The mind is willing but the body is weak

27/12/1998

HIDAYAT Hamidon and Matin Guntali returned emptyhanded from the Asian
Games in Bangkok, but nobody was annoyed with their performance.
Hidayat in the 69kg, and Matin, in 54kg, were not medal prospects at the
Asiad. But the duo went with the hope of finishing among the top six,
which they failed. That was no surprise really.
The unexpected and the unexplained is the way the National Sports
Council (NSC), who played a pivotal role in grooming these weightlifters;
and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), in whose hands rest the
selection for international assignments.
Undeniably, both tend to rely on `time-tested' athletes. But all is not
lost in the sport, at least as far as Hidayat and younger lifters like
Abdul Rahman are concerned. The 22-year-old Hidayat has age on his side
while Matin, 34, should have retired after winning three bronze medals at
the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.
It might seem cruel to many, especially since Matin was responsible for
the revival of the sport in Malaysia when he lifted a silver medal at the
1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games and proved his mettle again in Kuala
Lumpur.
But the crux of the matter is the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation and
the NSC should stop relying on `old hands' and instead start exposing new
blood.
"The National Sports Council (NSC) must start preparing young athletes
for the 2002 Olympics and the 2006 Asian Games, which Malaysia hope to
host.
"They should not rely on aging stars because by doing so, they are
neglecting the youth who will lead Malaysia's challenge into the next
century," said Malaysia's first Commonwealth gold medallist Koh Eng Tong.
It is a known fact, among the lifters, that at 34, weightlifters tend to
lose their touch and even though the mind is willing, the body is weak.
As the body ages, it becomes increasingly harder to add the kilos on the
barbell.
Defying all odds, Matin has announced his plans to actively compete for
another 10 years, with the Manchester 2002 Commonwelath Games his main
target.
Weightlifting was a struggling sport when it was incorporated into the
Jaya '98 programme in 1993, which was mooted to prepare for the KL Games
and it produced champions like Hidayat and Matin.
But the programme must not stop with these achievements, and NSC
director-general Datuk Mazlan Ahmad promised as much.
NSC have embarked on an ambitious programme which included the hiring of
foreign coaches from Europe and China and the distribution of
weightlifting equipment to centres of excellence in the States.
NSC bought equipment and stationed coaches at centres in Terengganu,
Johor, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. They also extended help to centres in
other States with a Chinese coach looking after Rompin and a Bulgarian in
Malacca while local coaches look after the other States.
Now that Malaysia have committed themselves to bid for the 2008
Olympics, a new development plan will be formulated and a band of foreign
coaches will be hired, according to Mazlan.
Weightlifting is a specialised sport which needs sport scientists with
credentials, like present national coach Slava Lelikov, to groom the
lifters.
Also, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) are keen to
promote Malaysia as a centre of excellence in South-East Asia.
All Malaysia have to do is provide a training venue and the rest will be
taken care of. The proposal is still being discussed and looks promising.
With the undivided attention of the NSC on the sport, coupled with the
assistance from the IWF, the future of weightlifting looks bright - if we
don't repeat the mistake of banking on old muscles again.
(END)