Foul!

This article was written by Malay Mail sports editor Graig Nunis which was published on Wednesday.   MATCH RACING seldom makes the news — except when the Monsoon Cup comes around at the end of the year.      That’s why the Liga Layar Malaysia (LLM) is a welcome boost for the sport and sailors as it offers competitive match racing all year-round with races in five  venues — Langkawi (February), Lumut (April), Pulau Indah (June and September), Putrajaya (August) and Port Dickson (October).    More races sharpen the sailors’ skills, give them some much needed publicity and a good return of investment to their sponsors in this extremely expensive sport. The sailors have responded with some good results.   Several of those who competed in the Asian Games were on the crew of the teams in the LLM – although Malaysia’s No. 1 match racer Jeremy Koo (Sime Darby Foundation-Koo Racing Team) narrowly failed to win a medal in th...

As published in Mailsport today. National Sports Council (NSC) insist they are not in charge of the national contingent at the on-going Muaythai World Championship in Langkawi. Mailsport yesterday published extracts of a letter by an irate parent to Sport Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, alleging NSC's lack of professionalism in various issues from travel, lodging and administration. Khairy, in a text message to Mailsport, said: "I think the letter carried some inaccurate info and NSC will respond to it." Mailsport then contacted NSC athlete's department acting director Arrifin Ghani, who explained: "The sport doesn't come under our core programme. It is a special programme on a competition basis. The role we play is to merely provide grants. The programme is managed by Malaysia Muaythai Federation (MMF) in its entirety." NSC and MMF then refuted the allegations, insisting there were no wrong-doing and that certain parties had misconstrued the situa...

UPDATE: 6.50pm : The National Sports Council and the Malaysia Muaythai Federation dismissed the claims made and insisted the athletes' welfare were well taken care of. Read more in Mailsport tomorrow. ----- This was published in Mailsport today. A parent of a national athlete who is in Langkawi for the IFMA Muaythai World Championship is appalled by the National Sports Council’s (NSC) lack of professionalism. In a letter addressed to Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin made available to Mailsport, the parent, who signed off as Shah Shariff, accused NSC of not doing their best to ensure the national athletes' and coaches' interest are taken care of. He alleged the three Thai coaches attached to the national team were not paid for the last two months and that none of the athletes have received their allowances. “Coaches and athletes did not have money to even pay for their meals en route to Langkawi. Once they get their passports back, I am sure the...