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Kejayaan Cardiff Layak Ke EPL Musim Depan Bawa Jenama Malaysia Ke Mata Dunia

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 April (Bernama) -- Menteri Belia dan Sukan Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek menyifatkan kejayaan kelab bola sepak liga kejuaraan Inggeris Cardiff City FC melayakkan diri ke Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) musim depan merupakan kebanggaan buat rakyat negara ini.

Sambil mengucapkan tahniah kepada kelab berkenaan yang dimiliki ahli perniagaan Malaysia Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Ahmad Shabery berkata kejayaan itu dapat membawa jenama 'Malaysia' ke persada bola sepak antarabangsa.

"Saya amat gembira dengan kejayaan ini. Tahniah kerana ia sedikit sebanyak telah memupuk semangat kepada para pemain kebangsaan untuk bekerja lebih keras dalam mengharumkan nama negara di peringkat antarabangsa," katanya kepada Bernama Rabu.

Kelab itu, yang menggunakan jersi yang tertera nama 'Malaysia', menamatkan penantian selama 51 tahun untuk layak beraksi dalam Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL).

Keputusan seri tanpa jaringan yang dicatatkan kelab bimbingan jurulatih dari Scotland, Malky Mackay ketika menentang Charlton Athletic pada Selasa, membolehkan beraksi dalam liga utama England itu buat julung kalinya.

Mengulas lanjut, Ahmad Shabery berkata kelab berkenaan telah lama dianggap sebagai 'pasukan kebangsaan' kerana dimiliki oleh rakyat Malaysia sendiri.

"Malaysia dan Cardiff City FC sudah lama mempunyai pertalian spiritual kerana apabila penduduk di sana melihat pasukan itu, mereka pasti mengaitkan dengan Malaysia kerana kita adalah penaja utama yang membawa mereka ke tahap ini," katanya.

Beliau turut memuji program pembangunan di peringkat akar umbi yang dijalankan oleh kelab berkenaan dan menggesa pasukan Harimau Malaya bimbingan Datuk K. Rajagobal untuk mencontohi kelab itu.

Turut senada dengan beliau ialah lagenda bola sepak kebangsaan, Datuk Soh Chin Aun yang menyifatkan kejayaan kelab itu untuk beraksi di EPL musim depan pasti menggembirakan seluruh rakyat Malaysia.

"Kita patut mencontohi bagaimana Vincent Tan bawa pasukan ini ke EPL agar kita mampu mencapai ke tahap lebih baik pada masa akan datang.

"Skuad Harimau Malaya patut menjadikan kejayaan kelab itu sebagai pembakar semangat untuk berusaha dengan lebih keras bagi melayakkan diri beraksi di Sukan Olimpik nanti," katanya.

Bekas ketua jurulatih skuad bola sepak kebangsaan, Wan Jamak Wan Hassan berkata kejayaan Cardiff City FC telah membuka ruang besar kepada bakat bola sepak tempatan untuk menempatkan diri mereka ke peringkat antarabangsa.

"Kita perlu belajar daripada kelab itu jika ingin maju ke hadapan... saya harap FAM mahupun pasukan-pasukan negeri dan kelab tidak mempersiakan peluang menjalinkan kerjasama bersama Cardiff City yang mempunyai pengalaman luas dalam sukan bola sepak era baharu," katanya.

Pada masa sama, Wan Jamak turut berharap kelab berkenaan akan membuka lebih banyak peluang kepada pemain tempatan untuk menimba pengalaman berguna beraksi bersama pasukan itu pada masa akan datang.

Sementara itu, pengasas AirAsia Tan Sri Tony Fernandes yang memiliki satu lagi pasukan dalam EPL, Queens Park Rangers (QPR), dalam posting di Facebook beliau, mengucapkan tahniah kepada Tan atas kejayaan pasukannya melayakkan diri ke EPL.

"Tahniah kepada Tan Sri Vincent Tan atas kejayaan Cardiff. Syabas!," katanya.

-- BERNAMA

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