Foul!

Update: 10.58pm - Kelantan win 2-1 The heat is on tonight. Kelantan take on Negri Sembilan at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight (kick off 8.45pm). The Malay Mail dedicate a full page for the preview on Friday. Here are some details of both teams: Kelantan Coach B.Satianathan “Wan Jamak claims Negri are the underdogs but they are the FA Cup winners and the defending champions. I think we’re the underdogs. He also claims we’re only good in the first 20 minutes but Kelantan have been scoring goals from the second half most of the time. My boys will be in top form throughout the 90 minutes. It’s going to be an interesting affair.” Norshahrul Idlan Talaha ( pic ) “Everyone wants to be the underdogs, want to be humble. Perhaps it’s easier that way…less pressure. I have been waiting for this moment and hope to score when it matters then most. I enjoy playing alongside Hairuddin (Omar) and the team is in good shape. I’m confident the match will end in full time.” Players to watch: I

You can run. But you can't hide. Read The Malay Mail's front page story today . HD says : This is nothing like Lynyrd Skynyrd's On the Hunt .

I was at the organising committee meeting press conference at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Monday. I remember the committee stating that 30,000 tickets will be handed to Negri Sembilan and Kelantan respectively and that the balance - if any - together with additional tickets - if required - will be sold at the venue on Saturday itself till the gates open at 4pm. I flipped back my notebook to double check the facts. Just 5 minutes ago I received a phone call asking me why are there so many fans queuing up to buy tickets at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya. Apparently none of the 'ahli jawatankuasa tiket' are around. Can someone please explain the truth? Dei, yennada!!! HD says : Good to see tickets snapping up like pan-cakes but I don't know of any ticket sales being done at Wisma FAM.

Zimbabwe FA fires CEO as players own up 27 Oct 2010 | Sapa-AP | 0 Wed Oct 27 07:02:32 SAST 2010 HARARE - Zimbabwe's football association yesterday fired its chief executive amid an investigation into alleged match-fixing that implicates a string of top players, coaches and administrators. Current Zimbabwe international players admitted in sworn statements that they intentionally lost games in 2008 and 2009 on the instructions of members of betting syndicates. In some cases the syndicate representatives were present at matches, and even gave instructions in the Zimbabwe team's dressing room at halftime to ensure results were fixed, the players said. Zimbabwe Football Association chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya ( pic ) was fired for poor administration but Ralph Maganga, a lawyer for Zifa, said match-fixing charges against her relating to the team's Asian tour late last year had been withdrawn pending further investigation. - courtesy of Sowetan . HD says : This was first

It has been a long time since I've spoken to Khairy Jamaluddin. Unlike many who seem to have a bone to pick with him, I have no problems with Khairy. Never did. Why? For the simple fact that even when he was critised in his professional capacity, he didn't flip. Mind you, he could have pulled the "I'm the son-in-law of the PM" line when Tun Abdullah Badawi was at the top seat then. But he never did - at least where I'm concerned. But I do know some people who are not even related to the PM threaten by using the Premier's name or the First Lady's name like no one's business. Tsk tsk. That aside, I know for a fact that Khairy is pretty busy with the current by-elections in Galas (Kelantan) and Batu Sapi (Sabah). Out of respect I have not written in the Malay Mail that several MyTeam players, including Stanley Bernard, have yet to received their wages. You see YB, I truly understand that the timing is not on - politically. It is not my intention to me

FA of Malaysia tried to clear the air by justifying the action taken against Kelantan coach B.Satianathan ahead of the Malaysia Cup final between Kelantan and Negri Sembilan on Saturday. Read it here , here and here . Its secretary general Datuk Azzudin Ahmad ( pic ) spoke on the matter at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday. "The disciplinary committee chairman Datuk Taufik (Razak) decided to hold a meeting on Oct 21 at 10am. Satianathan and (T-Team coach)Che Ku Marzuki (Che Ku Mohd Noor) case appeared and the committee decided to hand them a six months suspension and fines of RM2,000 each. This was based on the written explanation by both coaches. Unlike Reduan’s (Abdullah) case, he didn’t write an explanation thus he faced the disciplinary board. The board felt that the contents of the letter written by Satianathan and Che Ku Marzuki were sufficient. The board felt both coaches spoke against FAM policy matters...something all coaches and players should understan

That's what I'm eager to find out. The FA of Malaysia disciplinary committee handed Kelantan coach B.Satianathan a six months suspension and RM2,000 fine for apparently 'touching on FAM policy matters'. Kelantan play Negri Sembilan in the Malaysia Cup final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil this Saturday (Oct 30). The fans are pretty pissed and plan to stage a protest . But there are 'guidelines' to follow right? We need to be strict at all times no? There must be an A-licenced coach at the sidelines no? Isn't Satinathan the only A-licenced coach in the team? Could this mean Kelantan is 'illegal'? Well read today's Mailsports . HD says : Would love to see the reaction of Kelantan fans.

This was published in The Star - Oct 7, 2010 Where can I get a Malaysian jersey? I VISIT your country quite a bit because my parents live here. Everywhere I look are advertisements highlighting the glory days of Malaysian football and even your sports pages feature Malaysian football. However, your shops sell English football tops from Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal and England but no Malaysian football shirts? I have e-mailed the FA of Malaysia about 100 times and have had no response. All I want is a replica Malaysian football jersey to wear with pride. PAUL HANNAM, Kent, UK. If given a choice, this would be my answer: Dear Paul, I am not a spokesperson of the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and neither do I intend to play such a role through this response. However, it is sad that in this country, it is much easier to obtain an English Premier League jersey than that of the national jersey. Perhaps the national body should have had the courtesy of replying your emails (if they have received it) bu

Who will make it to the final of the 2010 Malaysia Cup? Defending champions Negri Sembilan were stunned 1-0 by Johor FC in the first leg of the semi finals and now have to work doubly hard to overturn their fortunes in the return leg at the JCorp Stadium tomorrow. Negri's coach Wan Jamak Wan Hassan refuses to blame goalkeeper Sani Anuar Kamsani for the first leg blunder, as reported by Mailsports' K.Rajan. Johor FC , meanwhile, are not going to rest on their laurels. Kelantan coach B.Satianathan ( pic ) will wear an even bigger smile if his team - which will see the return of striker Norshahrul Idlan Talaha after serving a two-match ban - defeats Kedah in Kota Baru. Kedah held the Red Warriors to a 0-0 draw in the first leg. Kelantan are going for the kill , according to Devinder Singh of the NST while Kosmo reports that Kedah is optimistic of upstaging Kelantan. Could Negri and Kelantan make the cut or could Kedah and Johor FC stun the fans and book a date with each other in

Awal-awal pagi aku dah dibangunkan. Bukan kerana salakan anjing kesayangkanku ( gambar ), tapi telefonku tak terhenti-henti berdering. Kenapa? Ada individu yang terasa bahang bahan tulisanku semalam. Siap sampai komplain sana, komplain sini. Lepas tu 'name dropping' pulak. Yang bestnye, semua orang yang dia komplain terus call aku...sampai terbahak-bahak kita berjenaka. Isk isk isk. Apa yang boleh-ku lakukan. Gelak jer lah. Siapa yang makan cili, dia yang terasa kan? Bersambung di lain lembaran....jeng jeng jeng. HD says : Trying my hand at writing a Malay novel. In search for a perfect ending.

I wonder if the name dropping attitude was also seen while being questioned by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC). Read The Malay Mail front page story today. A former athlete was said to have been hauled up by the MACC over the supposed sour sponsorship transaction involving the BA of Malaysia (BAM) and an insurance firm. Perhaps the former athlete could provide the answers to the whole fiasco. Hmm... HD says : I wonder who that is..hmm.

Well that seems to be the scenario which I cannot comprehend whenever there's a major sporting event abroad. The excuses usually are: 1. We are there to learn 2. We are there to observe 3. We are there to interact 4. We are there to give moral support to the athletes 5. We are required to be there 6. Perks of being a government / sports official Read Olympic Council of Malaysia secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi's thoughts in today's Mailsports . Just a gentle reminder, it's the public's money, ie. my money. I rather spend the same money getting my bike painted then to pay for their 'lawatan sambil belajar'. HD says : The only freeloader I love is Freedie Freeloader by Miles Davis .

I hate it when someone says... "Oh I play golf with so and so." OR "Oh I had tea with this big timer you know." OR "This are the instructions of this VVIP's wife ok, if you don't believe me you can call her." Rumour has it that the officials in the BA of Malaysia are subject to such "abuses", as published in today's Mailsports . If true, I pity the officials - from the office bearers to the administrators - who have to make do with such name dropping . But then again, this is quite common in Malaysia - where several government officials were said to have attended the just concluded New Delhi Commonwealth Games with Media passes while an individual - who claims he is connected to the whole wide world - was at the Games with an official pass. Is that true? If yes, I wonder who..hmmmmm. HD says : Don't bother trying to pull a name dropping stunt on me :)

My heart goes out to Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. Sultan Sharafuddin is not only an avid motorcycle fan but also an avid football fan and keeps close tabs over the Red Giants. I know this for a fact as Sultan Sharafuddin's private aide Kelvin Ong usually calls or SMS-es me for the team's latest results. I also know for the fact that Sultan Sharafuddin was hoping that the high and mighty Merah Kuning outfit could net the Malaysia Cup title this season. That failed to materialised after Kelantan blasted three goals past Selangor in the return leg of the quarter finals in Kota Baru on Friday (Selangor held Kelantan to a 0-0 draw in the first leg). Barely 24 hours later, Selangor - whereby the players were clearly not in the right frame of mind after the defeat - received a 6-0 annihilation against Singapore in the Sultan of Selangor's (SOS) Cup on Saturday. I must agree with Rizal Hashim , it should have been organised at a better timing. Personally, the r

I was interviewed but a handful of under-graduates from a rather reputable varsity-college in Damansara a couple of days back. Usually the students that I meet pursue mass communication, public relations or sports science but this is the first time I spoke to a group who are going to graduate in psychology. Their topic was the 'taboo of journalism in Malaysia'. Compared to other countries including Singapore and China, we do have freedom (to a certain extent). I found the word 'taboo' rather strong and told it to them. The art of governance is complicated. It's always easy to take pot shots at the ruling administration. The level of maturity between the masses differ at various levels. Also, decisions are usually politically right even if they could be really wrong in reality. But it is quite clear that the younger generation; 1. Do not read the mainstream media 2. Have no faith in the mainstream media. 3. Rely on blogs and online materials for information. 4. They

While the sporting community continue to debate over the debacle which saw weightlifer Arrico Jumith powering his way to the gold medal in a Sabah outfit at the Commonwealth Gamesin New Delhi, the author who is stuck in KL got the opportunity to catch up on some latest tv series. There's Modern Family, Weeds, Breaking Bad and the list goes on. But Eddie David of Borneo Ink recomended the latest pilot episode of Hawii Five-0. Malaysia was mentioned - as an illegal transit point. Desperate Housewives also saw KL being mentioned. It wasn't something very nice. But if one is a positive thinker, you could say that Malaysia and KL were marketed to a global audience without a single Ringgit spent. Maybe this is an option our ever generous Tourism Ministry - who many claimed pumped in RM10 million into the recently concluded ATP 250 Malaysian Open - could consider. My thoughts were published in The Malay Mail today. HD says : Need to catch up on South Park and Simpsons. Will be on th

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In response to Prime Minister Najib’s budget speech today, Wan Saiful Wan Jan, chief executive of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), issued the following statement: I am glad to see the Prime Minister being very confident about what the country can achieved next year. It seems like he is certain that our economy will improve. This is a positive note. I am worried, however, with the level of spending promised by the Prime Minister. The allocation for 2011 is almost 3% higher than 2010. Where will the additional money come from? We are already in deficit. The logical thing to do when we are in debt is to cut spending. But it seems like this year the government decided to spend even more. What is even more worrying is the way the budget is allocated. Out of the RM214 billion allocated for 2011, RM163 is for operating expenditure and only RM51 billion for development expenditure. This means the government is committed to mainta

Congratulations to the Malaysian contingent that nailed 12 gold medals - the best achievement to date - at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. While the likes of Lee Chong Wei and Nicol David were the natural winners, Elaine Koon's ( pic ) - a girl whom I know since her early days with the Serdang Rhythmic Angels - effort in rhythmic gymnastics certainly came as a pleasant surprise. Sadly some sports especially lawn bowls simply fail to shine. Nevertheless, this will certainly teach us not to be over reliant on certain sports as they could very much disappoint us. Well done once again. Hopefully the athletes, and not the officials, who will be celebrated upon their return to Malaysia. HD says : Well done.

The sea of Red may not be seen when Indonesia hosts Malaysia in the AFF Suzuki Cup at the Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta on Dec 1. As published in today's Mailsports , sources close to the author said that the Indonesian police are not taking anything for granted no thanks to the 'tensed' relations between both nations. Thus, the match could be played in an empty stadium. It remains unclear if it only involves the Indonesia-Malaysia match or all of Malaysia's matches in Jakarta. Hopefully, the organisers will manage a good outcome for the love of football. HD says : Hopes to see the Gelora Bung Karno stadium filled to the brim with fanatic Indonesian supporters.

Singaporean legend Dollah Kassim ( pic ) passed away this morning at his residence. He has been in coma after suffering from a seizure and cardiac arrest during the Sultan of Selangor Cup match at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore Oct 4 last year. Nicknamed Raja Gelek due to his dribbling abilities, Dollah was in his prime during the 1970s and in 1977 he helped Singapore win the Malaysia cup. He is expected to be buried by noon. Those wanting to pay their last respects can do so at #02-713, Block 197 Rivervale Drive (near Rhumbia LRT station off Sengkang MRT). HD says : RIP Dollah.

You would have been 61 today. Eight years on and I still, and will always, cherish all the good times we had. Happy Birthday Pa. Will catch up with you over a bottle of wine one fine day. HD says : ....

UPDATE (12.58am): Police confirmed 1 death due to either heart attack or suffocation. Awaiting postmortem results. Read K.Rajan's report in today's The Malay Mail and FA of Malaysia's take on the scenario . The Malaysia Cup quarter final match (1st leg) between Selangor and Kelantan didn't just ended up with a draw but also with fist fights. Fans from both teams fought as the players are still kept in the dressing rooms of the Shah Alam Stadium as this posting is being written. Even reporters are unable to go out due to the chaotic nature. There are claims that groups of fans are involved in fights outside the stadium at the moment. Unconfirmed reports state that two fans died - one was beaten to death while the other died of a heart attack. Nevertheless, this is being verified with the relevant authorities at this point of time. The last time such violence was seen was when a Black Maria was set on fire during a Kelantan-Negri Sembilan FA Cup match played in Kota Baru

That logo, which belongs to banking giants Maybank, could be seen on the shirts of our national shuttlers in time to come. This was reported in today's Mailsports - Banking on the Tiger . Many hope the deal goes through. At least that will shut some people up from claiming that they are the only people that can obtain sponsors for the BA of Malaysia (BAM) and no one else. For now, BAM will be powered by two tigers (Proton and Maybank). Hopefully that will make them hunger for more glory. HD says : I would like to propose that Survivor's Eye of the Tiger be made BAM's official theme song, hehe.

From name dropping to arm twisting. It'll be interesting to see how far you can go. Talk is cheap. And when the time is right, we'll meet. Don't go round threatening, coz you need money and glam more than I do. I can walk away and start all over again. It's that easy for me but not for you. Don't go name dropping on me. I don't give a F@#k. But I know you do. This could be the lyrics of Steve Morse's awesome track Name Dropping (wink). HD says : Siapa makan cili, dia yang terasa....

I seriously wish I was in New Delhi for the on-going Commonwealth Games. Not only because Malaysia have pocketed its second gold medal through Arrico Jumitih (weightlifting 62kg) or that the national hockey team gave India an early scare before going down 3-2 but more of the statements made by the officials there. Organising chairman Suresh Kalmadi ( pic above ) took a swipe at the Media but made a huge boo boo by telling the world that the late Princess Diana ( pic below ) was at the opening ceremony! I'm sure SS Dhaliwal, who is currently in India, was laughing his heart out when he updated his blog about Kalmadi's statement. HD says : As Robin Gibb sung, "I started a joke, which started the whole world cyring. But I didn't see that the joke was on me"

That is what some people may say about the FA of Malaysia (FAM). Judging from the tone of FAM deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the introduction of foriegners in the M-League will not be anytime soon. Earlier, it was projected that the domestic scene could see the return of imports by the 2012 season. Perhaps Tengku Abdullah is being careful. As he said; "There are many factors to consider and an answer will be only be made by next year." I'm eagerly waiting to see what my fellow peers will have to say in their articles tomorrow. The picture was taken during the press conference after the Exco meeting at Wisma FAM this afternoon. HD says : Kevin Devine's People are so Fickle is quite a catchy tune.

Could we repeat our 10 gold medals triumph seen during the 1998 Commonwealth Games? That remains to be seen as New Delhi welcomes athletes from Commonwealth nations as they host this year's edition. The opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is at 7pm (9pm Malaysian time) today. To be fair, Malaysia has been only collecting one or two gold medals up until 1998, where we got 10 followed by seven gold medals each at the 2002 Manchester and 2006 Melbourne Games. As reported by Kosmo , the government has spent some RM144 million for the projected 10 gold medal haul in India. That's about RM14.4 million for a gold medal. It must be noted that spending money in the pursuit of glory is practiced everywhere, even by the past generations for the superiority of a nation at a particular event presumably showcases the greatness of the said country. At least the money is going to sports and not to some third party who is a crony of a government officer. Our medal prospects include