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SINGAPORE : A resolution is expected to be reached soon over the controversial decision by the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) to end its team manager's services.
While extensive meetings have been held over the past few days between STTA and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports to resolve the issue, the controversy has got the online community abuzz.
There was even an online petition calling for the president of STTA to step down. It has so far collected about 500 signatures. It was emailed to the media on Thursday afternoon by a representative who asked to remain anonymous.
When contacted, the representative said in an email that he is a 40-year-old self-employed businessman who has been following the progress of table tennis since Jing Junhong represented Singapore in the Games.
He said he does not endorse the personal attacks put up by online users who have signed the petition, which was started on August 26 after many forum members called for it.
When asked what he hopes to get out of the petition, he said: "We hope that a more suitable candidate can be put in place to lead our charge towards a gold medal in 2012. We do not think Ms Lee Bee Wah is the person to do the job."
He added: "It is regrettable that our petition has been perceived as an attempt to create trouble and flame the fire. Whatever the outcome of the petition may be, we have spoken our mind and hope that something good will come out from this whole episode."
When contacted, the STTA and its president, Ms Lee Bee Wah, declined comment.
Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, would only say that his ministry "is in the process of resolving the issue" and "meetings have been held between all parties involved".
A search online saw the issue being discussed in many Internet forums, including those on the Young People's Action Party website and www.channelnewsasia.com.
One Internet user even started a straw poll on whether the STTA president should resign. The poll results showed that 83 per cent of users said "yes" and 16 per cent said "no".
Channel NewsAsia said that when the issue reached its peak at the beginning of the week, its Internet forum saw an average of 500 posts per day. Now, things have quietened down and the issue saw less than 10 posts each day.
The controversy started when table tennis player Gao Ning had to play without a coach on the sidelines during the Olympic Games as his assigned coach had been held up at an earlier match which overran.
The STTA president had expressed unhappiness over this and said action would be taken after the Olympic Games. - CNA/ls
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