NEW DELHI - THE Singapore men's 4x200m freestyle relay team suffered the embarrassment of being disqualified from their final yesterday without even hitting the pool - all because they had failed to submit their entry for the final on time.
The team of Teo Zhen Ren, Jeremy Kevin Mathews, Arren Quek and Mattias Ng had clocked 7min 47.19sec in their heat in the morning to qualify for the final as the seventh-fastest team.
However, the quartet's joy subsequently turned into anxiety and later disappointment when they missed the 3pm deadline for submitting their entry for the final. The bus ferrying the squad had arrived at the venue only at 3.45pm due to traffic delays.
Team manager and head coach Ang Peng Siong said in a statement issued by Team Singapore: 'It usually takes us about 20 to 30 minutes to reach the Dr S.P. Mukherjee Swimming Complex. Today, it took us about an hour to reach the swimming complex.'
The final was at 6pm, but the squad had left at 2.45pm so that 'the team would not have to wait at the venue for too long before their event', said Ang.
He added: 'We lodged an appeal with the competitions manager, which was signed by all the head coaches of the other teams in the final, but we were not successful.'
Folks, you think this is acceptable?
The team of Teo Zhen Ren, Jeremy Kevin Mathews, Arren Quek and Mattias Ng had clocked 7min 47.19sec in their heat in the morning to qualify for the final as the seventh-fastest team.
However, the quartet's joy subsequently turned into anxiety and later disappointment when they missed the 3pm deadline for submitting their entry for the final. The bus ferrying the squad had arrived at the venue only at 3.45pm due to traffic delays.
Team manager and head coach Ang Peng Siong said in a statement issued by Team Singapore: 'It usually takes us about 20 to 30 minutes to reach the Dr S.P. Mukherjee Swimming Complex. Today, it took us about an hour to reach the swimming complex.'
The final was at 6pm, but the squad had left at 2.45pm so that 'the team would not have to wait at the venue for too long before their event', said Ang.
He added: 'We lodged an appeal with the competitions manager, which was signed by all the head coaches of the other teams in the final, but we were not successful.'
Folks, you think this is acceptable?
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