Monday, December 31, 2012

Mahu tengok masa depan bola sepak negara?

Tontoni aksi Piala Antarabangsa Frenz dari 28 Disember hingga 6 Januari dan mungkin ada sedikit petanda sama ada masih ada sinar di hujung terowong buat bola sepak negara atau tidak. Siaran langsung menerusi Astro Arena 801 dan www.radiotvsports.com. Maklumat lanjut di www.frenzinternationalcup.com




Skuad Bawah 15 tahun Malaysia 5 Slavia Praha 0




Presiden FAM digesa letak jawatan


Desakan agar presiden Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) meletak jawatan bukan baru. Media bahasa Inggeris seperti the Malay Mail dan the Star memang acapkali memberi bayangan jelas dan halus sejak 90-an.

Masih aku ingat apabila skuad negara tewas 1-0 kepada Laos di Sukan SEA 1997 di Jakarta, the Malay Mail memaparkan blurb di muka belakang Sultan and son must go.

Apabila skuad negara tewas kepada Singapura pada perlawanan pembukaan Piala AFF 2012, the Star turut     berkabung dengan menghitamkan muka belakang akhbarnya. Lebih awal daripada itu, the New Straits Times berbuat demikian.

Pada 2009, sebelum Sukan SEA Laos, the Star turut mengirim mesej kepada Sultan Ahmad Shah di Sultan under siege.

Baca pula gesaan terbaru di kalangan golongan marhaen. Jadi apa solusinya?

Politikus, tokoh korporat dan rombakan besar-besaran?

Sebenarnya bola sepak Malaysia memerlukan revolusi minda dan evolusi penggiat.

Masalah dan kekangan terlalu banyak yang boleh disenaraikan. Tiada formula tepat untuk membantu pasukan negara membuat lonjakan saujana (kalau ikut istilah pendidikan).




Thursday, December 20, 2012

Kelly for FAT



The FA of Malaysia (FAM) bid farewell to assistant general secretary Kelly Sathiraj tomorrow. Read jaihomalaysia's Winds of change for Kelly

Kelly, a sports management graduate of University Malaya, spent four years at Wisma FAM, joining the national body as the assistant head of competitions in 2008.

The Malaccan-born former hockey and cricket player began his career as the regional development officer at the Asian Football Confedereation (AFC) in 2000, during the days when I used to pay media director A. Subramaniam a visit at least once a month.

In early 2008 he joined FAM in the competitions department before he was tasked to head the international affairs and national teams's department a year later. In 2010 he was promoted to the assistant general secretary's post.

Kelly's resignation leaves a huge vacuum in FAM as far as international contacts are concerned. He is rich in experience, having worked as general coordinator at the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and other international tournaments plus numerous youth competitions all over Asia.

He has the unique distinction of having represented Malacca in cricket (Sukma), hockey (Sukma) and athletics, as well as playing football up to district level.

Kelly will take up the role as a consultant for Worawi Makudi, FA of Thailand (FAT) president. tasked to propose measures to restructure the governing body.

It is a pity that Kelly, like the rest of his predecessors who left FAM for greener pastures, could not restructure FAM. Read Pakar Bola Kita.


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Beza 2010 dan 2012

Dua tahun yang lalu, Muhammad Dayne Azmin Ghazali dan Wan Mohd Fakhrul Anwar Wan Bakar antara anggota media yang menjadi saksi kecemerlangan dan kejayaan skuad Harimau Malaya menjulang Piala AFF di Jakarta. Dayne dari Utusan Malaysia manakala Wan Fakhrul untuk Kosmo! ketika itu. Hari ini dia menulis untuk akhbar lama aku, Berita Harian.


Wan Fakhrul, Dayne dan Fadzrie Hazis, editor sukan Astro Awani, bertugas di Jakarta 2010 dan Bangkok 2012


Hafizal Hamad juga menulis untuk Rembat Kosmo!, selain Alfadli blogger anak memberontak yang dipaparkan sebagai antara wakil Ultras di Jakarta



Analisis Dayne sesudah Harimau Malaya terkandas di separuh akhir edisi 2012

Tidak seperti aku yang meliput bola sepak di zaman kegelapan, Dayne dan Wan Fakhrul beruntung. Mereka membuat liputan di saat pencapaian skuad negara di peringkat Asia Tenggara sedang memuncak. Namun beberapa kali aku mengingatkan kepada generasi wartawan hari ini jangan dibuai kejayaan, bahawa kita kena tegur penggiat sukan apabila perlu.

Sekalipun pencapaian Rajagobal tertulis dalam tinta sejarah, memenangi dua gelaran paling besar di peringkat Asia Tenggara tetapi paling rendah di pentas antarabangsa, ia bukan alasan untuk melindungi pencipta sejarah.

Jangan hendak jaga hubungan kerana kena ingat tugas kita membuat laporan! Benar, ia bukan mudah. Selama 20 tahun telinga aku mendengar hujah, teguran, marah dan bisikan daripada sumber, pegawai, jurulatih mahupun atlet. Ada ketikanya aku dipulau oleh skuad Olimpik kendalian Claude Le Roy. Aku hampir bertumbuk dengan Allan Harris di Abu Dhabi. Aku disekolahkan oleh Rajagobal pada Ogos 2011. Ini biasa. Lumrah alam kewartawanan sukan. Yang penting niat kita ikhlas. Sekadar untuk melihat rakan-rakan senegara mencatat kejayaan. Kerana yang dapat ganjaran, pingat kebesaran dan glamour bukan wartawan, tetapi sang penggiat sukan.

Kenapa hari ini Dayne dan Wan Fakhrul mengalunkan nada cukup keras menegur Rajagobal dan FAM?

Juga teguran bekas jurulatih kebangsaan, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, di bawah tajuk Turun padang Raja! dalam Utusan Malaysia. Selain penolong jurulatih pada 80-an dan kemudian jurulatih kebangsaan dari 1998-2000, Abdul Rahman tentu ada sebab berkata demikian. Yang aku tahu Rajagobal ada rangkaian pencari bakatnya, termasuk Tan Cheng Hoe dan Faozi Mukhlas.

Izinkan aku memetik tulisan Alex Ferguson sebagai prakata dalam buku PEP GUARDIOLA, Another Way of Winning tulisan Guillem Balague, "One thing I have noticed about Guardiola - crucial to his immense success as a manager - is that he has been very humble. He has never tried to gloat, he has been very respectful - and that is very important. It is good to have those qualities, and looking back, it is apparent that he has been unassuming throughout his career. As a coach he is very disciplined in terms of how his team plays, but whether they win or lose he is always the same elegant, unpretentious individual.

90 seconds to Anfield, via Youtube





Picture taken by Liverpool fan and Astro Arena football commentator Haji Zainal Abidin Rawop


Recently loose cannon was cordially invited by a friend to attend a hi-tea session hosted by Liz Kamaruddin, Corporate Affairs, Country Head and Dominica Chin, Head of Brand, Sponsorship and Sustainability of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad. Surely many of us are aware of Standard Chartered's role as Liverpool's main sponsor.

Among the members of the press who attended the hi-tea were those who support teams other than Liverpool.

Liz explained the bank's PR campaign to co-incide with Liverpool's visit to these shores in mid-2013, which includes a digital competition offering football fans the opportunity to watch Liverpool at Anfield,

I said by then Brendan Rodgers might not be at the helm of the former European giant.

The media will be offered a different route to Anfield, by sweating it out. My chance of boarding the plane to Anfield is virtually zero, considering I am in no man's land, not being a permanent staff of any organisation. Thankfully Harian Metro's assistant sports editor Azahar Taib, a hard-core Liverpool fan (seated on loose cannon's left) and I grabbed the opportunity to visit Anfield 10 years ago, while covering the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002.

If my creative juices are flowing between now and January 23, 2013, I might be tempted to try my luck though! Read the story below.


Loose cannon, lighter by 20kgs then 

90 SECONDS TO ANFIELD

Win a chance to catch Liverpool FC live!

KUALA LUMPUR, Tuesday, 18 December 2012: Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad is launching an exciting digital competition to reward football fans with the opportunity to watch Liverpool FC play against Tottenham Hotspur live at Anfield in March 2013.

All fans need to do is to post a video no longer than 90 seconds on YouTube on what football means to them. Interested participants will need to have a valid YouTube and email account and be aged 18 years and above to qualify for this competition.

They can upload their film by submitting their URLs to the ‘90 Seconds to Anfield’ YouTube channel via: youtube.com/90secondstoanfield.com from 17 December 2012 till 25 January 2013.

Winners will be announced on 31 January 2013 through the YouTube channel homepage and/or via email.

The grand prize winner will walk away with two Centenary Stand tickets with match hospitality for the Liverpool FC vs Tottenham Hotspur game, with an all-expense paid trip to Anfield including economy flight tickets and a two-night accommodation stay.

In addition, the winner will be provided spending money of £500 for the trip. Malaysia is currently the only market to enjoy this competition for six weeks, given the country’s high propensity and support from its football fans.

Thereafter, the competition will be expanded to other markets. Malaysian fans will also be eligible to enter phase two of the competition.

Standard Chartered Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Osman Morad said, “We know that Malaysia has a large football following.

"We understand what it is to build and sustain relationships, which is why we wanted to bring the excitement of the football season to Malaysians, especially to the loyal fans of Liverpool FC by bringing the magic of Anfield a little closer to them.

"The ‘90 Seconds to Anfield’ digital competition is the first of many programmes we have lined up from December all the way to July 2013, to give out some 10 tickets to Anfield to Malaysians.”







Civil war in OCM?

A civil war is brewing. Wisma OCM is rocked with internal strife. Under attack is Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, secretary of the umbrella body for the past two decades. The interview with the Star last month upset the OCM Board members. Read Mr OCM speaks his mind,








Selamat jalan Nash...




Ihsan FB Zachki Ahmad Suri

Shabrinaz Desa. Nama yang unik. Orangnya pun unik. Antara penerbit paling awal dari RTM yang mendekati aku untuk tampil di kaca televisyen. Kira-kira enam tahun yang lalu.

Tidak lama dahulu aku membelek helaian kertas yang bersepah di meja study aku. Terbaca aku surat jemputan untuk muncul dalam satu rancangan sukan di RTM, ditanda tangani oleh Shabrinaz. Atau nama ringkasnya Nash.

Sentiasa straightforward dan tidak banyak kerenah serta seorang yang profesional, Nash tentu sekali seorang warga kerja yang dianggap aset di RTM.

Petang tadi, Nash menyahut seruan Ilahi. Selepas hampir enam bulan bertarung melawan leukemia, Nash menghembus nafas akhirnya di PPUM kira-kira jam 6.15 petang. Aku terkilan kerana tidak dimaklumkan keadaannya. Maklumlah, aku jarang berurusan di RTM sejak mengikat kontrak dengan Astro Arena.

Al-Fatihah buat Nash, semoga rohnya dicucuri rahmat, dilapangkan kuburnya, diberi kubur ibarat sebuah taman dari syurga, diampuni segala dosanya. Ameen.


Frenz International Cup 2012 coming to town



RM320,000 or US$50,000 up for grabs


Frenz United FC president Datuk Noor Ihsan A Hamid gives his speech at the launch


The matches will be shown live and delayed over Astro Arena 801. Officiating the launch are FAM vice-president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin and FAM deputy general secretary Datuk Ahmad Fuad Daud,

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 17, 2012) – Coming on the heels of a successful domestic tournament, private football club, Frenz United, has launched the Frenz International Cup 2012 for the Under-15s, scheduled to be held on Dec 28-Jan 6.

Eight teams, including four foreign clubs and two national sides will vie for a total cash prize of US$100,000 (RM320,000) in what is poised to be Malaysia’s most expensive youth tournament.

As hosts Frenz United will field two teams – one from an ensemble of their products at Janda Baik, Pahang and the other students of their academy in Indonesia.

Completing the inaugural line-up are the Malaysian Under-15 side, Persepolis FC (Iran), Slovakia National Under-15, SK Slavia Praha (Czech Republic), Incheon Selection Team (South Korea) and Chonburi FC (Thailand). The venues are the Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) Stadium and the Shah Alam Stadium.

The winners will receive prize money of USD50,000 (1st place), USD25,000 (2nd place), USD15,000 (3rd place) and USD10,000 (4th place). Not only that, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) will walk away with a USD3,000 prize money.

Frenz International Cup 2012 is the international sequel to the Under-14 Frenz Trophy competition held in May-July this year.

Details of Frenz International Cup 2012 were disclosed during the official launch at Best Western Premier Hotel, Dua Sentral, here Monday.

In revealing the grand designs of the tournament, Frenz United Football Club President, Dato’ Noor Ihsan A Hamid, said: “The tournament not only promotes a healthy competitive spirit among young promising players, but it also strengthens the bond between the local players and the players from the participating countries.

“We believe in time the Frenz International Cup will be a brand associated with youth football, similar in many ways to the tournaments held in various countries such as the Toulon Festival in France, the Gothia Cup in Sweden and the Saitama Invitational in Japan.”

For more information visit www.frenztrophy.com.my or www.frenzunited.com.my

Pampasan, sasaran ikut tempoh masa dan apa lagi...

Genap dua tahun lalu, Malaysia dibuai kejayaan. Anak buah K. Rajagobal menjulang Piala AFF buat julung kali. Lebih manis ia dilakukan di depan musuh ketat Indonesia.

Bagi masyarakat yang dahagakan kejayaan di peringkat antarabangsa daripada sukan No 1 dunia, kemenangan bersejarah itu membasahkan tekak mereka buat seketika. Setelah beberapa dekad menjerit, menghentam dan mencaci pembuat dasar bola sepak tempatan, peminat turut dibuai satu fenomena.

Maka ganjaran demi ganjaran tidak putus-putus disampaikan kepada wira-wira negara. K. Rajagobal tiba-tiba bergelar Datuk. Jurulatih pertama diberi penghormatan sedemikian. Maklumlah, menang Sukan SEA 2009 dan Piala AFF 2010. Pemain menerima tanah, ganjaran wang tunai, kontrak lumayan, duta produk dan amanah saham.

Wartawan, penyokong dan yang lain tidak dapat apa tetapi kepuasan. Kalau menang, yang untung mereka dan keluarga mereka...


Penulis mengajak pembaca merenung urus kejayaan selepas menang peperangan.


Penulis juga menegur FAM supaya ada transisi, transformasi atau metamoforsis.

Jadi bila kalah, tanggunglah kekalahan itu berat manapun bahu yang memikul. Bila menang dijulang, bila tewas dihumban. Begitulah adat dunia sukan, terutama bola sepak. Sebab itu mana-mana jurulatih yang menganggap dirinya paling terbilang dan wajar diberi gaji lumayan setaraf dengan rakan sejawatan berbangsa asing di sekitar Asia Tenggara berdepan risiko ini.

Sejak menang Piala AFF, skuad Rajagobal kecundang dalam dua misi - pra-Piala Dunia pada 2011 dan Piala AFF 2012. Rabu ini pula Singapura dan Thailand membuat perhitungan final Piala AFF, meninggalkan Malaysia 

Sekadar melontarkan persoalan:

1. Apakah bisa Malaysia menawan Qatar, Yaman dan Bahrain pada pra-Piala Asia bermula Februari depan sedangkan Harimau Malaya gagal mendominasi permainan kecuali ketika menentang Laos sepanjang kempen Piala AFF 2012?

2. Apakah wajar pencinta bola sepak Malaysia menerima alasan Rajagobal enggan berundur kerana dia ada projek besar membentuk pasukan menuju pusingan akhir Piala Asia 2015? Bilakah tarikh yang sesuai untuk Rajagobal berundur? Disember 2013?

3. Tidakkah ada sasaran mengikut batasan masa? Misalnya dari Januari ke April, apa sasaran pasukan kebangsaan? Mei hingga Ogos apa pula yang dinanti? Berapa pula perlawanan persahabatan sepanjang September hingga Disember? Misalnya, dalam empat bulan pertama, harus tewaskan satu negara dalam ranking 100 ke atas. Empat bulan kedua, mencatat kemenangan ke atas Thailand. Empat bulan yang ketiga, seri dengan pasukan Timur Tengah. Barulah pengurusan berorientasikan keputusan dan prestasi.

4. Bukankah adil dan wajar kita mengharapkan prestasi lebih meyakinkan, apatah lagi selepas jawatankuasa pertandingan tempatan FAM banyak mengalah dan memberi ruang Rajagobal menyusun jadual latihan pasukan kebangsaan?

5. Sanggupkah FAM membayar pampasan sebagai ganti rugi jika menunjuk Rajagobal jalan keluar setahun sebelum kontraknya tamat? Kontraknya dipercayai bernilai RM600,000 setahun.

6. Siapa calon jurulatih jika FAM sudi mengirim wang pencen awal kepada Rajagobal?

7. Bersediakah Ong Kim Swee jika diberi tugas?

8. Bagaimana pula jika jurulatih asing dilantik?

9. Apa pula pandangan masyarakat melihat sikap bintang kesayangan Rajagobal lebih cenderung kekal di tanah air sekalipun dipancing kelab Thailand dan Australia? Sanggup atau tidak pemain yang ada potensi meninggalkan zon selesa dan kemewahan untuk bergelut setiap hari setiap minggu agar dapat beraksi di luar negara?

Apa sajapun yang bakal berlaku dalam tempoh sebulan dua ini, tekanan memuncak sedang dihalakan ke Tingkat 2, Wisma FAM di Kelana Jaya.


Teliti laporan Raja, kata Azlan Johar


Terang-terangan Wan Fakhrul menggesa FAM mengambil tindakan...


Apa sebenarnya yang berlaku? Siapa yang ego?




Soalan terakhir...betulkah Rajagobal berani letak jawatan?

Monday, December 3, 2012

Debat sukan

Debat Astro Awani bulan lalu membincangkan topik Pembangunan Atlet Malaysia di Peringkat Akar Umbi Masih Lemah Bagi Mencipta Lebih Kejayaan di Peringkat Antarabangsa. Diterajui moderator Hans Ahmad, program itu menampilkan Zaidi Ilamdin, Safirul Azli Abu Bakar, Sadek Mustaffa dan Yunus Zakariah.








Sunday, December 2, 2012

Reviu peringkat kumpulan

Seronok kalau nak reviu peringkat kumpulan Piala AFF tapi aku malas. Jadi aku pautkan dengan blog seorang peminat yang ada sijil kejurulatihan. Singgahlah ke blog Nizar Irman Nordin di sini.

Selepas kejohanan baru aku reviu dan nukilkan sedikit pengalaman membuat liputan jurulatih Richard Bate, Ken Worden, Claude Le Roy, Wan Jamak Hassan, Hatem Souissi, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, Allan Harris, Bertalan Bicskei, Norizan Bakar, B. Sathianathan dan K. Rajagobal (Datuk). Aku akan sentuh falsafah dan sikap mereka ketika berdepan dengan media!

Selamat berjaya kepada Harimau Malaya dalam menentang Thailand.


Mamma mia!

I've been to Italy but only for a short while without getting the chance or opportunity to savour the atmosphere of a football match over there. But Nizar Irman Nordin, a banker with a coaching certificate, has. Please read his postings on his blog here and here!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

My Harimau Malaya XI


We shall expect Singapore to play on the counter leaving Malaysia to seize the initiative. Datuk K. Rajagobal and Radojko Avramovic may be happy with a draw as the two arch-rivals open their AFF Suzuki Cup campaign in a few hours.

My pick for the Malaysian XI...

1. Farizal Marlias (GK)
Third keeper in the 2008 edition, first-choice during the 2009 SEA Games before losing his place to Sharbinee Alawee Ramli, Farizal missed the 2010 edition but seems likely to start ahead of Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, the darling of the nation when he saved a penalty in Jakarta in the final, second leg two years ago.

2. Bunyamin Umar (RB)
Handed his first international cap as a 19-year old by B. Sathianathan against Bahrain in 2007 which culminated with his first international goal in a 4-1 defeat, Bunyamin was a key figure in Rajagobal's Under-20 side that advanced to the Asian Under-20 championship in India in 2006. Able to play anywhere across the park. Lim Teong Kim once told him to go to Europe after watching him play in the Champions Youth Cup in 2007.

3. Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak (RCB)
Missed the previous edition but the defence is built around the 25-year old who has been part of the national set-up since age 14 in 2001.

4. Mohd Fadhli Shas (LCB)
A surprise inclusion who featured alongside Muslim Ahmad in the absence of Nasriq Baharom and Aidil in 2010.  Will be around for a long time.

5. Zubir Azmi (LB)
Given a chance by Ong Kim Swee to man the left flank, Zubir will tussle with Azmi Muslim for the slot which hitherto had been Asraruddin Putra Omar's domain.

6. Amar Rohidan (CM)
A member of  Rajagobal's Under-20 side in 2006, Amar screens the defence and does the dirty work before distributing the ball to the flanks or Safiq.

7. Safiq Rahim (CM)
Picked by Norizan Bakar for the Asian Games and the AFF Cup in 06/07, his partnership with Amar is the focal point of Rajagobal's plans. In a 4-2-3-1 formation, Safiq has to play the fetch and carry role, leaving the imagination to Norshahrul Idlan.

8. Khyril Muhymeen Zambri (RW)
His fourth successive tournament since bursting into the scene in 2006 with Safiq, Khyril or Meen may well be the match-winner for Harimau Malaya, having rediscovered the form which propelled him to the top as a teenager.

9. Norshahrul Idlan Talaha (FW)
If he is in the mood, Matyo could wreak havoc on any defence in the region. If not, his tournament could be shortlived.

10. Safee Sali (FW)
The forward who served Jorvan Vieira, Rajagobal, Allan Harris and Bertalan Bisckei, Safee was given his first taste of senior international by Norizan against New Zealand in 2006. Reinstated by Rajagobal a year after he was installed as chief coach for the training camp in Turkey in mid 2010, Safee is trying hard to deliver.

11. S. Kunanlan (LW)
A former cross country runner who will give his all even if he lacks the goalscoring touch.

Post script:

Of the 22 men, 10 featured in 2010. Seven likely to start.

The subs:

12. Baddrol Bakhtiar (FW)
Able to play as spearhead, as deep-lying forward or on the flanks.

13. Ahmad Fakri Saarani (FW)
Bound for Portugal, Fakri's pace will trouble any defence.

14. Ahmad Hazwan Bakri (FW)
Natural goalscorer.

15. Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor (RW)
Winger who can add pace.

16. Azamuddin Akil (RW)
Had a good season but recalled only after Zaquan Adha's injury.

17. Mahalli Jasuli (RB)
Right back whose cross was met by Safee for Malaysia's third goal in the first leg final in 2010, Mahalli's attacking instincts may prove to be crucial.

18. Azmi Muslim (LB)
Watch out for his long-range effort with his left peg.

19. Shakir Shaari (CM)
A central midfelder in the Malaysian Under-20 side under Rajagobal in 2004, Shakir has to play second fiddle to Safiq and Amar.

20. Gary Steven Robbat (CM)
A hard-running box-to-box midfielder who can add a different dimension.

21. Faizal Muhammad (CB)
Reliable substitute in central defence.

22. Khairul Fahmi Che Mat (GK)
The poster boy of Malaysian football.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Menyangkal dakwaan aku silap pada AFF 2010

Ramai menyangka dan menuduh aku antara pengkritik yang meletakkan peluang dan prospek pasukan negara menjulang Piala AFF pada 2010 sebagai sifar. Paparan di bawah menyatakan sebaliknya. Ini bukan menunjuk atau mengungkit, tetapi sekadar catatan sejarah buat pengunjung blog cabuk ini.


Rembat! Kosmo, November 2010, sebelum sepak mula Piala AFF 2010. Aku menyingkap pencapaian tujuh jurulatih kebangsaan sebelum K Rajagobal sejak edisi sulung dilancarkan pada 1996 sambil menyatakan harapan FINAL JADI BURUAN.



Rembat Kosmo!, Sabtu, 25 September, 2010. Hah, 66 hari sebelum sepak mula, dalam previu Piala Suzuki AFF, antara lain aku menulis Rajagobal memecah tradisi apabila menjadi jurulatih pertama sejak Trevor Hartley menjuarai Sukan SEA. Jadi tidak mustahil anak kelahiran Setapak ini mengukir sejarah sekali lagi! 66 hari beb, awal-awal lagi tu!


Rembat! Kosmo 18 Disember 2010. Mengimbas Play of the Day Syamsuri Mustaffa yang menjaringkan gol terus daripada goalkick pada Sukan SEA 2003, bagi menaikkan semangat pemain sambil mengagak prospek pasukan negara menjelang separuh akhir kedua menentang Vietnam dalam Piala AFF


Rembat Kosmo! edisi 25 Disember 2010, memaparkan gandingan Safee Sali dan Norshahrul Idlan Talaha dengan tajuk yang lazim diperkatakan di kalangan peminat seiring dengan kata-kata keramat di jersi. Sehari sebelum final pertama di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil


Surat Terbuka aku kepada K. Rajagobal lengkap dengan alamat Wisma FAM dalam ruangan Gelecek, Rembat Kosmo edisi yang sama, antara lain aku sebut "Saudara tentu ingat bagaimana saya mempertahankan pasukan Bawah 23 tahun pimpinan saudara yang menewaskan pasukan progam realiti MyTeam pada 28 Mei, 2006...apabila barisan anak buah saudara diherdik, dimaki dan dicaci. Keesokannya saya tulis dalam The Malay Mail, bagaimana perasaan jika yang dimaki itu adik-beradik kita?" Barang diingat, saat itu, tiada siapa yang berani mempersoal program TV sumber ilham menantu kepada Perdana Menteri ketika itu, apatah lagi cukup ramai yang menyokong MyTeam, termasuk di kalangan bos-bos media. Tapi tentunya tindakan aku menongkah arus tidak disebut pun. Orang yang dibuai kejayaan lupa saat-saat ini...dan kawan-kawan dia pun tak ingatkan benda yang berlaku lima atau enam tahun terdahulu



Rembat Kosmo! 1 Januari 2011, aku mengucapkan TERIMA KASIH HARIMAU MALAYA selepas mencipta sejarah


Inilah barisan kita...mudah saja tajuk yang aku beri tapi mendalam



sekalipun ada sentuhan emas, bukan mudah mengurus kejayaan, 


seperti yang kuingatkan pada edisi yang sama...di bawah tajuk urus kejayaan selepas menang "peperangan".  Bermakna, aku tidak melambung-lambungkan mereka...

Aku insaf, tulisan seorang wartawan yang berunsur positif atau merangsang minda dan semangat tidak akan dikenang atau dihargai oleh penggiat bola sepak, tidak kira jurulatih, pemain dan penonton. Memang benar aku ragu-ragu prospek anak buah Rajagobal setelah dibelasah 5-1 pada perlawanan pembukaan dengan Indonesia, tetapi siapa yang optimis dan berani ketika itu? Mengikut pengalaman aku, penggiat sukan tempatan lebih ingat tulisan yang menghiris, menikam dan menghentam sambil mengetepikan terus tulisan terdahulu yang mungkin bernada positif!  Lumrah alam! Cuba baca Raja should be the King, aku nyatakan 17 hari sebelum pelantikan Rajagobal. Kena ingat, jawatan seorang jurulatih sentiasa menjadi bahan spekulasi!

LCW 's champion wedding

Lee Chong Wei, or Datuk LCW, is one true champion.

He dared to dream, he dared to be a champion on court. Off court he is also a champion.

A car enthusiast who bought his first BMW at age 24, LCW's extravagant wedding recently is hard to surpass.

If one works hard, one may be able to take the world by storm by making sports a career and along the way, who knows you might marry the girl of your dreams in a lavish wedding with the Agong, PM, DPM all in attendance.



Picking up the bride must also be held in style.

Dr Ramlan on Raja

Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz, adviser to the Sports Minister, is active in the cyberworld. Below is his comment posted on Astro Arena's Kafe Sukan's facebook wall.
For the record, Dr Ramlan was one of the few confident the football team would return with the gold medal from the 2009 Laos SEA Games. Read here



"I seem to remember that not too long ago, SEA Games 2009 to be exact, when our men's football lost the opening match 1-3 to Vietnam. They had played quite poorly and if I recall correctly they were not too hot in the preceding friendly matches either. To compound matters further, the team lost the plot at the end and all hell broke loose with a red card and yellow cards flashed at the end. Total chaos. The next day, all and sundry went to town with reams of quotes on paper or the net totally villifying Coach Rajagobal and the team. Not totally unjustified, I have to say but as that was the very first match, as Malaysia's CDM at the Laos SEA Games I felt there was still so much to play for. So, I quietly took the Captain aside and had a few words in private. Then I assigned Dr Jolly Roy and Rebecca Wong, the two ISN psychologists who were with the contingent to sort the players out as a team and attend to some individuals who seemed to be at loose ends (pun intended, Muhammad Rizal Hashim :) ). The rest of the Contingent played their part, we mafe sure the football team didn't feel too badly and we strived to be supportive and I enjoyed sitting down with Coach Raja and his coaching staff at meals as often as I could, with all the rest of my job as CDM to do. The very next game agaianst Cambodia was a crucial one...the first goal took quite a while to come, with the team become more tense but that goal came and calmed everyone down, we eventually ran out 4-0 winners iirc. The rest is history.... So, what's the point of all this? As concerned as we are with what's going on, worrying, fretting and all that don't help much, if at all. Lots of support might very well turn things around. A team under siege has two main options..to stand up and be counted, or be swallowed up by the earth. This team was made in 2006 under Coach Raja and the rest of the FAM and he knows best. Of course he has responsibilities to live up to and a difficult role and job to perform. Let's wish him the best.

"Oh...and another thing. With the exception of some truly die-hard and passionate fans, dedicated officials and other well-wishers, generally support for Malaysian teams and athletes, though much welcome and appreciated is mostly of the "fair-weather friend" type. Hope this will change soon enough...it's headed in the right direction, albeit slowly. The burden of high expectations is truly heavy one. Do we share in whatever way we can or do we merely watch and whine?"

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Apabila Raja "kena sound" dengan anak Raja

Bagi penganut agama Hindu, aku ucap Happy Deepavali. Bagi yang menyambut kedatangan Muharram, jangan lupa baca doa hujung tahun dan awal tahun esok.

Sekarang ini yang perlu banyak berdoa ialah Datuk K. Rajagobal. Dialah Raja Bola Malaysia sebenarnya.

Maklumlah, menang Sukan SEA dan Piala AFF, tak pernah dibuat dek orang.

Orang lain siapa? Orang lain apa tahu? Orang lain boleh belahla...Ehh, Rajagobal cipta sejarah tau.

Sepanjang dua dekad lalu, Rahim Abdullah gagal, Ken Worden gagal,  Claude Le Roy gagal, Hatem Souissi gagal, Wan Jamak Wan Hassan gagal, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim gagal, Allan Harris gagal, Bertalan Bicskei gagal, Norizan Bakar gagal, B. Sathianathan gagal...yang tidak gagal hanya Raja, king of all kings!

Raja adalah Raja Bola terhebat sepanjang zaman! Never before we had a winning coach, really, never before!

Rajagobal saja yang tidak gagal. Yang lain gagal.

Cuba kaji latar belakang yang gagal:

1. Rahim Abdullah - bekas sayap kanan skuad Olimpik 1972.
Jurulatih ketika Malaysia tewas 1-0 kepada Filipina di Sukan SEA 1991.

2. Ken Worden - entah pernah main ke tidak
Jurulatih ketika Malaysia tersangkut di peringkat kumpulan di Sukan SEA Singapura 1993.

3. Claude Le Roy - bekas jurulatih Cameroon, Senegal, Cambridge, Oman, Syria
Gagal di Sukan SEA Chiangmai 1995

4. Wan Jamak Wan Hassan - bekas pemain pertahanan skuad Olimpik 1980
Bawa pasukan kebangsaan naib juara Piala AFF edisi sulung pada 1996, apabila Kiatisuk Senamuang elak terpaan Zainal Abidin Hassan lalu merembat gol tunggal final. Kalau Malaysia menang, apakah Wan Jamak dapat pingat kebesaran membawa kepada gelaran Datuk?  Namun melepaskan jawatan selepas tewas 1-0 kepada Laos di Jakarta 1997.

5. Abdul Rahman Ibrahim - bekas pemain tengah kebangsaan dan jurulatih skuad kebangsaan 1977, 78
Bawa pasukan tangga ketiga Piala AFF 2000 setahun selepas diaibkan di Sukan SEA Brunei 1999

6. Allan Harris - bekas penolong Terry Venables di Crystal Palace, Spurs dan Barca
Separuh akhir Piala AFF 2002 hasil kemenangan 4-0 ke atas Singapura dan 3-1 ke atas Thailand, tapi tewas dek tandukan Bambang Pamungkas. Sukan SEA 2001 pula pasukannya tewas gara-gara gol sendiri Kamarulzaman Hassan lagi beberapa minit nak habis di Stadium Shah Alam. Satu stadium menyumpah! Kalau menang final tu, Allan Harris dapat double Datuk, satu datuk grandpa satu pingat kebesaran.


El Tel dan Allan Harris di Nou Camp...Getty Images

7. Bertalan Bicskei - bekas penjaga gol dan jurulatih Hungary
Separuh akhir Piala AFF 2005, tangga ketiga.

8. Norizan Bakar - bekas pemain Perlis
Gangsa Sukan SEA Manila 2005 dan separuh akhir Piala AFF 2007.

9. B. Sathianathan - bekas perancang tengah Negeri Sembilan
Gagal di Sukan SEA Korat 2007 beberapa bulan selepas menjuarai Pestabola Merdeka, tewas peringkat kumpulan Piala AFF 2008.


Ini detik Sathia sebut "M-League is not football" depan Dominique Bathenay dan Zaid Jamaludin


10. K. Rajagobal - bekas pemain simpanan Selangor zaman Supermokh
Berjaya di Sukan SEA Laos 2009 dan berjaya lagi di Piala AFF 2010.

Sehebat mana seorang jurulatih itu, antara faktor dalam bola sepak ialah nasib. Satianathan mungkin gagal di peringkat antarabangsa tetapi berjaya di peringkat tempatan. Harris pernah jadi penolong jurulatih di Barcelona, manakala Le Roy menjuarai Kejohanan Negara-negara Afrika bersama Cameroon pada 1988 dan kemudian membawa pasukan sama ke Piala Dunia 1998. Bicskei bimbing pasukan Bawah 18 tahun Hungary muncul juara Eropah pada 1984.

Dan semua pun pernah kena sound dengan Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, timbalan presiden FAM.

Jadi apabila King Raja kena sound dengan anak Raja, apa tandanya? Baca kebimbangan Tengku Abdullah di http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Sukan/20121112/su_01/Tengku-Abdullah-tegur-Rajagobal

Satu lagi nak tanya sikit, apakah wajar Rajagobal dikekalkan jika anak buahnya gagal pertahan Piala AFF?

Apapun aku ucap selamat berjaya kepada King Raja, penolongnya Tan Cheng Hoe dan Faozi Mukhlas serta semua anak buahnya!

Kasihan Matyo

Kontroversi membabitkan tarik tali di antara Kelantan FA dan Johor FA memerangkap Norshahrul Idlan Talaha.

Johor bernafsu besar. Kelantan pula tidak mahu kehilangan bintang yang baru diangkat menjadi MVP Liga sekali lagi! Mujur episod ini sudah berpenghujung. Khabarnya Matyo diwakili peguam dan akan mengadakan sidang akhbar dalam meleraikan kekusutan.



Masih ingat gambar ini di saat Matyo mengalirkan air mata selepas melihat rakan-rakan sepasukan tewas kepada Singapura pada kelayakan Piala Dunia? Tika dan saat inipun dia cukup stress. Tapi Matyo bukan pemain pertama terheret ke kancah tarik tali di antara dua pasukan di kala masih terikat dengan kontrak. Gambar Osman Adnan (New Straits Times Press)

Kelantan sebut bonus hak mutlak KAFA. Betul.

Perkara 2.2 dalam kontrak pemain memang menyebut bonus dan pembayarannya hak mutlak ahli gabungan FAM.

Tetapi aku ambil contoh aku bekerja di The Malay Mail untuk 2004. Sepanjang tahun bagi story eksklusif dan 52 story muka depan. Tapi 2005 aku berhijrah ke Astro Arena. Bukankah aku patut dibayar sepanjang membanting tulang pada 2004 oleh majikan lama? Itulah pemahaman aku yang kolot ini.

Jika Pemain tidak berpuashati dengan keputusan Ahli, Pemain boleh dalam masa tujuh (7) hari merayu kepada Jawatankuasa Status Pemain Persatuan dan jika masih juga tidak berpuashati Pemain boleh merujuk kepada Dewan Penyelesaian Perselisihan Kebangsaan (DPPK)/NATIONAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION CHAMBER (NDRC) dan jika masih tidak dapat diselesai maka pihak-pihak yang berkenaan hendaklah merujuk kepada Majlis Timbangtara mengikut Akta Timbangtara 1952 yang mana keputusan adalah muktamad.

Malang sekali jika kedua-dua pihak terpaksa bawak kes ke DPPK.

Perkara 8.5 Apabila Pemain melakukan penamatan perjanjian secara sebelah pihak atau tanpa alasan, maka Ahli berhak mendapat ganti rugi dari seluruh baki nilai kontraknya.

Jadi Johor harus bayar Kelantan. Mudah saja.


PERKARA 11 : PERUNTUKAN KHAS DI ANTARA PEMAIN PROFESSIONAL DAN PASUKAN BARU. 11.1 Pasukan Baru yang berhasrat untuk menyempurnakan kontrak dengan seseorang Pemain Professional daripada Pasukan Asal, boleh memaklumkan kepada Pasukan Asal terlebih dahulu secara bertulis sebelum membuat apa-apa perjanjian atau perundingan dengan Pemain berkenaan iaitu dalam masa enam (6) bulan sebelum kontrak tamat.

11.2 Pasukan Asal setelah menerima permohonan daripada Pasukan Baru hendaklah memberikan makluman balas kepada Pasukan Baru dalam masa 14 hari daripada tarikh surat diterima dan jika gaga berbuat demikial, Pasukan Baru boleh berunding dengan Pemain Professional tersebut.


11.3 Jika Pasukan Asal tidak bersetuju dengan hasrat Pasukan Baru untuk berunding dengan Pemain Professional tersebut, maka Pasukan Baru tidak boleh menghubungi atau berbincang dengan Pemain berkenaan bermula daripada tarikh surat dikeluarkan oleh Pasukan Asal.


11.4 Pasukan Asal hendaklah memberikan notis melanjutkan perjanjian ini mengikut Perkara 10.


Apakah syarat-syarat ini dipatuhi oleh Matyo dan Johor FA? Jika syarat-syarat ini dipatuhi dan KAFA sudah dimaklumkan awal, tiada masalah buat Johor FA.


PERKARA 12 : PENYELESAIAN MUKTAMAD SEBARANG PERSELISIHAN.

12.1 Sebarang perselisihan yang timbul antara pihak-pihak yang berkaitan dengan Perjanjian ini dan yang tidak diselesaikan dengan memuaskan kedua-dua pihak akan dirujuk kepada Jawatankuasa Status Pemain ATAU Dewan Penyelesaian Perselisihan Kebangsaan (DPPK) mengikut isu kes. Jika perselisihan itu tidak dapat diselesaikan oleh Jawatankuasa Status Pemain ATAU DPPK ia akan dirujuk kepada MAJLIS TIMBANGTARA (COURT OF ARBITRATION) menurut Akta Timbangtara 1952 oleh seorang Arbitrator yang dipersetujui bersama oleh Ahli dan Pemain. Proses itu akan diadakan di Malaysia. Keputusan Arbitrator adalah muktamad dan hendak diterima oleh semua pihat terbabit. Bayaran kos Arbitrator hendaklah ditanggung oleh kedua-dua pihak seperti diputuskan oleh Arbitrator.


Harap tak perlu sampai ke sini. Berita terbaru KAFA sudah setuju dengan Johor untuk Matyo berpindah. Kerana kalau kita kaji butiran kontrak yang tertera, advantage Kelantan, melainkan jika semua syarat-syarat kontrak dan penamatan kontrak dipatuhi. Apakah Kelantan mencatat kemenangan 1-0 di luar padang dua bulan sebelum sepak mula tetapi kehilangan sebutir permata yang banyak membantu mengangkat status Kelantan dua tiga musim kebelakangan ini?

Aku ada mendapat maklum balas bagaimana pula jika KAFA sudahpun meletakkan imej dan jenama The Red Warriors dengan berpaksikan kepada Matyo...mudah, kerana risiko pemain berhijrah sama ada di dalam atau luar kontrak adalah lumrah alam bola sepak.

Pengajaran daripada isu ini - pemain ibarat satu komoditi dalam dunia bisnes. Mengurus sebuah pasukan bola sepak yang dianggotai individu dengan pelbagai masalah duniawi tidak semudah A, B dan C. Pancing-memancing pemain juga adalah perkara biasa, sebab itu satu ketika dahulu Kuala Lumpur meletakkan harga RM1 juta kepada Azman Adnan dan Azrul Amri Burhan/





Wednesday, November 7, 2012

LIMBC 2012 - "The Great Wall of Langkawi"

Stage 2 of the LIMBC 2012 was nearly declared not rideable but in the end, the 5km stretch of steep terrain dubbed the Great Wall of Langkawi by the riders was conquered. Read here


Team Specialized's Lea Davison of United States, race leader of the women's open, acknowledging her victory with fans


Lea flanked by Norway's Elisabeth Sveum (left) and Janka Stevkova of Slovakia


The diligent media eager to get fresh quotes from Giger who retained his yellow jersey




Giger retains the yellow jersey



No monkeys, only leeches and a snake, says Lea



Highlights of the race, with interviews pre and post-race

LIMBC 2012 - Day 3 - Stage 1


Fresh from his victory in the World Cup test event in China, Fabian Giger stormed to Stage 1 win in the LIMBC 2012, giving him the right to take away the yellow jersey from Florian Vogel.. In the women's open, Lea Davison grabbed the pink jersey. Read http://www.mtbmalaysia.com/news-media/news-media/latest-news/new-leaders-stage-2-limbc-2012 and http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/langkawi-international-mtb-challenge-2012/day-2-round-island/results




Post-race interview



Post-race interview



Stage 1 highlights


Nathalie Schneitter, last year's women's elite category winner, took second place in Stage 1 after surviving the mud, puddles and leeches


Local rider Ahmad Fauzan Lutfi entertains questions from the media


Clean start


Muddy finish


And the winners pose with organiser Datuk Malik Mydin (extreme right) and Tradewinds Corporation Bhd group communications chief, Nor Razman Kassim


Platinum sponsors Yayasan Sime Darby gave away a total of 45 bikes to promote a culture of cycling among students from selected schools and also the Langkawi police for their patrolling unit. Seen here LIMBC honorary patron Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad hands over a bike to Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Puad Zarkashi while LADA CEO Tan Sri Khalid Ramli and Kedah Chief of Police, Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim



Tuesday, November 6, 2012

LIMBC 2012 - Day 2 - Prologue

Following a jamboree that drew 800 over riders, the prologue was a much awaited affair.




Read the reports here








Catch the preview and highlights of the prologue.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Getting sued


What do you do when you get calls saying you will be sued? You press the panic button, of course!

I learnt a big lesson when I wrote a story on sex-for-hire for footballers posted on the FA of Malaysia website for the Malay Mail in 2000. Never mention names on stories that carry serious allegations of misdemeanor.

This story was carried by the Malay Mail in March 2000.

IT was perhaps inevitable. While the national soccer team are in shambles, FA of Malaysia (FAM) will now have to grapple with Internet surfers who have polluted their official website with offers for sex services.

Log on to www.fam.org.my and click the Guestbook icon for feedback from the fans.

Built to enable the fans to engage in intellectual discourse or exchanging views, two, however, have answered to the call of e-commerce by making the site as an avenue to advertise sex, aimed specifically at footballers.

One surfer who identified herself as #####  from Malacca, even went to the extent of implicating one former national striker, saying that he was her regular customer. Another who identified herself as  #### offered sex services, with her boyfriend as the contact person (e-mail address was furnished).

The two, apparently, submitted the so-called feedback on March 7 just before midnight.

I thought the story was sensational enough and warranted the Page 1. But it turned out the two girls really existed and they were victims of pranksters. The then Malay Mail editor (Datuk) Fauzi Omar called me to his office explaining the situation.

Since the story had gone through the normal screening process via the sports editor, the chief sub and the editor himself before seeing print, I was not liable for it. Our mistake was to publish the two names. Out of guilt, I tried to speak to the two girls personally to offer my sincere apologies. Subsequently the matter was settled out of court. But you can imagine the sleepless nights I had to go through for weeks and months.

Getting sued, receiving letters of demand and letters that are thinly-veiled threats have become an occupational hazard for a journalist. But I had always felt the sportswriting fraternity and those related to them have a greater degree of tolerance towards criticism, sporting enough to take everything by their stride and believe in freedom of expression. Sportswriters in general enjoy greater liberties to cross swords with the powers-that-be as long as there is no malicious intent.

In this respect, I offer my former Malay Mail colleague Haresh Deol my deepest sympathies.

Haresh is being sued by a lawyer representing the National Sports Council (NSC) for reproducing two articles that had already been published by two newspapers.

Ex Malay Mail chieftain Rocky has blogged about it here

Ex Malay Mail sports editor Tony Mariadass shares his thoughts here


And I feel disgusted that Government servants who are supposed to serve us, the rakyat, the fans, the NGOs, the industry, have the time to send letters of demand to journalists.

Since the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) have issued a statement and clearly making a stand for the authorities not to harass sports journos, the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) is expected to follow suit.

In the interim, I am also expecting the Sports Minister to advise his underlings!


Syabas Zulfahmi, Hafizh...jom Visit Spain

Syabas kita ucapkan kepada dua mat motor yang mengangkat nama negara di Litar Sepang minggu lalu. Birthday boy Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Moto 3) dan Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (Moto 2) cipta nama memanaskan trek yang dibasahi hujan rahmat , bersaksikan 70,000 penonton sambil Sepang mengajak audiens dari semua ceruk dunia (kalau ikut statistik 300 juta setiap perlumbaan) untuk Visit Spain.

   

Time code 3:20 minit ke atas


Yang kiri dan kanan tu sekadar menumpang glamour yang tengah - Zulfahmi Khairuddin. Untunglah Akbar Sahari hos Kafe Sukan membuat pakej khas dari London bertajuk Deruman Zulfahmi tahun lalu. Surat pembaca dalam akhbar The Star http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/24/focus/12217041&sec=


Seminggu sebelum perlumbaan, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah tampil dalam Kafe Sukan janji menyelitkan diri dalam kelompok 10 pelumba teratas dalam Moto 2

Tahniah kepada semua yang terbabit. Lepas ini jom kita pergi Sepanyol beramai-ramai...http://rizalhashim.blogspot.com/2012/04/2012-malaysian-motogp-visit-spain.html

Monday, October 22, 2012

LIMBC 2012 - Day 1

Covering Gianni Bugno and Andrea Tafi at the 1997 Le Tour de Langkawi for the Malay Mail was a memorable experience. I got to visit my cousin who was a chef at the Berjaya Resort in Langkawi, enjoying a meal on board C130 Hercules as the LTDL juggernaut crossed the South China Seas and putting on weight following a feeding frenzy as a member of the pampered Press.

But for sheer adrenaline-pumping action-cum-adventure around nature, mountain bike is THE sport. Unlike their more glamorous road cousins, MTBers have to negotiate courses where the terrain and surface are constantly changing from earth, grass, stones, tree roots to streams and rivers. Definitely not a sport for the faint-hearted.

The recently concluded Langkawi International Mountain Bike Challenge was a prescription for fun and adventure surrounded by nature. For the locals, there was the jamboree to look forward to.

As opposed to the jamboree being held on the last day in 2011, the fun ride or officially known as the LIMBC Tradewinds Jamboree 2012 was made the prelude to this year's race. Among the notable participants were actor Esma Danial and entertainer Ezlynn, known for her Hi Hi Bye Bye hit song. The main prize in the lucky draw that followed the race was a brand new Proton Persona 1.6.


The start at Lagenda Park


Tradewinds Corp Bhd, a platinum sponsor for LIMBC 2012


Ezlynn (second from right) an attraction at the start line. She intends to compete in the jamboree on an annual basis


Shapari Sulong from Kuala Ketil drives home the Proton Persona 1.6

Prizes were given away by LIMBC honorary patron, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, LADA chief executive Tan Sri Khalid Ramli and Tradewinds Corporation Berhad Group COO Arief Nasran Abdul Wahab and organiser Datuk Malik Mydin. Read here


Friday, October 19, 2012

Kelebihan buat Kelantan

Aku tidak akan menyaksikan final Era Piala Malaysia di Stadium Shah Alam, malam esok atas tuntutan tugas di Langkawi. Tapi tentu sekali aku akan berusaha menonton perhitungan itu menerusi kaca televisyen.

Sekalipun Utusan Malaysia kata ada masalah agihan tiket di Kota Bharu berasaskan laporan ini, Shah Alam akan dibanjiri warga Kelantan apalagi Ahad cuti umum di semua jajahan negeri tanah rendah sekebun bunga.

ATM memang dari awal dianggap pasukan yang terlalu kuat untuk bermain dalam Liga Perdana.

Nasib B. Sathianathan, atau nama sebenarnya Satiananthan Bhaskaran, nampaknya jauh lebih bersinar daripada pengalamannya selaku jurulatih kebangsaan. Gelaran Pestabola Merdeka 2007 digapainya yang mendorong Sultan Ahmad Shah melantik Sathia selaku jurulatih pasukan senior dalam bilik persalinan di   Stadium Shah Alam, tanggal 29 Ogos 2007. Namun skuad kendaliannya bungkam di luar Kuala Lumpur. Tewas pada pusingan pertama Piala AFF 2008 dan gagal ke pusingan kedua Sukan SEA di Korat pada 2007 menyebabkan Sathia dianggap gagal selaku jurulatih kebangsaan. Tidak hairanlah dia ditunjuk jalan keluar selepas menuturkan kata-kata "M-League is not football".

Membantu kesebelasan Bawah 23 negara pada malam gemilang Pestabola ketika itu Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Daudsu Jamaluddin dan Aidil Zafuan serta Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak. Mereka kembali menjejakkan kaki ke stadium yang sama dalam suasana yang cukup berbeza. Dalam skuad Piala AFF pula ada Hairuddin Omar dan S. Subramaniam, dua individu yang harus bersaing sengit malam esok.


Tentu kalian kenal baju hitam putih sebelah aku kan...Sathia menjadi penolong jurulatih yang setia buat Allan Harris..Sathialah yang menjadi jambatan di antara Allan dengan pemain dan tukang bikin laporan kerana Allan kurang pandai menyediakan laporan

Sathia menyenaraikan Marlon Alex James bekas bintang Kedah selaku hujung tombak, dibantu Hai-O manakala Bruno Martelotto, kunci kekuatan Selangor MPPJ yang menjulang Piala Malaysia pada 2003, menjana jentera tengah. Bayangkan ATM dianggotai beberapa pemain yang pernah menjulang piala kebanggaan negara.

ATM mara ke final pada 1966 ketika Piala HMS Malaya dipertandingkan buat kali terakhir. Jaringan penalti pada minit ke-55 oleh pemain pertahanan, Abdullah Nordin, membolehkan Selangor muncul juara buat kali ke-12 mengalahkan Tentera, 1-0 bersaksikan hanya 12,000 penonton di Stadium Merdeka. Antara yang tewas Nordin Jan dan Dali Omar dalam kesebelasan ATM.

Yang sentimental mahu ATM menang. Yang neutral macam aku tidak kisah siapa menang, asalkan permainan yang dipamerkan mesti bermutu tinggi sejajar dengan standard Piala Malaysia.

Sekalipun Mohammed Ghaddar dan Nor Farhan Muhammad digantung, Kelantan ada kepantasan, pengalaman dan kepakaran mencium peluang. Aku rasa Indra Putra Mahayuddin akan berfungsi sebagai penyerang di sisi Matyo.

Walaupun Sathia tahu luar dalam dan kelemahan kekuatan The Red Warriors setelah membawa pasukan itu menjulang piala pada 2010, sedikit kelebihan buat Kelantan...yang akan menjulang kejuaraan treble sesudah mendakap kejuaraan Liga Super dan menjulang Piala FA! Bojan Hodak yang dulu sekadar pengendali program realiti MyTeam barangkali ada rezeki menjadikan kejuaraan Piala Malaysia satu realiti.



Jangan lupa siaran langsung


Kalau nak tengok Ray era.fm jadi penjaga gol...hah, dipersilakan