Former athletics chief eyes return to the hot seat
Former athletics chief Tang Weng Fei could be set for a return to Singapore Athletics if he chooses to stand for election this year. TODAY FILE PHOTO
SINGAPORE – The battle for Singapore Athletics’ (SA) top post is set to heat up months ahead of a highly-anticipated 2018 election, with former chief Tang Weng Fei expected to throw his hat into the ring.
While the oil trader would only say that he is “strongly considering” a run for a third stint as SA president, TODAY understands that he is in the midst of assembling a team to take over the beleaguered association.
Tang, who served two stints as SA president (from 2004 to 2006 and 2010 to 2016), had cited infighting among the executive committee (exco) as a reason for him deciding not to stand for re-election two years ago.
But the 63-year-old appears to have had a change of heart. This particularly after witnessing the association’s woes in the past year, as disagreements and spats saw the committee split into two camps — one led by president Ho Mun Cheong and vice-president (competitions organising) Loh Chan Pew, and the other by vice-president (training and selection) Govindasamy Balasekaran.
While the fraternity is abuzz with talk of Mr Tang’s return to Singapore track and field, he has yet to officially confirm his bid for the presidency. “Yes, it’s something I will strongly consider,” he told TODAY.
“The current management committee are not leaders, you need a leader. I’m not boasting… I will definitely win if I run. I think they (the affiliates) know what I can do, and I’ll win.”
While Mr Tang stressed that his team would comprise “a mix of women, young and experienced members”, he declined to name his running mates. TODAY understands that Mr Ghana Segaran, SA’s chairman of cross country and road running, and former national sprinter Poh Seng Song are some of potential members being approached to be a part of Mr Tang’s election team.
However, there is one caveat if Mr Tang decides to throw his hat into the ring: He will only take on the post if his entire team is voted in. Keen to avoid the infighting that plagued his previous stint at SA, he added: “If I go in, and if I don’t have everyone on the executive committee, I will step down. We need to fix the teamwork and infighting within the SA. It has to be the whole team, otherwise (the troubles) will continue.”
With a myriad of issues to fix, Mr Tang told TODAY his first order of business – if he returns to the SA – is to “rewrite the whole constitution”, in particular its membership rules for affiliated members.
At present, SA has 21 affiliated members that are eligible to vote at the elections, and they include running clubs such as Wings Athletic Club, Prison Sports & Recreation Club, and institutions such as Ngee Ann Polytecnic and the National University of Singapore.
Mr Tang argued that clubs that are not actively involved in track and field should not be affiliate members. “There are too many fragments and people that don’t contribute… the system needs a big structural change. Times have changed, and the constitution must change,” he said.
On Mr Tang’s possible election bid, International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Ng Ser Miang said: “Weng Fei will be a good candidate if he decides to run as he can provide leadership to track and field.”
Speaking to TODAY on Wednesday (Jan 3), Mr Ng added: “He’s a successful businessman, so he should be able set up a structure for SA. He definitely brings a lot of value.”
According to SA, its annual general meeting (AGM) and elections must be held between April 1 and June 30.
While a challenge may be shaping up, Mr Ho, the incumbent chief, said he has not decided if he will make another run for office. “I’m undecided… with all this infighting… and I also have my own business in Yangon to run,” he said.
“Actually, I don’t mind helping Weng Fei… but he wants a new team and I will leave it up to the management committee to decide. Of course, I will say good luck to him (if he wants a new team), if he is confident he can do it without my help.”
It has been a turbulent time for SA, which saw its exco embroiled in disagreements and infighting just months after Mr Ho and his team defeated lawyer Edmond Pereira in a fiercely-contested election.
This led to the association calling for snap polls last May, but that was eventually called off after intervention by Mr Ng.
Ahead of the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in August, a dispute between SA technical director Volker Hermann and coach Margaret Oh — who works with Singapore’s top female sprinter Shanti Pereira — saw SA threatening to exclude Pereira from the SEA Games women’s 4x100m relay team.
A leaked Whataspp conversation that revealed the ugly spat between SA officials, staff and coaches also shocked the fraternity, resulting in SA setting up a Board of Inquiry to investigate the matter.
The controversies eventually saw Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) stepping in to set up a major Games preparation committee to take over the management of the SEA Games squad.
During a post-Games review, Sport Singapore officials blasted the association for their poor showing in Kuala Lumpur – their athletes won just two out of 45 gold medals on offer – and called for a “shake-up” of the sport.
