HAPPIER DAYS: ... Sapura team manager Abdullah Yunus (second from left) in a tug-a-war with Tenaga Nasional team manager before the TNB-Cup Final. Sapura took TNB to the penalties before bowing out.COMMENT
By Jugjet Singh
SAPURA are among the best managed hockey clubs in the country, but unfortunately they have been dragged into a doping controversy because one bad hat tested positive for party drug when a random doping test was conducted.
The club, which finished second in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) TNB Cup final, has done much to develop the sport and give a lifeline to retired as well as budding internationals to compete in the MHL.
The culprit in question is neither a national nor a former national, but just a club player. However, he has not only brought a bad light on his sponsors, but also Malaysian hockey.
Sapura team manager Abdullah Yunus said after the A sample tested positive for a party drug, the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) and the club could not contact the player to come forward to test his B sample.
And finally, the player returned Abdullah’s call yesterday after a report on the matter was published by TimeSport. And after an in-house investigation, Sapura decided to terminate his contract before the B sample is tested and will let the MHF handle matters from here.
Abdullah sounded apologetic when explaining the sit uation, but there was not need to be embarrassed because the club is not the guilty party here, as they signed the player based on his performance and had no control over his personal lifestyle.
Needless to say, Malaysian hockey has received many hard-knocks off the field with allegations of players in heavy debt to illegal moneylenders, match-fixing, gambling and now party drugs have crept into the picture.
The latest allegation is that some players from a particular team in the ongoing Junior Hockey League (JHL) are are also abusing party drugs as they feel it makes them much more alert and stronger when playing.
That is a load of rubbish, but being 19-year-olds, they can be excused for rationalising like teenagers, but need to be identified fast and their habit nipped in the bud before they turn into full-fledged addicts.
The MHF medical committee chairman Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema had said that random testing will be conducted in the JHL soon, and these group of players, if indeed they are involved in abusing drugs, are living on borrowed time.
Another matter that is fast turning out to be a fiasco is the Women’s World Cup Qualifier which was supposed to be held in Chile on April 24-May 5.
Australia flew in safely into Chile but Scotland, Ireland and Malaysian players have been stranded because of cancelled flights.
The Malaysian Women’s Hockey Federation are in contact with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on the matter and the natural disaster is fast turning disastrously hi larious.
Australia is of the opinion that since there might be a delay in the other teams arriving in Chile, they should be allowed to play a series against the hosts to decide which team plays in the World Cup.
And the Aussies also suggested, in an e-mail to FIH, that another qualifier be held among the stranded teams where a second ticket to the World Cup will be on offer.
And if the FIH can’t accommodate the request, the Aussies feel the tournament should be played on a round-robbin basis with the top team playing in Argentina.
The tournament was in the picture when Chile was hit by an earth-quake but the venue stadium stood still and the FIH adamantly decided not to shift the venue. And now ash from Iceland has grounded flights, leaving the FIH with a messy situation.
What next? All five teams automatically qualify for the World Cup?
