Volleyball Coach Says He Slapped Players To Fire Their Spirit & Motivate Them
Saiful Hadee Amar offered his apology for slapping the Under-14 players, saying it was not meant to cause injuries.
By Sadho Ram — 05 Jan 2023, 03:05 PM — Updated almost 2 years ago
Saiful Hadee Amar, the volleyball coach who was caught on camera slapping two under-14 players, has come forward to explain his action
Speaking during a press conference at the Melaka State Sports Council office in Krubong, yesterday evening, 4 January, Saiful said that he regretted his action and was prepared to face its consequences.
While he offered an apology to "all players, especially the two players involved, the parents, my own club Mastanah and the Malaysian Volleyball Association (MAVA) as well as the volleyball community in Malaysia", Saiful explained that his action of slapping was not meant to cause injuries.
My action is to fire their spirit and motivate them in each match.
According to Bernama, National Sports Council (MSN) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, Melaka MSN director Asri Ninggal along with Melaka executive councillor V P Shanmugam were present during the press conference. Shanmugam on Monday, 2 January, downplayed the incident.
The parents of the two players who were slapped were also present at the conference.
One of the players' fathers, Abd Halim Bakar, forgave the coach on 3 January, saying that he does not see "what the big deal is. For me, this is nothing. The action (of slapping) is normal".
According to Saiful, he uses various types of approaches such as psychological, intensive, and physical during training to shape his players
"I do it to raise their spirits as players who fight to achieve victory... the players are my family and my source of strength. Without them, I cannot be a coach," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Saiful, however, accepted that he was ready to face any decision that could be imposed on him.
"I hope this will be a lesson for me," he said.
Meanwhile, Shanmugam said that any decision against Saiful will be decided by MAVA after its investigation with the Ministry of Education (MOE) is completed.
He said that Saiful could either be suspended or terminated from his role as the coach of the Melaka Under-14 (Women) volleyball team, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
"Despite the apology and understanding between the coach and the parents, the issue needs to be properly investigated as it has received the attention of various parties. The coach's position is divided into several levels, firstly the investigation by the state government over the viral video. Secondly, he also served MOE, so its Integrity Unit will conduct further investigation," he said.
For the record, Saiful is on a temporary suspension until investigations are completed.
Photo of Saiful Hadee Amar (second from right) with the parents of the two players he slapped, while Shanmugam stands in the middle.
Image via Bernama