Import Policy Needed To Develop Sports
By Kornelius Purba

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Darussalam can learn from Qatar and Bahrain on how to boost sports development in a short term: Import world-class athletes while preparing its own countrymen to bring glory for its people. Like Brunei, the two Arab nations have small population, but are rich in oil and gas resources.

Host of the 15th Asian Games, Qatar, surprisingly could grab eight gold medals, including three from athletics from the second largest games after the Olympics. Its football team also reached' a wonderful progress with its first ever Asian Games final after defeating defending champion Iran 2-0. Its final match against Iraq took place late last night.

Reporting from Dohaa last Wednesday, Agence France Presse's Daves James concluded that Qatar had greatly benefited from its sport import policy. Uruguayan-born Sebastian Foria, who got his Qatar citizenship only few' weeks before the opening of the Games, played a key role in bringing his newlyadopted country to the football final against Iraq last night.

Apart from Foria, Qatar also imported three Kenyan runners: Bashair Dahar, Kurui James and Shami Mubarak. They presented three medals to their new Arab compatriots.

Qatar, however, did not only depend on the imported players for its impressive achievements. Its home-grown athletes also contributed gold medals - from bodybuilding, equestrian and taekwondo.

Bahrain also took a similar policy and the result was also very encouraging. Six of its seven gold medals came from athletics, while the other was from bodybuilding. Kenyan-born runner Kamel Yusuf Saad won gold from men's 800m.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian-born middle-distance runner Maryam Yusuf Jamal, who came to Bahrain` last yearafter Switzerland refused her political asylum request, won two gold medals.

With the next Sea Games to be held in December next year in Thailand, and the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, is there any hope that Brunei eventually can win its first gold medal at least at the regional level?

The next question is: How to get rid of this gloomy picture? Can't Brunei find a short cut to change the situation?

If Bruneians are still not able to do it with their own sweat, it is time for them to take a drastic policy: Import athletes who can bring home medals for the country. Some perhaps say it is a shame to hire foreigners just for fake glory. But it is clear that Brunei will never be able to boost its sport development without the help of foreign sportsmen.

Anyway, this country has imported thousands of workers to overcome its shortage of human resources. Why not hiring expatriate athletes to help Brunei not just to get fame in international arena? It will last temporarily if local athletes can quickly learn from imported players. They will at once become powerful sparring partners for the locals.

Hiring foreign sportsmen has been a common practice in the world. Now African players are flooding European soccer leagues, and many of them have even become new European citizens.

Japan, whose immigration policy is among the most unfriendly in the world, decided to adopt Brazilian-born soccer player Alex because his presence was needed during the 2002 World Cup.

Brunei's DPMM FC also has opened its door for foreign players. Now it is seeking more foreign players after its Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Toso left the club last Sunday.

It means hiring foreign athletes is nothing new here. Brunei also has often hired foreign coaches, including Indonesians, to train its karate and pencak silat athletes. One thing, however, should be very clear: Brunei is not getting athletes from other countries to play for it merely to win medals. At the end, Bruneian athletes must be able to grab the victory for their country with their own hands.

Even though Brunei's sport team will return empty handed from Doha, they have done their best for their country, whose human resources are limited. Not only in the Asian Games, but also at Southeast Asian level - the biennial Sea Games - Brunei is always at the lowest level. Let us consider to follow the steps taken by Qatar and Bahrain. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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