Games plan or empty promises?

WORDS are cheap, deeds are priceless. Let's all remember that, especially the decision makers in Brunei sports.

Fitness tests used by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports' national selection and evaluation committee to select athletes for overseas competitions were thrust into the spotlight at Saturday's post-mortem meeting for November's 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Having seen the national contingent return from the SEA Games in Indonesia without any gold and in last place among 11 teams, His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BNOC), on Saturday questioned the application of standard general fitness tests for all athletes, suggesting the committee should use sport specific tests, instead.

A very good suggestion, indeed, followed by a promising answer by a Sports Medicine and Research Centre (SMRC) representative at the meeting. Responding to HRH's suggestion, a senior official with SMRC who designs and conducts the tests said the centre is 'implementing' the sport specific tests, soon.

Two thumbs up for the SMRC. But, it must remember that a mere statement unfortunately is not enough; it must be accompanied by action for any plans or guidelines without any action is as good as empty promises. Let's hope the Prince's advice doesn't fall on deaf ears and that everybody will work hard to deliver the promised changes.

The Prince and those who attended the meeting spent two-and-a half hour to plan for a better Games in Myanmar next year for the post-mortem session was not a platform to reproach or attack anybody, rather a discussion on how best to correct the mistakes committed at the Indonesian Games and make sure that they will not be repeated. Brunei must learn from those mistakes for "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me".