Tale of a lonely athlete ...

Here's a tale of a lonely athlete.

I live abroad, hundreds of miles away from home. 

I'm an athlete and have hired a competition manager to help me out. I fork out my own money to cover various expenses, transport, testing related to sports and Covid-19, etc.

No one from my national federation has even asked me if I'm getting my Covid-19 vaccine.

I take care of my own needs. The only they the national body had to do was to perhaps help me financially. I've provided them with details but my emails have never been replied. I wonder if anyone has read my emails or not.

I go for massages only when I can afford it. But I didn't go for a single massage session in the first quarter of the year when I should have due to my training regime. For the record, I am given a monthly allowance of a certain amount but it is not from the national body.

I've got to fork out my own money for supplements too. I’d rather use my money for food and rent.

I agree in business you must not spend money you don’t have. But this is sports - it’s an investment. If you don’t invest, the athlete suffers. 

I've made the lives of some people easy by calling this place abroad my base and having competitions all sorted out. All the national federation had to do was invest in the athlete. 

Recently, I received a "love letter". 

And the content of the letter has been bugging me since. I wake up thinking of it, I sleep thinking of it. I am honestly, exhausted. 

Would it be wrong for me to say that I'm no longer proud to be a national athlete because of such treatment?

Despite all odds, I've managed to improve my rankings despite the challenges. 

Isn't it fair to blame them since they have not supported their athlete?

The Olympics is a gathering of the best. Send a rookie to the Summer Games and he or she will be overwhelmed. The media will eat him or her up if he or she fails. A ticket to the Olympics must be earned.

So what are your thoughts IF a national athlete had written this? 

Comments

  1. Tony MariadassJune 29, 2021 at 2:09 PM

    Same story with Russel Taib in Australia. Has the Federation kept in touch with him since he claimed back what was owing to him.
    When athletes speak the truth and about their woes, they are treated like plague.
    No thanks to officials who hold post for their own agenda and benefit.
    And blame the people who voted them in because they were also promised some benefits.
    Old story in Malaysian Sports, but just another day and year.

    ReplyDelete

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