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UPDATE 10pm:  The National Sports Institute is giving the opportunity for former athletes to share their experiences and be professional coaches through its latest National Coaching Certification Scheme, as reported by NST today.  Read full article here . ---- ORIGINAL ARTICLE On Sept 4, I wrote about life after sports for Malaysian athletes . It became a talking point among current and ex-national athletes which led to former table tennis player Chiu Soo Jiin confessing she struggled, cried for days after retiring as a sportswoman. The article was posted on Sept 5. On Tuesday, former national hurdler Noraseela Khalid alerted me to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) athletes' commission workshop & athlete career programme scheduled on Nov 4 in UPM. The one-day event is organised by the OCM's athletes' commission and UPM's sports academy. Noraseela is OCM's athletes commission chairman.  She will be speaking at the forum...

Former national table tennis star Chiu Soo Jiin shares how she was emotionally drained after leaving the scene. — Facebook Following my earlier posting ' Life after sports for Malaysian athletes ', I've received numerous phone calls and messages by former athletes. The national heroes said the masses are unaware of the predicament they face once they leave the sporting arena and try to lead a normal life. One of them who reached out was former international table tennis player Chiu Soo Jiin, 32. In a rather moving message which she agreed to make public, here is what she said: "I read your article. Let me share this with you.  Table tennis was my life - since I studied at Bukit Jalil Sports School when I was 15 until I retired when I was 28. We were given an allowance of RM1,500 only and a sports scholarship.  Our sporting life is shot. One must have a degree to get a job easily. But not many athletes are degree holders. All they think about is competi...

In the high-pressure world of professional sport, team-mates are bound to bond with one another. It wouldn't surprise me if this summer we saw some awesome Sporno photos come out of the World Cup . All those hours spent together in the showers and receiving rubdowns, is it any wonder that these masculine hunks tend to occasionally get a little too close? As with everything on the internet, such moments have a name: Sporno . Click here to see 20 pictures in which sport and 'porn' collide. HD says : Simply hilarious...

The Sports Ministry will be making it mandatory for athletes to be subjected to random breathalyzer testing to ensure they are free from alcohol consumption while participating at sports competitions in the country. Its minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he will request the Malaysian Anti-Doping Agency (Adamas) to carry out the move alongside anti-doping tests on athletes. This was reported by Bernama on Friday. Read the full report here . The powers-that-be can only do so much but it boils down to the athlete. English footballers are known to party hard and booze but most of them know their limits. To those who enjoyed the opportunity of covering EPL teams playing in the country, they will know that the minibars in the players' hotel rooms will be removed until after the exhibition match is over. Athletes need to be disciplined enough to know when to drink and when not to drink.The best is to reduce or abstain from consuming alcohol. Our players need to be aware that as ...

"Yes, two athletes who participated in the Pahang Malaysia Games tested positive during an anti-doping test. I'm sorry I can't reveal more than that as we're still investigating the matter." "We've seen such cases in previous Sukma as well." Those were the words of Nishel Kumar, head of ADAMAS. The million-Ringgit Games was held on from July 7 to 16 in various locations in Pahang. Malaysian athletes suspended for taking banned substance is nothing new. Six athletes went "missing" after they failed to turn up for an anti-doping test in May 2012 while two national athletes were involved in an anti-doping issue at the Jakarta SEA Games last December, as previously reported here . HD says : Hopefully the investigations will be wrapped up soon.

It is nice to see hitman Safee Sali enjoying acting stints on Indonesian TV . Football is his career but he gains extra cash - directly and indirectly - from such appearances and endorsements. Sadly, most of our athletes still lack in this department. Athletes like Safiq Rahim, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat and Azlan Iskandar are household names not only because they are good in the scene but they are media savvy - in their own way. Consistent appearances in the media - may it be print, radio, website or television - gives them mileage to win the hearts of advertisers. We are not asking them to bask in the limelight and forget about their priorities but to take advantage of their current status for their future as most quit the scene by the age of 35. Sadly, some athletes don't view it that way. Simple example. I was at the National Sports Council field in Bukit Jalil to interview the national team as they were preparing for a match against an EPL team. I approached seasoned players Hai...

UPDATED Dec 18, 2011: Top UK athlete scouts for funds online to race in London Olympics. Read more here . --- Immediately after the OCM-Carlsberg Athlete Retirement Scheme ceremony at Wisma OCM, OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar ( pic ) walked towards me saying; "Deol, Mr Haresh Deol, how are you?" And before I could answer him, the laid back Negeri Sembilan prince said; "Don't you think rewarding our Sea Games winners with so much money is a double edged sword?" Deja-vu. Minutes earlier I was in Tony Mariadass's office together with former international Lim Teong Kim who has now made a name with the Bayern Munich football academy. And we were speaking of the same subject too! Is this a case of athletes being overly pampered that they will only need to set their sights on the Sea Games and nothing beyond? Read Mailsport's Reward athletes with pensions and Rizal Hashim's Duit, duit... HD says: Teong Kim is currently enjoying a short break in ...