Sabah football coach to begin attachment with QPR
KOTA KINABALU: Mohd Asyraaf Fong Abdullah will leave for London on Wednesday to start a three-week attachment with the Queens Park Rangers (QPR) football club.
Throughout the stint from August 29 to September 20, the Tawau-born coach will get to observe the professional way of training and management done by the EFL Championship side.
The former national women head coach disclosed that QPR Technical Director Chris Ramsey and its Academy Director, Alex Carrol, will be guiding him throughout his coaching stint.
In revealing this yesterday, Asyraaf vowed to take full advantage of the once-in-alifetime opportunity to not only be a better coach on the pitch, but also off in football management and administration.
“During office hours, I will be in the QPR office to learn something from the club’s administration.
“I will also be observing the team training sessions in the morning and afternoon. I will be with the QPR senior team as well as the youth and junior squads.
“I also plan to visit the QPR Soccer School to see how it is being managed and the QPR technical director will provide extra information and on the club development structure from school to youth levels,” he said.
Asyraaf also revealed that he looked forward to visiting the existing facilities at QPR, especially learning from the training field maintenance unit.
He will also be looking at other facilities and its importance, such as the audio visual unit, sports science unit, rehabilitation and physiotherapy unit, gymnasium and weightlifting unit, stores, pool training and others.
Having said that, Asyraaf pledged to share his knowledge once he return to the state.
“I will apply and practice what is suitable to our needs for UMS (Universiti Malaysia Sabah) as well as to contribute ideas to football development in Sabah and the country.
“I believe the international exposure and information available will certainly enhance our ability and open up a better management mindset,” he said while adding current national under-23 head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee also underwent a similar attachment with QPR last year.
Towards this end, Aysraaf, who is also UMS Sports Centre director, expressed gratitude to UMS vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr D. Kamarudin D. Mudin for giving him the green light for the attachment with QPR.
He also thanked deputy vice chancellor of student affairs alumni professor Dr Ismail Ali and UMS registrar No’Man Datuk Haji Ahmad for their suppport.
For the record, Asyraaf holds an international coaching certification from the England FA which he achieved in Lille Shall, England while also holding the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Licence A.
Also a former national referee, Asyraaf also possessed the AFC Level II coaching certificate.
Asyraaf’s last international assignment was as the head coach of the national women football coach where he led them in the SEA Games 2017.
He was also the head coach of the Malaysia University team to the Asian Varsity Games 2017 in Korea.
Asyraaf’s past coaching stints also saw him lead the state President Cup squad as well as the state under-19 team and he is a former head coach of the state men’s futsal team and also the Malaysian University futsal squad to the World Varsity Games.
Apart from coaching, Asyraaf was also an active member of the Sabah FA Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee until May this year.