Foul!

I received this email on Feb 27, 2012 which read; I read in total disgust that a good coach is leaving his players, yet another time. http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/2/27/central/10778655&sec=central Reasons for him leaving is stated clearly in above article. Or is it? 2 weeks back, an incident at a badminton tournament in Kangar, Perlis involving his assistant coach with some players and a parent was the tip of the iceberg. The ugly side of sports. Players were slapped by the assistant coach, a brawl in the hotel between the assistant coach and a parent ended up with broken glasses, furnitures and a police report! Worst still, it had to be witnessed by innocent, young players who are still teenagers and kids. The result, the assistant coach was suspended by the association and, the chief coach is leaving. According to some players, it is a normal occurrence during their training sessions that physical and verbal abuses are being hurled at them by the assistant ...

If it is let's say athletics, especially concerning the Malaysian Athletic Union, you get a whole lot of people jumping on the bandwagon and making a lot of noise. But when it comes to the Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation - not a single squeak. Yet, you get high ranking officials hugging and shedding tears when our cue artists win a gold medal. I was at the 2007 Korat Sea Games when Moh Keen Ho won the 64th gold medal for the nation. I saw the 'love' showered upon Keen Hoo there. Today MSBF is still in a messed up situation - so messed up that even the players are unsure what their counterparts are doing. Most are working in snooker centers. Others have left the scene completely. And yet we get a bunch of snooker pretenders - who don't even know which coloured ball is supposed to be potted in first - writing slanderous letters and addressing the letters to even the Sports Minister. The next time an official hugs a snooker player, I suggest that snooker player ...

Ini cerita terbaru, dari bandar Kota Baru. Bojan Hodak menjadi 'temporary custodian', untuk pasukan Kelantan. Peter Butler masih 'hilang', Kafa pun dah mula berang. Katanya Kafa tak nak Peter, Tapi kesian tengok dia menderita. Diberi gaji besar lagi lumayan, Sampai income tax Peter pun Kafa kena layan. Tapi sekarang dah berlaga, Dengar khabar nak ke court pun ada. Sekian sahaja pantun dari Kota Baru Lain lembaran kita bertemu. Ok tak? HD kato: Harap-harap dapat bertemu dengan Abe Peter dan dapatkan cerito sebenar daripadanya.

...I would have shaved my face! In the past, I was informed via SMS that I was a nominee for a couple of categories (2009 and 2010 Awards) but not this year. There were no hints this time around and I genuinely believed I was not shortlisted. Nevertheless, I was surprised - pleasantly surprised - that my front page article 'Deplorable' (published on July 22, 2011) on the pathetic state of the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil bagged the Best Special Report (Print & Electronic) en route to me being named the Best Sportswriter of the Year (2011). Thank you to the sports desk for allowing me the freedom to hunt and develop MY own stories. And thank you to the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia for the recognition. It means a lot to me and the timing couldn't have been better. SAM-100PLUS Awards 2011 LIST OF WINNERS Athlete Of The year: Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi (Shooting) Young Athlete Of The Year: Zulfadli Zulkifli (Badminton) Out-Do Yourself: National Under-23...

Just got off the phone with former Arsenal player Freddie Ljungberg. I was only given eight minutes as we spoke about Arsenal's current "embarrassing" situation and the match against Tottenham Hotspur. More of Ljunberg's take on the match will be revealed during the Thank Friday It's Football on BFM radio (89.9 FM) from 7.30pm-8.30pm. Well, here's hoping to spend more time with Freddie, maybe over some nasi lemak or roti canai, if and when he visits KL in the near future. ---- BARCLAYS LAUNCHES GLOBAL FANS SURVEY - Fans have the chance to win a VIP trip to a Barclays Premier League match - Barclays today launch the official 2012 Barclays Global Fans Survey that aims to reveal the views of Barclays Premier League fans across the world and will offer a lucky entrant and friend a VIP trip to see a Barclays Premier League team of their choice play in the competition next season. The previous two Barclays surveys in 2005 and 2008 gathered the views of over 60,000...

UPDATE Feb 24, 11.34am: Tiger's tactics backfire. --- Perit untuk kita mendengar tetapi itulah hakikat sebenar. Pasukan Harimau Muda dibelasah 4-0 oleh pasukan Jepun dalam pertandingan pra-Olimpik di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil malam tadi. Jurulatih Harimau Muda Ong Kim Swee akui banyak lagi yang perlu dipelajari oleh pemain-pemain muda negara. Kim Swee has dipuji kerana berani mengakui perkara sebenar. Jurulatih Jepun Takashi Sekizuka pula kesal pasukannya tidak dapat menjaringkan lebih gol dan terpaksa berpuas hati dengan kemenangan tersebut. Tidak perlulah kita terlalu ghairah dengan kemenangan di Sukan SEA mahupun AFF. Hakikatnya, kita masih ketinggalan jauh di belakang jika dibandingkan dengan pasukan yang terbaik di rantau ini. Sampai bilakah kita akan terus tersisih daripada kelompok yang terbaik di rantau ini mahupun dunia? HD kata: Renung-renungkan lah.

UPDATE 11.39am: Apparently Eaton is scheduled to visit FAM on March 5 as reported here . ---- “We can confirm that Chris Eaton, as our Head of Security, has led and managed a global investigation of allegations of matchfixing which has included Malaysia. As Fifa take every allegation seriously, we also confirm that Fifa have inconclusive investigative information suggesting the involvement of some football administrators. We are looking forward to cooperating with FAM and the Malaysian authorities in order to share this information with them and then to proceed with our global investigations.” This was the respond I obtained from Fifa's Media Office when asked about Eaton's comments in Singapore's Straits Times recently. Read more in today's Mailsport . I believe such a statement will not go down well with the folks at the FA of Malaysia. Pic courtesy of The Malay Mail. HD says: Oh well...

The table is a page from the Berjaya Sports Toto Bhd 2011 Annual Report. The lottery giants contributed RM52,701,000 to the National Sports Council as clearly stated. For the record, NSC is the funding arm of the Sports Ministry. So is it considered 'duit haram' now? I leave it to your interpretation. HD says: No komen....

Malaysia vs Japan Olympic Preview by Rashidee_Mohd “We need to score and we’re going to score." - Japan Olympic coach Takashi Sekizuka. “We’re playing without pressure. If Japan play too offensively, they might just get caught." - Harimau Malaya coach Ong Kim Swee. Japan are not in Kuala Lumpur to only win. They want to score as many goals possible. Malaysia's London campaign is over but Kim Swee and lads will not go down without a fight as they host Japan at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil (kick off 9pm) in the Asian Qualifiers for the London Olympics. Read more here . Mohd Rashidee's decent video (above) sums the preview of the match well. HD says: All the best lads!

Kronos! Well that's an Italian sportswear brand which was once donned by Argentina's star Gabriel Batistuta. In Malaysia, Kronos sponsors MP Muar FC and KL (Super League and President's Cup teams). It also sponsored former international B.Rajnikandh, who is now the team manager of NS Betaria. Certainly Kronos is not going to jeopardise its name in light of the recent match-fixing allegations against MP Muar FC and NS Betaria. Read what Paragon Vest - the distributors of Kronos in Malaysia - has got to say in today's Mailsport . HD says: Finally some form of sponsorship for KL...

UPDATE: Feb 21, 12.03am: "...we have paid Hardi’s wages. In fact, we do not owe wages to anyone. In Hardi’s case, there are doubts about the signatures in the contract.” - Perak FA secretary Abdul Aziz Yeop Jamaluddin. Read here for more . ----- Kata Liga-M sudahpun profesional. Tapi isu persatuan negeri hutang pemain masih muncul lagi. Kali ini Hardi Jaafar pula yang 'tertipu'. Menurut kontrak Hardi dengan Persatuan Bolasepak Perak (Pafa), dia sepatutnya menerima sigining fee sebanyak RM50,000 (dibayar secara ansuran). Hardi telah menin ggalkan Perak tiga tahun yang lalu tapi masih menunggu baki RM40,000 yang katanya belum dibayar Pafa. So apa cerita sebenar Pafa? Hardi ada tunjuk SMS antara dia dan pihak Pafa dan jawapan dari wakil Pafa agak tidak profesional. Ingat ini liga pasar malam ka? Tidak kira pentabiran lama atau baru, PAS atau BN, kalau kontrak kata kena bayar, bayar lah. Saya harap pihak atasan Pafa dapat memberi penjelasan terhadap laporan Mailsport hari ...

I remember writing an extensive article on PNB developing Stadium Merdeka and the area surrounding it in 2009 . This idea then was to stage football matches including Merdeka Tournament there. It's been three years and all we see now are just concerts hosted by the stadium. I must say the restoration work done on the stadium was excellent. From the huge historical pictures ( left ) and write ups about the stadium at the entrance to the mosaic floors which reminds one of the 60s, the stadium was certainly warm and managed to give one the nostalgic feeling. Now it is hoped the stadium authorities would actually allow football matches to be played at the stadium - playing at 4.15pm on a Saturday would be perfect as it is easily accessible for the fans - young and old. It is not easy finding a football field in the heart of KL. I'm sure many of you wouldn't mind sitting on the concrete slabs watching a good match. I know I wouldn't. Perhaps the state FAs or FA of Malaysia ...

I am sorry for the delay but I would like to congratulate Zaiton Othman ( pic ) who was awarded the International Olympics Committee (IOC) Women and Sports award for Asia at the 5th World Conference on Women and Sport in Los Angeles, California yesterday. This certainly serves as a big boost especially for Malaysian women in sports. Kindly visit Level Field for more information on Zaiton's award and her past achievements as a national athlete. HD says: Well done Zaiton.

UPDATE 7.01pm: Btw, someone just told me this is an OLD photo. Hmmm... ------ We have heard about Peter Butler's story . Some have also read what Kelantan FA (Kafa) president Tan Sri Annuar Musa has got to say about the drama in Kota Baru. There are claims that; 1. Peter is engineering his own ouster from the Red Warriors. 2. Peter is looking at greener pastures with another team. 3. M.Karathu is not interested and should not be bothered about taking over Peter's role should he leave. But those are just claims. However, here is what has been posted on Tan Sri Annuar Musa's facebook; Admin: Peter Butler dan Tuan Haji Azman (pic), selepas heart to heart session semalam. Berbincang bersama, selesaikan masalah untuk kebaikan TRW kita. Ok, salah faham dah diselesaikan. Biasa la, dalam hidup krisis akan berlaku, cara kita tangani masalah tersebut yang penting. Insya Allah TRW akan bangkit semula daripada kekalahan tempoh hari! Lagi satu, untuk yang masih tak pasti, Ghaddar...

I received a phone call from a man who identified himself as Alias and claims to be the lawyer for both Rajendran Kurusamy (who was charged for match-fixing last year) and MP Muar FC. As I told him and I would like to stress once again - a spokesman from the FA of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed Pos Malaysia, NS Betaria and MP Muar FC are being investigated for elements of match-fixing. Also, Tunku Ismail Idris - the Crown Prince of Johor who was just named Johor FA president - revealed MP Muar FC and NS Betaria are monitored by the Police (as per his tweet on Feb 10, 2012 - pic ). I managed to obtain comments from officials of NS Betaria and MP Muar FC and they expressed shock - as seen in today's Mailsport . HD says: Oh well...just another day in office :)

Pos Malaysia Berhad issued a statement ( pic ) with regards to the Mailsport's backpage story that three senior teams - Premier League clubs MP Muar FC, NS Betaria and Pos Malaysia - are being probed by the authorities as published today. The statement will appear in tomorrow's Mailsport . The FA of Malaysia (FAM) also issued a statement regarding Singapore's Straits Times article which read; "Another surprise revelation by Fifa's security chief Chris Eaton to The Straits Times was that it is not just players and coaches who are on the take in Malaysia. According to the Australian, FAM officials could also be implicated. Mr Eaton said: 'I can safely say there is an investigation linking football administration officials in Malaysia and globally to match-fixing in South-east Asia." Below is FAM's statement to the Press; PERSATUAN BOLASEPAK MALAYSIA SIARAN MEDIA 16 FEBRUARI 2012 LAPORAN DI AKHBAR STRAITS TIME, SINGAPURA Persatuan Bolase...

A Pos Malaysia coach visited the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in Putrajaya yesterday morning followed by a meeting with FAM assistant secretary general Ahmad Fuad Daud at FAM in the evening. He has lodged a police report in Sepang a day earlier. I confronted the coach at Wisma FAM and he spilled the beans, claiming to have " evidence " on those involved in match-fixing. After much persuasion , he admitted to having text messages and recordings as prove of football bribery but did not want to show or reveal further. When I asked if he is also involved but is now trying to cry victim, the coach smiled and said; "I challenge them to provide dirt on me but I know I have evidence against them." Pos Malaysia, NS Betaria and MP Muar are the three SENIOR teams that are currently being investigated by the Police and the FA of Malaysia (FAM). Even the Crown Prince of Johor, who will be officially named the Johor FA president today, revealed the same on his twitter pag...

Pertama sekali, saya tidak akan cuba menulis dalam bahasa Kelantan. Gerenti salah punya. Tapi apa sebenarnya cerita di Kota Baru? Dengar khabar pihak pengurusan Kelantan FA (Kafa) suka masuk campur. Jurulatih Peter Butler pulak dah mula hilang sabar. Lepas Kelantan kalah 2-1 kepada Selangor - kekalahan pertama skuad Kijang musim ini, Peter terus menyatakan dia ingin "balik untuk menilai kedudukannya dengan pasukan Red Warriors." Dia kata dia masih sayang dengan penyokong Kelantan and pemain-pemain Kelantan dan belum membuat kata putus untuk berhijrah ke pasukan lain. Ada yang kata Peter disuruh letak jawatan. Ada pula yang kata Tan Sri Annuar Musa "tak ngam" dengan Peter. Ada yang kata pasal isu cukai (peribadi Peter) pun ada.... Apa-apa pun, jangan kerana ego, pasukan pun hancur berkecai. Baca sini untuk laporan penuh. By the way Peter, I respect the fact you are able to converse in Malay but many believe you should just express your thoughts in English. HD kato: ...

Tapi takpe, I akan tulis juga! Kata Liga-M nie profesional tapi adakah ianya benar-benar profesional? Mari kita kupas perlawanan Selangor-Kelantan kat Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil semalam. Yang pertama sekali kita lihat start list ( gambar ). Katanya Selangor lawan Kelantan, tapi kesebelasan utama Harimua Muda B lawan kesebelasan utama Johor MP Muar. Nie kira silap cut and paste lah kan? Tapi dengar khabar FAM telahpun diberitahu perkara ini pagi tadi. Hmm... Yang keduanya tak cukup start list. I tak kisah jalan kaki dari tingkat atas stadium ke area padang untuk ambil start list tapi kalau lebih ramai orang berbuat demikian, susahlah pihak Rela dengan Polis nak jaga sekuriti. Orang putih kata "too much of human traffic." Lain kali eloklah print banyak sikit kalau dua pasukan besar bermain dan lepas tu letaklah wakil kat tempat media. Semua orang pun senang hati. Yang ketiga berkenaan budak-budak yang mengiringi pemain keluar padang. Dahlah semuanya kecik-kecik belaka, lepas ...

UPDATE (Feb 15; 11.57pm): Osman Bakar reports in for duty this morning. Read more here. ------- It was an interesting day. Right after the FA of Malaysia announced it had approached a senior police officer with experience in football to head the Coordination and Integrity Unit, I knew I had to find out who the person was. I called every former cop cum footballer I knew - Zaman Khan, Dell Akhbar Khan, Bawandi Hiralal, Rahim Abdullah and Takbir Ahmad. But all of them insisted they were not contacted by anyone from FAM. The tone of their voices affirmed it. Then I tried my luck with Osman Bakar ( pic ). Without any hesitation he admitted he was approached and is willing to take up the challenge. But Osman stressed he is "not Superman". Read about Osman's new role in FAM here. HD says: All the best sir!

FA of Malaysia (FAM) revealed three "senior" teams are being investigated for suspicion of match-fixing in the domestic league. This comes to no surprise as many believe more dirt will be unearth leading to another 1994 fiasco which saw more than 100 officials and players banned from playing due to football bribery. FAM also stepped up by working closely with the Immigration Department to monitor suspects from leaving the country and deny entry to foreigners believed to be part of the syndicate. Read here and here for more. HD says: Better late than never.

"Karim also told me to take the pills, which he said were very expensive. I was also given injections two or three times a week. The doctor informed me that they were B complex shots for recovery after training. Karim asked me not to tell anyone, including coach K. Jayabalan, about the pills. However, I fell ill after receiving two injections and could not train for a few days. I told coach Jayabalan about the injections and he was angry with me." That was the stunning admission by national relay runner Yunus Lasaleh ( pic ) who failed a dope test after winning gold at the Indonesia SEA Games last year as published in The Star and NST today. Sprints coach Hamberi Mahad handed Malaysia Athletic Union president Shahidan Kassim a petition signed by 16 coaches and 42 athletes containing damning allegations on doping and a call to remove his deputy president Karim Ibrahim. Although Shahidan expressed "shock" over the petition, one cannot help but wonder if the ...

In 2010, I wrote about President's Cup players, including from T-Team, being on the take ( pic ). Today, 11 players and five officials from that T-Team squad are being investigated by the FA of Malaysia's (FAM) disciplinary board. The others are from the MP Muar (4 officials, 3 players) and Penang SDM Navy (4 officials, 4 players) 2011 President’s Cup teams. All 31 are temporarily suspended from football activities until the DB meets and discusses about any possible action. As said on Awani Ekstra last night, I am baffled to why the responsible party is only taking action now despite T-Team having lodged a report coupled with my stories on the match-fixing fiasco surfaced two years ago. But I added, "better late than never". Read The match-fixing scandal widens on FAM's current investigation and When and how it all happened for a recap of my story in 2010. HD says: I believe more will be named and shamed.

A friend once told me, Malaysians are good at developing but are lousy when it comes to maintaining. Perhaps it is somehow true when it comes to sports facilities in the country. We have heard of a leaking roof at the Putra Stadium, bad boards at the diving spot in the National Aquatics Center and now the Velodrome in Cheras is said to be in an "embarrassing" state. The velodrome is currently hosting the Asian Cycling Championships (ACC). To that he says: "....the overall view of the ACC is disgusting!" Ouch! Read Bakar's take here . HD says: Sigh!

It is nice to see hitman Safee Sali enjoying acting stints on Indonesian TV . Football is his career but he gains extra cash - directly and indirectly - from such appearances and endorsements. Sadly, most of our athletes still lack in this department. Athletes like Safiq Rahim, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat and Azlan Iskandar are household names not only because they are good in the scene but they are media savvy - in their own way. Consistent appearances in the media - may it be print, radio, website or television - gives them mileage to win the hearts of advertisers. We are not asking them to bask in the limelight and forget about their priorities but to take advantage of their current status for their future as most quit the scene by the age of 35. Sadly, some athletes don't view it that way. Simple example. I was at the National Sports Council field in Bukit Jalil to interview the national team as they were preparing for a match against an EPL team. I approached seasoned players Hai...

“I welcome their call and I think it is very noble for BAM to think about club players,” said Razif.“But I hope they are genuine and that this is not merely lip service. If they really want the best players to compete, they should gather all the top players and conduct a trial to see who is the best among the lot." Those were the words of former international Razif Sidek ( pic ) when asked to comment about BA of Malaysia (BAM) deputy president Al Amin Majid's statement that "even players from clubs could be considered for the inaugural Axiata Cup". Read more here . Some may say Razif is jaded as he is no longer part of the national stable and he was not considered as the High Performance Director (which is now known as the High Performance Team). But I did mention on Bernama's Radio 24 on their programme 'Dalam Radar' on Wednesday that a good player does not make him a good coach or administrator. Or perhaps Razif is right. No matter what your ranking...

The results are finally out. The Sample B of the two national athletes who participated at the Indonesia SEA Games last year turned out to be positive of banned substance. The two athletes - a member of the 4x400m quartert that won the gold medal and another medal winning weightlifter - will not be named until the Olympic Council of Malaysia gets the confirmation in writing from the Sea Games Federation. Read Harian Metro's report for more . It is, however, baffling to note why some athletes remain ignorant over the list of banned substance provided by the World Anti-Doping Agency as seen here . After all, the internet isn't all about Facebook or Skype. And if ever in doubt, ask the good folks at the National Sports Institute. As the new saying goes, Malu bertanya, sangkut anti-doping. HD says: So much for the pomp and fare during the awards ceremony in KL.

Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek ( pic ) has a lot on his plate. There is pressure for him to win the hearts of the youth and to not sound cheesy as practiced by most of his predecessors. Some claim Prime Minister Najib Razak's attempt of creating the Ah Jib Gor Facebook account to get closer to the Chinese community drew flak - especially by the opposition leaders. Many had poked fun of the account as well. But Ahmad Shabery came to the defense of his boss. And he strongly believes the "previous administration made a huge mistake by underestimating the social media especially blogs". Read ' Shabery defends Ah Jib Gor ' in The Malay Mail for more. HD says: So bila election?

"Saya masih ingat lagi apabila saya berada depan DB. Saya merayu pada mereka. Saya bagitau diaorang, baik saya ditikam, ditanam dan kubur saya disimenkan daripada kena gantung seumur hidup." Those were the words of former Negri Sembilan President's Cup coach Yusarman Yusof ( pic ) who I managed to contact yesterday. Yusarman, who turned 36 last month, was handed a life ban by the FA of Malaysia's Disciplinary Board (DB) during their investigations at Royale Bintang Seremban on Nov 24 and 25, 2011. Yusarman was said to have frequented a karaoke lounge at Dataran Senawang with 11 of his President's Cup players on two occasions to meet two unidentified men. The players apparently received RM300 on their first meeting and were later handed RM2000 in their second meeting. Read all about Yusarman on page 3 of The Malay Mail . By the way, it is 11 players from Negeri Sembilan and not six as informed earlier. Read more here . HD says: Apparently Negri Sembilan FA - for al...

It used to be known as 'Kerusi Panas'. Now, Bernama's Radio 24 (93.3FM) calls it 'Dalam Radar' that airs from Monday to Friday from 6.33pm - 7.30pm. Former shuttler Razif Sidek and I were invited to speak about the development of badminton in Malaysia, if the BA of Malaysia (BAM) feels 'threatened' by clubs and the situation of badminton in the country. Producer Markus Lim tried to get someone from BAM on the show but they apparently declined. Quite a number of listeners called in. Some asked us questions, a handful wanted to have their say. Some even brought up the statement by BAM secretary Ng Chin Chai who was reported saying the "priority is the Olympics and not the Thomas Cup" as published here . (Note: BAM deputy president Al Amin Majid diffused the situation during the launch of the Axiata Cup by saying both Thomas Cup and Olympics are a priority and he is open to players from clubs to represent Malaysia in the Axiata Cup as reported here .)...

...but not many are willing to admit it. The FA of Malaysia (FAM) have extended the dateline for the registration of foreign players to Feb 13 and most teams have decided to ditch their imports in search of fresh talents. So it is safe to presume they all screwed up in the selection of players in the beginning and are lucky to be given a second chance. Selangor coach Irfan Bakti indirectly agreed to the notion. After all Selangor too made a big boo-boo by signing up an injured player only to ditch him weeks later. Read all about Breathing easier with second chance in today's Mailsport. HD says: Lain kali plan dulu. Jangan main beli.

UPDATE 12.16pm: FAM confirms Tengku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim is registered to sit at the sidelines. Read more in tomorrow's Mailsport . ------ This was taken from the Twitter account of Tengku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, the crown prince of Johor and the new Johor FA president. Honestly, I thought only those who are registered in the team list are allowed to sit on the bench. I could be wrong though. Perhaps the FA of Malaysia could enlighten us on this subject? Meanwhile, this was revealed by Tengku Ismail in another tweet of his; 3 Player Import Johor dari Brazil dah sampai di Johor Petang Tadi. Gabriel Batistuta ex Argentine World Cup Player akan ke Johor untuk berbincang degan Saya dan Fandi untuk lebih Mantapkan Lagi Pasukan Johor FA dan untuk assist Johor dengan Argentine Superstar Player jikalau Johor FA Ingin Dapat Import Player baru. Buat masa yang sama misi saya ialah, untuk memberi peluang kepada Player Tempatan dan Player muda untuk berlajar. HD says: Batistuta eh. Not bad Tu...

“I might even change our playing style. We need to limit our passing in our half. If we keep on repeating the same thing, it will be of no use." Those were the words of Harimau Muda A coach Ong Kim Swee when contacted in Manama about an hour after the match. More will be published once The Malay Mail's website is updated. Kim Swee is adamant of making changes to ensure the team will not repeat the same mistakes for the third time. The national side lost 2-1 to Bahrain in the London Olympic qualifier - their second defeat to the Middle Eastern team. In November, the Harimau lads wasted a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to Bahrain. Some claim the Malaysians looked rusty, perhaps because they have not played any competitive matches for quite sometime. Others say the players lacked concentration and made life difficult for themselves. Kim Swee was at the sidelines that night and should know his boys best. One thing for sure, he is right to say that changes need to done - and they better be ...

IT was their fourth meeting since 2010. Naturally, the FA of Malaysia (FAM) Exco took over four hours to discuss various matters — from management to matchfixing. The meeting was chaired by FAM deputy-president Tengku Abdullah Shah. The Exco is supposed to meet four times a year. It was Tengku Abdullah who wanted the Exco meetings, even informally once a month. Those who sat through the meetings could sense a wind of change. It was obvious Tengku Abdullah had taken over the reins from the president, Sultan Ahmad Shah, who is also his father. “It is clear he wants to clear the deadwood in FAM. He only wants to work with sincere members,” said an Exco member who declined to be named. This include introducing radical changes by 2022 with reforms in the national teams and leagues. Read more here . Some of the other matters Tengku Abdullah spoke about; On Tengku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim announcing on twitter he was the new Johor FA president and that FAM was not aware of his “appointment”: “It...