Sunday, May 24, 2009

Two to quit STTA

May 24, 2009

Two to quit STTA

By Terrence Voon
		The latest turn of events comes just weeks after the association hit the headlines when it refused to nominate ex-national head coach Liu Guodong for this year's Singapore Sports Awards, which many believed he would be a shoo-in to win. -- PHOTO: NP

In another blow to the already embattled Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA), a high-ranking official is set to leave the organisation, with another possibly following suit.

The Sunday Times understands that the high-ranking official - who is in the association's senior management - will be leaving his post after less than a year on the job.

It is believed that candidates have already been interviewed to fill the post.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28839.39

STTA blow: Top official to quit, another may leave

STTA blow: Top official to quit, another may leave

By Terrence Voon from The Straits Times

In another blow to the already embattled Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA), a high-ranking official is set to leave the organisation, with another possibly following suit.

The Sunday Times understands that the high-ranking official - who is in the association’s senior management - will be leaving his post after less than a year on the job.

It is believed that candidates have already been interviewed to fill the post.

The second official, who holds an honorary post, may also leave the association.

Sources say he has stopped attending association meetings and is said to be disillusioned with the direction the STTA is heading in.

The latest turn of events comes just weeks after the association hit the headlines when it refused to nominate ex-national head coach Liu Guodong for this year’s Singapore Sports Awards, which many believed he would be a shoo-in to win. It said then that Liu was not worthy of the award.

Angered by what he saw as a slight on his character and integrity, Liu demanded an explanation and flew to Singapore to seek a resolution to the argument.

However, after two meetings with STTA officials, he left in a huff, saying nothing had been resolved.

Liu, 35, left the association last year after leading the women’s table tennis team to a historic silver medal at the Beijing Olympics.

But he also made the news for his controversial management style. He was accused of neglecting the men’s team and then-Singapore No. 1 Wang Yuegu in the build-up to the Olympics.

Efforts to contact the association for clarification over Liu’s comments have been

unsuccessful.http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28839.38

Most unpleasant saga

Most unpleasant saga

Singaporeans had largely forgotten the episode and put it behind them. Last August, jubilation that the women’s table tennis team had won silver at the Beijing Olympic Games was dampened by a very public spat. This occurred after the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) blamed team manager Anthony Lee and head coach Liu Guodong for the early elimination of top male player Gao Ning.

The disagreeable squabble was a long-running saga, with many angry members of the public writing to The Straits Times to complain of the STTA’s ill-timed attacks on Lee and Liu. Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had to intervene to resolve the matter.

This month, memories of the unpleasant episode were stirred up again when the Singapore National Olympic Council announced that there would be no winner for the Coach of the Year category in the annual sports awards.

The nominees were passed over whereas Liu, considered a sure thing, had not been nominated by the STTA. Its reasons: he lacked integrity and was unable to command the respect of his players. The STTA did not explain what this meant. An indignant Liu, who had left Singapore for a coaching job in Indonesia, returned to seek clarification from the STTA. But last Monday, he left an angry man after five days here without the matter being concluded.

This is just so much needless unpleasantness. The outcome of the whole saga is the worst of all possible outcomes for the STTA. It may have good reason not to make public its problems with Liu. In that case, it could have conducted itself better, such as not making charges it would not substantiate publicly. Chinese netizens have flamed the STTA and Singapore, after Liu spoke to the Chinese media.

As Singapore wants to be a sports nation of some standing and foreign talent will continue to be drawn here even as local ones are groomed, sports bodies will have to learn to act sensibly and with decorum.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28588.61

NHG's employee joined Lee Bee Wah in brisk walk at Nee Soon South!!!

BREAKING: wayangparty joined Lee Bee Wah in brisk walk at Nee Soon South!!!

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Field report:

ER Lee Bee Wah has been missing in action for over a week since she made the remarks about ex-Table Tennis coach Liu Guodong’s speech in the media. Liu flew to Singapore in person to ask for clarifications, but Lee refused to meet him and send two STTA officials to con him to sign a document in English absolving her from all liabilities instead.

Lee Bee Wah also seem oblivious to the widespread public fury against her as well as the existence of our online petition calling her to step down as STTA President which has garnered over 4,800 signatures so far.

We were tipped off by a Khatib resident that Lee Bee Wah will be attending a grassroots event on the morning of 24 May 2009 and as such we sent 2 field reporters there with the hope of meeting her and submitting our letter and petition.

The event was a brisk walk cum free breakfast organized by the Nee Soon Zone ‘F’ RC. We were taken aback by the participants, most of whom are silver-haired. We are the only young people in the group. The session began with a warm-up exercise followed by a brisk walk around the estate along Yishun Street 81. Lee Bee Wah only joined us much later.

During our interaction with the Khatib residents, we tried to dig out more information about Lee’s recent activities. They are unwilling to talk about the table tennis saga. Most feign ignorance or simply wave their hands to brush us away.

According to one grassroots leader we spoke to, Lee Bee Wah is cutting down on her public appearances lately though she still attend the Thursday Meet-the-People session. He praised Lee as a good MP and claimed that most Khatib residents support her.

Lee Bee Wah was dressed in a white polo T-shirt and black colored slacks. She walked around from table to table shaking hands with the residents. She wore a smile on the face all the time and appeared friendly, approachable and cheerful. It does not seem she is bothered by the STTA controversy.

The residents spoke to Lee Bee Wah at length on a variety of municipal issues such as the estate cleanliness, lack of table tennis table, insufficient carpark lots for the disabled, presence of crows and magpies and the noise from the upgrading. Lee was very obliging to their concerns and even took down notes. We listened earnestly, but nobody brought up the table tennis fracas.

The two of us took turns to talk to Lee Bee Wah separately so as not to arouse the suspicion of others. To be fair, Lee does sound genuinely sincere and concerned about our ’problems’ in spite of her much vilified image in public. She is definitely not as aloof and stuck up as some other PAP MPs.

Perhaps Lee should just focus on her job as a MP. She has proven herself to be too inexperienced and inept as STTA President.

We are supposed to tell Lee Bee Wah straight in the face the following:

“ER Lee Bee Wah, this is a present from 4,500 Singaporeans. We are unanimous in our view that you are UNFIT to be STTA President and we would submitting this petition to express our disgust, anger and disappointment with you. We sincerely implore you to step down as STTA President.”

Unfortunately, Andrew was tongue-tied and did not complete the full sentence. Lee Bee Wah really think the envelope is a “gift” to her. She will be SHOCKED when she read the content of the letter and 4,500 comments on the petition!

This is only the beginning of the show. We will step up our public campaign to exert increasing pressure on Lee Bee Wah to resign and on the PAP to take action. Even if she still refuse to do so, they will be severely humiliated to such an extent that they will lose whatever dignity and credibility left of them.

Please help us by telling everybody you know to sign on the petition to remove Lee Bee Wah as STTA President!

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28839.37

NHG's employee submits letter and petition with 4,500 signatures asking Lee Bee Wah to resign as STTA President to her IN PERSON

BREAKING: wayangparty submits letter and petition with 4,500 signatures asking Lee Bee Wah to resign as STTA President to her IN PERSON!!!

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Click on the link below to listen to our field reporter submitting the letter and petition to Lee Bee Wah:

Conversation with Lee Bee Wah

Letter submitted to Lee Bee Wah in person on behalf of fellow bloggers, netizens and Singaporeans:

ER Lee Bee Wah
President
Singapore Table Tennis Association
Member of Parliament
Nee Soon South Constituency

Dear ER Lee,

RE: ONLINE PETITION REQUESTING YOU TO STEP DOWN AS STTA PRESIDENT

I am Eugene Yeo, Chief Editor of socio-political blog wayangparty.com.

A week ago, I started an online petition calling for your removal as president of the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA).

The reasons for me doing so are as follows:

1. This is the second time you have brought STTA into disrepute with your careless and senseless remarks which has demonstrated clearly your ineptitude for the job.

2. You have displayed an utter lack of leadership, emotional intelligence and common sense in the handling of your relationship with Coach Liu Guodong where a little tact and diplomacy on your part would have averted this PR disaster in the first place.

3. As the STTA President, you should step forward to clarify your statements to resolve the issue instead of hiding behind the organization and passing the baton to your subordinates to clear up the mess on your behalf.

4. The public has lost faith and trust in your abilities to bring STTA and the sports forward.

5. Your name has become synonymous with disgust, cowardice and anger following your two major screw-ups. Unless you stepped down, public support for table-tennis is likely to dwindle with you at the helm of STTA.

May I ask you if STTA is funded by taxpayers’ monies or you?

First and foremost, STTA has to account to the public to continue to bring the sports to a higher level to justify the annual funding it receives from the Singapore Sports Council.

While outsiders may have little say in the nomination of Liu Guodong for the ‘Coach of the year’ award, STTA has to be transparent and explain its decision not to nominate him clearly and concisely.

Your explanation that Coach Liu lacked “professionalism, integrity and respect of the players” is completely unacceptable and is a testament of your sheer ignorance of sports management.

If this is indeed so, why did STTA offer to renew contract last year? And why did you even try to persuade him to stay on?

A coach should be judged solely on his results and not by his popularity with the players. Coach Liu has delivered the goods and that is enough for him to win the “Coach of the year” award.

The best coaches in the world are seldom well-liked by the players. Take for example Alex Ferguson which is undoubtably the most successful coach in English football today, but he is definitely not a likeable figure. Just ask David Beckham.

It is impossible for STTA to placate public fury and disappointment without answering the questions below:

1. What are the criteria to determine the coach’s eligibility to be nominated for the ’Coach of the year’ award?

2. Who are the assesors/judges and what is the process involved?

3. What was Liu’s performance in the last 3 years under ex-STTA President Zhu Weiqiang before you took over?

4. If Liu lacks “professionalism and integrity”, why did STTA offer him an improved contract last year?

5. Do all STTA officials share the same sentiment as you about Liu?

Singaporeans have a right to know what is going on and STTA has an obligation to its supporters to reveal as much as possible.

As of 24 May 2009, more than 4,800 Singaporeans have penned their signatures down on the petition requesting for your removal as STTA President

I have attached here a printed copy of the first 4,500 signatures. Please read the comments posted by Singaporeans thoroughly.

You can read the full petition here:

http://www.petitiononline.com/lbh/petition.html

Public opinion is clearly on the side of coach Liu Guodong. Many Singaporeans are perturbed that Liu was not even nominated for the award after winning an Olympic Silver medal for us, an unremarkable feat which is unlikely to be repeated any time sooner.

We were incensed at the treatment you have dished out to him. Even if you really think he does not deserve the award, you should at least show some respect and appreciation for the coach who had made immense contributions to bring the sports to where it is today.

STTA did not make the offensive statements. It was you who made the allegations about Liu’s professionalism and integrity and you alone have to answer for your own words instead of using STTA as a shield to save your skin.

If you are unable to substantiate her claims, you should retract your statements and apologize to Liu in the papers.

STTA should not be dragged into the mudslinging in what is an essentially personal conflict between Lee and Liu.

What will the international community think of the shabby treatment STTA is dishing out to its ex-coach who have contributed tremendously to the sporting fraternity in Singapore?

On behalf of my fellow citizens, I implore you seriously consider resigning as President of STTA for the sake of the association, the sports and the nation.

Please do the right thing and stop clinging on to a position which you have lost all moral authority to be in.

RESIGN FROM STTA NOW!

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NHG's employee posting Flyers with Lee Bee Wah’s face printed on toilet bowl pasted at BBQ pit outside Nee Soon South RC!!!

BREAKING: Flyers with Lee Bee Wah’s face printed on toilet bowl pasted at BBQ pit outside Nee Soon South RC!!!

The event was a brisk walk cum free breakfast organized by the Nee Soon Zone ‘F’ RC. We arrived at the venue 10 minutes earlier and noticed flyers pasted on the seats at the BBQ pits and pillars:

The grassroots leaders came and began removing the flyers frentically. It is not known who the culprit is. He/she is most likely a resident staying in the vicinity who is familiar with where the RC usually conducts its warm-up exercises cum brisk walk. The flyers were probably put there to draw the attention of Lee Bee Wah.

A grassroots leader took a few photos of the flyers. We overheard him later telling another grassroots leader to keep the matter from Lee Bee Wah and not to alert the police.

Despite her not commenting further on the fiasco, the controversy enshrouding her just simply refuse to go away. Lee Bee Wah’s continued silence is fueling more public anger and disgust at her reticence and now dragging STTA into the mudslinging in order to save her skin.

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