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After the review, will more "small people" get fired?
Minister wants full review
My job is to keep Team Singapore united, says Sports Minister
By Jeanette Wang
SPORTS Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday promised a full review of the episode that has left the fate of two Singapore table tennis officials in the balance.
Speaking to reporters after the Olympic Team reception at Raffles City Shopping Centre yesterday, he said he would look into the controversy over Singapore Table Tennis Association president Lee Bee Wah's remarks that team manager Antony Lee's services were no longer required.
She also said last weekend that the future of head coach Liu Guodong would be left to a coaching committee to decide.
Her remarks came just days after Singapore had scored its first Olympic Games silver medal in 48 years, in the women's table tennis team event.
Her swift action followed a fiasco in the men's singles, when Singapore No1 Gao Ning found himself with no coach present for his match and crashed out in the third round.
The news of Ms Lee's action caused an uproar among sports officials and ordinary people.
Many criticised her timing, while Singaporeans were still celebrating the silver medal feat of Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei.
Dr Balakrishnan, the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, said yesterday that he had not read the newspaper reports of the controversy.
'I'm very concerned about the way it seems to be spinning out of control because I don't want a situation where people say things or do things which destroy relationships, relationships and partnerships which we need in order to keep Team Singapore intact and in order for us to perform at the highest level,' he said.
He appealed to the media to give the athletes, coaches and officials time and space to let things cool down.
'Then we will make sure to do all that needs to be done, properly and with deliberate thought behind it,' he said.
Noting that everyone concerned was 'totally emotionally drained', he said: 'I want you all to understand that people are tired, egos have been bruised, emotional tears and sweat have been shed.'
Dr Balakrishnan, who returned with the team yesterday afternoon, said that it was the 'wrong time to make hasty decisions' and he had 'told everybody to cool it'.
'Today's the day to celebrate. Tomorrow, I want everybody to rest.
'And, in due time, due process, and after all the facts emerge, we can then decide how best to do this.'
He also said: 'I will speak to all the people concerned. I will address their needs, their grievances, their hopes, their expectations.
'My job is to keep Team Singapore united, and I'll work on that.'
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck felt that the saga should not overwhelm what Singapore has achieved in Beijing.
Said Mr Ng Ser Miang, International Olympic Committee executive board member from Singapore and chairman of Project 0812, the programme geared at fast-tracking Singapore athletes to win medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games: 'I think as we plan for 2012, we should look at the success model that we've developed, including the athletes, managers, coaches, the system that we've put in place, and be very objective about this whole thing.
'At the end of the day, we have to move in the direction of what is in the best interest of the athletes.'
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Minister wants full review
My job is to keep Team Singapore united, says Sports Minister
By Jeanette Wang
SPORTS Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday promised a full review of the episode that has left the fate of two Singapore table tennis officials in the balance.
Speaking to reporters after the Olympic Team reception at Raffles City Shopping Centre yesterday, he said he would look into the controversy over Singapore Table Tennis Association president Lee Bee Wah's remarks that team manager Antony Lee's services were no longer required.
She also said last weekend that the future of head coach Liu Guodong would be left to a coaching committee to decide.
Her remarks came just days after Singapore had scored its first Olympic Games silver medal in 48 years, in the women's table tennis team event.
Her swift action followed a fiasco in the men's singles, when Singapore No1 Gao Ning found himself with no coach present for his match and crashed out in the third round.
The news of Ms Lee's action caused an uproar among sports officials and ordinary people.
Many criticised her timing, while Singaporeans were still celebrating the silver medal feat of Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei.
Dr Balakrishnan, the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, said yesterday that he had not read the newspaper reports of the controversy.
'I'm very concerned about the way it seems to be spinning out of control because I don't want a situation where people say things or do things which destroy relationships, relationships and partnerships which we need in order to keep Team Singapore intact and in order for us to perform at the highest level,' he said.
He appealed to the media to give the athletes, coaches and officials time and space to let things cool down.
'Then we will make sure to do all that needs to be done, properly and with deliberate thought behind it,' he said.
Noting that everyone concerned was 'totally emotionally drained', he said: 'I want you all to understand that people are tired, egos have been bruised, emotional tears and sweat have been shed.'
Dr Balakrishnan, who returned with the team yesterday afternoon, said that it was the 'wrong time to make hasty decisions' and he had 'told everybody to cool it'.
'Today's the day to celebrate. Tomorrow, I want everybody to rest.
'And, in due time, due process, and after all the facts emerge, we can then decide how best to do this.'
He also said: 'I will speak to all the people concerned. I will address their needs, their grievances, their hopes, their expectations.
'My job is to keep Team Singapore united, and I'll work on that.'
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck felt that the saga should not overwhelm what Singapore has achieved in Beijing.
Said Mr Ng Ser Miang, International Olympic Committee executive board member from Singapore and chairman of Project 0812, the programme geared at fast-tracking Singapore athletes to win medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games: 'I think as we plan for 2012, we should look at the success model that we've developed, including the athletes, managers, coaches, the system that we've put in place, and be very objective about this whole thing.
'At the end of the day, we have to move in the direction of what is in the best interest of the athletes.'
[email protected]
