Sport : Cast aside worries of biased judging, CDM tells martial arts exponents

National martial arts exponents have been advised not to be too concerned with the possibility of biased judging during next month’s Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam.

Instead, said chef de mission (CDM) Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad, they should focus on perfecting their techniques so as to be able to score points in their sports, where judging is very subjective.

Karate, taekwondo and silat are some of the martial arts sports that will be contested at the Hanoi SEA Games from May 12-23.

“We know that judges or umpires in martial arts-based sports play a crucial role in the awarding of points, but it’s not so simple for them to be biased.

“What is important is that the athletes themselves must do their part and give their all,” he told reporters after visiting the SEA Games athletes to check on their progress at Bukit Jalil today.

He said that if the exponents were to focus on improving their techniques, then they will be able to cast aside the ‘nightmarish scenario’ of biased judging by the umpires or judges.

“For these subjective sports, a lot of things need to be considered, including speed of movement… sometimes when you earn a point, your opponent can also pick up a point,” he said.

While not discounting the fact that biased judging may happen at the biennial Games this time, Nur Azmi said they would still carry out a thorough preparation so as to be prepared for any eventuality.

“If a dispute actually crops up during competition, they must also be able to take action to deal with it. We have a technical team comprising members from various organisations to jointly discuss such decisions. We have experience dealing with such issues…,” he said.