KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — Malaysia are unlikely to repeat their five-gold haul in ice skating at the 2019 Philippines SEA Games, as athletes are apparently feeling the effects of the crisis that struck the local sport last year.
The Malaysia Ice Skating Federation (MISF) was confirmed by the Sports Commissioner (PJS) in December 2018 as the governing body of the sport after PJS decided to deregister the Ice Skating Association of Malaysia (ISAM) in May 2018 for failing to present financial reports from 2008 to 2017.
What is worrying is the crisis has affected the athletes’ preparations ahead of the biennial Games.
2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games (KL2017) gold medallist Muhammad Ameer Iman Fadzli said it was unfair of MISF to remove him and his team-mates from the national squad, thus denying them the chance to defend their gold medal.
He claimed that the Ministry of Youth and Sports had overlooked them and that the conflict with MISF had affected their training sessions.
“They (MISF) put pressure on us...they kicked us out from the national team and said we can’t really join the SEA Games for no reason,” said the 17-year-old athlete, who clinched gold in the 3,000m short track speed skating relay.
National figure skater Chew Sze Chyi hoped the crisis could be quickly resolved so that she could realise her dream of seeing action in the Games.
“I was a reserve in the last edition and hopefully this year I get to compete. Hopefully everything gets to be solved soon so we can get ready and prepare for it,” she said.
Meanwhile, KL2017 national ice skating head coach Tan Bee Leng said it is almost impossible for Malaysia to match their achievement in the previous edition with just sixth months left before the Games kick off in November.
“I don’t think we are well prepared this time. Probably we could get three golds, in my view.
“Other countries are already like super pick-up, and most of them already went to South Korea...some in the United States for training, but Malaysia still haven’t really started into this kind of preparations,” she said.
Meanwhile, Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Najib has confirmed that OCM is only working with MISF, including in the selection of athletes.
Mohd Nazifuddin said OCM has not received any complaints from any ice skating athletes.
“ISAM has been deregistered and we have deregistered them as our affiliate. We are now working with MISF as they have the governing status for ice skating from the Sports Commissioner.
“MISF is working with us for the selection but will still have to go through our OCM selection process where the NSC (National Sports Council), NSI (National Sports Institute) and independent members will look through the process. As for now we have not received any complaints; they can write to us on the SEA Games selection 2019,” he said.
For the record, Malaysia clinched five golds at KL2017, in the women’s individual 500m and 1,000m, and 3,000m relay for short track speed, and men’s 3,000m relay and individual figure skating. — Bernama
