BY: NADIA HASSAN

Not all Malaysians are basking in the epic performances of badminton duo Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah from their sterling display in the Paris Olympics to the Korea Open and now in lifting the women’s doubles title in the Hong Kong Open.

This is because in recent decades sports in Malaysia has been rife with racism and double standards being practised and in the case of Pearly and Thinaah they belong to the minority races and are not Malay or Muslim.

While most Malay Muslims applaud and are appreciative of the hard earned efforts of Pearly and Thinaah there are a fraction who are upset and there are the religious extremists who even dislike the clothing they wear when they play.

While race and religion are thorny, tacky and sensitive topics in this country, it is high time that racism is eliminated completely from Malaysian sports and in its place there should be fairplay and respect and honour reserved for those who win.

It is very sad and unbecoming to even hear racist slurs being levelled at our sportsmen and sportswomen when they fail to measure up to the high and demanding expectations of Malaysians who show no mercy or forgiveness when they fail to win.

In the final analysis, Malaysians should learn to show appreciation for the sporting spirit more than being fixated with winning and losing as all competitions and games should promote healthy sportsmanship.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher