Now undecided
Liu says even if STTA wants him to stay, he needs to think about it. He adds:
'I need space to do my job.'
'I need to be able to make decisions that won't be second-guessed.'
'I can't have people trying to disrupt what I am trying to achieve here.'
By Lin Xinyi
Coach Liu's second thoughts came barely 24 hours after he said that he was looking forward to helping the Singapore team prepare for the 2012 Olympics. -- PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN/MY PAPER
View more photos
LESS than a day after welcoming the positive news that Singapore Table Tennis Association president Lee Bee Wah looked forward to working with him in preparation for the 2012 Olympics, Liu Guodong is having second thoughts about staying on as national head coach.
He told The Straits Times yesterday: 'Even if the STTA wants me to stay, I will need to think about it.'
Enough has been said
'I believe commenting further won't help them to resolve their problem. I also think enough has been said about this issue. The only way is to let the team sort it out within themselves.' - Singapore National Olympic Council president Teo Chee Hean. Mr Teo, who is also Defence Minister, was speaking after the National Day Parade Appreciation Reception last night
This latest development comes as a shock after there were signs of progress on Tuesday night, when both Liu and Ms Lee said that they were looking forward to working with each other.
Then, Ms Lee had said: 'I've considered that Liu Guodong has done a great job with the girls and met the target of a medal at the Olympics.'
But, yesterday morning, Liu had a change of heart.
He said: 'This whole saga - am I staying or am I going - has really hurt my pride.'
If he is to stay on, his top concern is the environment he will be working in.
Liu, 34, said: 'I need space to do my job.
'I need to be able to make decisions that won't be second-guessed.
'And I can't have people trying to disrupt what I am trying to achieve here.'
If those assurances are given, Liu said he will stay on - '100 per cent'.
However, as things stand, he is uncertain about staying put until he has had a discussion with Ms Lee.
She did not want to comment on the issue when approached at the National Library last night after the closing ceremony of Read! Singapore 2008.
Despite leading the women's table tennis team to a silver - Singapore's first Olympic medal in 48 years - there were initial doubts over Liu's future.
This, after STTA chief Lee said that his fate would be decided by a coaching committee last Saturday.
The uncertainty followed the fiasco in the Olympics' men's singles event, where Singapore No 1 Gao Ning played without a coach by his side and crashed out in the third round.
Following the 'Gao Ning incident', Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan promised a full review of the controversy after Team Singapore returned from Beijing on Monday.
Yesterday morning, the minister had a meeting with paddlers Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu, Sun Beibei, Gao Ning, Yang Zi and Cai Xiaoli.
Dr Balakrishnan also met the coaches and team manager Antony Lee. It is unclear what was discussed. All Liu would say was that 'it went well'.
Although there was speculation within the sporting fraternity that Liu had offered to resign yesterday, he quashed the rumour.
He insisted that he will see out his current contract, which runs till Dec 31.
This means that he will be in charge when the Republic's paddlers compete at next month's Volkswagen Women's World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
Liu said: 'We've worked so hard to get to where we are. I still hope that I can be here to consolidate our position, which will be harder than our rise to the top.'
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Wang Meng Meng
Latest comm
Liu says even if STTA wants him to stay, he needs to think about it. He adds:
'I need space to do my job.'
'I need to be able to make decisions that won't be second-guessed.'
'I can't have people trying to disrupt what I am trying to achieve here.'
By Lin Xinyi
Coach Liu's second thoughts came barely 24 hours after he said that he was looking forward to helping the Singapore team prepare for the 2012 Olympics. -- PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN/MY PAPER
View more photos
LESS than a day after welcoming the positive news that Singapore Table Tennis Association president Lee Bee Wah looked forward to working with him in preparation for the 2012 Olympics, Liu Guodong is having second thoughts about staying on as national head coach.
He told The Straits Times yesterday: 'Even if the STTA wants me to stay, I will need to think about it.'
Enough has been said
'I believe commenting further won't help them to resolve their problem. I also think enough has been said about this issue. The only way is to let the team sort it out within themselves.' - Singapore National Olympic Council president Teo Chee Hean. Mr Teo, who is also Defence Minister, was speaking after the National Day Parade Appreciation Reception last night
This latest development comes as a shock after there were signs of progress on Tuesday night, when both Liu and Ms Lee said that they were looking forward to working with each other.
Then, Ms Lee had said: 'I've considered that Liu Guodong has done a great job with the girls and met the target of a medal at the Olympics.'
But, yesterday morning, Liu had a change of heart.
He said: 'This whole saga - am I staying or am I going - has really hurt my pride.'
If he is to stay on, his top concern is the environment he will be working in.
Liu, 34, said: 'I need space to do my job.
'I need to be able to make decisions that won't be second-guessed.
'And I can't have people trying to disrupt what I am trying to achieve here.'
If those assurances are given, Liu said he will stay on - '100 per cent'.
However, as things stand, he is uncertain about staying put until he has had a discussion with Ms Lee.
She did not want to comment on the issue when approached at the National Library last night after the closing ceremony of Read! Singapore 2008.
Despite leading the women's table tennis team to a silver - Singapore's first Olympic medal in 48 years - there were initial doubts over Liu's future.
This, after STTA chief Lee said that his fate would be decided by a coaching committee last Saturday.
The uncertainty followed the fiasco in the Olympics' men's singles event, where Singapore No 1 Gao Ning played without a coach by his side and crashed out in the third round.
Following the 'Gao Ning incident', Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan promised a full review of the controversy after Team Singapore returned from Beijing on Monday.
Yesterday morning, the minister had a meeting with paddlers Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu, Sun Beibei, Gao Ning, Yang Zi and Cai Xiaoli.
Dr Balakrishnan also met the coaches and team manager Antony Lee. It is unclear what was discussed. All Liu would say was that 'it went well'.
Although there was speculation within the sporting fraternity that Liu had offered to resign yesterday, he quashed the rumour.
He insisted that he will see out his current contract, which runs till Dec 31.
This means that he will be in charge when the Republic's paddlers compete at next month's Volkswagen Women's World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
Liu said: 'We've worked so hard to get to where we are. I still hope that I can be here to consolidate our position, which will be harder than our rise to the top.'
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Wang Meng Meng
Latest comm
