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New Singapore Athletics (SA) President Lien Choong Luen has promised to return the faith shown in him and his team, who were voted into power by an emphatic margin at the fraternity’s annual general meeting last night.
Private Transportation App General Manager Gojek defeated attorney Edmond Pereira 14-3 in the track and field body elections at the Nexus Auditorium in Cuppage Plaza.
Lien’s full nine-man roster was also voted on by the management committee, with each of them receiving at least 14 of 17 valid votes.
However, the position that each elected member will assume in the MC will be confirmed only after their first meeting. There will also be two unelected members of the committee: the executive director and a representative from the athletes commission.
Lien, 43, said he and his team were “touched and very grateful” for the support they received from affiliates, but said he had no illusions about the difficulties they face in reviving the ailing sport.
“There is really strong support for the work that we have done and the potential for the plans that we have outlined,” he said. “But really, like I told my team, talking is cheap.
“Now is the time to deliver on what we promised.”
In the run-up to the election, Lien’s team announced that it had raised $ 100,000 in donations to kick-start their plans if they voted for power.
These plans, which cover access to and support for development, competition opportunities, athlete management and strengthening governance, include turning colleges of higher education into regional training centers and providing coaches for school athletes. that do not focus on athletics, among others.
For the 70-year-old Pereira, a stalwart of the local scene, last night’s defeat meant that he has now lost the candidacy for the top SA job four times, after previous defeats in 1984, 2000 and 2016.
Downcast, he said: “There is not much to say, the affiliates have spoken.
“Hopefully they (the fraternity) have the goal of advancing the sport. Time will tell.”
But he may still have a role to play, as Lien said he planned to meet with Pereira soon to explore how he can “make the best of everyone’s efforts” to move the sport forward.
SA is currently involved in legal proceedings with two-time SEA Games marathon gold medalist Soh Rui Yong for comments made about his omission from the 2019 Games.
Aside from court proceedings, the fraternity has produced negative headlines in recent years for numerous internal disputes.
Disharmony has affected athletes’ performance, as seen at last year’s SEA Games, when the team failed to win a single gold medal in the biennial competition for the first time since 1991.
In his farewell message to the community, outgoing President Tang Weng Fei, who had refused to stand up again, pointed this out, saying: “We are falling behind our neighbors, and this is a wake-up call not only for the association, but for the coaches and athletes as well. “
He added: “SAA’s priority must always be our athletes.”
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