Sabah Prisons all out to wrest national title
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Prisons Department are determined to reclaim the Tan Sri Murad Ahmad Challenge Trophy when the 36th edition of the Malaysia Prisons Department football championship gets underway in Penang from April 12-15.
Multiple winners Sabah Prisons last won the tournament in 2017 but lost in their title defence the following year to Kajang Prisons of Selangor
However, the squad under head coach Roslan Wasli vowed to return the team to familiar territory in the country’s premier football competition for Malaysia Prisons Department.
“The team have undergone one-month of intensive training and all the players are very determined to achieve the target of making the final and go on to lift the title.
“We will give our utmost best,” said Roslan after the State flag handing over ceremony at the Sabah Prisons headquarters near here yesterday.
PP AB Nasif Sarahan represented State Prisons Department director TKP Hj Suria Idris in presenting the State flag to the team manager PP Jorennedy Sylvester.
Also present were assistant team manager Addny Elly Miky and the assistant coach Agustin Paga.
Nasif also gave words of encouragement to the team during the ceremony and Roslan said the players were even determined to wrest the title from Kajang Prisons.
For the record, Sabah have won the title numerous times and the most recent achievement came in 2017 where they defeated Kajang Prisons 5-4 in the penalty shoot-out after the match had ended 0-0 in regulation time.
Kajang Prisons avenged the defeat in the 2018 final by beating Sabah Prisons 2-1.