Sarawak Football: Revolution, Rehabilitation or Devastation?

Oni wat main bol otto skia jorak ya maju bih?

Just now at a coffee shop behind my office, I was having breakfast while reading today’s edition of The Borneo Post, and 3 pages from the back was an article written by Bujang Senang Tuah called Same Old Story For FAS. With due respect, Mr. Bujang Senang Tuah could have made 4 or 5 repetitive editions of that article every year because I almost think that the Sarawak football team & FAS has gone through that same cycle since 4 or 5 years ago.

But unlike, Mr. Bujang Senang Tuah, I am seeing that Sarawak has gotten much better, especially with the crop of players they have now. It's true that they were up against seasoned players from the Super League and that we were playing most of the time in a state of cultural shock, but the point is we have MADE IT BACK to the Super League this upcoming season. THAT is their opportunity to become seasoned players; by playing in top flight football. Most of these players are really young and I believe they don't intend to go out and don the state jersey by bringing losses all the time. Physically and mentally, right now they may not be up to it, but that's the significance of getting back in top flight. For now, we should only aim to stay there and never to return to the Premier League ever again. 

One of the things Mr. Bujang Senang Tuah said in his article involves development of football from grassroots level. I believe this has always been a problem and will continue to become a problem for so many years to come. The solution that people usually give  involves a comprehensive network of coaches, teachers and leagues for various age groups and also amateur divisional leagues. Last year, I did read about it in the papers from the honourable Datu Sudarsono Osman that FAS is making some practical initiatives for youth development and state-wide amateur football. Whether they were implemented or not, I have absolutely no clue.

Here's something that I'd like to say, coz personally I bear witness to the facts I'm giving here. When I was still studying in Shah Alam, every Sunday morning I'd be on my way to St. Francis Xavier's church in PJ. On my way, there'd be a couple of football fields visible from the

Federal Highway

. You know what I saw? I saw kids playing football - in ALL of these fields! They were not playing kampung style where they wore anything they liked (selipar jepun & kaki ayam also included). These boys (mostly looked like they were in the primary schools) were playing with a full kit with socks, guards and boots!

Where they running around aimlessly in the field? No, they had adults there; coaches with them in the pitch! The coaches would decide on their training for the day and it would revolve around everything basic that an adult footballer should never be trained to do anymore. That's not the end of it. In one of these fields and on several occasions, I noticed that Malaysia's very own Dollah Salleh was in the pitch training a group of kids!

So if you look at the record books for which state in Malaysia has won the most football trophies, where would Selangor be? At the very top! Do you think the fact that these kids playing and training systematically every week has anything to do with that? Yes, it does! Selangor has done what we have been trying so hard to do for so many years! Let me just give the harsh truth here, it doesn't matter if the state FA has created a programme for sports development or not! It also doesn't matter if schools do that! What matters is parents, and the kids and all who love football, start playing football again and play it properly!

In my kampung, the football field is now a place where you can fish for catfish! In the housing area where I'm staying now, the football field could become a guerrilla training ground! These are two places separated by nearly 900 km within our lovely state. Does anyone play football anymore? No! That, my friend, is our problem. Plus the competition from futsal; which is played indoors and doesn't get dirt on you, is also diminishing the interest of people to play real football.

My suggestion for practical grassroots development is simple. I’ll take Kuching as an example for the location and apply FAS as the organization to take action. Select several football fields in Kuching city, maybe around 10 of them and associate each of these fields as clubs; for example; Batu Kawah FC, Petanak FC or Tabuan FC. In these 'clubs', FAS should allocate a manager, a couple of coaches (if they can't afford it, but even one coach is good enough) and one groundsman.

So they should annually open a registration for certain age groups (starting from primary school kids) to participate in a weekly football training and organise a proper schedule for these trainings. I recommend former state players to become coaches so that these ex-players have jobs that are associated with football development. Those who register at these 'clubs' would be kids who are from different schools, live in different areas and are from different family backgrounds. With this, FAS will be independent in their development of football and can make direct observations over who is talented or not from a very young age. They will reduce their dependency on schools and the majlis sukan.

Then, start a league involving these 'clubs'. I mean, just rent those orange school buses to move the players around on match days so that these junior players start developing a feel for playing competitive football in long periods. Because the 10 teams are all localized (located in one city), the cost is greatly reduced instead of creating inter-divisional leagues for each age group.

Do this, before you plan anything large scale that involves state-wide tournaments. That issue can be resolved in the later stages, maybe when you acquire a bigger budget - but most importantly, when this first stage is a success. The logic behind my suggestion lies here. Let say in each 'club' you have 20 junior players for each age group and then you have 4 separate age groups namely; lower primary, upper primary, lower secondary and upper secondary. That means in each 'club', you have 80 footballing potentials. So with 10 clubs in Kuching, you have 800 junior footballers who are being PROPERLY TRAINED in the art of football. Imagine that! 800 kids!!! Even MSSM couldn't give you that many people with any sort of consistency!

The problem with MSSM tournaments is that they are one-off and the agenda is mainly to find representation for divisions and states. That system has no intention of 'grooming' real footballers. Once the tournament is over, then football goes off the radar for these kids. They go back to being schoolboys and some of them opt to represent their school playing sepak takraw (which is also a sport going nowhere), and maybe athletics. The word 'grooming' requires something that’s systematic, consistent and long term. MSSM football tournaments do nothing of that sort!

I believe that urban and sub-urban areas are the place to really start grassroots level football simply because better facilities are offered and also because of the large population at hand. It's not that we are leaving out the rural talents; it is simply because for now, FAS does not have the capacity to reach out to everyone...yet. Simply regard & implement this idea as - the first stage. If it is successful, then you implement something in each town or city, and later you can think about inter-divisional tournaments. But for now, just do ONE thing, but do it right! Out of 800 juniors in Kuching alone...I think by the time they are 18 years old, you would already have found your best 20, and isn't that good enough to fill the spots for future President Cups and Super Leagues players?

Coz once you have 'groomed' a group of players who have been mentally conditioned to COMPETE, from a very young age…they will play to win. When that becomes a reality, there is no doubt we can challenge for the FA Cup, Super League, Malaysia Cup and even, the Asian Champions League. You know what? We may even win it and I don’t mean that as a joke.  

So, try it FAS. If you need help, call me. Hahahaha.

Note: Although the team may not be doing well so far, but I think the new football kit is great! Planning to buy one soon.