By reader Daryl Chin

Multiple national record-holder and SEA Games Gold medallist James Wong recently announced his resignation from his post as Honorary Secretary at the Singapore Athletics Association (SAA). Rumours are rife about the reasons behind his departure, but the facts remain the same: this marks the fourth high-profile departure from the SAA’s management structure in recent months. Coupled with the recent reports of disagreements between Pole Vault national record-holder Rachel Yang and the SAA, local track fans might be excused for feeling a strong sense of déjà vu.

It was only just last year when the new management, led by Mr Tang Weng Fei, was elected into office on a wave of optimism and change. Disgruntlement with the previous incumbent had reached a boiling point, leading to cries for a reform of the national association. With the recent developments, however, it is clear the honeymoon period is over, and there are concerns that things might be reverting back to its old ways.

To be fair, the new administration has already made several positive changes. The new management has been more proactive in helping athletes: a new carding system was introduced, and an interesting collaboration with a local professional athlete management firm has been established. Also, there is a desire to return to a more grassroots approach, with frequent parent-athletes-coaches gatherings, as well as workshops for the masses. The official website has been revived and brought up-to-date, with the use of social media platforms explored – an important move to stay relevant in the modern technological age.

Furthermore, from a wider perspective, Singapore’s troubles are far from being an anomaly. International athletics associations are no strangers to controversy and public disputes. Traditional athletics powerhouses such as the United States and Kenya have been plagued by troubles within their organisations. The USA Track and Field federation, for example, had to deal with a recent public resignation of its previous Chief Executive Officer, Douglas Logan, which ended in a lawsuit.

For the SAA, these are still relatively early days. Moving forward, it remains to be seen if the recent exodus is just a blip in the road to progress or symptomatic of deeper underlying issues. For real progress, the road ahead will require patience and perseverance. With the SEA games still to come at the end of the year, it is shaping up to be a testing period for the new-look SAA.

References
Lin Foong, L. “Wong Quits Athletics Post to Focus on Training For SEA Games”, 12 April 2011, todayonline.com
Lin Foong, L. “Stressed Yang has a Change of Heart”, 9 April 2011, todayonline.com
Singapore Athletics Association
Associated Press. October 20, 2010, “Ex-CEO Files Wrongful Termination Suit”, ESPN Track and Field [Online]