<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>STTA blow: Top official to quit, another may leave
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Terrence Voon
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In another blow to the already embattled Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA), a high-ranking official is set to leave the organisation, with another possibly following suit.
The Sunday Times understands that the high-ranking official - who is in the association's senior management - will be leaving his post after less than a year on the job.
It is believed that candidates have already been interviewed to fill the post.
The second official, who holds an honorary post, may also leave the association.
Sources say he has stopped attending association meetings and is said to be disillusioned with the direction the STTA is heading in.
The latest turn of events comes just weeks after the association hit the headlines when it refused to nominate ex-national head coach Liu Guodong for this year's Singapore Sports Awards, which many believed he would be a shoo-in to win. It said then that Liu was not worthy of the award.
Angered by what he saw as a slight on his character and integrity, Liu demanded an explanation and flew to Singapore to seek a resolution to the argument.
However, after two meetings with STTA officials, he left in a huff, saying nothing had been resolved.
Liu, 35, left the association last year after leading the women's table tennis team to a historic silver medal at the Beijing Olympics.
But he also made the news for his controversial management style. He was accused of neglecting the men's team and then-Singapore No. 1 Wang Yuegu in the build-up to the Olympics. Efforts to contact the association for clarification over Liu's comments have been unsuccessful.
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Terrence Voon
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->
In another blow to the already embattled Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA), a high-ranking official is set to leave the organisation, with another possibly following suit.
The Sunday Times understands that the high-ranking official - who is in the association's senior management - will be leaving his post after less than a year on the job.
It is believed that candidates have already been interviewed to fill the post.
The second official, who holds an honorary post, may also leave the association.
Sources say he has stopped attending association meetings and is said to be disillusioned with the direction the STTA is heading in.
The latest turn of events comes just weeks after the association hit the headlines when it refused to nominate ex-national head coach Liu Guodong for this year's Singapore Sports Awards, which many believed he would be a shoo-in to win. It said then that Liu was not worthy of the award.
Angered by what he saw as a slight on his character and integrity, Liu demanded an explanation and flew to Singapore to seek a resolution to the argument.
However, after two meetings with STTA officials, he left in a huff, saying nothing had been resolved.
Liu, 35, left the association last year after leading the women's table tennis team to a historic silver medal at the Beijing Olympics.
But he also made the news for his controversial management style. He was accused of neglecting the men's team and then-Singapore No. 1 Wang Yuegu in the build-up to the Olympics. Efforts to contact the association for clarification over Liu's comments have been unsuccessful.
