Ex-football stars light up Laureus kick-about

Ex-Japan footballer Hidetoshi Nakata (left) in action during the Laureus All Star Unity Cup friendly match in KL on Tuesday. - BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: Several young local players experienced an unforgettable day when they participated in the Laureus All Stars Unity Cup and got a chance to rub shoulders with some famous former internationals in a football friendly at the Royal Selangor Club.

Among the stars on the pitch on Tuesday were Hidetoshi Nakata of Japan, Dane Michael Laudrup, Steve McManaman of England, Victor Baia of Portugal, Dutchman Ronald de Boer, Portuguese Paulo Ferreira, Spaniard Gaizka Mendieta and Antonios Nikopolidis of Greece.

Also present at the event were Minister of Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin, chairman of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Edwin Moses, former English football star Bobby Charlton and Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) chief executive officer Ung Su Ling.

As a sign of respect to the families and loved ones of the victims of the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a minute of silence was observed before the kickoff.

In the end, the Laureus Team beat the YR1M team 8-6 in an exciting and closely-contested game.
Meanwhile, the Laureus Sports for Good Foundation and YR1M also jointly announced an innovative partnership to benefit young people in Malaysia through sports.

“Laureus is not just about the awards ceremony. It is also about the year-round work of the Sports for Good Foundation which uses sports to improve the lives of young people around the world,” said Moses.

Laureus and YR1M will also stage a Laureus Sports for Good Summit in Kuala Lumpur later in the year.

by Mervin Menon - The Star

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