As expected, the women's table tennis players won the Team of the Year award - they were practically a shoo-in after their historic silver medal at last year's Beijing Olympic Games.

But overshadowing their victory was a controversial decision by the Singapore Table Tennis Association to leave Liu Guodong on the sidelines by not nominating him for the Coach of the Year award.

So, for the first time since 2001, there is no winner in this category. The decision did not come easily.

During a three-hour meeting to decide the winners, several on the Singapore National Olympic Council's selection panel, which comprises top sports officials, disagreed with STTA's decision not to nominate Liu, who quit as coach after a series of high-profile clashes with the association. Some members of the panel were so unhappy with this that they suggested that Liu be put on the ballot anyway.

They argued that Liu, 34, deserved an award after delivering the country's first Olympic medal in 48 years.

Said Mr Ng Ser Miang, SNOC vice-president and chairman of Project 0812, the programme aimed at helping elite athletes win medals at the Beijing Games and 2012 London Olympics: 'I'm puzzled as to why Liu Guodong's name was not put in when he stood a strong chance of winning.'

At the end of the day, however, the panel decided to abide by the STTA's wishes.

Said Deputy Prime Minister and SNOC president Teo Chee Hean, who chaired yesterday's meeting: 'We do have to take into consideration the views of the sports associations when it comes to these nominations.

'Eventually, whether a person is nominated or not nominated, the sports association has to take responsibility.' When asked why Liu was not nominated, STTA president Lee Bee Wah said: 'Results are not the only criterion to the STTA.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.