"Wanted" - Coach for Malaysian cricket

I received this comment for another article and i think the comment is quite "hilarious" that it needs to be independently highlighted. Obviously, the writer is taking "pot-shots" at Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) on the issue of the coaches.

Mind you, MCA had and is still fumbling with the issue, particularly the manner in which they had "dumped" their long standing local coach. In desperation they tried to get him back but at MCA's pathetic old terms. Apparently the coach had "set" his terms, which according to sources seem "very reasonable". Indeed insiders indicate it is much less than the "claims" made by others or compared to certain key staff salary. Maybe the "small figure" does not attract the attention of the hierarchy in MCA.

Below is the text of the comment and i have formatted it accordingly:

"Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Malaysian cricket officials seem to have lost the ...":


Wanted Cricket Coach for Malaysia Cricket

1. Benefits: Free Lodging,
2. Free car during contract period,
3. Free parties at DP's hse,
4. Can come for training after the schedule time,
5. Free call to your Country,
6. Every meetings you attend,
7. You are entitled to get 4 can beers.
8. Basically you will get Holiday package in 2 months contract.

• 
  Requirements:Degree in Haanji ( YES SIR ),
• We are looking for a person who really can enjoy holiday.
• You must be Management Coach,
• You only can listen and follow what Management say's.
• You can't be player's coach.
• You must sit away from player's when match going on.
• You must be talkative.
• Your must work under supervision of DP.
  

Please contact Cricket Malaysia if you qualified for above requirements. "

Re: Coaches - Is there a "selling" plan for someone to be appointed?

Below is a comment i had received and i want to share it with the readers of the blog. The comment seem to "throw" a view that takes on the issue directly.

Is there truth in the comment? For you all to judge.

Text of comment is as follows:

"Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Re: Appointment of foreign coach - "Could it be an...":

Ghandi,

It is very hilarious to following this article!. The last few comments are also very interesting to note. Other blogs are promoting their choice of coaches, and there are also some coaches who are "selling" themselves.

Your regular comment about power struggle in the management level of the MHF has now shifted to the coaches?

Some comments are posted by the coaches themselves or the working group judging by the contents.

I hope the delay in MHF to hire the foreign coach will not trigger a situation where the coaching qualities of the respective teams are compromised.

Frankly speaking we may not even secure the intended foreign coach judging by the way the “potential candidate’s” predicament of having to endure the news leak before the appointment.

Malaysia may just have to hire a local! But how many locals are actually qualified and ready? "

Re: Appointment of foreign coach - "Could it be an act of sabotage"

I had received a stimulating comment for my article titled: Does MHF officials learn from their past mistakes. The article was dated 15th December and questioned the manner in which some key MHF officials had acted every time it came to the appointment of a foreign coach for Malaysian hockey.

The comment seem to bring a new paradigm into why this may have happened. Although speculative in nature it seems to introduce the concept that these could be "acts of sabotage". Could this be a possibility? I think it is "far fetched" but it is still worthwhile to study the issues that has been raised in the comment.

Below is the full text of the comment:

Ghandi,

When 'screw-up' is consistently practiced then it is not a screw-up but should be taken as an act to sabotage or destroy the game within the association.

What we see is individual(s) acting beyond their jurisdiction or permitted role in trying to gain out of hockey.

Wikipedia:
"Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is a saboteur."

An interesting comment. What attracts me in the comment is the aspect of "consistently practised". Can we be certain that repeated mistakes are consistent practises? The whole matter is "mind blogging".

Does MHF officials learn from their past mistakes?

Just prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was rumoured that a renowned South Korean coach, then with China is being "head hunted" to join Malaysia and uplift the declining standards of our hockey. While negotiations were ongoing, some "smart" MHF official met with another South Korean coach, purported to be a former assistant to the South Korean coach with the Chinese team. This created sufficient publicity in the alternative media i e "blogosphere" in South Korea that there was a tussle for the Malaysian job. The South Korean in China professionally withdrew from any further discussions with the Malaysian hockey representatives. Even a "secret" meeting held in Bangkok thereafter could not the coax the renowned South Korean coach to reconsider the Malaysian job.


Sadly, Malaysia was at the verge of getting his services but there were people in MHF who helped in "derailing" his appointment by not understanding the salient aspects of confidentiality and discretion when it comes to employment of "key" personalities. If these people had done such acts in a corporate environment, they would have faced drastic consequences including termination. Fortunately for them, it was only MHF and it would seem people get significant leeway to do things.

If that was the only incident then this article would not be forthcoming. The search for a foreign coach continued even after TM became President. This time the matter was handled by the Vice President of the Medical Committee. Why? It is anybody's guess? My article: MHF Committees in "Slumberland" - Part 4: "Motionless" Medical Committee dated 4th December, would probably give an insight.

Apparently, he was in negotiations with an Australian coach, who came highly recommended and was about to seal the appointment when the Secretary of MHF stepped in to take over the paperwork. In his "style" of English he communicated through the e-mail with the Australian and somehow confused the terms of appointment. Indeed stories were told that the Secretary was so keen to go to Australia to sign the deal, which itself probably created the confusion. Yet again, in the simplest of language MHF officials "screwed up" the whole deal.

With a brave front MHF's story then was they could not find a suitable foreign coach. All the backroom fiasco in MHF seem to have been forgotten and now as the story of the foreign coach resurfaces, nearly all the same officials have become the "players". If history is a lesson of the past, the question is: "Will history repeat itself"?

Statistically, there is a high probability. We need not create a mathematical equation. In plain words it is the same "players" who have in the past "screwed up" such deals. Now their initial acts itself have put potential candidates on to the defensive. Even at an early stage candidates cannot trust the "employer" on confidentiality, how does one expect for the long run. The people concerned are not "unemployed" coaches rather professional serving coaches whose request for "professional confidentiality" is of vital importance. To give "half baked" news to the public by MHF is tantamount to misleading all parties. So the statements of the Deputy President, the Vice President and Secretary of MHF with regards to the foreign coach is only going to help MHF lose its own creditability in eyes of all foreign coaches. The little hope we may have had for their services may have already been "killed" by the officials concerned. Can MHF afford such repeated "screw ups". The TM as President needs to think carefully.

"Tips" for TM as President of MHF.

Below is a comment for another article and i wanted this comment to receive the right level of attention. The comment literally believes that the President of MHF is doing his job but wants to see effective changes as the President is ultimately responsible.

Indeed the comment believes he holds the "key" to the future of Malaysian hockey and wants to see him use his "veto" powers if he is not satisfied with his team of administrators.

Something for readers to think about and comment. Below is the full text of the comment:

"mahatma has left a new comment on your post "MHF Committees in "Slumberland" - Part 5: "Pointle...":


All said and done, I believe the MHF association has played a key role to the success of hockey in Malaysia.

Just get the right people doing the job and the Pointless Team management committee becomes "meaningful" even though it is not anywhere in the constitutionally set up.

The vital person for the growth and success of all the committee set ups is the PRESIDENT himself. Anyone can run the hockey association but the president takes the hit and answers to the malaysians and to the world about the success or failure of the sports in Malaysia. Not the medical committee, not the TMC, not the coaching committee but the president himself.


The president who has much expertise and respect in the world of sports must be saluted not because of his position but his sincere majestic desires to bring changes and success to the hockey world. Changes is vital for the organisation to grow. The sooner the better as we have less than 300days for asian cup and olympic qualifier and less than 1500 days for the JWC.

If Raja Azlan Shah have been able to do so in the 80's and 90's, I believe that our current president has all the charisma, talent, power, credibility, leadership and willpower to bring Hockey to the next level in Malaysia,


Being the president, he shall have his veto power to override certain decisions made by certain committee if deemed not right for the progress of hockey and this has to be abide by all in MHF.

Dear President, Don't be a toothless lion. the future of Hockey lies in your hand. As the right or whatever wrong decisions made by you will see the success or failure of hockey in Malaysia."

KLHA's Under 14 two "coaches" issue.

This was a comment i received for another article and i thought that the comment deserve "centre stage", so i have reproduced it as a main article. Obviously, the comment seem to indicate that all is not well in Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA). Something i find difficult to believe as it is one of the proper managed hockey association in the country.

The comment seem to distort this image and i hope KLHA would be able to enlighten us on this matter.

Full text of the comment is published below:

"Mahatma has left a new comment on your post "Yet again Malaysian hockey misses the "crowning wi...":


KL UNDER 14 STUNS DEFENDING CHAMPIONS PERAK

Someone trains the KL under14 boys for 2 years preparing them for the under14 tournament and someone else takes the credit in 2 weeks.


It was a sudden shock to this coach upon arriving from Myanmar under18 tournament that his hard work was given to another coach.

Anyway everything started wrong from the selection process to the way the game was played. One player was not even in the top 18 list and was eventually sent off to play for Malacca where he emerged as the top scorrer for the state.


KL lost the first game and drew the second game. I was in Ipoh attending to a meeting when someone call me to inform that KL under 14 hit badly to the extend that some players do not want to play the next game against Tganu.

News went to the "Original" coach who was shocked with the results. He knew this team was a winning team and many KL coaches was lobbying for it. Not believing the results, he decided to see the boys and the game for himself. And his presence at the field the next day chased away all the curse and gave a fighting spirit to the boys. The angel's blessing went on to give a 7-1 winning against Tganu. The others was all history.


This team won all the matches from than on to win the championship. Of course with one coach at the bench and the other sitting outside showing signs to the boys what to do.

I was in KL when I received a call that the KL boys had won the championship. I slept peacefully that night and many others in KL did the same too.


Powerful characters have powerful minds and Powerful minds build winners. Success does not come overnight but pure hardwork. "

MHF Committees in "Slumberland" - Part 5: "Pointless" Team Management Committee.

Team Management Committee (TMC) of MHF is not a constitutionally designated Committee. It was set up in the past probably one and the half or 2 decades ago to ensure that matters pertaining to the various national teams are under a jurisdiction of a Committee. This is how the TMC derived its name.


While that provided a sound reason but people involved in that era tell a "story" that it was done for political purposes. Apparently a very senior office bearer in MHF felt that he was "cut off" from the day to day matters relating to the national teams and that the other Committees or personalities may have greater access including directly to the President, therefore he pushed for the TMC. Because of his seniority it fell on his lap to Chair, fulling the original intended objective. This way he became the main person reporting to the President and accessibility to the President for others were totally minimised or eliminated.


From then on, everyone involved with the national teams had to "pay their respect" to this person. On a day to day basis he became the "kingpin" of Malaysian hockey, having the administrative and operative control. If the story is a fact, the person must have been a genius in "maneuvering and manipulating" matters without others realising or even if they did, they could not do anything about it. The story concludes with the bottom line that "everything in MHF got going if he felt it deserved the attention and provided it was good for hockey". Therefore in a nutshell, it was not "bad" overall because things got going.


This precedent of having the TMC continued by other administrations of MHF even when the so called "founder" of it left MHF. The TMC brought a fair share of "ups and downs". This time there were more "downs" and slowly the purpose of the existence of the TMC became a glaring question?


In the current administration the TMC is being chaired by the Deputy President and he had selected the TMC's members including a senior officer of NSC to represent them. At its first meeting the TMC decided to name the coaches and team manager's of the senior national team, the junior national team and the national age group team (now it is referred to as the Project 2013 team). All these selections were done without discussing with the Coaching Committee or other relevant parties. The matter seemed to have a sinister flavour when certain people within the TMC were some of the named officials.


The matter got out of hand when the Chairman of the TMC made the appointments public even without informing the President of MHF. The matter became the "talk of the hockey community", when certain people in the TMC and some of the appointed officials seemed to originate from Malacca. Thus the group controlling or having influence on the TMC is referred to as the "Malacca Mafia". This effectively gave rise to the issue on the continuance of the past administration habit of "cronyism", thereby overlooking the fundamentals of meritocracy.


The manner of appointments by the TMC set the "tails wagging" and the main victim of it was the Chairman of the Coaching Committee. His Committee as result of this became " war torn." Accusations were flying around how friends were rewarded with appointments, more so overlooking the fundamental of ethics and conflict of interest. The "hodge podge" approach by the TMC gave a feeling that the whole thing was done in a hurry before the formal matters are considered. Maybe they were fearful that with time they may not be able to achieve their desired objective.


On the meantime, they got away with their first act. Then informally the Chairman of the TMC and the NSC Officer started exercising their powers. They summoned the coaches of the senior team and wanted them to go through their team manager on any statements or communications with any parties. This unusual approach seem to be a "vetting" process and wanting to strength the position of the team manager. Part of the reason was the coaches used to provide independent reports to the President of MHF and NSC. This the "Malacca Mafia" felt uncomfortable and if the reports were vetted then they would have an advance warning, which would give them time to react accordingly. Indeed the Chairman of the TMC was making life difficult for the senior team coaches.


With the passage of time, as more issues developed particularly of disciplinary nature with the national team, the TMC decided "to put its tail between its legs" and walk away from the problems. The TMC did not even "wink an eye" on the matter. Suddenly the TMC "lost its tooth" and became speechless. The purpose of their existence seem to have suddenly disappeared. Some believe that the Chairman of the TMC was slowly being caught out and he does want to display his true colour.


Lately, the Deputy President must have decided that his silence must be "broken". He found a topic that he felt was probably under his jurisdiction as Chairman of TMC and that is the foreign coach for Malaysia. Not realising the rules of confidentiality and breaching the understandings agreed upon, the Deputy President freely made information publicly available. This in a way gave the impression that the TMC is still in-charge of such matters. Some of course believe his actions may be calculated to sabotage the appointment of the foreign coach. The debate on this matter would continue for years to come.


All these raise the fundamental issue of whether there is the need for a TMC? Even if it does , should it not have a scope clearly defined as to what the TMC's functions are and the procedures they must adopt including seeking the endorsement of the Management Committee on certin matters. The TMC should not be seen as an independent unit wanting to do what they like based on their "whims and fancies". Ultimately the President of MHF is responsible and they must know that they cannot usurp his authority.