Rui Yong and kudos to the sponsors

 

 

 

Yes, Team Singapore show what true sportmanship is all about.... we may not have won the most medal, but we can be damn proud of our Team Singapore Boys and Gals.... kudos to them....

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Ender

Ender

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This Ashley Liew also has sportsmanship. In one of the marathon, the front runners ran off course, Ashley didn't take advantage of that and waited for those runners to be back on track then continued his run.

This Ashley Liew also has sportsmanship. In one of the marathon, the front runners ran off course, Ashley didn't take advantage of that and waited for those runners to be back on track then continued his run.

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Ender

Ender

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(edited)

The Sport Assoc so messy..

 

http://www.todayonline.com/sports/sea-games-marathon-champ-soh-lodges-protest-sports-authorities-over-gold-medal-winnings

 

SEA Games marathon champ Soh lodges protest with sports authorities over gold-medal winnings
He does not want 20 percent of his $10,000 prize money to go to Singapore Athletics because of its infighting and lack of support for athletes
  
Published  11:15 PM, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017  
Updated 11:15 PM, September 16, 2017 

SINGAPORE – Already under fire for a poor showing at the recent Kuala Lumpur (KL) SEA Games, Singapore Athletics (SA) was once again thrust into the spotlight on Saturday (Sept 16) after a protest lodged by men’s marathon champion Soh Rui Yong.

Soh, who successfully defended his title in KL last month, has sent a protest letter via email to the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) expressing his unhappiness that 20 per cent of his winnings from the SNOC Multi-Million Dollar Awards Programme (MAP) will be given to SA.

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The SNOC states that it is compulsory for recipients of the MAP to give 20 per cent of their award money from the SEA, Asian and Olympics Games to their national sports associations (NSAs) for training and development.

With the monetary rewards for a SEA Games gold pegged at S$10,000, Soh and high jumper Michelle Sng will have to contribute S$2,000 each to SA. Silver and bronze medallists at the regional Games do not get any money.

 

Soh, however, is unhappy about the rule, citing the infighting at the association, poor management, and lack of support for athletes as reasons for his reluctance to contribute a portion of his winnings to SA.

“I have decided to lodge a protest because I believe that the 20 per cent of gold medal prize money that every athlete requires to give back to the NSA should not be taken for granted,” he told TODAY.

“Common sense dictates that this 20 per cent is meant as a gesture of goodwill to the NSA for helping the athlete achieve the success at the SEA Games, while also acting as a future investment in development.”

Ahead of his marathon race at Putra Jaya, Soh alleged that SA technical director Volker Herrmann had shouted at him for cutting holes in his race singlet. Soh explained later that it was meant to provide more ventilation during his race.

Sprinter Shanti Pereira, the defending 200m gold medallist who won a bronze in KL, also said after her 200m race that her coach’s dispute with Hermann before the Games had affected her. Ahead of the Games, Pereira’s coach, Margaret Oh and Herrmann had disagreed over the location of the centralised training camp, with the association then threatening to boot Pereira out of the women’s 4x100m relay team.

Other athletes such as pole vaulter Rachel Yang and sprinter Dipna Lim-Prasad – who won two silver medals in the 400m and 400m hurdles and broke Chee Swee Lee’s 43-year-old national record in the 400m – also ran into issues with the association. According to The Straits Times, Lim-Prasad had lodged a complaint this week with SA against Herrmann for undermining and publicly criticising her coach Luis Cunha during the season.

Soh added: “For the 2017 SEA Games, SA has not only failed to adequately help our athletes, but they have also hindered the performance of several athletes with continued infighting, turmoil, and poor administration.

“Volker shouting for me to be taken off the team for cutting holes in my singlet to deal with the heat and humidity of Malaysia was a great example. His clash with Margaret disrupting and negatively impacting Shanti was another example. Other examples include Dipna and Rachel Yang’s issues.”

In his email, Soh suggested that the 20 per cent of the winnings be given back to the athletes, or donated to a charity of their choice, rather than the association. He said: “The lack of concrete development plans for the future also cast serious doubts over the future of the sport. As such, I believe that Singapore Athletics is undeserving of the S$2000 that SNOC takes out of my MAP award to give to them.”

Responding to queries from TODAY, a SNOC spokesperson said on Saturday: “The SNOC Multi-million Award Programme is an incentive initiative to reward medalists at the SEA, Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games.

“It is mandatory for recipients of the SNOC MAP to give 20 per cent of the awards to their NSAs for future training and development. This requirement is among the conditions agreed between the SNOC and our sponsors which we have to fulfill.”

SA president Ho Mun Cheong, however, said he has no objections to allowing Soh to keep the 20 per cent due to the association. “To me, he deserves the money because he went overseas for training,” said the athletics chief.

“As long as SSI, SNOC agree, I have no objections. This is across the board, if Michelle approaches the SSI and SNOC (as well), I have no objections.”

Singapore Athletics has come under fire from the fraternity – particularly the athletes and coaches – and the Government in recent months.

Earlier this year, infighting and politicking among SA’s executive committee saw the association calling for snap elections to elect a new management committee. The proposal was canned only after intervention by International Olympic Committee member Ng Ser Miang. The impasse between both camps led by Ho and vice-president (training and selection) Govindasamy Balasekaran has yet to be resolved.

Ahead of the Games, Herrmann’s dispute with Oh, and damning whatsapp group messages leaked to media which showed Balasekaran asking secretariat staff to collect evidence against Oh and other coaches, saw the SNOC and Sport Singapore stepping in to set up a committee to take over the management of its SEA Games squad.

Following a poor showing at the Games, where Team Singapore’s athletes won just two out of 45 gold on offer - the national sports association was also criticised by Sport Singapore, with its chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin and SSI chief Toh Boon Yi calling for the association to get its act together, and to “go back to the drawing board.”

 

 

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Ender

Ender

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(edited)

Saw this at HWZ...

 

If not for Soh Rui Yong's protest in not giving a portion of the prize money to Singapore Athletics (SA), Didn't know so many dirt in the rganisation. Very politic.

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/leaked-whatsapp-chat-exposes-sa-strife

 

Trouble continues to brew at Singapore Athletics (SA), casting a pall over the athletes' recent good showings and leaving track and field's bid to put up a creditable show at the SEA Games in doubt.

Photos of a WhatsApp conversation involving key officials and SA's Sports Development and Performance (SDP) team made its rounds yesterday, reflecting the internal turmoil within the sport's local governing body as well as the deep resentment officials appear to hold against each other.

The conversation was not dated, but it is believed the photos were taken during the Thailand Open last week, when a handful of athletes did well to post national records and personal bests.

In the conversation, SA vice-president (training and selection) Govindasamy Balasekaran was shown to be instructing staff to "get good evidence" to be shown to "P" - believed to be SA president Ho Mun Cheong - and "force him to get disciplinary action" on coaches Margaret Oh (sprint) and David Yeo (pole vault).

Balasekaran also wrote: "Margaret needs to get into trouble so we can take action on her."

SA staff such as technical director Volker Herrmann, SDP manager Ong Wan Xin and senior executive Shalindran Sathiyanesan were also part of said conversation.

 
 

SPARE A THOUGHT FOR ATHLETES

These people are supposed to help the athletes - what a joke.

HO MUN CHEONG, Singapore Athletics (SA) president, reacting to a WhatsApp conversation that showed SA vice-president (training and selection) Govindasamy Balasekaran instructing staff to "get good evidence" that will ensure coaches Margaret Oh and David Yeo face disciplinary action.

OH SO FRUSTRATING

I don't know why this is happening. Maybe I've been asking too many questions. I feel like I have to keep watching my back.

MARGARET OH, coach of sprinter Shanti Pereira, on why it appears that key SA officials want to see her get into trouble.

PERSONAL CONVERSATION

It's an invasion of personal privacy... was obtained illegally and being used against us to divide SA - again. It shows poor maturity.

'' GOVINDASAMY BALASEKARAN, on a WhatsApp conversation appearing in the public domain.

Balasekaran had suggested in the WhatsApp group that the two coaches concerned are Ho's "favourites" and that evidence had to be sourced for the SA president so that he "will then shut up".

When contacted yesterday, the SA vice-president, besides being enraged that this was, to him, an "invasion of privacy", also suggested that the photos had been leaked by SA president Ho.

He has been at loggerheads with Ho for months. The discord within the SA top brass came to a head last month, when Ho called for an extraordinary general meeting to hold snap polls and elect a new management committee. The election did not happen after the meeting was called off a day before it was slated to take place.

Balasekaran said: "The text messages were taken out of context. It's a private conversation between people in my team.

"It's an invasion of personal privacy... was obtained illegally and being used against us to divide SA - again. It shows poor maturity."

When asked about his suggestion about obtaining evidence to get the coaches "into trouble", the SA vice-president said his team are merely working towards what they feel is best for the entire team.

The associate professor at the National Institute of Education, and head of its physical education and sports science department, said: "If she (Oh) doesn't go by the book, then we need evidence to do something. We are trying to get athletes together but the president is trying to undermine everyone.

"He (Ho) is not doing his job at all - he's been creating all the infighting. He's not a leader - simple as that."

It is believed that the SA officials' beef against the respective coaches surround disagreements concerning their charges. (See sidebar)

One particular dispute could potentially mean that the Republic's fastest woman and SEA Games 200m champion Shanti Pereira, could be dropped from the 4x100m relay.

The national record holder in both the 100m and 200m sprints is expected to meet SA officials today in a bid to find common ground regarding her participation at the centralised training camp in Taiwan next month.

The episode, however, has already caused both the sprinter and her long-time coach Oh undue stress in the lead-up to the defence of the athlete's SEA Games title in Kuala Lumpur in two months' time.

A tearful Oh told The Straits Times yesterday: "I don't know why this is happening. Maybe I've been asking too many questions. I feel like I have to keep watching my back.

"The secretariat and the high performance staff are supposed to support us. I've devoted almost 40 years of my life to athletics. It's very sad that things are like this."

Yeo, meanwhile, said his conscience is clear. The pole vault coach, who also lectures at Republic Polytechnic, added: "Whenever I do things, I do it in the right way so in that sense, I feel safe.

"But I'm a very independent party. I do my own thing, I don't associate myself with anybody and certainly don't consider myself the president's favourite. If that's how others want to see it, then so be it."

Ho has raised the issue with SA management committee members and also spoken to the association's legal advisers about the matter.

But while he lambasted the timing and conduct of the officials involved and has even contemplated setting up a committee to investigate the matter, he said no action will be taken for now.

Said Ho, who claimed he learnt of the issue after he was shown the WhatsApp conversation yesterday: "These people are supposed to help the athletes - what a joke. When you go after coaches, it's also an attack on the athletes. For the moment, I want to keep our focus on the SEA Games as I don't want to affect the athletes' training."

But the SA chief did not hold back when asked about the acrimony that appears to have developed among officials, coaches and athletes since German Herrmann came on board in April.

"He's high-handed," said Ho. "When you're hired as a technical director, your main job is to mentor the coaches and transfer technical knowledge. He should work closely with athletes and coaches.

"All these are irritations and disruptions that affect the athletes and coaches. We should be athlete-centric."

The German, who is on a two-year contract, said he would prefer the focus stay on the athletes' progress on the track.

He said: "A huge amount of time is being spent discussing this, which has nothing to do with the sport. I hope people focus more on the necessity of training. I would like to focus on working with athletes and coaches and on the major Games that are coming up."

 
THE DISAGREEMENTS

Internal strife between some members of Singapore Athletics' high performance team and two local coaches - Margaret Oh and David Yeo - was highlighted in the WhatsApp conversation that made its rounds yesterday. Here is what the parties have disagreed about recently:

DAVID YEO

The veteran pole vault coach ran into resistance with SA's management when he tried to register 16-year-old pole vaulter Cherlin Sia for the Thailand Open last week.

Technical director Volker Herrmann did not give the go-ahead for her participation - not without a doctor's clearance - since the young athlete had suffered an injury at the Asian Youth Athletics Championships last month.

Yeo, who felt that his athlete could recover in time, obtained the required medical clearance and got approval from SA president Ho Mun Cheong instead when Herrmann did not respond.

MARGARET OH

Much of the animosity surrounding Oh, whose protege is 2015 SEA Games champion sprinter Shanti Pereira, stems from issues that include the sprinter's participation in a pre-SEA Games centralised training camp scheduled to take place in Taiwan next month.

With Pereira pencilled in for the Asian Athletics Championships in India in the first week of July, Oh had questioned the location of the camp as well as the possibility that the travelling would result in unnecessary fatigue for her 20-year-old charge.

It is understood that the sprinter was given an ultimatum in return - participate in the camp or be dropped from the women's 4x100m relay.

The Straits Times understands that similar warnings were also hinted to other athletes who did not accede to SA's training arrangements for the relay teams.

May Chen

 

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Mcf777

Mcf777

Turbocharged

if you are Singaporean, not easy to be sportsman.

Every thing, have to pay yr own.

Be it training or going overseas for competition

 

Only NEW Citizen will get all the benefits

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