ONLY a dispute over the selection of tennis players is holding back the completion of Malaysia's contingent to the Sea Games in Indonesia.
And Chef-de-Mission Datuk Naim Mohamad is calling for the selection committee, chaired by Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar and the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM), to come to a consensus soon.
"This has to be done by the Sept 26 deadline for registration of athletes for the Sea Games. Apart from this, everything else is running smoothly," said Naim.
The issue surfaced apparently due to the LTAM's disagreement over the selection committee's decision on the number of players to represent the country under categories 'A' and 'B'.
The LTAM is said to be intending to use a competition from which winners will be selected for the Sea Games.
"The LTAM is adamant that the OCM had jumped the gun by not allowing it to decide on selection," said Naim.
In the heat of the dispute, OCM secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi had also been quoted in the press as stating that the LTAM had been withdrawn from the Sea Games.
"Whatever issues there are, they can be solved. It will not come to such a situation whereby the national team withdraws from the tennis competition," said Naim.
"We just all need to sit down together and find a solution to this." - Arnaz M. Khairul (NST)
