KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 — Sports Commissioner Ibrahim Mohd Yusof today hinted that only the formation of a new entity would be able to save the country’s sport of sepak takraw from continuing to miss out at the international level.
Ibrahim said the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation (ASTAF) in a recent letter had refused to accept the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) as an affiliate member as the latter had continuously violated its rules.
Therefore, he said if no new entity could replace PSM, the development of sepak takraw would only be limited to the domestic level, and this could have a negative impact on the future of the sport in the country.
“According to the letter I received, ASTAF no longer accepts PSM, so there’s no point in seeing PSM as a body to oversee Malaysian sepak takraw.
“We do not want that, because the victims are the players, so let us take the action we feel is appropriate to ensure that the development of sepak takraw, especially at a higher level, is not affected,” he said when contacted by Bernama, today.
Earlier, local media reported that six former PSM affiliate members were ready to form a new entity known as the ‘Malaysian Sepak Takraw Confederation’, with an application having been submitted to the Sports Commissioner.
The six are the Selangor Sepak Takraw Association; Putrajaya Federal Territory Sepak Takraw Association; Sarawak Sepak Takraw Association; Perlis Sepak Takraw Association; Kedah Sepak Takraw Association; and the Labuan Federal Territory Sepak Takraw Association.
Ibrahim said his department would help register the new entity, as it was the best solution due to ASTAF’s clear stance on not accepting PSM.
“We will register based on the application received. So we will facilitate in the matter as we usually do with new bodies,” he said.
PSM was removed as an affiliate member of ASTAF in May last year.
The removal was due to PSM being found guilty following the actions of its then president Datuk Seri Ahmad Ismail in his capacity as ASTAF deputy president, for sending letters to the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
A month later, Ahmad Ismail, who is known as ‘Tok Mat’, resigned as president of PSM, a post he had held since 2002. — Bernama
