KUALA LUMPUR – “Don’t blame us, we’re just following orders.”
This was the sharp response from the Negeri Sembilan Hockey Association (NSHA) after facing backlash for their inability to field a team at this year’s Malaysia Games (Sukma).
Speaking to Scoop, NSHA secretary P. Tamil Selvan explained that the decision not to send a hockey team to Sukma, held in Sarawak, stemmed from the state sports council’s failure to allocate the necessary budget.
Tamil’s statement comes amid growing outrage from the hockey community, including former national and state players, who accuse the NSHA of failing to nurture young talent and manage the sport effectively.
“It was not our decision not to send the team – we were just following orders from our paymasters, the state sports council, who instructed us not to compete,” Tamil said.
The absence of a hockey team at Sukma has been described by some within the hockey fraternity as a “disaster” for the sport in Negri Sembilan – a state that already lacks a dedicated hockey league.
Critics argue that this incident highlights the “broken system” plaguing the sport’s development in the region.
Tamil emphasised that the NSHA has consistently fulfilled its obligations by sending teams to Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) events.
“If we hadn’t sent a team to MHC-sanctioned tournaments, then it would make sense to criticise us. But blaming us for not participating in Sukma is something we cannot accept because it’s not our fault,” he added.
While the NSHA finds itself at the centre of the controversy, Tamil pointed out that the budget cuts impacted more than just hockey.
“Apparently, the state sports council didn’t have the budget, and many other sports associations were also affected as they couldn’t send their athletes to Sukma.
“So why is the focus solely on us? It’s not as if we did this on purpose.”
Adding fuel to the fire, it is not just Negri Sembilan; other states such as Perlis, Kelantan, and Sarawak also lack a functioning hockey league.
This raises concerns about the state of hockey development across Malaysia and the effectiveness of regional sports management.
It was reported in February that the Negri Sembilan state government allocated a substantial RM8 million to prepare its contingent for this year’s Sukma.
Negri Sembilan sent about 500 athletes to compete in 30 out of 37 sports events at Sukma, finishing 11th in the medal table with a total of 56 medals – 19 gold, 13 silver, and 24 bronze. – September 2, 2024
