Checkmate: Now chinese coach play reluctant virgin

[Apollo]

Now undecided

Liu says even if STTA wants him to stay, he needs to think about it. He adds:

'I need space to do my job.'

'I need to be able to make decisions that won't be second-guessed.'

'I can't have people trying to disrupt what I am trying to achieve here.'

By Lin Xinyi

 

 

LESS than a day after welcoming the positive news that Singapore Table Tennis Association president Lee Bee Wah looked forward to working with him in preparation for the 2012 Olympics, Liu Guodong is having second thoughts about staying on as national head coach.

 

He told The Straits Times yesterday: 'Even if the STTA wants me to stay, I will need to think about it.'

 

This latest development comes as a shock after there were signs of progress on Tuesday night, when both Liu and Ms Lee said that they were looking forward to working with each other.

 

Then, Ms Lee had said: 'I've considered that Liu Guodong has done a great job with the girls and met the target of a medal at the Olympics.'

 

But, yesterday morning, Liu had a change of heart.

 

He said: 'This whole saga - am I staying or am I going - has really hurt my pride.'

 

If he is to stay on, his top concern is the environment he will be working in.

 

Liu, 34, said: 'I need space to do my job.

 

'I need to be able to make decisions that won't be second-guessed.

 

'And I can't have people trying to disrupt what I am trying to achieve here.'

 

If those assurances are given, Liu said he will stay on - '100 per cent'.

 

However, as things stand, he is uncertain about staying put until he has had a discussion with Ms Lee.

 

She did not want to comment on the issue when approached at the National Library last night after the closing ceremony of Read! Singapore 2008.

 

Despite leading the women's table tennis team to a silver - Singapore's first Olympic medal in 48 years - there were initial doubts over Liu's future.

 

This, after STTA chief Lee said that his fate would be decided by a coaching committee last Saturday.

 

The uncertainty followed the fiasco in the Olympics' men's singles event, where Singapore No 1 Gao Ning played without a coach by his side and crashed out in the third round.

 

Following the 'Gao Ning incident', Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan promised a full review of the controversy after Team Singapore returned from Beijing on Monday.

 

Yesterday morning, the minister had a meeting with paddlers Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu, Sun Beibei, Gao Ning, Yang Zi and Cai Xiaoli.

 

Dr Balakrishnan also met the coaches and team manager Antony Lee. It is unclear what was discussed. All Liu would say was that 'it went well'.

 

Although there was speculation within the sporting fraternity that Liu had offered to resign yesterday, he quashed the rumour.

 

He insisted that he will see out his current contract, which runs till Dec 31.

 

This means that he will be in charge when the Republic's paddlers compete at next month's Volkswagen Women's World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.

 

Liu said: 'We've worked so hard to get to where we are. I still hope that I can be here to consolidate our position, which will be harder than our rise to the top.'

 

[email protected]

 

Additional reporting by Wang Meng Meng

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking...ry_272769.html

 

this is so incomplete without the Joker

 

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/273684...973b3a5e4_o.gif

Edited August 28, 2008 by Apollo

[Espire]

This guy fail to acknowledge that fact that this is how our country is being run in the first place.

 

However, the authorities might still give in to him.. since he's a "FT" !!!!

[Ronnchee]

He must know who is the BIG Boss here.

 

If he does not acknowledge the fact, he will ask to go, sooner or later.

[Sfhuang]

KNN .... LBW really made a bloody big mess at STTA.

[Carnut]

can't blame him. i don't. put yourself in his position, who wants to be treated like that, one minute want to sack, next thing you know, treat everything like it never happened.

[Apollo]

Gao Ning, LJW.. LGD... it must b a conspiracy to do us in.....

 

as per Taiwan comedy...

 

這一切攏吗是。。。阿共的陰謀啦

 

[Help1]

not only LBW created a mess but also the association itself...

 

apparently, the association has been concentrating on the womens team since it shows promising in bringing medals as compare to the mens team...i can understand gao ning feeling when he felt that he is there to play second fiddle to sparr with the womens team....

 

the association should revamp the entire system to groom the mens and womens team instead of bias towards women team.

 

be it non-profit or profit organisation, once the top top management is hired from civil sector side, bureaucracy and result-oriented will be present and become part of the culture thus there is no closeness and freedom in the organisation

[So_nice]

just go lor. we can always import another FT coach.

[Ender]

LBW is typical PAP matarial. Come to sentiment of ground level, they are simply clueless. Ren Yuan skill is extremely poor.

[Watwheels]

Really poor chap. I doubt his stay will be long. Since he has coach offer from other countries, might as well pack up and leave. Ppl here are not appreciative anyway.

[Samuel72]

I don't blame him to have 2nd thought on the contract, who will want to work with your hands tied and having a so call president of a association pulling power now and then, all this elite fail to acknowledge that FTs move when they feel that their service is better render somewhere else. I seriously think that this is the last medal we going to get from OG and we will be dry for the next 48years if our elites don't learn from lesson and just want to move on and forget about the mistake they made.

[Mzrmazda3]

I feel that he is not wrong to have 2nd thoughts given what had happened recently

[Santav]

yup...probably after reading the fine print in the contract.....bo hua leh.....

[Peqasus]

Liu is smart and playing his cards well.

 

Let's see.

 

He led the women team to SG's 1st Silver in 48 yrs. His resume is done. By letting media handle this is as good as letting foreign media pick it up and air his resume for other countries to hire him.

 

If SG dun handle well, other country hire

Liu WINS. Better package, better prospects, more say. Sporeans and FT respect him cos he brought the medal and stood up to PAP.

PAP LOSE. Not just him but other FT will hv a precedent when they wan to exit. See how LJW is already preparing her exit story.

 

If SG handles well, Liu stays

Liu WINS. Better package, so so prospects, his say

PAP loses. FT now have precedent still. Perform and squeeze their balls.

 

Apparently LBW face not big enuff for him liao. The FT thing has blown out of proportion putting Liu as the FT rep for all FT players. The only way to resolve is to hv Vivian come in. Now the ultimate move, jus threaten either LBW or him. If this happen, means confirm chop guarantee he got better deal outside. Now if only it happens...woo hoo...got some show to watch.

 

If Vivian says, LBW GO. Her political career bye bye. but in so doing he has given in to threats.

 

if Vivian says, Liu GO. Sporeans will BOO him for unfair move to SG hero.

 

In all cases, it's checkmate PAP.

[Jman888]

agree, with his achievement here and his 'contact', many countries would offer him better package, he is calling the shot and he win either way. Maybe he can help PNG or Fiji to win their 1st TT medal

[Qpik]

PAP don't give in to threats to be where they are now.

 

Likely case, Liu will go. LBW will be made the scapegoat and sidelined. Eventually will drop out of political scene as the public has viewed her negatively. Politics is abt image and how well the public receive you.

[Apollo]

how abt tat time got some1 hv to goto court sumpah abt mugging shooting and carjacking... ?

[Boyboy]

LBW worse boo boo than MSK saga?

 

honestly why pple think she will go? but sidelined, like u said, hentak kaki awhile then drop out, maybe tt will happen