Red faces galore for MHF on opening day

25/02/2002

AFTER getting up at, what a colleague called, an ungodly hour, to catch
the curtain raiser between Cuba and South Korea, the 50-odd fans at the
second stadium in Bukit Jalil were awoken from their slumber when the
score at half time read: Cuba 2 South Korea 1.
Could it really happen? Is the 2002 Kuala Lumpur World Cup going to
start with the biggest upset of the millennium?
Halfway through the second half, the fairytale took a new twist and in
the end the Sydney 2000 Olympics silver medallists romped home 6-2 and
then the nightmare started.
The Cubans have great determination and the forwards are nippy, but
their goalkeeper was a sight for sore eyes as he let in three soft goals
to allow the Koreans to make a comeback.
Every team has its weak link just like every organisation has.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) must get up from the slumber if
they want to avoid utter mayhem during the matches because most of their
volunteers don't have a clue to seating arrangements and there were plenty
of red faces among the fans who turned out to watch the Pakistan-South
Africa match at the second stadium.
Fans who had bought the RM10 tickets and were supposed to sit at the
extra seats behind the goalmouth were allowed into the stadium and those
who had bought season passes could not find any empty seats to watch the
match.
One fan, who had bought tickets worth RM500 for the World Cup, was seen
shouting at the volunteers saying that he does not have a place to sit
while those who bought the RM10 tickets have taken over the seats beside
the grandstand.
He was furious and demanded to see an official but none was available
and in the end, he tore his ticket and walked out of the stadium during
half time.
The amazing thing was that only one side of the stadium was full, the
one in the shade, while the seats opposite the grandstand where the sun
was blazing, there were hardly 100 fans and the situation could have been
rectified if there was someone smart enough to direct the fans to fill up
both sides of the stadium.
As embarrassing as it would have been for the fan who tore up his
ticket, the MHF officials muct have felt like idiots during the opening
ceremony which was held in the choking mid-day sun - there were only about
200 spectators in the Stadium which has been renovated to accommodate
17,000 fans.
As MHF president Sultan Azlan Shah declared the World Cup officially
open, with the FIH president by his side and after a gala presentation
from cultural troops, the silence was eerie as there were no fans at the
Stadium to cheer the event on.
Oh, by the way, from the 200 who watched the opening ceremony, about 120
were officials, fans, and performers.
Embarrassing moments indeed, as the event is supposed to be beamed to
some of the participating countries.
jugjet@nstp.com.my
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