The article is about the release of the table tennis team manager Antony Lee, after guiding the women’s team to a silver Olympic medal, he has to face the consequences for neglecting his duties.

It all started because Gao Ning, Singapore’s top male paddler got kicked out of the Olympics after losing a match without a coach. Zu Haining was busy guiding another Singapore player, Yang Zi at the time as he had been tasked with overseeing both players because his colleague, Chen Jian, fell ill. But Yang Zi's match, which was scheduled an hour before Gao Ning's, started late, and went to the wire, so Zu Haining was unable to attend to Gao Ning in time.

Was the decision to release the table tennis manager justifiable? Even after leading the women’s team to a silver medal, does he deserve to be punished for something that was not in his control? This could be seen as a mistake on the part of the organizers and how could the manager be able to make last minute decisions even if he wanted to in such a short time?

Even if it was the team manager’s fault, would it be justifiable to release him immediately after leading the women’s team to the silver medal? Not only would this affect the mood and morale of the team, as he was the man behind their successful campaign. It would also send those out there a message, that after helping us to achieve something great in 48 years, your service would not be needed anymore, something like using a piece of tissue paper and then throwing it away after it has lost its purpose.

This could also be seen as STTA (Singapore Table Tennis Association) president Lee Bee Wah effort to show her authority as she had just gotten this position not long ago. This would be sending out a message that you had better not mess with her, because she means business and you will be punished for every mistake that you commit. However, there could be a negative effect to this, if she were to show double standards in the future, she would lose the trust and support of many who she have convinced in this incident.

This could also be a bad start to her life as the STTA president, as many would view her as the evil or bad character in this incident, as she was the one who made the decision to release the one who made all this possible, a silver medal after 48 years. Many may also say that the commotion that she has caused was uncalled for.

This move would also prove to cause the table tennis team to be in a mess, which is extremely bad for the team, as they would want to look to defending their titles at the very least as well as to challenge for gold medal.

She has also mentioned some plans, but would these be able to cover up for the loss of the team manager in the short run? I doubt so, somehow what she has done seems redundant to me. Therefore I would say that her decision to release the team manager is not justifiable.

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Let's move on, says Lee

Section:	Prime - Table Tennis Shocker
By:	PEH SHING HUEI, MARC LIM
Publication:	The Straits Times 25/08/2008
Page:	A5
No. of words:	349

BEIJING: Mum's the word when it came to the controversy. There were no further comments on the future of team manager Antony Lee, who has been released by the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA), nor other members of the STTA.

There were also no comments about why she felt the need to decide the fate of Mr Lee so soon after he had helped Singapore win a table tennis women's team silver at the Beijing Olympics.

Instead, STTA president Lee Bee Wah, who is in Beijing, would only talk about her plans for the sport yesterday.

A day after she revealed that team manager Lee's services would no longer be required, and that head coach Liu Guodong could face the chop as well, she declined to say more about the matter.

"What we need now is to let Singaporeans know the STTA's plans for the future. We want to move on," she said.

Top of her list is to realise the full potential of the current crop of national players.

She had told the media earlier that she will have one-on-one meals with the players in the coming weeks, to see how she can help them become even better. She also wants to groom capable successors to the team.

Also in the pipeline is a scholarship for national players, to support the paddlers in pursuing a university degree after retiring from the sport.

But more than the elite squad, the new ping-pong chief – who took over the presidency just last month – wants to broaden the base of table-tennis players in Singapore.

There are plans to introduce the game to children at the kindergarten level. She said that the PAP Community Foundation, which is in charge of the People's Action Party's kindergartens, has given in-principle approval.

An age-group league is also in the works to sustain interest in the sport throughout the year and to engage students regularly. She also wants to set up a business league, where national players can represent companies and improve their marketability.

PEH SHING HUEI and MARC LIM