Wednesday, February 26, 2014

MALA FIDE

That term, in the heading, means bad faith.

And that is how best to describe the attempt to field the Project 2016 ( formerly 2017) squad into the new look TNBMHL Division One.

A press conference has been called by the National Team Management Committee who will meet at noon Thursday to legitimize the entry of the team into the MHL Division One.

Let's make one thing VERY clear - I have no quarrel for the Juniors to play in the TNBMHL Division One. But it is the manner in which it's being done that destroys the sanctity of the sport.

On February 11 at the Royale Chulan, the coach Arul Selvaraj emphasizes fast tracking when presenting the plan of the Juniors to the MHC Executive Board.

The entire press corp present heard the plans as the microphone was on and the over excited coach was speaking on the top of his voice, often interrupted by manager Mirnawan Nawawi.

They made several requests, but let's confine ourselves to the three - that the Junior players be barred from playing in Division One, that the team play in the Tim Razak Cup and that they play as a team in the MHL Premier League.

Despite a suggestion by Competitions Chairman M. Gobinathan that the players train together but be allowed to play for the clubs, he received a mutes response from the rest and the decision stood, hence the juniors management got their wish.

But barely three days later talk started that the juniors now wanted to play in Division One itself, a league they wanted their players to be barred from.

Right from January the officials were given ample time to prepare their plan and they had even presented it to the Sports Minister in a private session with the MHC President.

And as the team manager remarks oldies in the way of progress, why are you copying and idea that was implemented in 1989, is that not old?

Since you raise as to why teams then did not object to the Juniors playing as a team in the MHL in 1989, that decision was taken in 1988, giving clubs a whole year to soften the blow, not acting in Mala Fide - if we cannot have them so can't you.

A decision made by the Executive Board cannot be overturned by a mere sub committee so stick with what has been decided, keep the juniors out, let the team management of the juniors have them.

And if the players opt for playing in the league for their employers, then so be it, as they too have to put their rice bowl ahead of everything else at times.

I must give credit to former juniors coach K.Dharmaraj and his team of coaching staff for they never once disrupted the domestic competitions and allowed their players to grow up within their natural habitat.

Dharma went on to produce a team that finished top four and he proved that players ought to be let free and not curtailed as what is being proposed.

Let's not talk national interest when personal interest needs to be set aside first.

And please respect the rules and regulations if you opt to insult elders.