SAFA will also develop women’s football – Peter
Sabah Football Association (SAFA) will play its role to ensure the development of the sport in the state including women’s football.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Football Association (SAFA) will play its role to ensure the development of the sport in the state including women's football.
SAFA president Datuk Peter Anthony said initiatives to develop women's football would be raised in the next Supreme Council Meeting.
“There will likely be a special committee to look after women's football including development programmes and forming a team for the national championships next season.
“I understand that Sabah are not in the national championships this season but our players are still involved as they are playing for other clubs and teams,” Peter said when contacted here, yesterday.
Peter said women's football should be given due attention as Sabah are the powerhouse in the country.
“As we can see, the majority of national players are from Sabah. Sabah also hold the most number of titles in terms of winning national championships.
“Women's football deserves attention and SAFA are ready to help. We will also give attention to developing futsal and beach soccer in addition to the state senior squad, the Under-21 team and the youth squad (under19),” said Peter, who is now officially elected president of the association after the SAFA Congress on Wednesday.
Prior to this, Peter took the helm as acting president of the state football governing body.
He stepped in as acting president in December after Alijus Sipil resigned from the post.
The SAFA presidential post was widely contested following the resignation of former Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman around June this year.
Peter's willingness to step in gave a life-line to the debtridden association. Sabah were barely able to join the M-League at that time but Peter came to aid and rescued Sabah from the blushes.
Under his leadership, SAFA not only managed to settle their debts but also ushered in a new chapter of achievements with the 2019 Premier League title won by the senior squad. The achievement brought an end to a 23-year wait since Sabah last won the title in 1996.
The senior squad, with their new identity as Sabah Tambadaus, also achieved their target of gaining promotion to the Super League. Before that Sabah struggled for seven seasons to try and move up from the second tier league.