No more infighting? Singapore Athletics proposes ‘streamlined’ management committee in bid for peace
Singapore Athletics president Ho Mun Cheong (bottow row, third from right) and his team won the elections in 2016, but the association was plagued by infighting soon after.
SINGAPORE — After two tumultuous years which saw the association being plagued by infighting and bickering, Singapore Athletics (SA) finally took a step towards resolving some of its internal issues as its affiliates voted in favour of amending its constitution, to streamline the size of its management committee (MC).
On Tuesday (June 19), 19 affiliate members gathered for an extra-ordinary general meeting at the Singapore Sport Auditorium to vote for changes to SA’s constitution, “with a view to implement progressive management practices to govern the sport”, the association said in its press release issued after the meeting.
A key change put forward by the affiliates was the “streamlining” of its MC from 26 members to nine elected nominees. This means that the proposed MC will consist of a president, three vice-presidents, an honorary secretary, a treasurer, three committee members, and two non-elected members (general manager and Athletes’ Commission representative).
Unlike past elections where 14 members were individually elected into the MC, the changes will see a nine-member slate standing for election this time, with specific positions to be decided once the MC is established.
Under the revised constitution, MC members will then form their respective sub-committees in areas such as competitions, officials, training and selection.
A general committee comprising all MC and affiliate members will be formed, and it will meet at least twice a year in order to keep the fraternity updated on the latest developments.
Other changes proposed on Tuesday included integrating the Athletes’ Commission into the MC to ensure that the athletes are a key part of the association’s decisions. The Athletes’ Commission is a body comprising former and current track-and-field athletes who ensure that their views are represented and heard.
SA said that the changes to the constitution will allow it to focus on its core objectives such as sports excellence, sports development, coaching, corporate administration, and operations.
“The changes also aim to empower elected MC members to carry out their duties more effectively, while promoting effective communication and information sharing practices within the organisation and stakeholders,” the association said.
The proposed changes could revive and re-ignite a sport that has been bogged down by infighting and politicking among its executive committee in recent times, with SA making news headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Eight years ago, former athletics chief Tang Weng Fei took over the reins of the association from long-serving president Loh Lin Kok in what was hailed as a new era for the sport.
Then, internal bickering saw Mr Tang’s former allies — Mr Ho Mun Cheong, Mr Steven Lee and Mr Loh Chan Pew, who were all former vice-presidents — switching camps in the 2014 elections. While Mr Tang won the battle for the top post, the opposing camp won five of the 14 seats on offer.
Two years later, Mr Tang announced that he would not be seeking re-election due to disagreements within the association. Mr Ho was elected president, but the committee eventually split into two camps, with one led by Mr Ho, and the other by vice-president (training and selection) Govindasamy Balasekaran.
Ahead of the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the internal squabble took a farcical turn as the national sports association tried to re-elect its MC. It was later called off after International Olympic Committee member Ng Ser Miang intervened.
A dispute between SA’s technical director Volker Hermann and Ms Margaret Oh, who coaches sprinter Shanti Pereira, over the location of a training camp saw SA threatening to boot the defending SEA Games champion out of its 4x100m relay team.
The disagreement then took a nasty turn when group chat messages on WhatsApp between Mr Balasekaran and SA staff members were leaked, and they appeared to show him instructing the employees to “get good evidence” so that disciplinary action could be taken against Ms Oh and another coach David Yeo. While SA vowed to investigate the matter, it has yet to be resolved.
Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council eventually stepped in, and a committee was set up to take over the management of its SEA Games squad.
With the MC streamlined to a team of nine as a result of the constitutional changes, this will eliminate the possibility of members from opposing camps being elected to form the committee.
SA’s general manager Yip Ren Kai said: “Our fraternity has made an important step by advocating fundamental changes in how our sport is run to move Singapore Athletics forward.
“Most of the suggestions were driven by putting athletes at every level first, and having them represented in our decision-making process.”
The final recommendations for the constitutional changes will be forwarded to the Registry of Society for endorsement, followed by an annual general meeting to elect a new MC in the second half of this year.
This upcoming election battle is set to be a fiery one, with incumbent chief Ho set to face a team led by Mr Tang in the tussle for the sport’s top posts. Mr Tang is expected to announce his team on Friday.
