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http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/Breaking+News/Sport/Story/STIStory_271691.html
Untimely and ungracious
Furious Singaporeans react to table tennis association chief's surprise decision
By Terrence Voon & Lin Xinyi
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Table tennis president Lee Bee Wah's decision have been lambasted by furious Singaporeans. -- ST PHOTO: ALBERT SIM
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FURIOUS Singaporeans lambasted the shock decision by table tennis president Lee Bee Wah to remove team manager Antony Lee and to refer the fate of Liu Guodong, the team's head coach, to a coaching committee.
By 8pm yesterday, The Straits Times received nearly 200 e-mails and letters from readers - almost all of whom voiced disbelief and outrage. Many more flamed Ms Lee in Internet blogs and postings.
Most of them took issue with the timing of the news, which came just before Singapore's Olympic paddlers were due for a victorious homecoming this afternoon.
'This sudden announcement has certainly cast a dark cloud over the shining achievements of the table tennis team,' banker David Chee lamented.
'Just as people should be given time to mourn their loss, they should also be given time to celebrate their achievements. Anything short of this is just plain disrespectful.'
Mr Lee was held responsible for Gao Ning's third-round defeat in the men's singles at the Games. Gao, the Republic's top male paddler, had to play without a coach by his side.
Housewife Monica Chow, 46, felt that the punishment did not fit the crime.
'This incident is just an oversight and is due to a hiccup in time management,' she argued, referring to the absence of Gao's coach Zu Haining during the paddler's match.
Zu was called away to watch over another player, Yang Zi, because Yang's coach Chen Jian had fallen ill.
Some MPs also spoke out on the matter, including Mr Zainudin Nordin, mayor of the Central Singapore District and deputy president of the Football Association of Singapore. 'The timing is a bit unfortunate,' he noted. 'I think we could have celebrated it first, and then found ways to resolve the issue.'
Mr Teo Chong Tee, ex-MP for Changi and a former president of the Football Association of Singapore, added that Ms Lee's actions were 'unnecessary' and 'demoralising'.
He wrote in an e-mail to ST: 'She could have been more encouraging and supportive instead of giving an outburst without first checking her facts.
'Anything that is unfavourable should have been said behind closed doors.'
Many readers, as well as netizens on Internet forums, said Ms Lee had acted ungraciously and should step down.
Said reader Daniel Tay: 'Is this the kind of message we want to send out to the younger generation of sportsmen and women or even aspiring managers: that...you cannot make mistakes?'
Some members of the table tennis fraternity expressed disbelief of another sort: That Gao Ning was overlooked by his coaches during his hour of need.
Former national paddlers Tan Paey Fern and Jing Junhong told The Straits Times that they sympathised with Gao.
'The absence of a coach shows that their focus is not on him,' said Tan. 'The last four years he spent training has gone to waste. If that had happened to me, I would be very disappointed.'
Reader Miranda Eu, one of the few who applauded Ms Lee's decision, agreed that Mr Lee and head coach Liu should be censured. She said: 'If Mr Lee and Mr Liu cannot see that the fault lies with them, then Singapore has no use for them.'
But Mrs Josephine Teo, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, cautioned against drawing any conclusions until more facts emerge. She said: 'I think it is premature for us to comment at this point in time.
'But I think many Singaporeans are taken by surprise and I suppose at the right time the management committee of the Singapore Table Tennis Association will come out and give the clarification and I think Singaporeans will look forward to that.'
[email protected]
[email protected]
Untimely and ungracious
Furious Singaporeans react to table tennis association chief's surprise decision
By Terrence Voon & Lin Xinyi
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Table tennis president Lee Bee Wah's decision have been lambasted by furious Singaporeans. -- ST PHOTO: ALBERT SIM
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
FURIOUS Singaporeans lambasted the shock decision by table tennis president Lee Bee Wah to remove team manager Antony Lee and to refer the fate of Liu Guodong, the team's head coach, to a coaching committee.
By 8pm yesterday, The Straits Times received nearly 200 e-mails and letters from readers - almost all of whom voiced disbelief and outrage. Many more flamed Ms Lee in Internet blogs and postings.
Most of them took issue with the timing of the news, which came just before Singapore's Olympic paddlers were due for a victorious homecoming this afternoon.
'This sudden announcement has certainly cast a dark cloud over the shining achievements of the table tennis team,' banker David Chee lamented.
'Just as people should be given time to mourn their loss, they should also be given time to celebrate their achievements. Anything short of this is just plain disrespectful.'
Mr Lee was held responsible for Gao Ning's third-round defeat in the men's singles at the Games. Gao, the Republic's top male paddler, had to play without a coach by his side.
Housewife Monica Chow, 46, felt that the punishment did not fit the crime.
'This incident is just an oversight and is due to a hiccup in time management,' she argued, referring to the absence of Gao's coach Zu Haining during the paddler's match.
Zu was called away to watch over another player, Yang Zi, because Yang's coach Chen Jian had fallen ill.
Some MPs also spoke out on the matter, including Mr Zainudin Nordin, mayor of the Central Singapore District and deputy president of the Football Association of Singapore. 'The timing is a bit unfortunate,' he noted. 'I think we could have celebrated it first, and then found ways to resolve the issue.'
Mr Teo Chong Tee, ex-MP for Changi and a former president of the Football Association of Singapore, added that Ms Lee's actions were 'unnecessary' and 'demoralising'.
He wrote in an e-mail to ST: 'She could have been more encouraging and supportive instead of giving an outburst without first checking her facts.
'Anything that is unfavourable should have been said behind closed doors.'
Many readers, as well as netizens on Internet forums, said Ms Lee had acted ungraciously and should step down.
Said reader Daniel Tay: 'Is this the kind of message we want to send out to the younger generation of sportsmen and women or even aspiring managers: that...you cannot make mistakes?'
Some members of the table tennis fraternity expressed disbelief of another sort: That Gao Ning was overlooked by his coaches during his hour of need.
Former national paddlers Tan Paey Fern and Jing Junhong told The Straits Times that they sympathised with Gao.
'The absence of a coach shows that their focus is not on him,' said Tan. 'The last four years he spent training has gone to waste. If that had happened to me, I would be very disappointed.'
Reader Miranda Eu, one of the few who applauded Ms Lee's decision, agreed that Mr Lee and head coach Liu should be censured. She said: 'If Mr Lee and Mr Liu cannot see that the fault lies with them, then Singapore has no use for them.'
But Mrs Josephine Teo, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, cautioned against drawing any conclusions until more facts emerge. She said: 'I think it is premature for us to comment at this point in time.
'But I think many Singaporeans are taken by surprise and I suppose at the right time the management committee of the Singapore Table Tennis Association will come out and give the clarification and I think Singaporeans will look forward to that.'
[email protected]
[email protected]
:p ) ...
:p
