Skip to main content

Success the only option


CHALLENGE: Khairy is prepared to stake his reputation on NFDP

THE National Football Development Programme (NFDP) will cast its net wide in the search for coaches as Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin staked his reputation on the success of the 17-year initiative.

About 2,500 coaches will be needed at the grassroots level by 2020 from the present 387 to meet Khairy’s goal for Malaysia to be “Asian champions and knocking on the door of the World Cup and Olympics.”

Khairy said former players will be encouraged to join the programme as coaches but also opened the door to parents, working professionals and others who may want to contribute.

“We are opening the door as wide as possible to anyone who has an interest in developing football,” said Khairy after closing the three-day NFDP Coaching Symposium in Seri Kembangan yesterday.
“They can be an accountant or an engineer, if they have an interest in football, they can come forward.

“They don’t necessarily have to hold a licence, they can be involved part-time, by helping out with the drills. They can attend two-week courses on the basics of grassroots coaching.
“Especially parents, who most often are side-line coaches. Rather than shout from the sidelines, they can come and get involved.”

Around 170 coaches from NFDP’s Under-12 Tunas Academy (52), district training centres (52), state sport schools (29), private academies (15), national sport schools (six), FA of Malaysia (three) and others attended the symposium.

Among the presenters were Queens Park Rangers academy head Richard Allen, German Football Federation coaching instructor Bernd Stober and Fifa technical consultant Takeshi Ono.
Khairy told the participants that he is looking beyond success at regional level and Malaysia must aim higher in order to start producing results after 10 years.

“We have already won Sea Games gold and the AFF Cup. This is a national project and no longer about looking for success in Southeast Asia,” he said.
“If that is the case, there is no need for this plan. This is a plan for Malaysia to be Asian champions, to be knocking on the door of the World Cup and Olympics.

“If you just want to be champions of Southeast Asia, then don’t waste my time. This symposium is important to develop world class grassroots coaches.
“I have staked my reputation and time to ensure the success of this programme. I will micro-manage this programme so that things get done.

“We will hold meetings every three months to review and monitor the programme and ensure the centres are opened according to the plan.
“It will take us more than 10 years (to be Asian champions) and I may not be here (as sports minister) by then but the records will show we invested a lot.”

NFDP project director Lim Teong Kim will lead an Under-12 team of 22 players and several coaches to Germany at the end of next month for competitions and friendly matches.

The coaches will get a chance to see how Bayern Munich, where Teong Kim used to work, coach their youth while the team will also play against Nuremberg and Red Bull Salzburg.

In September, several coaches will be attached with QPR for three or four months to gain grassroots coaching exposure.

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

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...
1 comment
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