Skip to main content

Malaysian Footballers Could Play For Cardiff City Team, Says Najib

CHINI (Pahang), April 21 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today spoke of the possibility of Malaysian footballers playing for the Malaysian-owned Cardiff City FC team of Wales which has secured promotion to the English Premier League (EPL) next season.

The prime minister said Malaysian footballers could be allowed to play for the Welsh team to gain experience playing top-level football.

Children of Felda settlers had been sent to Cardiff City for training and we could send them again to Cardiff to enable them play at a higher level, he said when opening the Felda Industrial and Recreational Complex near here.

In November last year, 50 children of Felda settlers were sent to the Cardiff City Football Academy in Wales for exposure, and they trained with youths of the academy and participated in friendly matches with local teams.

The club, the jersey of which sports the word "Malaysia", is owned by Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, and has ended a 51-year wait to play in the top league.

Najib also said that footballers earned lucrative salaries nowadays.

The prime minister said he hoped that Felda United, which played in the local Super League, would be able to win a title in the Malaysia League this season.

In a lighter vein, he said: "Felda has progressed much but not Felda United."

Felda United is second from the bottom in a list of 12 teams playing in the Super League. It has secured only 11 points from 13 matches.

-- BERNAMA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...
2 comments
Read more

Rajagobal Let Off The Hook

PETALING JAYA, April 24 (Bernama) -- National head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal was let off the hook by the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) Disciplinary Committee after finding no evidence that he had violated FAM's Article 88, as claimed. FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Taufik Abdul Razak said the committee had decided not to charge Rajagobal after carefully analysing the video of the post-match press conference by the 56-year-old coach. "After listening to the recording of the post-match press conference, we decided to drop the charge against Rajagopal as he did not make such a statement. "Maybe his (Rajagobal) assessment and comments of the match was misconstrued by the media. There was no mention of the FAM policy throughout his comments," said Taufik after emerging from a three-hour Disciplinary Committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, here, Wednesday. Rajagobal who does not mince his words when asked to com...
4 comments
Read more

Chance to catch Messi and company

  FAM deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and vice president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin with FC Barcelona chief executive officer Antoni Rossich yesterday. Pic by Osman Adnan LIONEL Messi's presence alone could sell half the tickets despite reigning world club champions FC Barcelona's date with a Malaysian XI at the National Stadium on Aug 10 falling on the third day of Hari Raya. The much anticipated visit of the four-time European champions comes with expectations from fans who want a full star-studded line-up. "The summer will be a busy period with a lot of uncertainty with players moving away and coming in. "But yes, our plans are to bring our full team here," said FC Barcelona chief executive officer Antoni Rossich yesterday. Rossich was speaking at the announcement of the friendly match, which is part of the three-match FC Barcelona Asia Tour 2013, which sees the giants also visiting China and Thailand. Also pre...
2 comments
Read more