Sunday, May 25, 2008

Care to tell us?




Gifted Group chairman Jonathan Price is a gentleman. Despite my constant criticism of the CYC, he told me I was entitled to question or criticise because it was my job.

As a continuation to my previous entry on CYC, consider these:


1. Gifted has refused to involve FAM in any way but dealt directly with AFC, a body that is allergic to Government intervention. For an international tournament to be organised in any coutry, the game's governing body must issue the sanctions. It must be involved in the technical aspects, namely in providing technical personnel such as match officials, match, venue and general co-ordinators, referees' assessors and the like.

2. Why did FAM sanction CYC last year? My understanding is that it was a quid pro quo situation. NSC was funding FAM and FAM had no choice but to allow CYC to be organised. Ibrahim Saad's hands were tied. But I'm not too sure if the FAM exco were told of the circumstances!

3. AFC cannot be dealing directly with Gifted. CYC is not an AFC tournament like the Asian Youth Championship, the AFC Champions League or the AFC Cup where the host country is compelled to work for AFC or subservient to the continental governing body. CYC was mooted by someone with an ulterior motive, not so much on developing football in Malaysia!

4. Why did Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said pay AFC president Mohamed Hammam a courtesy call shortly after the Manchester United no-go issue? It is well documented that AFC and FIFA abhor Government intervention yet they seem to be chummy chummy with the powers that be! I heard that the Government delegation received expensive gifts each! No FAM officials were there. Funny. Very funny.

5. Out of curiousity, someone must tell me why did AFC appoint former Minister of Finance, Tun Daim Zainuddin, as chairman of its internal audit committee? Tun Daim had a chance to do something to help football last time, why is he now in AFC?

6. Is it true Najib's office forced Azalina to take up the CYC project or Azalina forced the issue down FAM's throats upon advice from certain quarters?

7. Is it true AFC is sore with FAM because the latter employed Haji Saifuddin Abu Bakar as assistant general secretary and Kelly Sathiraj as head of competitions recently? For the record both left AFC in a huff just prior to the AFC Asian Cup last year.

8. In the inaugural CYC last year, Gifted spent RM2 million to bring its own technical team, leaving FAM to provide match officials and referees' assessors only.

9. The local partner Datuk Phan formerly from Dunhill was tasked with a projected RM9 million ticket sales but in return earned only RM400,000. Where is Datuk Phan now?

Shall I wait for mercenary machais like tepakbersulam to reply?

I was invited as a panellist on TV1 on Saturday, where I went on record saying the powers that be did not respect the institutions related to the game with regard to the CYC controversy. I wish I had more air time! Look at the above picture. Can the Tourism Minister juggle and wiggle her way out of this?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rizal, being a loose cannon will get you nowhere in Umno Malaysia. I once suggested to the NST powers-that-be that you be made the head honcho of NST sports. I was told Rizal is too rebellious for NST's liking. Only those who play the game go up. Now you know why Malaysian sport is in the doghouse.

Anonymous said...

brader,

sports komisioner should deregister FAM. How can they challenge the KBS. Just deregister FAM for hindering sports lah! they have done it before right? FAM is too much lah!..ah..can ah? u mean FAM has the right ah,,? why..ah? oh becoz they are the governing body in Malaysia recognised by FIFA..ah? other sports how ah? oh like that ah..only if their president is a sultan...if president not sultan how..ah? But minister and kommissioner can do as they like...true or not? oooo..not elyas and azalina anymore...solly, i loopa.

Anonymous said...

Deregister FAM? Man.. Why? Why so dumb one you? I simply must asked. OK ok. So FAM was late and it cost us taxpayers RM18M for last year's and RM8M this year for that hoax called CYC. At least something right is seen to take place, tho late but still.... Let's not forget that MEGA project at the UK too but let's not get there.

If the authorities that pushed or shoved or what not for the CYC to go thru and burnt our millions got genuine balls then they can start
explaining the logic of having that project in the first place. To boost tourism? BULL! To up our fotball standard? That's ANOTHER BULL. Even free tickets, a cap, a t-shirt and a free meals will not make me watch the games.

Maybe these powerful personalities dont pay taxes. So that explains why they dont give a F**k!!!