From C Sathasivam Sitheravellu
The performance of Negeri Sembilan athletes at the recent Malaysia Games (Sukma) and the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) championships was humiliating.
The humiliation: one gold and six bronze medals in Sukma and a measly MSSM bronze.
So much for athletics in a state that once consistently produced young talent who went on to do the country proud at international meets.
The current embarrassing state of affairs has been going on for over a decade because the athletics structure in the state is dysfunctional.
The solution to the mess demands a review of the physical education curriculum in schools, parental thinking and a proper grassroots programme.
In the 1970s and 80s, the emphasis was on education and sport as teachers and parents pushed children to adopt a healthy lifestyle by indulging in physical activities.
At that time, even standard-taking events in schools was a big occasion for competition while school athletics meets fuelled the competitive spirit and brought the whole town to the field.
As a 1,500m and 5,000m runner between 1971 and 1974, I won four gold medals, three silvers and a bronze at the combined schools athletics championships.
During that period, Negeri Sembilan had produced many young athletes such as Wan Idris who ran 49s-plus in the 400m and HK Parameswari who ruled the 800m and 1,500m.
In the 80s and 90s, many Negeri Sembilan school athletes made their mark at international championships.
They included Nur Herman Majid (110m hurdles) who won six gold medals at the Sea Games, R Morgan (walks), Keney Martin (400m hurdles), S Vasu (800m) and R Thangavelu (800m and 1,500m).
Coaches like JV Jayan and V Murugiah and teachers such as Dharmika Chua, Elizabeth Chong and Stanley Sreedharan worked as a team to produce athletes of national and international standard.
What has gone wrong? I was told by some teachers that there is no motivation for students to excel in sport.
Students tell me that some parents are not supportive of their children taking up sport, and there are few teachers who spend time developing talent in schools.
Does the state have enough coaches to nurture talent from school-district-state levels? Is there a talent scout programme?
Negeri Sembilan athletics needs a reboot, and repairing this terrible damage means a complete overhaul of the ecosystem in the sport.
Anyone care to guess what the Negeri Sembilan Athletics Association will say about this sad state of affairs?
C Sathasivam Sitheravellu is an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.