Foul!

I have my reservations. The Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin was quoted by national news agency Bernama today as saying: “The Olympic Games may be too big for the time being and the Asian Games will cost too much unless the Olympic Council of Asia reduces the cost of organising it and the one which can still be considered is the Commonwealth Games. “We have hosted it a while ago, and whether we want to host it again, I have to talk with the Prime Minister first." There are those who insist hosting a major multi-sport event like the Commonwealth Games will help spur the economy of the country. And they will also say we had "successfully organised" the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur recently.  Here are my concerns regarding Malaysia hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 1. Our hosting capabilities — I've shared my views regarding KL2017 in my earlier posting ' What went wrong with KL SEA Games? ' 2. Potential debts — In 2004, then Yo...

World Fashion Week Asia 2017 ended over the weekend. And the launch on Friday at Palace of the Golden Horses at Mines Resort City just outside Kuala Lumpur turned out to be a forgettable night. Why? It was poorly organised. Just as many are trying to get over the nightmare witnessed throughout the KL SEA Games , the organiser of World Fashion Week Asia 2017 has made it look like Malaysians seem to have lost it when it comes to hosting major events and hospitality. Here's why. Royal protocol ignored 1. The Sultanah of Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah was invited to grace the event.     a. There was no holding room for the Sultanah and VIPs accompanying her.     b. The Sultanah was invited on stage without anyone accompanying her there (a big NO NO if anyone knows protocol involving royalty).  Sultanah Nur Zahirah at World Fashion Week Asia 2017 gala night on Friday.     c. The event dragged on till 11.30pm, way past the cut off poin...

Here's me trying to be taller than national high jumper Navraj Singh (left) and national 110m hurdler Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian. This picture was taken on August 27, when the two SEA Games gold medalists were invited as guests of Astro Arena's Analisis Nadi KL2017. Rayzam, 29, is the national record holder (13.67s). He had, at the Kurpfalz Gala competition in Germany in May, erased Nur Herman Majid's 23-year-old record of 13.73s. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak praised Rayzam for breaking the national record. — Twitter @NajibRazak  His victory at KL2017 was meaningful as the last time a Malaysian came out tops in the race was 10 years ago. And he has since expressed his intention to conquer Asia when Indonesia plays host to the Asian Games next year. I had, after the show, asked Rayzam - captain of the national athletics SEA Games squad - if he had a sponsor. The Sabahan replied: "No". "I get a monthly allowance of RM1,500 (from the...

A magical sight was seen at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday as KL2017 ended with Malaysia finishing as overall champions. - Bernama 145 gold medals. It's the best Team Malaysia has ever achieved since the inception of the SEAP Games in1959. The 29th edition of the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur ended yesterday. The opening ceremony dazzled those at the stands and viewers at home while the performances during the closing ceremony yesterday jogged plenty of musical memories to many. Our athletes, the real superheroes, brought smiles through their heroic display. They made everyday a happy day. A majestic shot of Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin by Ghazali Kori (Harian Metro). Kudos to the officials - from the coaches, the National Sports Institute and National Sports Council - for their hard work in ensuring our athletes perform to their best. But it was not all memorable. From 16 athletes downed with food poisoning to a bus driver being caugh...