Athletics: Proper channels for athletes to raise concerns in 'civil' manner, says SNOC sec-gen

Chris Chan took the stand for the defamation case involving Soh Rui Yong and Malik Aljunied defamation trial on Feb 9, 2022. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

SINGAPORE - Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) secretary general Chris Chan stressed in court on Wednesday (Feb 9) that athletes have a right to express their views and concerns to the council, but should raise these issues in "a correct way" and through the "proper avenue".

Chan was giving evidence as a witness for the defendant when he took the stand on the sixth day of the defamation case involving top national marathoner Soh Rui Yong and former Singapore Athletics (SA) executive director Malik Aljunied.

Malik is an employee of SNOC presently seconded to the Singapore Taekwondo Federation where he is its acting chief executive officer.

Soh is alleging Malik had made defamatory comments in a Facebook post and remarks on the same post's thread in August 2019, which came shortly after he was dropped from the 2019 SEA Games by an SNOC selection committee.

It had cited then that there had been "numerous instances" where Soh's conduct fell short of the standards it expects.

Soh's counsel, Gerard Quek, on Wednesday quizzed Chan on these incidents.

One was the SNOC's "blackout" rule - regulations regarding the promotion of personal sponsors during major Games - which Soh breached at the 2017 SEA Games.

Quek suggested that an athlete would have reason to be unhappy with SNOC's order given it is stricter than the International Olympic Committee's "Rule 40", which similarly seeks to guard the exclusivity of Olympic sponsors but has in recent years been relaxed, but Chan disagreed.

Later, during re-examination by defence counsel Mahmood Gaznavi, Chan elaborated: "Rule 40 has always been evolving... The learned lawyer here (Quek) used the term controversial. It has always been a point of discussion.

"Another point I need to highlight is (SNOC) follow the IOC (standards), but not to the letter. We are quite different, because IOC rules are all about Olympic sports. In Singapore, it's not only about Olympic sports... Whether we are strict or lenient in some areas, it's up for us to discuss."

Another instance of Soh falling foul of the SNOC was his initial objection to its mandatory requirement to donate 20 per cent of his $10,000 cash payout as reward for his win at the 2017 SEA Games back to SA for training and development. Soh had sent a letter to the SNOC expressing these views, and also made comments in mainstream media and on social media.

Quek suggested that Soh was not disputing SNOC's right to decide how to distribute the award, but Chan said: "I didn't get that impression, I disagree."

Soh Rui Yong (left) is alleging that Malik Aljunied made defamatory comments and remarks in a Facebook post in August 2019. ST PHOTOS: KELVIN CHNG

Other issues included Soh's high-profile spat with fellow marathoner Ashley Liew - which led to a defamation suit by the latter which Liew won and is currently under appeal - as well as Soh turning up to the airport in bright orange running shoes instead of black leather ones as Team Singapore departed for the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur. Before his race, Soh also cut holes in his race attire, saying it was for ventilation purposes.

SNOC pointed to many of these issues as examples of Soh being in breach of its team membership agreement.

"Having signed the agreement, you don't then (only later) say I'm not happy with this or that," said Chan.

While Quek sought to prove that Soh had valid concerns and reasons for his actions, Chan, during re-examination, noted that there are channels for athletes to constructively raise issues with the SNOC or national sports associations, such as the various athletes' commissions.

"So there's a correct way of bringing up issues... Some people like to use the media, some use social media, some go through parents, some go see their Member of Parliament, there are all kinds," noted Chan. "We expect you to be civil about things, rational... there's always a proper avenue or channel."

Chan was the latest in a list of prominent sports figures to take the stand in the trial. Before him, former SA president Tang Weng Fei had also given evidence on the stand as a witness for the defendant.

Swimming icon and former SA vice-president Ang Peng Siong, veteran athletics administrator Edmond Pereira and former SA general manager Yip Ren Kai are also lined up as witnesses for the defendant.

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