Are we a country of yes men ?

I am aghast that our top marathoner, Soh Rui Yong has been omitted from this year's 2019 SEA games held in November in Manila Philippines. He has been very consistent in his training and spent alot of time and his family's money in training slogging the kms and doing the races all through the 2 years since he won his second SEA Games marathon in Thailand in 2017.

There has been talk of his non compliance with the running association rules such as his cutting holes in his running vest at a regional competition, his public feud with another runner, Ashley Siew at the last SEA games where there was a controversy about the former slowing down for the other competitors (Soh included) as they had taken a wrong turn. Also there was some warning given to Soh about his promotion of sponsors while he is still an amateur. (Correct me if I am wrong). For the record he proudly donned the Singapore colours and won 2 SEA Games Gold medals in 2015 and 2017. He also raced in many overseas meets such as Japan and numerous US meets.

The road to sporting success is long, arduous and full of sacrifices. There was surely tears and sweat and forgoing his social life, the many kms spent overseas in US and Africa to train, waking up at ungodly hours such as 2 am to clock in the 180 - 250 km per week in freezing cold weather. 

The man is probably a maverick, but hey, he is a 2 time SEA Games winner. He has recorded the fastest time ever by a Singaporean (I believe in the Seoul marathon). He runs to the beat of his own drum and sets extremely high standards for himself, his club and his country. 

SNOC will have their reasons, opaquely given in the newspapers as "SA has on several occasions breached the athletics code of conduct". Fair point, but did he cheat, use performance enhancing substances or commit grave fatal errors to cause embarrassment to the athletics community ? The answer is "No" or not that the public knows about.  We are proud of his achievements and what he stands for, a proud Singaporean donning the colours of his country. To omit him from his pet event when he is the fastest competitor by far based on recent records is frankly, childish. 

If Bruce Lee quietly followed his Wing Chun master and toed the line, he would be just one of many instructors of Wing Chun. If Jimi Hendrix used riffs from any of the past masters of the electric guitar and never implement his won style of playing (including teeth, behind the back) he would never brought electric guitar rock music to those great heights. Hendrix was his own genius, an out of this world performer. 

Great artistes and competitors are great because they have learnt the rules, they have mastered the rules and yes they rewrite the rules.  

I think this move is only reinforcing many of our citizens views that to represent the country in sport of in the public sector, we must comply and be 'yes' men. The only way is the way as directed from the top and nothing else. That will only lead to incremental improvement at the very best and a decline in overall standards the more likely outcome. 

Its sad to see this turn of events for a country which is supposedly First World.  Its time the administrators and the officials take some calculated risks for the betterment of the sport, else it will alsways be the "Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward and March on the Spot"

What a Pity.