Seedings not assigned arbitrarily
Published on: Sat, May 24, 2025
By: GL Oh Text Size: Charles said they appreciate the concern raised regarding tournament fairness and welcome any constructive feedback. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Squash Association (SSA) has denied any wrongdoing related to the assignment of seedings in any of the tournaments sanctioned by them. This followed claims by an ex-Sukma athlete published in the Daily Express forum on May 4 that players were incorrectly seeded despite their strong track records and current form in recent squash events and called for transparency. In an official statement released on Thursday, SSA president Datuk Charles O Pang said they appreciate the concern raised regarding tournament fairness and welcome any constructive feedback. 'We would like to clarify that player seeding in SSA sanctioned tournaments has always been conducted professionally based on verified data, not arbitrarily as implied. 'It is also important to note that squash tournaments in the State not organised by Sabah Squash Association fall outside our jurisdiction, and therefore we do not have authority over the ranking or seeding processes in such events,' he said. According to him, the four criteria applied in the seeding process are based on [1] national rankings - the primary basis is the latest official ranking issued by the Squash Racquet Association of Malaysia (SRAM), [2] recent tournament performance (Sabah Closed) - for local players, performance in annual Sabah Closed tournament is a key indicator, especially for those not yet ranked nationally, [3] school-level achievements (MSSS and MSSD) - results from Majlis Sukan Sekolah Sabah (MSSS) and Majlis Sukan Sekolah Daerah (MSSD) to assess consistency and competitiveness, [4] internal performance records - from past tournaments to support fair and consistent evaluations, especially when national rankings are unavailable or outdated.
Advertisement 'We are firmly committed to transparency and continuous improvement. While our seeding system is grounded in structured and objective criteria, we recognise the need for ongoing refinement. 'As part of this effort, we are actively exploring ways to make our seeding process more visible and accessible to the public, and we welcome constructive engagement from athletes, parents, and coaches alike. 'Therefore, should any oversight occur, we are open to reviewing individual cases upon formal feedback or appeal, as fairness and development remain our utmost priorities. 'We remain committed to supporting our players at all levels and ensuring that tournaments are conducted with integrity, professionalism and transparency,' he stressed. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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