THE word “United” has a resonating symbolisation in sports. It gives rise to that all for one, and one for all spirit.
Teams like Manchester United have unified fans across oceans, from Kuala Lumpur to Old Trafford.
In this season’s EPL, there are Man United, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Sheffield United. Some of these clubs chose the meaningful adjective “United” when their teams were formed by amalgamation from several other sides.
The word “United” aside, sports in general have proved to be a good way to unite peoples from all walks of life and from all ages.
The present national football team, who are also doing well under coach Tan Cheng Hoe, can be called a “Malaysian United team or MU.”
Recently, Mirnawan Nawawi, the captain of the national team for the 2000 Olympics, told Timesport in a report titled “Powered by Diversity” (Sept 3, 2019) that diversity — where his players came from the country’s various races — had made Malaysia a potent side.
Mirnawan’s comments came as Malaysia start their final preparations to battle Britain on Nov 2-3. Many fans are keeping their fingers crossed that the national men’s hockey team will prevail and qualify for the Tokyo Olympics next year.
But there are pessimists who feel that the present team will face an uphill task in getting to the Olympics, a feat last achieved by Malaysia 19 years ago.
They feel that the Malaysian team who qualified for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney were made up of various ethnic groups, whose diversity and qualities had made the national team a formidable side.
VIEWS FROM MALAYSIAN SPORT ICONS WHO CHERISH THEIR TIME IN MULTI-ETHNIC TEAMS
DATUK SERI N. SRI SHANMUGANATHAN
(Former national hockey captain).
“The best Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, must be available for the game. At the end of the day, it’s the results which unify the country.
At the moment, the national hockey team are picked based on players’ performances in the Malaysia League. However, there are good players from Kuala Selangor, for instance, who cannot take part in the league due to reasons like budget constraints.
As for the national team, the selectors must be the ones picking the players, not other officials telling them what to do.
There must be representation from all the 14 states in the squad so that they can be known as a ‘united Malaysian team’ or the ‘United States of Malaysia’ team.
I don’t see selection trials being held anymore. Pick two sides with between 35 and 40 players. Name them A and B, and let them play against each other, whereby the best of the best will be picked based on merit for the national team.
This successful formula has been long forgotten, with good players neglected.
The best must go and play and when the results come, the country will benefit and be united. We have to move in the direction of having the best available material.
And why not spend money on Malaysian coaches, instead of foreigners?
After all, we are wasting good money, taxpayers’ money, on foreign coaches. If we have sponsors coming in, then it’s okay. But if they are in short supply, it’s the taxpayers’ money which will be funding them. The powers-that-be must think of the rakyat behind them.”
COLIN STA MARIA
(Former national hockey player).
“I feel this diversity issue has more to do with other races taking up sports, instead of one race dominating sports.
Computer or electronic games are one of the reasons why people do not play sports.
Another reason is that parents want their children to focus on their studies as they are afraid their kids may not get their university of choice.
We must change how the universities function as most of them list 7As or 8As as a minimum entry requirement.
Let's say an athlete wants to apply for entry to university but only has 4As and has played for his or her state. Then, he or she should be admitted to the university concerned.
Times have changed and it is a dog-eat-dog world now. During my time, things were different and the demands were also not the same.
The country was considered relatively young then as we gained Merdeka only “very recently” and the rakyat were enjoying their freedom. The Muhibbah spirit was very good then.
We (the 1990 Junior World Cup squad) all ate at the same table and made fun of one another. Nowadays, if teams are made up of one race but if they are not united, they are never going to get the desired results.
If we were not racially-thought driven, we would not be talking about this or that particular race. We should be Malaysian-thought driven instead.”
TAN SRI TUNKU IMRAN
TUANKU JA’AFAR
(Former Olympic Council of Malaysia president).
“It has been proven over the years that sport is a unique unifier of people. And this can be especially attested by the 2017 Southeast Asia Games in Kuala Lumpur whereby Malaysians came together to support the national athletes.
In addition, the 1992 Thomas Cup and 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup also brought the rakyat together.
Organisers nowadays need to make their sports inclusive of everyone, especially at club and lower levels.
Some sports, particularly sepak takraw and silat, are exclusive (to one race) and everyone has to try and ensure that the pitch is open to all.
But this is incumbent on the people running the respective sports to include the other races.
Instead of coming together as one nation, we are polarising the races, and everything is falling apart. The politicians are to be blamed for this.
There does not seem to be any effort coming from the top to arrest this decline in sports and ensure that diversity is the top priority.
Two sports doing a fabulous job with sports integration are squash and cricket.
Let us not forget Sabah and Sarawak, which have given Malaysia some of the best athletes. We must nurture them and bring them over to the peninsula to train and mould them into champions.
We are taking the first step of initiating a junior sepak takraw programme where every team must have multi-racial players.
DATUK JAMES SELVARAJ
(Former national badminton player).
“Sport is one element which unites the country, which can be attested to by the 1992 Thomas Cup in Kuala Lumpur (won by Malaysia). Not only did the players work together as a team, it also brought the country together.
Thirty or 40 years ago, we never thought about colour or religion as everybody had meals at the same table, and drank from the same cup.
We need to go back to the good old days, where every race has their own style of working and approach, the diversity of which can be turned into our strength.”
S. SELVARANI
(Former national hurdler).
“Those days (the 1980s), diversity in sports was a big thing. And the strength and motivation to succeed came from this diversity. We were like a family, one big race who were able to succeed with our diversity.
When we (the athletics squad) were staying together (for training purposes) at Pulapol (Police training headquarters) in Jalan Semarak (then known as Jalan Gurney), Kuala Lumpur, we could not eat out.
My parents, who were from Kuala Lumpur, used to bring me dinner and I shared my food with the other races.
We were there as a team and we did not see colour or religion as an issue.
We were also sent to Australia for a five-month training stint where we learnt to live together. This gave us the strength, unity and connectivity, and that was how we achieved results. Everybody came in as brothers and sisters while we were there Down Under.
And this was none better reflected when I fell during a 110m hurdles race, and was also disqualified in another 400m hurdles run. My fellow athletes consoled me and offered moral support. If not for them, I could not have progressed and improved as an athlete.
Recently, there were some problems with the national women’s 4x100m relay team. But I am glad to know that they have reconciled. I believe these girls can do wonders if they work together as a team. (This refers to runner S. Komalam Shally who was emotionally reconciled with the national women’s 4 x 100m relay team last month after she was dropped from the 2017 KL Sea Games following an argument).
I am positive in my outlook about diversity in sports bringing us together as a country. And I am also hopeful that we will go back to where we were before. That is what we need for the future.
I sing along with the Negaraku whenever I see the Jalur Gemilang being raised during medals ceremonies in international competitions.”
NAZAMUDDIN YUSOFF
(Former national golfer).
“I am from Ipoh and I have Chinese friends there who say that their parents don’t allow them to play football (due to the perception that it’s played mostly by Malays).
My mother had actually adopted a Chinese boy (who is now 70 years old) and she didn’t force him to convert to Islam.
He has five children now and his wife makes halal mooncakes for our family in conjunction with the Mid Autumn Festival.
We used to have three Chinese, three Malays and three Indians in my school’s football team.
Organisers of sports tournaments must offer attractive prizes that interest others to take part, and they have to do it in such a way that every state must field multi-racial teams at any one time.
I have played in the Putra Cup many times, and it was always the Malaysian Golf Association’s policy to have a mixture of races for every team.
There were four players in a team, and not all were from one race. There was a mixture of, let’s say, three Malays and one Chinese.
Officials must ensure the multi-racial players work together as a team, not necessarily to be champions at first, but which may come later.”