Level Field

Circus in full swing?

2012-01-16T14:22:00.003+08:00

Is the crowd back to fill the Stadiums to the brim with the return of foreign players and adding entertainment value?
So are the foreign players scoring? Are they hogging the limelight for the right or wrong reasons? Are all the foreigners making their mark? Or is it too early to make any conclusions?
Have the local players been making waves with the presence of the foreign players?
So the FA of Malaysia has extended the deadline for registration of foreign players with the League ongoing in full swing. Does this augur well for the reputation of the League?
So was the change of decision because of the pressure put by Terengganu FA and the Menteri Besar of Terengganu Datuk Seri Ahmad Said with threats to pull out and take FA of Malaysia to court?
Official letters from the FA of Malaysia sending the wrong messages and misinterpreted. How does this all happen when the league has gone professional since 1994.
Of yes, we did not have foriegn players for the last three years, so we are rusty with the rules and writing letters!
What about all the seminars and courses held before the League commenced? Was there anything shed to all the participants, or was it just a gathering for all States officials to make a trip to the city?
It is just three weeks into the League, and there has been so much to talk about for all the wrong reasons.
Wonder what will happen in the weeks to come? Will it get better, I mean the scenario going from bad to worse, or will it take a turn for the better for the right reasons.
Let us wait and see.
Anybody wants to take a wager on which way the League will go?
Anyway, almost everyone is betting on matches. Why not have a another bet on the cards?
Just answer all the questions asked above and make your own conclusion on which way the League is heading before placing your bets.

Extract from Circus In Town Early for 2012 posted on Dec 28 in this blog:

M-LEAGUE

The foreign players have arrived?
We had illegal immigrants coming for trials, players with falsified records, players who could not get International Transfer Certificates (ITC) and the list goes on.
Then there were cases where teams failed to meet the deadline for registration of foreign players.
Then there is a case of player signed on, but is injured.
We have old faces coming back to play in the League they are so familiar with, while the news ones names do not ring a bell among names in the world of soccer.
Have we once again settled for half-baked players or con-players?
Oh sorry, the FA of Malaysia's vetting committee have gone through the list and given officially approval.
The state and club teams had sent in 35 applications, but the competitions committee only approved 26 based on guidelines set by FIFA. Two applications were withdrawn, while seven were rejected because they failed to meet the requirements.
So what is new from the previous years when we had foreign players. The same old problem exists despite FA of Malaysia taking stringent measures, having seminars to educate the State FAs and clubs - after all these years of playing in the professional league!
Can we expect to see more problems surfacing when the league begins?
Oops! The problem has already began. Foreign players in T-Team in Terengganu snubbed an official dinner organised for them.
I have always been against foreign players, unless they are really quality and renowned players. With the coming of the foreign players how many local strikers and midfielders are going to be denied a place in the teams.
Will the national team be affected by this decision to include the foreign players?
Who cares? As long as the Stadiums are filled and the game is entertaining - both of which are subjective.
So here we go again...the circus is in town early for 2012!

Help is at hand after plight highlighted

2012-01-05T12:45:00.000+08:00

The Sports Minister and the National Sports Council will help to rectify the poor training conditions for the diving team after it was highlighted in the New Straits Times.

Read here: AQUATICS: Requests to be granted http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/aquatics-requests-to-be-granted-1.28156
Kudos for the help....but the association has to write in first and it will be discussed at the JKK meeting.
And this the sport in the Road to London 2012 programme.
In the first place this issue should not have never surfaced at all if everything was done well and looked into as part of the preparations for the Olympics.
Anyway, let is hope it all ends well.
And training for diving in China...why not Europe or even England. Maybe even in Leipzig . Time zone difference at a minimum in Europe? Climate and environment acclimatisation?. Or is it better in China where the coach comes from? Cheaper maybe? The experts knows best. Good Luck.

Malaysian sports at its best

2012-01-04T15:32:00.001+08:00

Malaysian sports never fail to baffle me.

With the London Olympics just seven months away,it saddens me to read that the financial constraints and the poor conditions of the training facility in Bukit Jalil have affected the national divers' preparation for the London Olympic Games.
Read here:

http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/diving-plunging-into-uncertainty-amid-poor-facilities-1.27614

Diving - Ahmad Amsyar Azman trains on despite the trampolines in the dry gym posing a safety hazard to the divers as they are torn. Pix by Supian Ahmad (New Straits Times)

Masking and duct tapes are used to cover the torn areas. Pix by Supian Ahmad

Whatever happened to the Road to London 2012 programme launched by the previous Sports Minister Datuk Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on 16th Feb 2009.

Four sports (badminton, cycling (track), archery and diving) and a total of 21 athletes are under the programme currently.
And to hear of news that facilities is in poor condition for diving at this stage, is indeed baffling.
To talk about private sector coming to support to provide better facilities because the National Sports Council has limited budget, is indeed mind-boggling.
Yes, we need private sector support, but all these should have been dealt with much earlier.
We talking about giving RM 1 million to the first ever gold medal winner at the Olympics, we are talking about sports industry and flooding London with the Tiger jackets, but do not have money for proper sporting facilities!
Read here what is the thought of Being Frank by The Malay Mail's Frankie D'Cruz:

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/62908-being-frank-malaysian-tigers-prowl-london

Then we have offered citizenship to a Chinese diver in the hope to win a gold medal. He is 30 years-old and has yet to officially qualify.
Read here:DIVING: Former China star Huang Qiang out to make Malaysia proud - New Straits Times -
http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/diving-former-china-star-huang-qiang-out-to-make-malaysia-proud-1.27188

Have we forgotten the Yuan Yu Fang episode! And whatever happened about true Malaysians winning medals for Malaysia. Just recently, we were condemning Singapore for using naturalised citizens.
While other countries who do not have the excellent facilities and financial backing are progressing by leaps and bounds, here in Malaysia where funds for sports is readily available and in some cases in excess, we are still struggling and having problems getting our footing right.
What a way to start 2012!

The Circus Is In Town Early For 2012!

2011-12-28T13:32:00.003+08:00

As we wait to usher in 2012, Malaysian sports enthusiasts must surely be hoping to see Malaysian sports move upwards and reach higher goals in the international arena.
Is that going to happen, or is it just wishful thinking?
For starters, several developments in the sports scene this month, does not paint a great picture to look forward to in the New Year.
Several issues in sports have been bothering and I just want to get it of my chest.
Everything is pointing to the circus has arrived in town early for 2012.
Let me take each issue separately.

MILLIONAIRE FOOTBALLERS (New Sunday Times front-paged story on Dec 11):
Firstly, it is a non-story!
The idea to have Asean League has been in the air for sometime now. It was initiated by the Asean Football Association, whose headquarters is in Kelana Jaya.
It was none other than, Datuk Paul Mony Samuel, general-secretary cum treasurer, the former FA of Malaysia secretary-general, a highly respected figure in the world of soccer, who has been trying to get the league off ground.
However, financial implications, time factor, availability of players from the respective countries and other issues, have prevented the league from getting off ground.
And suddenly the Sports Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, wants to introduce this Asean "Champions League" and was getting consensus from the Asean Sports Ministers Meeting in Yogyakarta recently.
Firstly, the Sports Minister was out of line to even make an announcement of this nature. He had no locus standi, because all football matters in the country has to go through the national body.
He could have asked FA of Malaysia to make the announcement, sought the advice of AFF or even the Asian Football Confederation, whose home is also in Malaysia - Bukit Jalil.
Just as a matter of understanding, any new tournaments normally takes about four years to be included as the AFC and FIFA calendars are announced for four years cycle and has to be approved by them.
Did anyone remind the good Sports Minister that any form of Government intervention can see the national soccer Federation banned?
And Millionaire Footballer? What are we talking about. Our Malaysian players cannot even hold a candle to the top footballing nations in Asia and they want to earn million ringgit?
Seriously now....let us learn to walk before we start to even jog, let alone run!
Winning the Sea Games twice and the Suzuki Cup suddenly makes Malaysian footballers millionaire material? Who are we kidding.
This piece of news is certainly early arrival of the circus for 2012.

M-LEAGUE

The foreign players have arrived?
We had illegal immigrants coming for trials, players with falsified records, players who could not get International Transfer Certificates (ITC) and the list goes on.
Then there were cases where teams failed to meet the deadline for registration of foreign players.
Then there is a case of player signed on, but is injured.
We have old faces coming back to play in the League they are so familiar with, while the news ones names do not ring a bell among names in the world of soccer.
Have we once again settled for half-baked players or con-players?
Oh sorry, the FA of Malaysia's vetting committee have gone through the list and given officially approval.
The state and club teams had sent in 35 applications, but the competitions committee only approved 26 based on guidelines set by FIFA. Two applications were withdrawn, while seven were rejected because they failed to meet the requirements.
So what is new from the previous years when we had foreign players. The same old problem exists despite FA of Malaysia taking stringent measures, having seminars to educate the State FAs and clubs - after all these years of playing in the professional league!
Can we expect to see more problems surfacing when the league begins?
Oops! The problem has already began. Foreign players in T-Team in Terengganu snubbed an official dinner organised for them.
I have always been against foreign players, unless they are really quality and renowned players. With the coming of the foreign players how many local strikers and midfielders are going to be denied a place in the teams.
Will the national team be affected by this decision to include the foreign players?
Who cares? As long as the Stadiums are filled and the game is entertaining - both of which are subjective.
So here we go again...the circus is in town early for 2012!

INFRASTRUCTURE

One would imagine that since soccer in the country went Semi-Pro in 1989 and Pro in 1994 - 22 years and have become an adult - everything about the game is settled, professionally and ready to move on to the next level.
No, we still have Stadiums failing inspections for poor lighting, poor grounds and teams having to play away from home.
We are also still talking about changing the format of the competition!
So the circus continues into 2012!

NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND NSC

The bickering, back-biting and animosity in national associations and between national associations and NSC, looks like to continue.
Many officials are already beinging to think or feel that they are bigger than the sports.
When the administration and management is not right, how do we expect to get things right for the athletes.
Some organisations are getting bigger and bigger for their shoes and simply dictate terms.
It is about time national associations start standing on their own feet and not just rely on handouts and become servants.
Each national association exist because they are the experts in the sports and have a duty to develop and see their sports reach the highest level at the international level.
If they cannot work towards that, then they might as well resign leave the associations. But fat chance because many are there for their own benefits.
So how is 2012 going to see anything new? The bigger circus will probably be in town in 2012!

SEA GAMES

The Games is fast being dubbed as the biennial "Circus" because of the many sports which are included to see the host win medals.
The debate on the matter has been going on for sometime now, to confine the Games sports to Olympics sports only and also to make the Games a Under-23 Games. But it has been talk only.
Now, the Chairman of the Philippines Sports Commission has made the call again.
And the Olympic Council of Malaysia has proposed a Sea Games Conference in Kuala Lumpur on March 28 and 29th.

Wonder what is going to come out of it?
Is it going to be another merry-go-round at the funfair or circus?

Datuk Sieh Kok Chi's views on the Sea Games (Honorary Secretary Olympic Council of Malaysia)

After every SEA Games, there will be the usual call for improving the selection and the reduction of sports and events of future SEA Games. All the calls are from sports officials of countries which have hosted past SEA Games and have also added sports and events as they pleased. The latest call was from the Chairman of the Philippines Sports Commission, who said that all sports and events of future SEA Games should be sports that are in the Olympic Games or the Asian Games.

Being appointed the Chairman of the Sports Commission, quite recently, he was not aware that when the Philippines hosted the 23rd SEA Games in 2005, there were 40 sports in the programme and sports which were not in the Asian Games programme at that time were Arnis and Dance Sport (although Dance Sport was in the 1st Asian Indoor Games 2005 held in Bangkok, before the 23rd SEA Games). In the Indonesian 26th SEA Games, out of the 43 sports, only 3 sports, namely Contract Bridge, Shorinji Kempo, and Vovinam were not in the Asian Games. All the other 40 sports were in the Asian Games, the Asian Beach Games and the Asian Indoor Games.
The SEAP/SEA Games has been held since 1959, which means that the Games has been successfully organized for 52 years, without any problem. The reasons for this are the two special features of the SEA Games, which are:
• the hosting of the Games is by rotation and hence there is no bidding, campaigning and ‘politics’. Every National Olympic Committee has a chance to host the Games in accordance with its capacity and resources. Thus the number of sports have varied from 18 (the maximum until 1985), to 22 sports at the Brunei Darussalam 20th SEA Games in 1999 to 25 sports at the Vientiane 25th SEA Games in 2009 to 43 sports at the recent Indonesian 26th SEA Games.
• there is no elected Office Bearers of the SEA Games Federation, the Office Bearers of the Federation are the Office Bearers of the Host National Olympic Committee, who hold office by rotation for two years. Thus the Host NOC has the right and the responsibility to organise the SEA Games in accordance with the Constitution, without any outside interference and without any politics.
Another fact which is also important is that the SEA Games Federation is a “Games Federation” and not a “Sport Federation”. Since its sole property is the SEA Games, its only responsibility is to ensure that the SEA Games is successfully organized every two years. Some SEA Games officials have the mistaken idea that the SEA Games Federation should also develop sports. This is incorrect because it is the respective International Federations and the National Sports Associations who are responsible for developing their sports. If the SEA Games Federation were to carry out sports development, then it is encroaching into the right and responsibility of the IFs and NSAs.
Thus the selection of sports in the SEA Games programme should be based on how much the inclusion of a sport can enhance the image and value of the SEA Games and not for the purpose of providing an opportunity for a sport to be developed by its inclusion in the SEA Games. Unfortunately most of the officials in the NOCs and the SEA Games Federation are also principle office bearers of National Sports Associations in their respective countries and some are also office bearers of their IFs. Hence they often use their positions to lobby and influence the host NOC and also have “trade-offs” with their fellow office bearers from other NOCs, who are in the same positions, to include their sports, irrespective of whether their sports deserves to be included into the SEA Games programme or not. Until such conflict of interests situations are eliminated, the issues on the selection of sports and events in the SEA Games will remain unsolved.
On the other hand, what is wrong having a bigger sports programme? If the Host government sports officials and the NOC are happy to include more sports and events, everyone should be thankful and happy and not be unhappy. After all, more sports will ensure more participants and more winners, irrespective of from which country. More participants and more medal winners will encourage and motivate more young people to participate in sports and strive to represent their countries in the SEA Games and later the Asian Games and even the Olympic Games. If the SEA Games become too restrictive, then its popularity and attractiveness will slowly be eroded. As such it is best to leave the decision on the number of sports to the Host NOC, especially when every NOC will have the chance to decide for themselves when their turn comes.

Level-field: So what do you make out of this....the circus continues?

SEA GAMES ANALYSIS - PART ONE

2011-12-04T20:24:00.001+08:00

26th SEA Games 2011

By Datuk Sieh Kok Chi

Congratulations to the Malaysian Contingent to the 26th SEA Games for winning 59 gold medals, 50 silver medals and 81 bronze medals to finish in 4th position based on gold medal tally. All members of the Malaysian Contingent, from the Chefs de Mission, to the team officials and more important the athletes showed the true spirit of ‘Malaysia Boleh’, to overcome the challenges to achieve their target of 60 gold medals, set by the National Sports Associations (NSAs) themselves. The NSAs were very courageous and showed their confidence to set the 60 gold medal target, as failure to achieve the target would have resulted in lots of criticism and ridicule by the arm-chair critics.

The table below shows the percentage of gold medals won by the 4 leading NOCs in the four editions of the SEA Games held in Indonesia. The 1979 SEA Games was the first time Indonesia hosted the SEA Games and it was also only the second time Indonesia participated in the SEA Games. Prior to 1977, the SEA Games was known as the SEAP Games and Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and the Philippines were not members of the SEAP Games then.

In 1979, the SEA Games was still under the original Constitution of the SEAP Games, which limited the number of sports to 18 only. Not withstanding the small number of sports and events, Indonesia was very strong and easily topped the gold medal tally, winning 40.53% of the gold medals in contention. Thailand won 22.03% and Malaysia won 13.16%. Vietnam did not participate.

The 1985 SEA Games held in Bangkok was still under the original SEAP Games Constitution. Thailand organized 18 sports and finished on top of the gold medal tally. As a result, of their failure to finish on top of the gold medal tally, Indonesia, when they hosted the 1987 SEA Games managed to amend the original SEAP Constitution by removing the maximum number of sports. From that edition of the SEA Games, the flood gates were opened and it became a free for all. As such Indonesia organized 26 sports with 348 events at the 1987 SEA Games. With the drastic increase, it was the best achievement by the Indonesia, winning 53.16% of the gold medals. Malaysia’s tally was a respectable 10.34%.

In the 1997 SEA Games, Indonesia was again host and they organized 34 sports with 448 events, winning 42.41% of the gold medals. Malaysia managed to sustain its share of gold medals by winning 12.27%. 1997 was also the last year of Indonesia’s dominance of the SEA Games. Due to the Asian economic downturn, which effected Indonesia badly, the standard of their sports declined. As such, in 2011, the 26th SEA Games was an opportunity for Indonesia to re-exert their dominance. They organized a record 43 sports with 554 events, hoping that with the increase in sports and events, they will achieve exceptional results. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Although Indonesia still finished at the top, but their share of gold medals was only 32.85%, the lowest achieved in the 4 editions of the SEA Games held in Indonesia, in spite of the large number of non-traditional sports and events.

The table below shows that the standard of sports in Indonesia has dropped from the days when they always win over 40% of the gold medals. One of the reasons is the rise of Vietnam, which has increased its gold medal share from 7.81% in 1997 to 17.32% in 2011. Malaysia has been able to sustain and maintain its share of an average of 11%, while Thailand too retained its share of around 19%.

Without the inclusion of some non-traditional sports and events, Indonesia gold medal share would certainly be below 30%. In the following five sports, Indonesia won in Paragliding 11 gold medals out of 12 event, Roller Sport, 12 out of 12, Soft Tennis, 7 out of 7, Shorinji Kempo 8 out of 16 and Vovinam 5 out of 14, making a total of 43 gold medals out of 71 or 70.49%.

The lesson to be learnt from the 26th SEA Games is that to achieve and maintain good results, sports development must be carried in a systematic, long term and well planned fashion and not depend too much on the number of sports and events. Malaysia has strength in certain basic sports and events and even when Malaysia did not participate in certain sports and events, our depth and breadth in certain sports will ensure respectable results.

SEA Games held in Indonesia No. of sports No. of events % of gold medal won by the NOCs

                                                                                                     INA    THA    MAS   VIE

1979                                               16                  227              40.53    22.03 13.16   DNP

1987                                               26                  348              53.16    18.10 10.34   DNP

1997                                               34                  448              42.41   18.52 12.27    7.81

2011                                               43                  554              32.85   19.67 10.64    17.32

Jakarta/Palembang Sea Games Analysis - Part 2

2011-12-04T20:12:00.002+08:00

By Datuk Sieh Kok Chi

26th SEA Games 2011

An analysis of Malaysia’s Performance at the SEA Games

From Indonesia 1997 to Indonesia 2011

The Malaysian Contingent comprising Athletes – 372 male athletes and 235 female athletes making a total of 607athletes, out of which 352 athletes are in Category A and 255 are in Category B. Officials – 196 male officials and 19 female officials making a total of 215 team officials (excluding CDM and supporting staff), out of which 139 officials are in Category A and 70 are in Category B. The Contingent won 59 gold medals, 50 silver medals and 81 bronze medals to finish in 4th position based on gold medal tally, surpassing both the NSC’s target of 45 gold medals, OCM’s target of 55 gold medals and one short of the NSAs’ target of 60 gold medals. The performance of the Malaysian Contingent was truly outstanding and demonstrated the true ‘Malaysia Boleh’ spirit.

Out of the 39 sports, the Malaysian Contingent participated in, 13 sports won gold medals. The four disciplines of Aquatics, namely Diving won 7 gold medals, Synchronized Swimming won 5 gold medals, Swimming won 5 gold medals and Open Water Swimming won 2 gold medals. Track Cycling winning 7 gold medals, Athletics winning 6 gold and Tenpin Bowling winning 5 gold medals were also very outstanding. Karate with 4 gold medals, Water Ski with 4 gold medals, Pencak Silat and Wushu, each winning 3 gold medals, Archery, Fencing and Shooting each winning 2 gold medals, with Football and Snooker each winning 1 gold medal each, were the other outstanding sports. 8 other sports won silver and bronze medals, while 10 sports won bronze medals only. In total, 31 sports out of the 39 sports won medals at the 26th SEA Games.

The 8 sports that did not win any medals are Baseball, Bridge, Shorinji Kempo, Softball, Table Tennis, Tennis, and Volleyball. Baseball, Shorinji Kempo, Softball (men’s & women’s team) and Water Polo (men’s & women’s teams) were defeated in all their matches. The Men’s Indoor Volleyball team won one match (against Cambodia) and lost 4 matches. The Men’s Bridge team drew one match and lost all the rest. All the above except for the Women’s Water Polo participated under Category B.

The table below shows that, excluding the 2001 SEA Games, when Malaysia was the host, the Malaysian Contingents have been consistently winning around 10% of the gold medals at stake, since the 1997 SEA Games. The highest was at the 1999 Brunei Darussalam SEA Games, with 24.78% and the lowest was at the 2003 Vietnam SEA Games, with 9.68%.

Another important point to note is that the sports of Swimming, Diving, Athletics, Tenpin Bowling, Cycling, Gymnastics, Karate, Pencak Silat, Sailing, Shooting, and Wushu have been very consistent in winning gold medals, for the period 1997 to 2011. Squash is another sport which won many gold medals, whenever it is included in the programme. Thus to maintain the gold winning pattern of the Malaysian Contingent, it is important to ensure that the above sports continue to deliver the gold medals in future SEA Games, and also to identify and develop a few more sports that could contribute gold medals.

YEAR

1977

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013

HOST COUNTRY

INA

BRU

MAS

VIE

PHI

THA

LAO

INA

MYA

Aquatics

Swimming

Yes

Diving

Yes

Syn. Swimming

Open Water

Archery

Yes

Athletics

Yes

Badminton

Yes

Billiards Sport

Yes

Bowling Tenpin

Boxing

Yes

Cycling

Yes

Equestrian

Yes

Football

Yes

Gymnastics

Karate

Yes

Pencak Silat

Yes

Sailing

Yes

Shooting

Yes

Squash

Taekwondo

Yes

Weightlifting

Yes

Wushu

Yes

From other sports

Total gold medals won

111

Total gold medals

438

230

392

444

477

372

554

% of gold medals won

12.56

24.78

28.32

9.68

13.74

14.25

10.75

10.65

Total no. of sports

Position 3 2 1 5 4 2 4 4

The above table also shows that gold medal tallies of a few sports have been dropping over the last few SEA Games. The decline is due to external and internal reasons, the external reason being the improvements made by other SEA Games countries (especially Vietnam) and the internal reason being the sports concerned are facing difficulties to identify and train up new and young talents. Athletics and Gymnastics are faced with such challenges and need to take some concrete and concerted efforts to reverse the trend.

Sports which have the potential to do better are Equestrian, Sailing, Shooting, Taekwondo, and Weightlifting. With the non-inclusion of Synchronized Swimming, Tenpin Bowling, Gymnastics and most probably Track Cycling in the 27th SEA Games in 2013, Malaysia will be hard pressed to maintain its target of 10% of the total number of gold medals at stake.

The preliminary list of sports announced by the Myanmar Olympic Committee are Athletics, Shooting, Canoe, Kayak, Wushu, Silat, Taekwondo, Billiards & Snooker, Sailing, Cycling, Tennis, Swimming, Rowing, Karate, Traditional Boat Race, Judo, Boxing, Weightlifting, Archery, Chess, Table Tennis, Badminton, Golf, Volleyball, Futsal, Football, Equestrian, Bodybuilding, Basketball, and Muay Thai.

From the above list of sports, the Malaysian Contingent for Myanmar in 2013 will have to work harder to maintain its 10% target. Based on statistics, Malaysia has never won a gold medal at the SEA Games in Canoe/Kayak, Chess, Rowing, Traditional Boat Race, Muay Thai and Volleyball. Tennis won a gold medal only once, which was in 1973 and the last time Judo won a gold medal was in 1981.

One of the reasons for the success at the SEA Games for the period from 1997 till today, is the well-funded intensive sports development programme carried out for the 1998 Commonwealth Games. The spill-over from the above programme has benefitted sports. Since more than 10 years have passed and with the separation of MSN and ISN, better and more effective programmes should be introduced soon. OCM and the NSAs should also commence preparation for the 27th SEA Games 2013, by carrying out an in-depth study of the performance of the Malaysian Contingent at the 26th SEA Games, identify the weakness and issues and propose new plans, strategies and programmes to prepare the athletes and teams as soon as possible.

On the setting of targets, the present practice of setting them a few months before the SEA Games commences, is too ad hoc. To me, it appears to be more a guessing exercise then serious target setting, which prompted Y.Bhg. Datuk Wira Mazlan Ahmad to state in his weekly column in Utusan Malaysia “Sukan SEA XXVI Inndonesia, sasaran atau ramalan”. Targets by sports for the 27th SEA Games should be set well in advance and made public. A monitoring system should be introduced and regular assessment of the chances of achieving the targets in December 2013 should be carried and corrections, where appropriate and necessary should be made during the 2 years.

47th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, Johannesburg, South Africa (30th Nov - 7th Dec)

2011-12-02T01:05:00.002+08:00

For the latest updates click on to: http://blog.thebowlingmag.com/

Congratulations Malaysian Young Tigers!

2011-11-22T01:04:00.000+08:00

Congratulations Datuk Ong..oops Ong Kim Swee and his Young Tigers for an outstanding outting at the Jakarta Sea Games culminating by defending the title defeating host Indonesia just a while ago.
Kudos to the entire team including the backroom staff for a determined and courageous effort and performance against all adversities.
Winning a title is always easier than defending it. And against all odds, including being drawn in the "Death Group", the team overcome all obstacles to win the gold.
The accolades will continue, but it is suffice to say a job well done and let us look ahead.
Having won the Sea Games gold medal two years ago in Vientaine Laos, the Suzuki AFF Cup in Jakarta last year and now defending the Sea Games gold, it certainly confirms the Malaysian Young Tigers as the best in the region.
It only underlines there is future, but we have to keep our feet firm on the ground and plod on.
Cut all the celebrations, going overboard, heaping with rewards and above all getting arrogant.
At this point let us also not forget that where we have reached today, did not happen overnight.
Let us not forget Datuk K. Rajagobal.
It is now time for all to join hands to work as a unit. Let us not have prima donnas.
Let us not forget the national team had failed to beat Singapore to advance further in the pre-world qualifiers.
We need continue to groom more youngsters to have a bigger pool of players. Keep the Under-17 and Under-19 teams and continue to give them equal emphasis. We need to play more international and highly competitive matches.
There is still a lot more work to be done.
Having done well in the Asean and Sea Games region, let us now look at the Asian level. This is going to be a humongous task, because this is where the real challenge is.
To be among the top four in Asia it is going to take a lot more sacrifices, hard work, determination, discipline and raising the game to a much higher level.
This is not going to come overnight and only patience and continued persistence is going to keep us on the right track.
So until we reach that Asian standard, let us not rest on our laurels on the achievements at the lowest level of competition in the world.
But for now, congratulations again Ong and Yong, my course mates when doing our FAM 'B' licence in Penang in 2001.
And also congratulations and a big thank you to Dez Corkhill, the Managing Editor of Astro Arena, who was commenting on the Sea Games soccer final for the English transmission on Channel 801 (Astro Arena). You saved the night with your commentary which was music to the ears and made it bearable to watch the final with a sound mind and not pulling my hair!
Let us get professionals and not fans commenting!
Thank you again Ong, the Young Tigers and Dez for making it a grand night watching the final in the comfort of my room.

AS GOOD AS AN ASHTRAY ON MOTORCYCLE

2011-11-21T17:00:00.001+08:00

Monday, November 21st, 2011

THE Indonesia SEA Games organising committee pushed the medals presentation ceremony for the men’s 4x400m from the same day to the following day, it has emerged.
The reason for doing so was not immediately known. And our officials at the Games remain in the dark.
Still, the leadership of the Malaysian contingent and the National Sports Council (NSC) are accountable.
Strangely, no one, including the NSC, the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU), the chef-de-mission of the Malaysian contingent Datuk Naim Mohamad and our media at the Games failed to question the ceremony switch.
The blame was put squarely on the MAAU, whose officials did not explain the debacle either.
Rather, they allowed themselves to be set upon by the nation and athletes, notably Noraseela Khalid who after winning her fourth SEA Games 400m hurdles, slammed the shoddy treatment the winning 4x400m quartet suffered at not being allowed to receive their medals because they had to go home.
Back here, the issue of the quartet returning home before receiving the gold medal drew flak from Members of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat.
Sports officials should have known that it’s the norm for medals presentation of an event to be held on the same day not sooner than 40 minutes to the end of the day's programme.
So, how come no one knew about this protocol? It has been a routine all this while and incredibly 26 editions of the SEA Games later no one is aware of it.
The obvious people to direct the query would have been the organising committee and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) delegate.
Had they done so, we would have known by now why the 4X400m quartet of Muhammad Yunus Lasaleh, S. Kannathsan, Schzuan Ahmad Rosley and P. Yuvaaraj were not on the rostrum.
Instead, the blame game goes on. To be sure, the MAAU was clearly at fault for not pushing the matter with the relevant authorities.
And now, swamped with scorn, the MAAU is being forced into making a humiliating apology to the athletes and the nation. The NSC thinks it’s in the clear.
Take me to task, but I will reaffirm that some officials at international sports meets are as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.
Just so you think I am an armchair critic, I say this with conviction and experience, having been a communications and media officer with the International Hockey Federation. It was my job to know every component of a tournament.
Surely, at the 26th SEA Games in Palembang/Jakarta, the track and field and NSC officials had to know that at every multi-sports meet, the medals presentation of an event is always held on the same day?
Surely, they knew that if it didn’t happen, the first thing to do was to contact the organising committee and subsequently make arrangements to retain the squad there for the presentation ceremony the next day.
Don’t even go into cost of keeping the four lads there for a day. The cost of holding them there for an additional day would not rile up anyone especially after Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Razali Ibrahim discloses in Parliament today how much of the taxpayers’ money had been spent on sending sports officials and observers to the SEA Games.
Consider this: 608 athletes, including 253 under Category B, and 261 officials – a ratio of one official for every 2.33 athletes – form the official contingent to the Games.
Accreditation cards had also been issued to 279 observers and 59 VIPs, swelling the number of non-athletes to a staggering 599.
MAAU did nothing wrong to book the athletes to return the following day after the event because no one would have thought the medal presentation would be postponed to the following day.
The organising committee and the IAAF delegate did not carry out their responsibilities.
The MAAU, however, flopped in not making arrangements to retain the squad after they were told about the postponed medals presentation ceremony.
This is when you think how much worse it could get. The plight of the newly-installed SEA Games 4x400 metres gold medallists gets us thinking how much longer taxpayers can tolerate incompetence by officials.
Sports officials on jollies at the SEA Games, expensive non-producers, have sparked yet another parable for all that is wrong with team management: a tale of ineptness and waste that those responsible should be shamed.
The word ‘blunder’ is over used. This is, however, a true blunder. But so casual is the attitude to the letdown of the four lads that no one is being held to account, and the careers of those involved carries on as if nothing had gone wrong.
The quartet of Lasaleh, Kannathsan, Rosley and Yuvaaraj had promised to deliver the ultimate performance, the one which would lift them beyond compare. That performance was delivered.
Their gold medal achievement was always about the underdog. They bowed. They beamed with sheer pleasure. They knew they had achieved something stunning.
The boys were B-listers having failed to meet the timing of the third placed team in the last Games, which if they did would have earned them A category under the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) qualification.
The MAAU’s heart might be failing. The MAAU might even be on its way to intensive care, but the ‘shock’ of this quartet’s splendid victory will hopefully resuscitate the competitiveness and spirit of our athletes and bring team management back to life and usefulness.
Till then, everything smacks of extraordinary failure of leadership: that the athletes were not on the rostrum to bask in their moment of glory for the medal presentation ceremony; that they had to fly back because their tickets had been booked for the return flight; that the MAAU’s attempts to reschedule their flight were futile.
It was flawed from the outset and reeks of poor planning and disrespect for the athletes.
Clearly, it shows that the MAAU leadership is weak and has lost credibility, especially when its own athletes vent their frustration at the state of affairs of athletics in the country.
The nation’s fury burst out in a flood of invective of a kind the MAAU and certain sports bodies are accustomed to hearing.
No one was saying sorry. Everyone had an excuse and there was even this ludicrous proposal by chef de mission Naim Mohamad to hold a special function to honour the quartet in Kuala Lumpur.
“We will set up a podium and they will be presented with their medals after which the national anthem will be played. It will be held exactly like the medal presentation ceremony.” Sir, I trust you will be standing by their side during the ceremony.
Sir, how come you did not know that the medal presentation ceremony had been changed? You told the media: “This has all happened because of the last minute inclusion of the four athletes. Since they came under Category B, they were put on a fly-in the first day and fly out the next day after the event. Out ticketing agent followed the flight advice given by the MAAU.”
Sir, you said the MAAU should have known in advance the time of the medal presentation. Did you as leader of our contingent?
I ask: One night in Jakarta too much to ask for four lads who provided that endearing, heroic moment in this SEA Games?
Or should I ask: Why a special flight for the Malaysian football squad back home after the final against Indonesia tonight?
The special flight should have been for Lasaleh, Kannathsan, Rosley and Yuvaaraj.

WAS IT MAAU'S FAULT?

2011-11-21T08:58:00.000+08:00

The truth is out about the victory ceremony for the Sea Games 4 X 400 event which was held a day after the event which forced the Malaysian winning quartet to miss the ceremony because they were booked to fly out back to Malaysia on that day.
It is learnt that the medal presentation was postponed to the next day by the organisers.
At every Games, the medal presentation of an event is always held on the same day not sooner than 40 minutes to the end of the day's events.
So can MAAU be faulted to have scheduled the athletes to return the day after the event?
It is a surprise the Media did not check this point with the Indonesian Sea Games Organising Committee or the IAAF delegate for athletics who is in charge of all proceedings of the event.
Was there an hidden agenda in putting the blame on MAAU for the quartet missing the victory ceremony?

Have we really done well at the SEA Games?

2011-11-20T13:06:00.000+08:00

Everyone is beating their chests having surpassed the Sea Games gold medal target of 45.
But really has Malaysian sports done well at the Games?
Leave host Indonesia aside, but Malaysia is still trailing behind Thailand and Vietnam.
And rubbing the salt to Malaysian sport, surely must be Vietnam being above Malaysia in the gold medal haul. Singapore is close at Malaysia's back.
Even if we reach the 60 gold medal mark and still lagging behind or edged them narrowly countries like Vietnam and Singapore, can we call it a success?
Is it a success for Malaysian sports when the money spent on sports is huge.
And mind you, we are talking about success at the lowest level of sports in the region. It is not the Commonwealth, Asian or Olympic Games.
And do not say that we have to start somewhere because we have in the Sea Games since it's inception in 1959 in Bangkok.
And many of the athletes who brought honours are veterans of the Games - four to five Games at least, while some have more Games under their belt and in the twilight of their sporting career!
If the bulk of the gold medals were won by Malaysia's young and budding talent, yes we have done well. But this is not the case.
And let us hope that we do not again go overboard if we defend and win the soccer gold.
Yes, the Malaysian team has improved, but still has along way to go and still not up to the mark of Sea Games teams in the past.
One television commentator commented: "The standard of the Malaysian team has improved tremendously as compared to the rest of the teams."
The truth of the matter is: The standards of the other teams have dropped and Malaysian team has made some improvement which has enabled them to get past their opponents.
Analysis each match Malaysia has played and not in a single match have their stamped their authority or class in totality.
Even against Myanmar yesterday, it was a opportunist gold which snatched the win. Yes a win is a win, but a good team does it with class.
I am not belittling the national Under-23 team. Congrats for making the final and all the best for the final tomorrow. But just do not get carried away with another Sea Games success.
Reach the Asian championship or Asian Games semifinals, and that is truly a marked improvement for Malaysian soccer. Mind you, I am not even talking about a gold medal at both the championships.
The sooner, sports officials stop living in their dreamland and be satisfied with mediocre success, the better chance Malaysian sports has of moving to higher levels.
Maybe, Malaysian sports has been starved of success, that we grab on to any success and try to console ourselves.
It is like if someone was drowning. He will even try to cling on to a straw to try and safe himself!
Good luck Malaysian sports.

IS MAAU THE ONLY ONES TO BE BLAMED?

2011-11-20T12:38:00.000+08:00

Everyone is pointing the finger at MAAU for the Malaysian 4 X 400m Sea Games gold medal winning relay quartet's return without being present for the victory ceremony.
Yes, MAAU should be questioned for overlooking this quartet of Muhammad Yunus Lasaleh, S. Kamnnathsan, Schuan Ahmad Rosley and P. Yuvaaraj from the start despite the strong recommendation from their coach K. Jayabalan and only allowed them to compete after a last-minute trials.
MAAU sending them under the 'B' category is no fault of MAAU because under the OCM qualification under 'A' category, they had to meet the last Games third placing - which the quartet did not.
Yes, MAAU could have booked the quartet to return a day after their race instead of the next day. But was it MAAU who did the booking? Or if they did, did anyone check with MAAU whether they had attempted to book the athletes to come the day after? Maybe there were no seats available and flying back the next day was the only option.
Okay, MAAU is at fault in anycase. It has been decided by the Media, the Sports Ministry, NSC, fellow athletes and the public too.
Now here is the million ringgit question which many closed their eyes to - How come the Chef-de-Mission or his deputies, the Sports Minister or his deputies, the National Sports Council, the many State Sports Council heads who were in Jakarta and the many Datuks present at the Games and sponsors, failed to come forward to be saviours and book the quartet in another flight and put them up for another night so that they could have collected their medals.
No one came forward, but everyone criticised MAAU.
Afterall, it was only about four air-tickets from Jakarta which would have at most cost RM2,500 and one night's accommodation!
It is sad that everyone joins in the bandwagon to critise, but are not pro-active and think of immediate solutions.
I think everyone should take the blame for the quartet missing the victory ceremony.
Just one more question - if the quartet had failed to win the gold medal, what would have been the scenario?
Let us not all not join in the bangwagon when it suits us and jump off it when it does not!
This is Malaysian sports for you.
In anycase Kudos to the quartet.
And it give food for thought about sending athletes who are in the fringe to making the qualification mark or budding athletes who have potention and need to be groomed.
This calls for OCM to make a stand on the third placing qualification mark and also NSC who should be funding 'B" category athletes who have potential and in the name of development.
Afteral, NSC is the one that us claiming that they are into development big time. Whether it is in their scope of job, that is another question only they can answer.

Michael's take on Malaysian soccer in Dreamland

2011-10-10T14:49:00.001+08:00

Here is a straight from the heart take from Michael on Malaysian soccer. It makes a great deal of sense and is the truth about Malaysian soccer. But is anyone going to pay any heed! Everyone has their own agenda expect the Malaysian soccer agenda. We had a foreigner here who was suppose to have charted the Malaysian soccer road map! He charted it alright - the way down!

It is sad who we get fooled time and again, with all the shortcuts and promises. There is no shortcut to the way to up, but sheer hard work, proper development programmes, calibre coaches to handle the programes, wide spread programmes throughout the country, paying attention to schools soccer and a long time vision - not short term.

Do we have the patience and discipline to see it through? Very unlikely, as we continue to look for shortcuts and continue to dream that a miracle will happen to Malaysian soccer. Continue dreaming. Many joined in the bandwagon to criticise the Malaysian team for their 5-0 drubbing by Australia and the decision to play a formidable team, including many who were singing praises and glorifying the national team recently. Nothing new here, because they just refuse to accept the fact that Malaysian football is still a long way off from being acclaimed as a power in the region. The knives are not and even the fans will be turning their back soon. Have we not seen this happen before! Let us carry on with the merry-go-round and heading to no particular destination! That is Malaysian football for you!

Read Michael's views below. He makes more sense than most of our soccer officials who are charting Malaysia's soccer path.

Dear Tony,

Thank you for highlighting my comments a few months ago. Here, am sorry for this very long piece but I feel I must get it out of my chest (and brain)!

I have long stopped dreaming about Malaysia doing well in football whether regionally or internationally. Do read page 54 of Oct 2011 issue of Four Four Two (“FFT’) – everyone connected to football in Malaysia, whether a supporter, player, coach or administrator should read it. I will not produce extracts of it here but suffice to say that the problems that England is currently facing are the same ones Malaysian football is having. At least England is doing something about their problems. Can I say the same for Malaysia?

You rightly wrote in identifying what is needed to elevate Malaysian football standards – hard work, development programmes, quality coaches, schools soccer, available fields, strong leagues, foreign playing stints, long term plans and focus. These are all well and good, however without identifying the root cause of the problems, it is only as good as treating the symptoms, not the cause.

So here’s my take on what are the problems in Malaysian football:

FAM - Like you said, there are just too many officials who are more interested in the money than the game. The FAM has to be completely overhauled and revamped. We need proud and ambitious people up there in FAM who have the burning desire and pride to want to see Malaysian football mengharumkan nama Malaysia every time and everywhere we compete, and not just to make up the numbers. We want courageous officials who dare to make changes, drastic or subtle ones, to change the way we play the game, think about the game and live for the game. We want motivators and inspirers whose desire is to challenge those around them to do better at what they do whether they’re players or coaches or administrators, even if they’re already the best. We want football leaders who can lead and show us the way to play better and more competitively by searching, looking and sourcing for the best systems, methods and processes in football. We want an FAM that has the pride, ambition, ability, commitment and willingness to lead the country’s football to great heights.

We need FAM to come out with our own Malaysian style of football, just like what Spain is doing. In fact, why not copy Spain lock, stock and barrel? The Malaysian players’ physique is very similar to Spanish players – David Villa, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, David Silva are not muscular or tall. Furthermore, our Malaysian players are naturally agile, fast, mobile and skilful. Has the FAM ever studied styles of play of other countries to ascertain if we could use any of them, whether individually or in a combined form? Has the FAM ever organized study groups to visit Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, France, Germany, to name a few, to learn from them? Has the FAM ever sit down and think and discuss and brainstorm with highly qualified local and foreign football coaches and thinkers and come out with a practical volume of the best style Malaysian footballers should adopt considering our natural physique, climatic conditions, playing fields, etc? We need to establish our own style and disseminate this to all the FAs and if possible the private football academies which are mushrooming around. Re-train and re-teach those who are involved in coaching and training youths so that our kids and youths are trained in the proper way, the Malaysian way. It doesn’t matter what style we choose, whether it’s Spain’s possession football or Germany’s counter attacking style or Ajax’s total football or Vietnam’s fast football or Stoke’s physical approach, as long as those involved in leading Malaysian football has researched and studied and brainstormed and discussed adequately , then we will all follow that style. We have failed for so many years now, does it hurt to try something totally different? The FAM is the one who must lead the way in and for Malaysian football.

Academies & coaches – at the kids and youth levels, too many of our coaches are focused on results rather than development. Because of this, young players are coached to win at all costs rather than to improve and develop as all-round players. A coach aiming to win will likely to recruit taller and bigger players and focus more on shooting, fitness, teamwork, and tactics. However, a coach whose focus is to develop all-round players will emphasise more on technical skills - being comfortable with the ball, ball possession, ball control, passing and receiving, dribbling, using both feet, and then raising the technical bar levels progressively as the players advance. This technical development work takes years and years to achieve results and because of this, many coaches prefer to take the short cut way. This might carry you through and make the coach and team look good but it is only in the short term and temporary. The real effect is seen and felt at 2 stages: (i) when these kids become older, they will struggle to stand out as players because whatever advantage they had when younger for eg size or speed, would be nullified as their competing peers and opponents will eventually catch up with them; (ii) when we compete in regional and international youth tournaments, foreign teams with superior technical skills generally will do well.

Coaches who focus mainly on results do so because they want to win admirers of supporters, fans and parents, be well employable, get funding and sponsors, and recruit more kid and youth trainees for their clubs and academies but they don’t realize that they do this at the detriment of the players and the game. The players will eventually turn out to be average ones, only able to compete domestically.

I would like to add 2 things to what you mentioned about quality coaches – quantity and continuing personal development. FFT said the European countries (except England) has 20,000 to 30,000 qualified coaches with Pro, A and B licences. How many does Malaysia have? 300? 500? Surely there must be a correlation between the no. of qualified coaches and the level of football in a country? With 500 coaches, can Malaysia even dream to qualify for the World Cup?

As for continuing personal development , most coaches do not see the need to develop themselves. Whether a coach is employed or coaches on a volunteer basis, he owes it to the players and the game to improve himself so as to be able to coach them to the best of his ability. A coach has to keep himself abreast of the latest developments in football by reading books, attending courses and surfing the Net. I don’t see this happening on a large scale in Malaysia. Most coaches coach only based on their past playing and training experiences. They do not learn of new methods of playing and coaching which involves the 4 main aspects of coaching – technical, tactical, physical and psychosocial. World football styles have evolved over the years and so coaches should do so if they want to contribute to football.

Personally, I have been coaching some youngsters in my hometown for the past 5 years on a voluntary basis. Of late, I have been doing it 2-3 times a week. I provide the balls, the cones, the jerseys, I organize friendly matches, provide food and drinks for the game, become a driver to the players for training and games, pay for the field and referees’ fees. I estimate I have spent about RM5,000-10,000 on these boys during these 5 years. I have books on youth football coaching and I surf the Net regularly to learn more about coaching. I observe other coaching and training sessions to learn more. My knees are damaged and they hurt most times after playing with the boys but my passion and love for the game is stronger than the pain and so I play on and I coach on. I can understand if other coaches are not as free or financially able as I am but at the very least, coaches should have the passion for the game to give something back to the youths and make them better footballers.

School Fields – as we are all aware, public fields have been decreasing in numbers over the years to pave way for developments and more developments. There is a lack of playing fields for the many footballers out there especially in the major cities. We complain of the lack of fields but stark right in the middle of our noses are the school fields which are currently under utilized especially in the evenings and weekends. Drive pass any school on a weekend and you see an empty pitch, waiting to be used. The Govt should make it possible for schools with football fields to open their fields to the public during the weekends, subject to terms and conditions. I am very sure the public at large and private football academies will welcome this move with open arms. How can anyone say this will not help to improve Malaysian football.

Education System – go to any football tournaments in the Klang Valley and you will notice a higher participation by younger kids (12 yo and below) as compared to teenagers (13-17 yo). One of the main reasons why this is so is because of the lack of time available to teenagers for sports. Tuition and after school classes is a must nowadays for most teenagers as compared to the younger ones. The sad thing is that these classes are held mainly in the evenings when football is supposed to be played. How do we expect budding footballers to improve when their playing time is limited? How good can our footballers be if they only play 2-3 times a week? As long as our education system remains as it is (incompetent teachers, low standard syllabus, a focus on results rather than learning, etc), football development will not take place. Children will not have time for football or any sports for that matter. Messi or Ronaldo didn’t become world class by training twice a week on weekends only. They trained and played every day. Because of the way our education system is set up, our children have no choice in this matter. When their future careers hinge on getting good academic results, can we fault them or their parents for putting so much emphasis on their studies and almost nothing on sports?

State Football Associations – our State FAs are only good at competing in the President Cup and Malaysian League competitions. They do this by hiring and recruiting youth players from the sports schools, universities and private academies. They do not have a track record of coaching, training and nurturing young players. Most of them do not even have youth academies catering to the various youth age groups, unlike the Manchester Uniteds, Arsenals, Chelseas and Liverpools of this world. Have you ever seen a Selangor U13 side playing in any tournaments? Or a Kelantan U15? Most of our state FAs are pathetically managed and run, relying too much on FAM for help. Some of them are only breaking even financially whilst others are struggling. Only a few can claim to be financially strong. .It is sad indeed that after having been around for donkey years, our State FAs have not contributed much towards the development of youth football in Malaysia.

Government – recently, we read of the group of Chinese business tycoons setting up an education trust fund to assist Chinese schools to the tune of a few hundred million RM. If they can do it for education, why can’t the government do the same for football? After all, football is our country’s no. 1 sports. We have been in the doldrums for umpteen years now. What significant thing has the Govt done for football development in Malaysia? I am sure the Govt with its vast network can set up a football development fund and source for some rich sponsors similar to the education trust fund. Use this fund only for football development, not the M-League or other adult competition. Use the funds and implement the recommendations you made as mentioned in my 2^nd paragraph and to whatever that is needed to produce better young footballers in Malaysia.

Because of what I mentioned in 3 and 4 above, the Govt should also ensure that the Sports and Education Ministries work in tandem to develop football in Malaysia. The Sports Ministry alone can’t do it. All relevant governmental organizations must cooperate in this.

Malaysian footballers’ intelligence, or the lack of it – many people fail to realize this but a top, top player must not only be skilful and fit, but also intelligent game-wise. Look at Datuk Nicol David or Lin Dan. Look at their faces and you can see that they are highly intelligent game-wise. On the football field where the coach has little influence on what individual players do with or without the ball, players which possess a higher level of intelligence in applying what they have learned will do much better than one who doesn’t think on the field. What is football intelligence? It includes knowing at all times what to do with the ball before one receives it; continually assessing any attacking or defending situation and asking yourself, “am I in the best position on the field that I can be?”; looking for, seeing and making use of space; seeing ‘plays’ before they happen; providing passing options to team mates; efficient distribution of the ball; effective use of the ball and contribution to the build-up play; making the right decisions at different areas of the pitch; applying the right technical skill to different situations; assessing opponent’s style, tactics, strengths and weaknesses; knowing which tactics to use at different times; knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, etc. Are Malaysian top footballers intelligent? My frank answer is no. They are quite intelligent but not enough to compete at the very top. We have too many national footballers whose potential is limited by their lack of natural intelligence. The games Malaysia played against Japan and Australia exposed this sore problem – players not using their brains to play better football. Or maybe they are not that intelligent at all. We need to enlarge our pool of children and youth footballers in the country so that hopefully good quality and highly intelligent footballers may come out of this very large quantity.

Our mindset – how is it that Spain, Australia and Switzerland can produce so many world sports champions although their population sizes are similar to Malaysia? Spain has 46 million people, Australia 23 million and Switzerland 8 million. Not only do they produce football champions, but also swimming, tennis, rugby, hockey, squash and basketball stars. For years now, Australians have produced champions in most of the popular sports. They have a winning mentality and attitude, and take sports seriously while we Malaysians treat sports as a pastime, doing it mainly to improve our fitness and health. Champions have no qualms living, training and playing anywhere in the world, so long as doing it will help them become world class players. But how many Malaysians can claim or dare to do that except for a few. We Malaysian have a defeatist attitude, prefer to backbite and bring down those who seem to do well, don’t challenge ourselves to do better and go one step further all the time, preferring to relax when they’ve reached the top, preferring to be jaguh kampong.

Champions go into the field knowing what to expect, knowing what to do, knowing what is at stake. But we Malaysians just tell ourselves, “Never mind la, we will try our best in the match and see how it goes”.

Most Malaysian parents tell their kids to forget about choosing sports for their careers, but can we really totally blame them? Being a Chinese myself, I’ve been asked numerous times, “why are there so few Chinese boys playing football nowadays?” My frank answer is because the money is not there. The Chinese are pragmatists and so their financial well-being is of utmost importance. Who would want to earn RM5,000 playing football for a limited 10 years career when they can earn RM10,000 to RM15,000 for a lifetime? This realization is one factor why lots of teenagers drop their childhood dreams of becoming professional footballers. It is very sad indeed. They just settle to become average players, playing in the local leagues whilst losing their dream bit by bit, day by day.

Does our nation have a sports mindset? I don’t think so. Sports have taken a backseat now, only existing to provide jobs to players, coaches and administrators. What then is required for our nation to be rejuvenated to become a strong sports nation like Australia?

Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream….”. I too have my dream on how to improve Malaysian football up a few levels which I have shared with my son in one of our many chats and discussions about football. However, I shall leave it for now as I have already written so much above.

Like you said, will that major surgery for Malaysian football ever happen? Probably not in my lifetime!

Malaysian soccer in Dreamland!

2011-09-25T23:33:00.001+08:00

For as long as the powers to be in soccer, the media and the fans continue to be in dreamland and hope for miracles to happen to Malaysian soccer, it is only going to see more disappointments and frustrations!
The sooner all concerned embark on a reality check and come to terms that Malaysian soccer is what the FIFA ranking states - 146th - the better for Malaysian soccer.
Statistics do not lie.
Winning the Sea Games title and Suzuki AFF Cup does not elevate Malaysian soccer overnight.
There is no shortcut to success in anything and soccer is no different.
Hard work, proper development programmes, quality youth coaches, emphasis on schools soccer, proper soccer fields readily available, strong local leagues in every district and State and above a long term plan is the only way we can dream to move up the ladder of rankings.
Stints in Indonesia and PR stints in Cardiff and QPR is not going to elevate Malaysian soccer overnight.
Japan, Korea and China are not where they today with a wave of the magic wand. They worked hard and had proper and quality development programmes over a long-term period.

And revamping the Malaysian Super League (MSL) once again is definitely not the answer.
Revamp the MSL anyway you want, but if you do not have the quality players to play in it, it will fall flat.
Lets not talk about foreign players going to lift the standard of the MSL, because it is not going to happen.
We just have to many officials in the system who have invested interest and are more interested on how they can channel business to their own companies or friends companies.
Yes, we have some young players in the national team and Under-22 team who have given us some fresh hopes, but still they are no where as compared to youth players in the Asian region.
We did not need a loss against Japan to tell us that we are way behind the Asian powers.
It is just that we do not want to accept reality and still dreaming that some miracle is going to happen and see Malaysia qualify for the Olympics and World Cup!
Dream on!
I have said it many times and am saying again. Let us target to be among the best in Asia before we look to leap frog to be among the world's best.
Maybe, we should try and get some of our players playing in the Korean, Japanese, the Chinese league or even in the Middle East.
Forget about playing in Indonesia and English league teams.
Playing in Indonesian League is not going to improve the standard of players because it is not of high quality and playing for English league teams is another dream. Just study all the restrictions and qualifications rules.
Yes, we have three players signed on loan by Slovakian side Vion FC in the Corgon Liga, maybe this move would give the boys some quality.
But we cannot hope for favours and connections to get players with teams in Europe. We need to make the cut on merit.
The last thing we need is for these players to be warming the bench, being linesmen and picking up jerseys and socks of senior players of their respective clubs.
The bottom line is that we have to go back to basics and get things right before we embark on missions.
Yes, everyone needs dreams, but it has to realistic dreams!
We had top officials in Fukuoka to witness Japan beat Malaysia and say that Malaysian soccer is way behind.
Ask any level headed soccer fan in Malaysia, and he or she would have told you the same without having to go to Fukuoka to witness the match.
The point that has to sink into everyone is that building a team or for the matter anything, always start from the base and not from the pinnacle!
As long as we continue to do things in the reverse, we will continue to get humiliated because of our foolish and unrealistic dreams.
Millions of ringgit is being spent with the hope of reviving Malaysian soccer, but being spent at the wrong place.
Then we have foreign clubs coming to Malaysia to sell ideas and with promises to elevate Malaysian soccer overnight, but they are here basically to make money and for their PR stint.
Lets us get the right people at the right place and not marketing agents and PR companies who sell ideas to make money for themselves and have the least interest of Malaysian soccer.
Maybe if many of our ex-internationals are given an opportunity to give back something to the game, we may have something going.
But then again, the Ex-internationals themselves are not united and many are more interested promoting themselves, while some are just happy going for "playing tours" overseas.
Malaysian soccer, like many sports in Malaysia stinks to high heaven.
A major surgery is needed and many may have to make way for young blood to be infused and new ideas for Malaysian soccer to introduced, starting at the grassroots, for Malaysian soccer to stand a chance to head the right direction - up!
Will that happen - your guess is as good as mine!

REALITY CHECK
FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking

Last Updated 21 Sept 2011

Ranking History

Date	FIFA Ranking position
September 2011	146
August 2011	146
July 2011	145
June 2011	144
May 2011	143
April 2011	144
March 2011	138
February 2011	140
January 2011	142
2010	144
2009	160
2008	156
2007	159
2006	152
2005	123
2004	120
2003	116
2002	128
2001	111
2000	107
1999	117
1998	113
1997	87
1996	96
1995	106
1994	89
1993	79

Malaysia average position from FIFA World Ranking creation is 120

Minimum and Maximum

Highest FIFA ranking

75 - August 1993. .

Lowest FIFA Ranking

170 - April 2008.

Best Mover

21 - April 1996

Worst mover

-23 - October 1995

Last Updated 21 Sep 2011

Next Release 19 Oct 2011

Ranking	Zonal Ranking	Team	Pts Sep 11	+/- Ranking Aug 11	+/- Pts Aug 11
15	1	Japan	924	0	6
19	2	Australia	882	3	45
29	3	Korea Republic	749	4	4
50	4	Iran	576	3	17
73	5	China PR	469	-4	5
79	6	Uzbekistan	421	3	20
85	7	Jordan	406	7	58
97	8	Qatar	360	-9	-4
98	9	Saudi Arabia	359	-11	-13
100	10	Kuwait	352	-5	11
101	11	Syria	347	-4	10
104	12	Bahrain	335	-3	10
106	13	Oman	319	-3	7
109	14	Iraq	303	0	10
112	15	United Arab Emirates	287	-4	-12
117	16	Thailand	274	3	28
121	17	Korea DPR	258	-7	-2
129	18	Vietnam	209	0	0
134	19	Nepal	193	2	0
136	20	Singapore	188	-7	-21
137	21	Yemen	185	-4	-13
138	22	Bangladesh	183	1	1
139	23	Indonesia	182	-8	-25
140	24	Turkmenistan	179	2	0
145	25	Lebanon	163	15	57
146	26	Malaysia	158	0	0
155	27	Hong Kong	124	-1	-7
157	28	Tajikistan	117	-4	-15
161	29	Palestine	108	-4	-9
162	30	India	106	-4	-6
162	30	Mongolia	106	-2	0

1st Malaysia Day Ex-Internationals/State Invitational Soccer 9s

2011-09-19T20:07:00.002+08:00

1^st Malaysia Day Ex-Internationals/State Invitational Soccer 9s 2011 for the HRS Crown Price Abdullah of Pahang Challenge Trophy

(FINAL RESULTS)

CHAMPION: Johore (beat Singapore 1-0) – Cash Prize RM2,500

RUNNER-UP: Singapore – Cash Prize RM 1,000

Third placed: Thailand (Perak gave walkover) – Cash prize RM300

Fourth Placed: Perak – Cash prize RM200

PLATE FINALISTS:

Champion: Australia (beat Kedah on penalty kicks 5-4 after scoreless draw) – Cash Prize RM500

Runner-up: Kedah – Cash Prize RM200

Awards: Best Goalkeeper – Shahri Rahim (Singapore)

Best Defender – Razali Saad (Singapore)

Best Midfielder – Nasir Yusof (Johor)

Best Striker – Surachai Poosuwan (Thailand) – six goals

Fair Play Trophy - Brunei

Special Awards given at Dinner:

In recognition for the contribution and remembrance of the late Mokhtar Dahari - received by daughters, Nur Azera and Nur Arina.

In recognition for the contribution and remembrance of the late Datuk R. Arumugam - received by daughters Subha and Rubha.

In recognition for the contribution and remembrance of the late Isa Bakar - received on behalf of the family of Isa Bakar by Shukor Salleh.

Most capped Malaysian international: Datuk Soh Chin Aun ( 152 caps)

Record of having scored four goals in a Malaysia Cup final (in 1968 final between Selangor and Penang where Selangor won 8-1): N. Thanabalan (four goals)

Oldest player in the tournament: V. Kalimuthu (65 years-old)

NOSTALGIC NIGHT OF VETERAN SPORTSMEN

Pictures by: S.Thinakaran

The Dinner....a congregation of legends

Live Radio Station at the Dinner...Vincent Fernandez and S. Radhakrishnan

Arrival of guests....Datuk Peter Velappan catching up on the latest from national coach Datuk K. Rajagopal as grand veteran double international (hockey and soccer) V. Kalimuthu listens attentively.

Opening address.....Datuk M. Kuppan (deputy president of the Ex-State & Ex-National Footballers Association of Malaysia

VVIP guest for the night....Datuk Peter Velappan giving his speech


A momento....Organising chairman Bahwandi Hiralal presenting a souvenir to Datuk Peter Velappan

Most capped international...Datuk Soh Chin Aun (152 caps)

Award for the Late R. Arumugam received by his daughters Subha and Kubha from Datuk Chan and Datuk Peter Velappan

Award for the Late Datuk Mokhtar Dahari received by his daughters Nur Azera and Nur Arina from Datuk Peter Velappan

Daughters of Legends Mokhtar and Arumugam sharing a light moment during dinner

Record Holder...N. Thanbalan holds the record of having scored four goals in a Malaysia Cup final in 1968 against Penang where his team Selangor won 8-1

Grand Veteran....V. Kalimuthu receives from Datuk M. Kuppan as Bahwandi Hiralal congratulates him

Munich 1972 and 1975 World Cup Hockey players

Members of the X-Mail, Penang teams and friends


Veteran Sportswriters....Bill Tegju, Datuk Fauzi Omar, George Das, Lazarus Rokk and P'ng Hwang Kuan

Arrival of Tengku Mahkota Of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah for the final

The finalists - Johore and Singapore

Cup Final action

Best Goalkeeper...Singapore's Shahri Rahim

Top striker..Surachai Poosuwan (six goals)

Fair Play Trophy.....Mile Tanjung from Brunei received the award on behalf of his team

Champions..Johor skipper Fadzli Ahmad receiving the HRS Crown Price Abdullah of Pahang Challenge Trophy

Midfield Maestro...Nasir Yusof (Johor)

The finalists...Johor and Singapore players with their trophies

Reminiscing the 60s, 70s & 80s Golden Soccer Era

2011-09-14T07:28:00.001+08:00

Come Friday (Sept 16), it will be a congregation of soccer stars of yesteryear at the Victoria Institution grounds where the 1st Malaysia Day Ex-Internationals/State Invitational Soccer 9s will be held over two days.
The tournament kicks off at 8.30am on Malaysia Day with the opening ceremony which will see former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially declaring the tournament open.
A total 12 teams, namely eight State teams - Kedah, Penang, Perak, X-Mail KL/Selangor Selection, Malacca, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak - and four overseas teams - Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Western Australia - will be competing for the coveted HRS Crown Prince Abdullah of Pahang trophy.

The Ex-State & Ex-National Footballers' Association of Malaysia Council with President Lee Soon Huat (seated fourth from left with Deputy President, Datuk M. Kuppan on his left)

Just a brief history as to how this unique tournament came about, a first of its kind for veterans who have only played at state and national level, was conceived by the Ex-state & Ex-National Footballers’ Association Malaysia, under the leadership of President, Lee Soon Huat, with several aims in mind.

First, it was to bring together players of yesteryear who were household names for a congregation of stars in annual carnival and fun-filled atmosphere.

Secondly, to organise the tournament to raise funds for the association to have a welfare fund and also a scholarship fund for the children of the members.

But above all, to have a gathering to bring together players who have not met for a longtime to have an opportunity to congregate and reminisce about the good old times, renew old ties and long lost friends and play some football.

It was not so much about the competition, but about the congregation of players from all over the country at their ripe age.

And coinciding the tournament with the Malaysia Day, made it even more meaningful because this tournament could well be what Merdeka tournament is, but a tournament for the veterans.

The presence of foreign teams, truly adds the international flavour and all indications are that it will grow into a tournament not to be missed in the region for veteran stars.

Among the tournament rules and format are:

Ø All participants must be 45 years old and above (seven) and 50 years old and above (seven) and it will be a nine-a-side tournament.

Ø The teams will be divided into four groups after a draw at the team managers meeting on Thursday at 8pm. They will play a one round league, before the two top teams of each group proceed to the second round in the winners pool, while the third team in each group will move to the second rounds in the plate event.

Ø In the winners pool the eight teams will be divided into two groups and play another one round league, while in the plate event the four teams will also play a one round league.

Ø Top two teams of the two winners pool group will qualify for the crossover semifinals, while in the plate event the top two teams will play in the plate final.

Ø There will be a third placing match in the winners’ pool.

Ø Prize money for Winners’ Pool champion is RM2,500, runners-up is RM1,000, third placed RM300 and fourth placed RM200. Losers’ pool winner will win RM500 and runners-up RM200. Medals will be given to top four teams in winners’ pool and top two teams in the losers’ pool.

Among the benefits the Association is looking from this tournament is the hope that veteran soccer in every state will take-off in a bigger scale and look forward to this annual event.

Unveiling of the Challenge trophy by Datuk Ghani Minhat and Chow Kwai Lam and in the middle organising chairman Bahwandi Hiralal (left) and N. Thanabalan (Vice-President)

Through this tournament organising chairman, Bahwandi Hiralal hopes to increase the visibility of the Ex-State & Ex-National Footballers’ Association Malaysia and in future organise more activities.

Besides the tournament itself which will be the highlight, the official dinner on Friday night at the OCM Indoor Arena, will be another nostalgic event.

Besides the football players’ congregation, there will also be sports greats from the hockey, athletics and badminton present. Thus, it will not just be a congregation of footballers of the 60s, 70s and 80s era, but a congregation of sportsmen and women of the era. The 1972 Munich contingent is expected to attend in full force.

The theme for the Dinner is – green – “forever green!”

There will be veteran radio broadcasters, doing a live Sports Show led by Vincent Fernandez and Radha Krishnan.

Indeed a golden and nostalgic night is in store!

Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Ibni Haji Sultan Ahmad Shah will be present to watch the final on Sunday at 4pm and give away the prizes.

This tournament would not have been possible without the support of sponsors. Astro Arena leads the way together with Nestle (MILO), Gatorade, Carlsberg, New Straits Times, Bata, UFL, City Hall and Tourism Malaysia.

The sponsors for the tournament

Astro Arena Live Galore

2011-09-14T06:42:00.000+08:00

Astro Arena has a big weekend in store for sports enthusiasts with a galore of "Live" telecasts on Sept 17 and 18.

Due of several "Live" coverage, they have even opened up an additional channel - 802 - to accommodate the live coverage.

Sit back enjoy the "Live" coverage in the comfort of your home or your favourite spot for the weekend. Enjoy!

The Live events for Sept 17th & 18th Sept are as follows:

17.9.2011.
Channel 801
Football > Malaysia Cup- Round 4 > Live Match- PERAK vs SABAH (Live TX 2000) Channel 801
Football > Malaysia Cup- Round 4 > Delayed match- TERENGGANU vs SIME DARBY (TX 2230)- Channel 801

Channel 802
Hockey > TNB MHL National Hockey League> Charity Shield> KLHC vs TNB- (Live TX 2000)- Channel 802

18.9.2011

Channel 801
Utusan Sepak Takraw Championship> Central Zone > Semifinal (Live TX 1000-1230) & Finals (Live TX 1600-1800)- Channel 801
Football > Malaysia Cup-Round 4 > Kelantan vs Sarawak > (Live TX 2000)- Channel 801

Channel 802

World Freestyle Championship > Live TX 1300-1600 > Channel 802
Hockey > MHLTNB National Hockey League-Round 1 > Uitm vs UNIKL > Live TX 1800- Channel 802
MHLTNB NAtional Hockey League-Round 1 > Nur Insafi vs YNS > Live TX 2000- Channel 802

Michael's take

2011-08-03T19:52:00.000+08:00

Michael wrote in response to my blog: The knives are out!
Indeed an interesting read and one who knows soccer. If only we have more people like him around, Malaysian football will certainly be heading in the right direction.
Here is what Michael had to say:

Tony,

The knives should be directed at FAM for not developing Malaysian football and leaving it stagnant for the past few decades while global football progressed. Datuk Rajagobal may have his faults in the 2nd leg but the main fault lies with FAM for so many reasons. Just take a look at this video and its 2nd part to see how Spain implemented its plans for its national junior, youth and senior squads. 9 major trophies in 15 years is the result of long term plans and playing football the Spanish way and working closely with clubs and academies.

http://www.uefa.com/trainingground/index.html#34001/2/831373

FAM has failed Malaysian football big time. They have failed to provide leadership, vision and support to state and club football. Yes, our Malaysian team won the AFF Suzuki Cup and SEA Games the last 2 years but as you can see against Singapore, there was no progress in the way the team played. The players displayed naivety and lack of composure, awareness and intelligence in the match. In short, Malaysian football have lots to do to catch up with our regional counterparts.

Currently, there are numerous private football academies churning out good youth footballers between the ages of 12 to 18 in Malaysia. However, these academies do not generally come under the umbrella of the state and club sides. What is FAM doing with regards to providing the link between these academies and the state and club sides? What support and direction is FAM giving to these academies? Is FAM interested at all to help youth footballers with good potential progress to the next level? At these academies, most of the initiatives come from the academy owners and coaches to develop themselves, to attend coaching courses, etc. What is FAM doing to meet them halfway other than to provide the coaching courses and selecting certain players to represent the country in age-group tournaments?

The success of Spanish football is for all to see and copy. Other European countries are visiting the Spanish football confederation to learn from them. Yet, our FAM is sitting on their lazy buttocks and not doing all they can to raise the standard of Malaysian football. And for this, they should be the first ones to go. A long time ago.

The knives are out!

2011-08-02T12:03:00.001+08:00

So what is new with the developments after Malaysia failed to qualify for the Group rounds of the pre-World Cup competition.
Fans and critics are out for Datuk K. Rajagobal's blood and accusing him of many things he failed to do.
Some are even asking for his resignations. Some feel that the best players were not fielded. Hundred and one reasons from all and sundry has been flooding in Facebook and blogs.
Whether all these questions and criticisms are vented out because of disappointment, frustrations or hidden agendas, is a question only those who have been posting and talking about can say.
Whatever it is, I am not at all surprised because I had predicted the scenario even before the match and after the Malaysian team qualified for the match against Singapore by the skin of their teeth.
Read the three articles before to understand what I am talking about. - http://level-field.blogspot.com/2011/07/high-expectations-dashed-but-keep-fire.html
http://level-field.blogspot.com/2011/07/high-stakes-in-malaysia-versus.html
http://level-field.blogspot.com/2011/07/old-habits-die-hard.html
I rest my case.

High expectations dashed, but keep the fire burning!

2011-07-29T15:15:00.000+08:00

The fans came in full force to support the Malaysian team with hope that they will overturn the two goal deficit against Singapore from the first leg of the Asian Zone World Cup qualifiers at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night, but returned home with mixed feelings.
Whether we will see another record crowd like last night to support the Malaysian team again, is left to be seen.
But if the fans really believed in the team, they should continue to return in full force because the truth of the matter is that Malaysian soccer still has a long road ahead of them and they need every ounce of support to reach the pinnacle.
Sadly, the media hyped up the match to a frenzy atmosphere without giving the real scenario.
The real scenario was that it was an uphill battle last night and win or lose, the Malaysian team had given their best and should look forward to building the team for the 2015 Asian Cup championship.
When the Malaysian team still have problems defeating teams from the Asean region - be it with their naturalised players or not - we still have a long way to go.
Even if Malaysia had gone to defeat Singapore, it would have been another struggle in the next round and ultimately to dream that we will make the final rounds of the World Cup qualifiers, was indeed a futile and frustrating exercise.
The reality check is that the Malaysian team is still a long, long way to becoming among the best in Asia.
Let us qualify for the Asian Cup final, before we even dream of the World Cup.
I am in no way ridiculing the Malaysian team. Merely stating the facts.
Yes, we have improved over the years, but still a long way off to becoming a feared team in the region.
And my fear is will this team go one to improve further, or take a downward trend with the influx of foreign players back in our M-league next year.
Without doubt, one of the reasons for the rise in our soccer standards was because local players were exposed at playing in the M-League.
Now with the foreigners back, many of our local players are going to warm the bench, especially strikers, midfielders and centrebacks. Is this going to help our national team? I have argued on this matter many times over and my stand still remains the same - keep the foreigners out till our overall standard of the League has reached a respectable level with our local players.
Coming back to Datuk Rajagobal's squad, it was indeed a heartwarming sight to see the players shed tears, bury the faces in the ground and applaud the fans.
It only meant that players wanted so much to do well and win the match and were disappointed that they could not deliver.
This I have not seen for a while. There have been occasions where I have seen players walk into the dressing room after a defeat without any feeling and laughing and cracking jokes and singing in the bus!
At least we know that we have some dedicated players who are patriotic and want to do well. For that alone, the fans must keep coming back each time they play.
Let us now have a long term programme for Rajagobal and Ong Kim Swee's teams and continue the hardwork and play top class matches. If some national players can find attachments with top clubs overseas, it will be great.
But above all, these players must keep their feet firm on the ground and their heads in place, and continue their hardwork.
Results will come eventually, but not without pain and sacrifices!
Till the next match the Malaysian team play, continue to wear the national jerseys and keep the passion burning.

High stakes in Malaysia versus Singapore match

2011-07-27T20:09:00.002+08:00

Whether Malaysian soccer rise or fall will all depend on what happens tomorrow night at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil where a capacity 85,000 will fill the stadium in the World Cup Asian Zone qualifier.
That the fans are still flocking to the Stadium despite Malaysia's 3-5 defeat to Singapore at the Jalan Besar Stadium last Saturday, is ample proof that the Malaysian soccer team have captured the hearts of Malaysians and believe in them.
Just two years ago when Manchester United visited Malaysia, the National Stadium was a sea of red jerseys and rooting for the Red Devils. But this time around for the Asian Tour of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, the crowd was equally divided in their loyalty. Infact, many fans who came wearing jerseys of the English clubs, still supported the Malaysian team. There was no jeers for the Malaysian players.
How things have changed since winning the Sea Games gold in 2009 and the AFF Suzuki Cup last year.
Tomorrow night, will also reignite the traditionally Malaysia-Singapore clashes which has always been fierce fought battles.
With two goals down, if Datuk K. Rajagobal's team give anything short of a good fight, they will be courting trouble from the fans.
The hype over the current Malaysian team has been built up so high, that a fall tomorrow could be a long fall down.
Whether the hype over the team is justified is another question entirely. Right now, the fans are behind the Malaysian team and believe in them and they have to deliver.
To chase a two goal deficit is not easy and a great deal of character, discipline and determination is required.
Had the Malaysian team returned with a 3-4 score, the battle would have been much easier.
Right now the fans are flooded by their emotion of faith and believe in the team. No amount of reasoning that it is going to be a tough task, is going to make the listen.
Let us hope that the players themselves are incensed by the same believe as the fans.
As much I personally belief that it is going to be an uphill task, I also believe nothing is impossible in a game of soccer.
Let us not talk about the "special ones" in the Singapore team and just treat them as another standing in path of Malaysia's progress.
Bring on everything that is needed to get past Singapore.
Let Malaysia be proud that results can still be achieved without naturalised players.
Bosnian-born Aleksandar Duric, together with Mustafic Fahrudin (Serbia), Daniel Bennett (England), Shi Jiayi and Qiu Li (China), will not be able to experience the same feelings as Malaysian players will in triumph.
Afterall, Duric is a 41-year-old player who should already be playing for veteran teams.
If our young, genetic and fit players cannot stop Duric, then they only have to blame themselves.
Let us not give excuses like we were overawed by the occasion and the pressure was too much from the fans!
The Malaysian Team had asked support and they have got it!
This time we are not playing on artificial turf and the players should have learnt from their mistakes. There is no room of playing in patches.
It has to top gear from the first whistle to the final whistle.
If that is given and it is still not good enough to see the Malaysian team win, then we just have to accept the fact that we are not good enough yet and have to go back to the drawing board and start working towards the Asian Championship.
Singapore will also be under tremendous pressure having to play in front of a 85,000 capacity Stadium which is alien to them and in a bigger pitch.
Singapore is definitely going to treat this match as a whole new match with the score at 0-0 and that is one luxury Malaysia cannot afford because whichever way they look at it, they are down by two goals.
Whoever, Rajagobal decides to field tomorrow night, it is probably the best lineup he thinks will get the result. The defence have been said to be the weakest in the team. But come tomorrow night, there is no weak-link in the team, but just one formidable team!
Will the team rise to the occasion to make their fans proud of them and probably double the support for the team overnight, it is left to be seen.
All the best to both Malaysia and Singapore and may the better team triumph.
My little wish as I watch the match on television is that our local commentators will not go overboard and become fans of the national team, but just be professionals and comment on the match as a neutral observers. Let the fans and viewers be the judge of the game. There have been times where I had silence the volume to enjoy the game!

Old Habits Die Hard

2011-07-06T09:04:00.001+08:00

It has been a while since I wrote on Malaysian sports because nothing much has really changed.
Except for an occasional reason to shout about, most of the time there have been more controversies, bad governance of sports associations, unscrupulous officials taking sports for a ride, athletes still struggling to act like professionals, money still being poured into sports but shortchanged by end results or poor programmes and the list goes on.
However, after having watched the return leg of the Asian World Cup qualifying first round away tie between Malaysia and Chinese Taipei, I decided that I had to pen down my thoughts.
Going down to Chinese Taipei 3-2 after taking the lead twice is no excuse. Blame the referee, the 20,000 capacity crowd and the rain, but the sole blame lies with the players.

Calm before the storm in Chinese Taipei

What was witnessed on Sunday, was the true colours of the Malaysian players.
Many may disagree and would want to continue to believe that Malaysian soccer has improved by leaps and bounds after having won the Suzuki AFF Cup beating Indonesia, but the truth of the matter is that Malaysian soccer is far from even being the best in the Asean region.
The Malaysian team have been performing well so far mainly because of the system that has been put in place by national coach Datuk K. Rajagobal and the players executing it with full discipline and dedication.
Credit goes to the players here for their discipline in carrying out their duties according to the plans of the coach. Also credit must be given to the players for their superior fitness level to carry out the plans for a full ninety minutes.
But what was seen on Sunday at the Chinese Taipei Municipality Stadium was old habits of players flooding back just because they took at early lead in the 7th minute after their 2-1 victory from the first leg.
The Malaysian players suddenly abandoned all plans for the game and decided to take the game into their own hands which resulted in - sluggish play, no urgency, holding on to the ball longer than they should, trying to beat an extra man before making the pass and above all taking their opponents lightly.
And the end result, they paid the price for their follies.
The two goals scored by Malaysia's Aidil Zafuna Radzak and Safiq Rahim from dead ball situations and the penalty save by goalkeeper Sharbinee Allawee Ramli , should have been the talking point of the game, but in the end those excellent moments were over shadowed by the overall poor performance of the team and the 3-2 defeat.
If there was facing saving moment, it was the 4-4 aggregate and the away goal which put Malaysia into the next round to play Singapore.
By the looks of the expression on the players faces after the game, I wonder how many actually knew that Malaysia had qualified despite the defeat.
Even one of the commentators for Astro Arena who televised the match live, did not know that Malaysia had qualified for the next round despite the loss and said that the match will be decided with extra-time since both teams tied at 4-4!
It is hoped that the Malaysian players have finally been brought down to earth after all the euphoria surrounding their recent performances.
And hopefully their matches friendly matches against Arsenal and Liverpool, will further put them in the right place but in the right frame of mind for the match against Singapore.
Let us also hope that the national players get enough practice on the artificial turf before they head down to the Jalan Besar Stadium, as they will be playing on artificial surface. The last thing we want to hear is that the players were not used to the bounce of the ball on the artificial turf or pace!
I do not want to ridicule the national team, because like every Malaysian I want to see the team do well.
But we still have a long, long way to reach the top and the players cannot stop working hard to get anywhere close to the pinnacle.
A lot of people want to join the bandwagon and sing praises for the national team, but one has to be objective and access the team's strength for what is worth, and not overate the team to build false hopes.
The same people who are signing praises now, will be the first to criticise the team the moment they fall. It will serve no purpose then to criticise the team then, as it will too late and no remedies can be made.
Better to get the players to realise their follies now, rectify it now with the hope that we can go as far as possible in the World Cup campaign.
The truth of the matter is that Malaysia is still a long way to hold a candle with the giants of Asia like Japan, Australia, Korea, Iran and China who ranked top five currently.
Even in Asean, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore are ranked above Malaysia, whose current world ranking is 142, 22nd in Asia and fifth among the Asean countries.
So let us keep our feet firm on the ground, work hard for our results in every match, see how far we can go and take it from there to move forward further with better long term concrete plans in place.
Let us not fool ourselves that we are going to get immediate result.
Let us target the Asian Cup to be among the top teams in this championship before we start dreaming of the Olympics and World Cup.
Let us hope that nothing disastrous happens in the Jakarta Sea Games in November and derail all our hopes!