“Singapore tried to poach Malaysian badminton star” or so read a recent Sports headline. The correspondent, Terrence Voon, was writing about a Malaysian claim that Singapore approached a young Penang badminton player, Goh Jin Wei, 12, with a scholarship offer that would have seen the youngster supported right up to university. The offer was so attractive that her mother was on the verge of accepting before BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia) stepped in to block the deal. Goh Jin Wei is one of Malaysia’s brightest badminton talents and Malaysia is sore over it. Poaching is not a good word as in the case of illegal poaching of protected or endangered species of animals. It is still more polite than stealing.
Whatever, it is not a nice thing to do as the intent and purpose are not good nor sportsman-like. And to go poaching for sportsmen is kind of a contradiction, a demeaning way of achieving sports excellence. What is Singapore trying to achieve by going all over the world to poach or lure foreign sporting talents to don Singapore colours, to win medals, to do the country proud? And the sickening thing is that many Singaporeans are not a least bit proud of such tactics and achievements. Full story
