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By Terence Fernandez

TWO weeks ago I wrote a piece on the plight of some of our former national athletes ("Ex-athletes deserve better", Dec 1) who are finding it tough in their post-playing days.

From medical bills to making a decent living, life has turned a course which is a far cry from the gold medals and adulation of the masses – including bureaucrats and party stringers who want to share the limelight but drop these sportsmen like a sack of rotten potatoes once the gleam of the medals has faded in favour of new stars.

I had received a lot of bouquets from many ex-internationals over that column saying that they know of ex-footballers, ex-runners and the like who have fallen on hard times because while the country had demanded their full attention and energy to their sport, had failed to look out for them once their services were no longer needed.

I also received at least one brickbat from the family of one athlete who was recovering in hospital, saying how the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) had upgraded their father, an ex-international to first class at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital the moment they knew of his illness.

I do not deny Yakeb’s contributions since it was launched in November last year. Its general manager, Md Razib Md Shah, had invited me to its office at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Dec 9 to "explain what we do here".

For starters, perhaps Yakeb would want to tell the stadium management to inform its security officers of Yakeb’s existence. The officers did not even know that there was such an organisation housed right under their noses.

Also, Yakeb should knock some sense into the stadium management. As they deal with retired sportsmen, well into the last inning of their lives, they should be allowed to be dropped off at the doorstep – not made to walk 200m from the parking lot.

When queried: "Kalau orang cacat macam mana? Kena merangkak?" (What about the disabled? Would they need to crawl). The response was the usual, "Saya tak tahu. Saja menurut arahan pihak pengurusan." (I don’t know. Just following orders of the management).

In any case, Md Razib, corporate services manager Zuhairi Abdul Manaf, senior manager and SEA Games track athlete Ramjit Nairulal, and Koperasi Atlet Malaysia Berhad Board member Datuk Malek Noor took pains to give Citizen Nades and I an overview of what Yakeb had been doing since its inception and the problems that they faced in doing their bit for the athletes.

The first thing that struck us was their claim that there was no database of national athletes, with the state associations and federations being of no help.

"This is why we want them to register with us, so we can help them and do the necessary like the insurance," said Malek, who said he went all over the country looking for former national athletes as well as to raise funds for Yakeb.

So herein lies the problem as we articulated to the gentlemen at the foundation: We have no beef with Yakeb per se. Our problem is treating our former sportsmen as charity cases.

The fact that Yakeb even gives out scholarships to the children of former athletes and even helps with seed money for them to start business was news to us. And for that, the foundation deserves a pat on the back.

That it rushes to ensure athletes in need are taken care of once their plight becomes known is also laudable. But again, as we told them, why take a camera crew along?

No one wants to be a charity case. Imagine for example, lifting the Malaysia Cup or Thomas Cup or an Asian Games gold medal one day and 30 years later a mock cheque in your hospital bed with cameras flashing and the like.

Or as in one former athlete’s case have an official go on national radio and boast of how the government had paid for his operation after an appeal by the ex-athlete.

All these grandstanding at the cost of their dignity is not what we want for our sports heroes.

I am glad that Malek acknowledged that it was not necessary to make a show of Yakeb helping one of their own. "What’s important is at the end of the day, they get the help they deserve," said the former bodybuilder who acknowledged that unlike some of his contemporaries, he has been blessed with a comfortable retirement.

So now, we have come to an agreement with Yakeb. We will help highlight their activities – but never at the cost of an individual’s pride and dignity. And they in turn will do their best to help all athletes in need without the fanfare.

In the meantime, it is incumbent upon our youth and sports minister as well as guardians and administrators of our sports programmes to work on a comprehensive retirement model for our former nationals.

How about starting with a medical card that gives First Class hospitalisation at government hospitals? No questions asked?

And there must be life after sports. Former minster Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had opined setting up low-cost and low maintenance community sports complexes managed by former athletes. He said that this will help them eke out a living and continue to contribute to sports by scouting and nurturing new talents.

A brilliant idea which never took shape as he was soon moved out after uncovering the stink left behind by his predecessor.


Terence maintains that one’s dignity must be intact irrespective of one’s background. He is deputy editor (special reports & investigations) and can be reached at terence@thesundaily.com

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