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Hello there Ladies and Gentlemen,Regardless of your nationality, please continue reading this if you have arrived at this stage of the letter. Yes, I am directing this towards everyone involved in Malaysian football but nonetheless, football itself is a global connection that bridges culture and diversity. I have been a mere spectator of Malaysian football for the past few years, but 2011 has been a changing period for me. It has been a transition in which I made a quantum leap towards assisting Malaysian football in any way that I can.
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Coverage has been a controversial issue in Malaysia. Yes, we do not have proper coverage and I’m pretty sure everyone will agree with that. Like it or not, the broadcast of the big EPL matches has made us all glory hunters. We have been accustomed to seeing big matches from all over the world, and we are not to be blamed for it.
As a humble fan, I would prefer to not touch on political matters. You can claim as much as you want about politics manipulating our Malaysian football. I’m still young and I prefer to not interfere with that. All I’m aware of is that we are all humans with emotion, heart, and values. The essence of integrity is certainly present deep in our hearts.
Sometimes, I wonder whether the golden ages of Malaysian football is replicable or not? My grandfather would boast about the swag of Mokhtar Dahari, while I am left to be rued with seeing Messi and Ronaldo dancing on television. Not that these guys are not good. They are indeed terrific players and world class ones I should add. But being a Malaysian, you crave for that sense of belonging. There is nothing like witnessing someone with your background stealing the limelight on the world scene.
The definition of rock-solid, Malaysian style!
Getting back to my point, I always wondered whether we would be able to match our predecessors or not. Once, I saw a newspaper cutting displaying several results of the Malaysian football team. It was heartening to see us beating South Korea, Japan and even Arsenal at one point. And then it all struck my mind. How did we fall from such stature to where we are now? What was the catalyst for our downfall? Was it match-fixing? Or was it mentality? Or was it politics? I would never know.
My dad used to me that sports was like a wheel. You will be at the top at one moment, but the next moment, its back to the ground. In that case, Malaysian football must be a very slow wheel, as we are still aiming to kick our previous heights. How do we reach there?As an ardent Perak fan, I have seen the true meaning of sports. Few years back, we were scaling impeccable heights under Steve Darby. Then a squad revamp took place and mid-table battle beckoned. Well, it’s where we have been for the past few seasons. But yes, the Malaysian Super League is no more pushovers. It’s a league filled with plenty of unexploited talent. And the stature is definitely on the rise and for this; I applaud the FAM’s decision to re-introduce import players next season.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s leave the professional football aside. What about grassroots development? Are we comparatively weak at this level? I do not think our kids are less talented the others. But why is it that our kids grow to be South East Asian footballers, while the others grow to become World Beaters? It’s a question that has been ringing in my mind for such long time.And then I met Janie Matos, who is a Brazilian residing in Malaysia. He pointed out a vision to me. More like a success map for grassroots development in Malaysia. For a moment, I was baffled. He mentioned something about Brazil. I thought to myself, will it work?
Well, for an answer, you would have to look into the history books. Brazilians have had a lasting legacy in Asia for the last 40 years or so. One particular piece that caught my attention was the transition of Li Tie from a regular Chinese kid to a Premier League midfielder. He is not physically comparable with the Europeans. But how did he make it there? Li Tie was part of a football training programme that went to Brazil for five years. He trained in the land of Samba Football for five years before returning to China. The end result? That group of players led China into its first ever World Cup.There are nights in which I think to myself. What was it like to be in the 1970s? When you had a massive Malaysian team, capable of striking fear in opposition teams around Asia? What was like to be able to match the Japanese and Koreans on the pitch? I was only able to think and dream to myself.
But having heard of this vision from Jaino, I collected several research materials from him and the clarity of it unfolded to perfection. It was evident that Brazil could be a secret ingredient for our success. To get a clearer view, I contacted Kumaahran, a Malaysian kid who went on trial at Cruzeiro recently. One sentence from him still rings in my mind.
“The Brazilians, they do things way differently from us. They train differently, they eat differently, they live differently and they play football differently. It was like being in a land of magicians because everyone seems to be able to produce something magical with the ball”
And then it struck me! What would happen if we send our kids for a five year exchange programme in Brazil. What if we let our kids train the Brazilian style? Wouldn’t it be an eye-opener?Currently, our football stature is at a revival stage. We are bouncing back from our darkest moment and I’m sure the FAM has plenty of ideas panned out for the future. The Slovakian stint was an exemplary idea, while the Australian tour has boosted our nation’s young guns. We will rise slow and steady. But being a selfish Malaysian, I want it to be fast. I dream of experiencing the glory days of M’sian football and for that, I would like for our renaissance to flow a little bit faster.
Question is how do we make it faster? SEND OUR KIDS TO BRAZIL. History and statistics have continued to justify Brazil’s role in revolutionizing Asian football and I dream of seeing Malaysia being a part of that revolution as well. Imagine Nazmi Faiz’ potential being sharpened in Brazil? The possibilities are endless.
Leaving that aside, the Malaysian Super League is also another great prospect this year. The re-introduction of import players has already seen a few vintage captures and with the likes of Mohammed Ghaddar playing in our league, it will only be more competitive. My wishes are to continue seeing state teams and clubs do their best and aim to forge a great relationship between fans and the management. For this, I salute the Kelantan FA team, for being pro-active in engaging with fans.
We will also be hosting the AFF Suzuki Cup next year, so I’m pretty sure all Malaysian eyes will be on it as well. So basically, I’ll summarize my New Year resolutions for Malaysian Football next year.
1) To help bridge the connection between Malaysian Football and Brazilian Football at grassroots levels.2) For our Malaysian Super League to enhance into a more successful business as well. (Remember, further revenue will only support our league structure)3) Hopefully, our Harimau Muda boys will be able to win the S-League4) To see better coverage of Malaysian Football. (Global recognition will only be positive)5) Further improvements at grassroots level development (Our kids do have the talent)6) For the FAM to accept views from fans.7) FAN SUPPORT IN STADIUMS!
I know it might sound ridiculous or ambitious. But as a Malaysian fan, this is all I wish for next year. I do hope one day, that I’ll be able to boast to my international friends, about having Malaysia in the World Cup.
P/S: Spread this article to as many people as possible. Malaysians, YES WE CAN!
For further info,
Please visit this links.
Could Brazilian Influence be the secret ingredient for the revival of Malaysian football – GOAL.COM http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2011/11/26/2774750/why-brazilian-influence-could-be-the-secret-ingredient-for
Malaysian Football to flow with Samba Style – RIZAL HASHIM: http://rizalhashim.blogspot.com/2011/12/cruising-brazilian-way.html
Interview with Malaysian trialist at Cruzeiro, Kumaahran – GOAL.COM http://www.goal.com/en/news/14/asia/2011/10/25/2726906/malaysian-teenage-prodigy-kumaahran-attracts-interest-of
Interview with Ultras Malaya, the backbone behind the Harimau Malaya!: http://www.mobtv.my/talkshow-641.html
Thanks for reading,
Yours truly,
A Malaysian
