NOVEMBER 26 — Sporting champions generally have sex. So do carpenters, welders, stadium cafeteria staff, personal assistants to ministers and columnists.

But before anyone runs off to alert the guardians of universal virtue — who are far less entertaining than let’s say the guardians of the galaxy (stick Marvel copyright here) — it might need to be stated that swimming team members are not necessarily going to be  more “active” than the silat team on the account of the swimwear. 

Has it struck the right honourable member of Parliament for Lumut, Muhammad Imran Abdul, that if sexual promiscuity in his coastal town and beyond was keeping him up at night, then sporting attire is the least of his concern?

It’s modern sport itself that he opposes.

In a time of professionalism in all competitive sports even if it is of amateur status; prolonged training day and night; early age starts which render pubescent teenagers veterans in their fields; lengthy time spent with those — coaches, nutritionists, physical trainers, personal trainers and psychologists for instance — of not your own bloodline/relations (muhrim); long training stints and competitions away from family before adulthood; competitiveness which is drilled into players which is synonymous with aggression which is synonymous with primal drive which is synonymous with increased interest in other primal activities especially since they have youthful hormones; and obviously the adrenaline generated in extreme and intense competitions which has a strong association with the need for release in and out of competition; the attire of athletes is barely forcing the young on each other.

[Since he is a retired admiral, it may not have passed notice that a fair number of people are excited when they see men and women in uniform, especially ceremonial suits complete with sabres, shall we re-examine military wear then, in order to turn people away from sex?]

So how far away is the Lumut MP from asking for the end of sports as we know it in order to prevent youthful indiscretions? And what will stop him from requesting more behavioural changes in our daily lives in order to create his puritanical state?

Sports is a mad world with clean lifestyles

A top footballer who is also known for his flashy cars and dress sense confided in an interview that a picture does not paint always paint a thousand words. 

He explained that in the high-stakes game of top-flight club football, partying does not augur well for high performance. He added that while they are seen in glam magazines, the same publications don’t use their ink to mention that the sporting icon comes in early and leaves early. 

Even though he can afford the best suites to fit his fine cars, he has to be in bed by 10pm and not have drunk any alcohol despite being in a swanky club.

He said that he may have 10-15 years in total to play professionally, and taking care of his body with the right calories and rest was the price to pay.

That would be the story — in varying degrees — of our own successful athletes.

There is no glory without the loneliness and sacrifice. So it may come across to them, that the ex-admiral and those who share his opinion are a tad bit disrespectful to those who put the country in the back pages of newspapers.

Most sports do not match the clothing requirements of several conservative faiths. Which is why the Saudi Arabian women’s football team will never qualify for the Women’s World Cup, because there is no Saudi women’s football team.

Malaysia made its peace with international sports a long time ago, unlike those seeking to score political points by pandering to the gallery of non-sporting hardliners who are inclined to pontificating moral supremacy.

Let’s celebrate legends

However,mthere is a silver lining from Imran. The right honourable MP’s comments bring back the discussion over our sportspeople.

There is very little effort to draw sportspersons into mainstream Malaysia after they hang up their boots or gloves. Those growing up in the 1980s would be always wondering what happened to wonder-kid Nurul Huda Abdullah, who won the golds at Sea Games and the Asian Games before disappearing from the news and Malaysia.

Or about members of the 1992 Thomas Cup, how many have migrated? Or present champions like Nicol David, how will the country utilise her and her contemporaries in the future to propel the nation forward?

Sports personalities are inevitably global in outlook since they travel often and interact with foreigners in foreign cities and find commonality in competition and sports, and not harp on differences in colour, religion or culture. 

They learn to compete and do so often, and realise winning and losing are part of the game but they can excel by putting in the effort. They are trained to decide that bad decisions are likely but without the willingness to decide, there will never be a positive outcome. 

They know that success relies on discipline and all the talent in the world ends up in the wastebasket if there is no desire to work their asses off.

They should not be the object of our scorn because of what they wear. They should be the object of our adulation because they display all the best traits necessary to succeed in the modern world, and our children can do far worse than attempt to emulate them.

But yes, if the parliamentarian wants to know, there is sex in sports, as there is in all fields of life. But they above many others, including those in Parliament, have known the field of dreams. Perhaps they deserve our thanks, for the sacrifice which brings the trophies rather than let them become victims of prying eyes — from too-often used sofas,

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.