KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 (Bernama) -- As we look back on 2007, suffice to say that Malaysia's triumphs in world sporting tournaments were overshadowed by two plans that failed to take off -- the proposed RM490-million high performance training centre (HPTC) at Brickendonbury, United Kingdom, and the controversial planned visit by English premier league champions Manchester United (MU).
A proposed plan to transform the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC) at Brickedonbury into an elite sports academy (HPTC) was rejected by the East Herts District Council on Nov 15 on environmental and conservation concerns.
MU's planned summer tour of Malaysia ran smack into the Asian Cup Champions League calendar and was blocked by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Comparatively, the plan to upgrade TARRC into the HPTC was a more important issue as it involved a national agenda although the cancelled MU match did have the local supporters jumping mad.
TARRC is owned by the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) and sits on a 16-acre site at Brickendonbury, Hertfort, North London, 24km from the 2012 London Olympics sports village.
Initially, the government proposed to transform TARRC into HPTC as a European base for Malaysian athletes. At a cost of RM490 million, the plan had been criticised as wasteful.
The Cabinet Committee on Sports Development chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak then approved a ceiling cost of 10 million pounds (RM67.22 million) and it was said that the HPTC would be ready for use by January.
However, on Nov 15, the plan was rejected by the East Herts District Council Development Control Committee because of the heritage nature of the building and the greenery.
Malaysian representative, National Sports Institute director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz, was said to be preparing a report on the rejection and that any decision to appeal or put the Brickendonbury issue to rest will be decided by the Cabinet committee.
The cancellation of the MU trip to Kuala Lumpur in July became a hotly debated issue when Malaysian sports fans and the government traded barbs with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The MU trip, planned as part of the country's 50th anniversary of independence, was stopped by the AFC which did not want it to divert media attention from the inaugural Asian Cup.
AFC claimed that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was bound by an agreement that complete publicity must be accorded to the Asian Cup.
Efforts by various parties, including Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, to get special exemption for MU to play one friendly game with the national squad, on July 27, were not entertained by the AFC.
The Asian Cup tournament was played in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
The cancellation of the MU trip to Kuala Lumpur was announced by Fifa president Sepp Blatter.
Malaysia's poor performance at football tournaments forced a change at the helm of FAM when deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah resigned in July after the Asian Cup debacle.
The vacuum was filled by UPB-MyTEAM president Khairy Jamaluddin who won unopposed at the FAM's 44th congress in September.
The much-anticipated contest for the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) top post in May fizzled out when Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim pulled out.
As such, Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar was returned as OCM president. Datuk Sieh Kok Chi was returned as honorary secretary after former National Sports Council director-general Datuk Wira Mazlan Ahmad withdrew from contest.
Several sports associations were also dogged by controversies in 2007, including the Malaysian Taekwondo Association (MTA), depriving athletes of participation in several international tournaments.
This followed the cancellation of the association's registration by the Office of the Sports Commissioner. On May 6 2006, Sports Commissioner Tan Sri Elyas Omar cancelled the association's registration because it had prevented sports development by denying taekwondo clubs the right to vote.
The MTA's appeal against the suspension was accepted by Youth and Sports Minister Azalina.
Another association in hot water was the Malaysian Fencing Federation (MFF) which was investigated by the Office of the Sports Commissioner following reports of abuse of power by office bearers.
Prior to this, two women fencers were involved in a fight after a training session at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, said to be over selection for the Korat SEA Games.
The Cabinet dropped a bombshell in August with an announcement prohibiting ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries from leading sporting bodies. The decision put many associations in a dilemma but it was taken in good spirit by those involved.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the decision was taken because the government did not want these people to be burdened with association matters when they had the more important matter of seeing the implementation of numerous development projects.
-- BERNAMA
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