A Gurdwara Cup soccer match between Selangor and Negeri Sembilan turned ugly with a fracas in the field resulting in the referee pulling out a couple of red cards.
The incident immediately drew scorn from the wider Malaysian Sikh public for the annual games which have been known for unsportsmanlike actions.
“It was an unfortunate incident that we would like avoid,” Malaysian Singapore Sikh Sports Council (MSSSC) president Gurjeet Singh Rhande told Asia Samachar.
MSSSC is the chief organiser for the annual Sikh games now going on in Kedah.
”We are looking at measures to avoid such behaviour. We have done so for hockey. Soccer may be next,” he said.
Earlier this year, MSSSC had received received the Malaysian Hockey Confederation sanction for its annual games.
“If a player is suspended by MSSSSC for a serious offence while playing in the Gurdwara Cup, he will also be suspended from other state games like Sukma or Razak Cup,” he said.
In the last, players have received suspensions, some running into a few years, for serious offences during the games.
The Gurdwara Cup which began in 1952 is the oldest Sikh sporting event in Malaysia and Singapore.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Asia. How to reach us: Facebook message or WhatsApp +6017-335-1399. Our email: editor@asiasamachar.com. For obituary announcements, click here]