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).

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.

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?

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.

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!