By S. Selvam
May 12:
ONE parent asked for a deferment before taking up his new job as he wanted to see his child compete in the National Junior Taekwondo Championships in Terengganu on May 27-29.
Another parent, who works abroad, made sure his holidays coincided with the championships, also for the same reason — to witness his child compete against the top exponents in the country.
Another has invested, this year, some RM7,000 on four of his children over the past five months to make the trip to Terengganu.
But alas, all efforts and sacrifices seem to be in vain as all hopes of salvaging the championships diminish by the day.
And with the Terengganu Taekwondo Association, who are hosting the tournament, unable to even give an alternative date for the postponed championships, the parents want Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said to intervene.
Or for that matter, anybody or party that is interested to see innocent children spared the punishment for the misdeeds of officials.
"It may be a small matter to many people, but to us (parents and children) it is the biggest event of the year, something at we look forward to with great expectation," said a parent who spoke on behalf of some 40 parents.
"I have four kids in taekwondo and spend between RM400 and RM500 a month on the sport and to prepare for the championships. And my kids have been training since November last year.
"We have also booked hotel rooms, tickets and applied for leave to be with them (children) in Terengganu. But now, they tell us that the championships have been postponed.
"What am I going to tell my kids now. What have they done to deserve this?"
Taekwondo’s governing body, the Malaysian Taekwondo Association (MTA), was de-registered by Sports Commissioner Tan Sri Elyas Omar for hindering the development of the sport last Friday.
While the National Championships last weekend was organised without a glitch, the junior championships have been postponed indefinitely.
According to MTA chairman Chin Mee Keong, the postponement was on the instruction of Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh."We had high hopes for these championships but now it has been postponed. Some of us told our children to concentrate on the sport for the first half of the year, and studies in the second part of the year," said another parent.
"But with the postponement, should they continue training when they (Terengganu Taekwondo Association) can’t even give us a new date for the championships."
Which is why they want Azalina to intervene, sooner than later
Source from http://www.nst.com.my
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