Soccerkids on TV3 part deux

I posted this on Apr 6...

I was honoured by the invite from TV3 to be a member of the panel of judges for the Soccerkids reality program back in December.

The show however only kicked off on TV in March 2008. It is on every Sunday at 7.30pm.

The ultimate game for the kids was a friendly with Japanese club side, Vissel Kobe.

The panel of selectors comprised FA of Malaysia technical director Robert Alberts, Lim Kim Chon, who was a member of the FIFA technical study group of the 2006 World Cup, national youth coach Aminuddin Hussein, TV3 sports editor Abu Bakar Atan and yours truly.

Our job was to pick the best player in each position.

The final episode was shown on Sunday, June 8, 2008.

It was sometime in December last year that this story appeared in the Malay Mail.

REMEMBER these names - Sufian Mat and Dhaanushan Raveenthiran.

Remember them because the duo could well be bossing the engine room for the future national football team.

The two lads, who have had the distinction of representing Malaysia in nternational tournaments such as the Saitama Invitational and the Danone Cup, stood out in TV3's Soccer Kids' highly anticipated match against Japan's Vissel Kobe at Petaling Jaya Stadium yesterday.

It was therefore not a surprise that Sufian, 11, was voted the best midfielder of the team by a panel of selectors comprising FA of Malaysia technical director Robert Alberts, Lim Kim Chon, who was a member of the FIFA technical study group of the 2006 World Cup, national youth coach Aminuddin Hussein, TV3 sports editor Abu Bakar Atan and The Malay Mail's Rizal Hashim.

Second in a family of five from Rantau Panjang, Kelantan, Sufian, whose mazy run into the box enabled Sharul Aiman Suhaimi to tap in the solitary goal the 42nd minute past Vissel netminder Junsei Fujita, dreams of donning the yellow and black strip one day.

"Football has always been on my mind since I was chosen to represent Kelantan in a tournament in Terengganu last year. I want to make a career out of football. My dream is to play for Malaysia at senior level," said Sufian who was voted the most valuable player of the game.

If Sufian stood out for his penetrative runs, nutmegs and dribbling skills against the Vissel side which had been playing together for three years, Klang lad Dhaanushan, 12, was captain personified with his organisational ability, range of passing and composure.

The best defender award went to right back Muhammad Irfan Zakaria, while Muhammad Aniis Ismail was chosen as the best goalkeeper. The best striker award went to Adam Aidil Iskandar Rosli. Each received a trophy and RM3,000 as well as a trip to Euro2008 to Austria and Switzerland. The coaches, led by Ong Kim Swee and Asri Ninggal, chose central defender, Muhamad Shahrul Hakim Rahim, as the Tiger Hero trophy winner.

Present to give away the prizes were group chief executive officer, Media Prima (television networks), Datuk Seri Farid Ridzuan, FA of Malaysia general secretary Lt Jen (R) Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad and TV3 general manager, entertainment, sports & recreation, Azhar Borhan.

Farid, who mooted the idea of Soccerkids, was kept on the edge of his seat throughout the match and did not dismiss the possibility of extending the programme for another year.

Equally excited was Azzuddin who said some of the players could be enrolled into the football programme at the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) next year.


I got this nice memento (pic) from Datuk Farid. So could there be light at the end of the tunnel for our football?