PETALING JAYA: Sailor Kevin Lim is getting closer to resolving his dispute with the Malaysian Yachting Association (MYA) over his participation in the Beijing Olympics in August.
The MYA have agreed to reimburse Kevin the money he spent towards his campaign to earn a record fourth appearance in the Olympics from the World Championships in Australia in February.
“The MYA wrote to tell me that they had transferred RM25,000 into my account. The funds have not cleared yet but it's certainly an improvement in our relationship. I have to say thanks,” said Kevin via the e-mail from his new base in Holland.
The latest development comes just days after he had a meeting with the MYA officials to present his case and voice out his dissatisfaction. The 32-year-old was pleased that he got his point across to the national governing body.
“The meeting with MYA was much more civilised than I had been preparing myself. I walked away feeling that I had a chance to explain my problems and gained a better understanding about the issues that the MYA were facing,” said Kevin.
The money will surely help to lessen his expenses for his preparation for the Beijing Games. Kevin hopes to compete in several top-level regattas in Europe, which he felt would put him in a better position to give a good show in the Olympics.
Kevin voiced out his disappointment recently after the MYA forced him to compete in a local trial next month even though he had made his own effort to qualify for the Olympics through the world championships.
Although the MYA have the right to select their own representative to take up the quota spot in sailing, Kevin felt he had a legitimate case to be the chosen one, especially when the association had not made any effort to prepare a Laser sailor for the Olympics.
No MYA-funded Laser sailor competed in any of the international regattas in Europe or Australia for the last nine months. They also failed to renew their membership with the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) and failed to register a sailor for the world meet – the last opportunity for Olympic qualification.
Kevin also claimed that while MYA had been content with playing a passive role, it was he who had done all the hard work.
He not only gave up his job as a doctor to return to full-time training with the aim to qualify for the Olympics but also spent his own money competing in seven top-level regattas in Australia and Europe aside from paying for his membership with ILCA.
The Star
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