Athletics president Ho Mun Cheong out of election, former chief Tang set for return
Singapore Athletics president Ho Mun Cheong (first row, third from right) and his team won the elections in 2016, but the association was plagued by infighting soon after.
SINGAPORE — After two years at the helm of Singapore Athletics (SA), president Ho Mun Cheong is set for a quiet exit from the national sports association when it holds its annual general meeting at the Sport Singapore auditorium on Thursday (Oct 11).
The 69-year-old will not be standing for re-election at the biennial polls as he was unable to find a seconder for his nomination.
Mr Ho, who was aiming for a management committee (MC) position, told TODAY that he had approached 15 affiliate club members, but he was unable to garner any support.
“Some of them said they support (Tang) Weng Fei, some didn’t want to get involved in the elections, and some didn’t even respond,” he said.
“I was surprised…even my staunch supporters rejected me. I am disappointed because I thought I could get into the committee and help out as an adviser. I have experience on the ground, close rapport with the officials and coaches, but unfortunately I couldn’t get into the first round.”
With Mr Ho out of the running, former SA chief Tang Weng Fei is set to return for his third stint as president.
The 63-year-old oil trader and his team of eight will be contesting the polls on Thursday, with a 10th nominee, current SA statistician Peter Back, also in the mix.
Changes in September to the national sports association’s constitution will see its MC cut from 26 members to 11, with nine to be elected on Thursday.
Positions within the new MC will then be decided by the nine elected members.
The remaining two positions will be filled by the general manager and athletes’ commission representative, which will be decided separately.
The constitutional changes are geared towards reducing the possibility of members from opposing camps being elected to form the committee, to reduce the likelihood of infighting among members.
Still, Mr Ho’s two-year stint in the sport’s top job was plagued by infighting and disagreements among its executive committee, which led to the SA calling for snap polls in May last year.
That was eventually called off after intervention by International Olympic Committee member Ng Ser Miang.
Ahead of the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a dispute between SA technical director Volker Hermann and coach Margaret Oh — who works with Singapore’s top female sprinter Shanti Pereira — saw the association threatening to exclude Pereira from the SEA Games women’s 4x100m relay team.
A leaked WhatsApp conversation that exposed the ugly spat among SA officials, staff and coaches also rocked the fraternity, resulting in SA setting up a board of inquiry to investigate the matter, which remains unresolved.
The controversies saw Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) stepping in to set up a major Games preparation committee to take over the management of the SEA Games squad.
At a post-Games review, Sport Singapore officials blasted SA for its athletes’ poor showing in Kuala Lumpur — they won just two out of 45 gold medals on offer — and called for a “shake-up” of the sport.
The spats among the fraternity, as well as internal disputes, had eroded his support among the affiliate clubs, said Mr Ho, who led the team that defeated lawyer Edmond Pereira in a fiercely contested election battle in 2016.
“Unfortunately, the infighting gave (the sport) a very bad image, and the affiliates were not so happy,” he added.
“It was very tiring… a lot of time was spent on dealing (with the internal disputes), and the athletes felt neglected.”
SPRINTING AHEAD
Eight years ago, Mr Tang and Mr Ho were part of the team that took over the association from veteran chief Loh Lin Kok in what was hailed as a new era for the sport, but internal bickering then saw Mr Ho and some other members switching camps in the 2014 election.
The tussle saw Mr Tang fending off a challenge from former athlete Sng Sze Hiang, but the opposing camp won five out of 14 seats.
With Mr Tang now poised to take over again, Mr Ho has offered support to his former teammate.
“He’s the right person, and the association is in good hands,” said Mr Ho.
“The main thing is, they must be united and work with him to get things done, instead of (having to deal with) a lot of obstacles like in my case.”
Mr Tang, who served two stints as SA president from 2004 to 2006, and from 2010 to 2016, admitted that there is much to be done as the team looks to rebuild the sport.
His election team includes former national sprinter Poh Seng Song, swimming legend Ang Peng Siong, and veteran sports administrator Eric Song.
His key tasks, said Mr Tang, would be to secure funding and support from Sport Singapore and the SNOC, restore confidence and relationships among Singapore and international stakeholders, as well as to undertake a comprehensive review of the association’s policies.
In 2016, he had decided not to seek re-election, saying there were work commitments and disagreements within the association.
But the changes to the constitution could prove to be the game-changer this time, he said.
“My personal opinion is that (the new constitution) is more constructive, and the key point still remains, that everyone must work together as a team, and collaborations will be key,” he told TODAY.
“I have to be pragmatic (about performance) as the SEA Games is next year. But I want to build a comprehensive platform, with a pipeline towards a pathway for elite athletes, for future SEA Games and Asia Games. This time, it’s about setting up a platform for the future of track and field.”
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